11-18-2020 , 03:45 AM
https://news.softpedia.com/news/microsof...1554.shtml
Microsoft Announces Pluton, the Security Chip Making Windows PCs Unhackable
Pluton is Microsoft’s response to T2 and Titan M
Nov 17, 2020 16:45 GMT · By Bogdan Popa ·
Microsoft has invested aggressively in the security of the Windows ecosystem lately, and today the company announced another major project that the world’s biggest chipmakers are contributing to.
Called Microsoft Pluton, this is a new security chip whose purpose is to serve as the successor to the Trusted Platform Module, also known as TPM, that’s already available on devices out there.
TPM is a component that increases the security of a Windows device by storing critical information, such as the authentication data for critical features like Windows Hello, separately from the rest of the systems, essentially making sure that a malicious actor wouldn’t be able to access it should the computer is compromised.
Microsoft Pluton, on the other hand, is an industry-wide effort, and it’s essentially Microsoft’s response to similar efforts from Apple and Google. The two have already announced the T2 and the Titan M, respectively, security chips for their devices, and now Microsoft is betting big on Pluton to protect the Windows ecosystem.
Like TPM, Pluton is supposed to make sure your credentials, encryption keys, and personal data is not exposed to attackers in case an attack is launched against your device. And to make sure everything is working just as expected, Microsoft joined forces with AMD, Intel, and Qualcomm, all of which have agreed to create x86 and AMR CPUs that come with Pluton.
“The Pluton design removes the potential for that communication channel to be attacked by building security directly into the CPU. Windows PCs using the Pluton architecture will first emulate a TPM that works with the existing TPM specifications and APIs, which will allow customers to immediately benefit from enhanced security for Windows features that rely on TPMs like BitLocker and System Guard. Windows devices with Pluton will use the Pluton security processor to protect credentials, user identities, encryption keys, and personal data. None of this information can be removed from Pluton even if an attacker has installed malware or has complete physical possession of the PC,” David Weston, Director of Enterprise and OS Security at Microsoft, explains.
Microsoft Pluton is supposed to guarantee a more secure updating experience for device firmware, blocking attackers from exploiting potential vulnerabilities and reaching your data.
“One of the other major security problems solved by Pluton is keeping the system firmware up to date across the entire PC ecosystem. Today customers receive updates to their security firmware from a variety of different sources than can be difficult to manage, resulting in widespread patching issues. Pluton provides a flexible, updateable platform for running firmware that implements end-to-end security functionality authored, maintained, and updated by Microsoft. Pluton for Windows computers will be integrated with the Windows Update process in the same way that the Azure Sphere Security Service connects to IoT devices,” Weston continues.
Worth emphasizing is that Microsoft Pluton would only be available on the next generation of Windows computers with processors powered by the aforementioned companies. In other words, only customers of new devices would benefit from the advantages of Pluton, though right now, it’s still not known when these new systems are supposed to go live.
However, it’s pretty clear that Microsoft is betting big on Pluton in the long term, and working together with the top chip makers out there is living proof that with an industry-wide effort, the Windows ecosystem can benefit from a major security boost. While this is going to take a while to go live, it’d obviously take years until Pluton becomes widely adopted in the Windows world. But it’ll still happen sooner or later, that’s for sure.
Microsoft Announces Pluton, the Security Chip Making Windows PCs Unhackable
Pluton is Microsoft’s response to T2 and Titan M
Nov 17, 2020 16:45 GMT · By Bogdan Popa ·
Microsoft has invested aggressively in the security of the Windows ecosystem lately, and today the company announced another major project that the world’s biggest chipmakers are contributing to.
Called Microsoft Pluton, this is a new security chip whose purpose is to serve as the successor to the Trusted Platform Module, also known as TPM, that’s already available on devices out there.
TPM is a component that increases the security of a Windows device by storing critical information, such as the authentication data for critical features like Windows Hello, separately from the rest of the systems, essentially making sure that a malicious actor wouldn’t be able to access it should the computer is compromised.
Microsoft Pluton, on the other hand, is an industry-wide effort, and it’s essentially Microsoft’s response to similar efforts from Apple and Google. The two have already announced the T2 and the Titan M, respectively, security chips for their devices, and now Microsoft is betting big on Pluton to protect the Windows ecosystem.
Like TPM, Pluton is supposed to make sure your credentials, encryption keys, and personal data is not exposed to attackers in case an attack is launched against your device. And to make sure everything is working just as expected, Microsoft joined forces with AMD, Intel, and Qualcomm, all of which have agreed to create x86 and AMR CPUs that come with Pluton.
“The Pluton design removes the potential for that communication channel to be attacked by building security directly into the CPU. Windows PCs using the Pluton architecture will first emulate a TPM that works with the existing TPM specifications and APIs, which will allow customers to immediately benefit from enhanced security for Windows features that rely on TPMs like BitLocker and System Guard. Windows devices with Pluton will use the Pluton security processor to protect credentials, user identities, encryption keys, and personal data. None of this information can be removed from Pluton even if an attacker has installed malware or has complete physical possession of the PC,” David Weston, Director of Enterprise and OS Security at Microsoft, explains.
Microsoft Pluton is supposed to guarantee a more secure updating experience for device firmware, blocking attackers from exploiting potential vulnerabilities and reaching your data.
“One of the other major security problems solved by Pluton is keeping the system firmware up to date across the entire PC ecosystem. Today customers receive updates to their security firmware from a variety of different sources than can be difficult to manage, resulting in widespread patching issues. Pluton provides a flexible, updateable platform for running firmware that implements end-to-end security functionality authored, maintained, and updated by Microsoft. Pluton for Windows computers will be integrated with the Windows Update process in the same way that the Azure Sphere Security Service connects to IoT devices,” Weston continues.
Worth emphasizing is that Microsoft Pluton would only be available on the next generation of Windows computers with processors powered by the aforementioned companies. In other words, only customers of new devices would benefit from the advantages of Pluton, though right now, it’s still not known when these new systems are supposed to go live.
However, it’s pretty clear that Microsoft is betting big on Pluton in the long term, and working together with the top chip makers out there is living proof that with an industry-wide effort, the Windows ecosystem can benefit from a major security boost. While this is going to take a while to go live, it’d obviously take years until Pluton becomes widely adopted in the Windows world. But it’ll still happen sooner or later, that’s for sure.