Microsoft is already working on the next edition of Windows, according to security researchers Swift on Security and Deskmodder in Germany. Sources aren’t named, but they all claim that the information comes straight from Microsoft. Swift on Security eventually took the tweet down.
In the current climate, everything must be taken with a grain of sand. It’s unclear if Microsoft has verified any of this besides fresh job advertising. Regardless, there are a few things that require greater explanation.
A Microsoft Account is already required during setup in the current Windows 11 Professional builds and final releases, and this might be in preparation for the future edition of Windows.
Developed with the help of AMD, Intel, and Qualcomm, Microsoft Pluton is a high-performance security processor. Pluton is embedded into the CPU, unlike TPM chips. The new design reduces or eliminates some of the threats that are currently possible with TPM chips.
The Pluton security processor will be used to safeguard passwords, user identities, encryption keys, and personal data on Windows devices with Pluton. In the event that a hacker has physical access to the PC or installs malware, they will be unable to erase any of this data from Pluton.
Speculative execution and other new attack tactics, such as keeping sensitive data on a CPU separated from the rest of the system, are prevented from accessing encryption keys. As a result of Pluton’s proprietary Secure Hardware Cryptography Key (SHACK) technology, Windows users benefit from an unparalleled degree of security that is never revealed to anybody outside of the protected hardware or the Pluton software.
Toshiba and Sony followed suit, while Lenovo was the first to incorporate Microsoft Pluton on certain of its products. The chip isn’t turned on by default since the firm hasn’t activated it. The device’s hardware would be locked if there was no way to disable Pluton, preventing users from installing other operating systems, such as a Linux distribution. To turn off the component, a switch must be provided by the manufacturer, and some devices may not have one.
Microsoft may abandon portions of the venerable Windows core, although no specifics have been released. It is possible that old features are no longer supported. To get rid of Win32 for good, Microsoft is unlikely to eliminate backwards compatibility features or push the next Universal Windows Platform.
Microsoft will continue to support Windows 10 until 2025, but the company has not set an end-of-support date for Windows 11, which was introduced only a year ago. Support for new features and new versions of Windows will continue for two years after the first two years of support expires for Home customers.
If Windows 11 is supported for the same amount of time as Windows 10, it will be supported until the end of 2031. If Microsoft keeps moving through with its agenda, Windows 12 will most likely be introduced in the meanwhile.
