Microsoft has announced the launch of its new security chipset known as Microsoft Pluton. The company has introduced the new security processor in partnership with leading silicon companies. These include AMD, Intel, and Qualcomm Technologies. The company claims that the new chip will bring security advancements to the future Windows PCs. The Microsoft Pluton is said to improve the ability to guard against physical attacks, prevent the theft of credential and encryption keys, and provide the ability to recover from software bugs. Here's what you need to know about the latest security chipset from Microsoft.
Microsoft Pluton Processor features
The company claims that the Pluton security processor will provide next-generation hardware security protection to Windows PCs. The company has partnered with AMD, Intel, and Qualcomm Technologies to bring the security chip to the future generation of processors. The company says that the Microsoft Pluton processor protects credentials, user identities, encryption keys, and personal data.
The heart of the operating system security on most PCs lives in a chip separate from the CPU called the Trusted Platform Module (TPM). This is a hardware component that stores all the important information. However, attackers have found innovative ways to attack it in order to gain all the information from the CPU. Pluton removes the risk of attacks from hackers. This is primarily because it is built into the CPU. None of the important information can be removed from Pluton even if an attacker has installed malware or has complete physical possession of the PC.
The latest security processor also stores sensitive data like encryption keys securely within it. Pluton also provides the unique Secure Hardware Cryptography Key (SHACK) technology that helps ensure keys are never exposed outside of the protected hardware. To recall, the Pluton design was introduced with Xbox One console released in 2013.
"Pluton provides a flexible, updatable 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," the company said in a blog post.
