I cannot recall a time when a default setting had me so concerned. I am talking about Windows Recall, from Microsoft’s Windows 11. Windows Recall is a new feature that will be enabled by default that captures a snapshot of our computer screen every five seconds. The benefit is to have a searchable history of what you have done on your computer. Whether you need to find a file, remember a website, or do some other forgotten action, you will be able to quickly do these.
The concern
As mentioned, I have concerns. My biggest concern is the security of the snapshots. As snapshots happen, everything on your computer screen will be captured and made searchable. This means passwords, credit card information, social security numbers, medical records, tax information, and so on will all be captured and searchable.
Another concern I have is on how easy Windows Recall will be to configure or disable. Will it be something easy for a non-power user to figure out? Can it be managed centrally by an IT team? While Windows Recall can certainly be beneficial to a small business, it does come with risks, some of which are still unknown.
The remedy
To help address some of these concerns, Microsoft has provided a Help Article on Windows Recall. Microsoft has also stated, “You can delete individual snapshots, adjust and delete ranges of time in Settings, or pause at any point right from the icon in the System Tray on your Taskbar. You can also filter apps and websites from ever being saved. You are always in control with privacy you can trust.”
While the help article and statement help, it is important to remember with any newer technology there will always be new risks and yet unknown risks. Before deploying any new technology in a small business, it is important a risk analysis has been performed. Along with the risk analysis, having a risk remediation plan is important too. This allows for safer configuration and a game plan in case of a cyberattack.
I cannot recall a time when technology did not come with risks.
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