Microsoft has lifted the lid on a wealth of Windows 11 updates that it hopes will help alleviate common headaches for IT professionals.
Announced as part of the company’s Windows Power the Future of Hybrid Work event , the new features equip Microsoft’s operating system with additional cybersecurity options to shield users against phishing and malware attacks.
There are also improvements from a management perspective, with new features designed to automate the patching process across Windows 11, Edge and Office and simplify identity management .
Windows 11 security upgrades
Microsoft claims that protections built into its various services blocked almost 10 billion malware threats, 35 billion malicious emails and 25.6 billion password -related attacks last year. However, the results of its latest Work Trend Index indicate that businesses continue to feel vulnerable in the new hybrid working environment.
To further harden its defenses, Microsoft is preparing a series of changes for Windows 11 that should help guard against both the most common and most advanced threats.
“Microsoft is continuously investing in improving the default security baseline for Windows and focused on closing gaps on top attack vectors,” wrote David Westonm, VP Enterprise and OS Security at Microsoft.
“With built-in chip to cloud protection and layers of security, Windows 11 helps organizations meet the new security challenges of the hybrid workplace, now and in the future. With every release we are making Windows more secure by default, designing new protections as we continue to power the future of business.”
Specifically, Microsoft has developed a new AI-enabled system that stops users running malicious apps on Windows devices, called Smart App Control. The feature leans on an AI model hosted in the Azure cloud to assess the level of threat posed by an executable; if the threat level is high, the application will not be allowed to run.
Microsoft Defender, the in-built Windows 11 antivirus service, will also receive new functionality that protects against phishing attacks by alerting users when they are about to enter their Microsoft account credentials into an untrustworthy website. And in the event a device is stolen or misplaced, new Personal Data Encryption protections will ensure data is resistant to attack.
Lastly, Microsoft has already rolled out an update called Config Lock, which is said to “protect users from themselves”. The feature monitors registry keys to ensure that workers’ devices remain compliant with company security standards. If a breach of policy is detected, the device is automatically reverted to the desired state.
Making management simple
Microsoft is also striving to make the lives of IT professionals simpler, with new functionality that streamlines the endpoint management process.
Over the next year, Microsoft says it will roll out a range of updates to give administrators greater oversight and tighter control over Windows 11 endpoints, and minimize the number of queries that need to be actioned by IT.
These improvements will include a feature that automatically sniffs out unpatched software that may be open to attack and installs the relevant updates, and functionality that allows IT departments to temporarily elevate the privileges of a non-administrator when necessary, minimizing the burden on helpdesks .
A separate update will focus on providing employees with secure access to company resources, enabling VPN connections that link unenrolled mobile devices to on-premise resources.
Finally, the company is developing a new cloud certificate management solution for public key infrastructure (PKI) designed to make it easier for IT departments to provide employees with the tools they need to do their jobs, which has historically been more complex than any end user might realize.
Horizon Forbidden West's Ashly Burch will reveal eight new games at the Future Games Show
The Future Games Show: Spring Showcase, an upcoming preview stream that will show off a slate of new releases coming later in the year, will be hosted by Horizon Forbidden West stars Ashly Burch and John Macmillan.
Burch - who portrays Aloy in the game, as well as Tiny Tina in the upcoming Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands - and Macmillan, who plays Varl, will present the preview stream, which is scheduled to be broadcast on March 24.
The Spring Showcase will feature over 40 games, including eight exclusive reveals. Those will span a debut gameplay trailer for the RPG Vampire: The Masquerade - Swansong, a deep dive into the gameplay of airship scavenger Forever Skies, an announcement from Elite: Dangerous developer Frontier Foundry, the premiere of a new game from Demagog Studios, and a showcase of upcoming titles from Team17.
Alongside trailers, you can expect announcements and developer interviews that will touch on major titles and smaller releases across PS5 , PS4 , Xbox Series X , Xbox One , Switch , and PC.
To watch the show, tune in to Twitch , Facebook , YouTube , Twitter or GamesRadar on March 24 at 3pm PDT / 6pm EDT / 10pm GMT (March 18 at 9am AEDT).
“It’s a privilege to be presenting the Future Games Show Spring Showcase on March 24 with my friend and fellow Horizon co-star, John Macmillan,” Ashley Burch said in a press release.
“I'm really looking forward to the show. Tune in on the night for a bunch of sweet, sweet exclusives, reveals and other fun stuff!”
Streamers can co-stream the Spring Showcase when it’s live and apply to become an official partner of the show .
The Future Games Show: Spring Showcase will be followed by another two preview shows later in the year.
This Google Calendar update gives your co-workers nowhere to hide
Tracking down your office team mates and other colleagues should soon be easier thanks to a new update to Google Calendar .
The calendar app for Google Workspace is now able to show a range of status options in Google Chat, giving you extra information on what you or your co-workers are up to.
Previously limited to just showing when someone was out of office, Google Chat is now able to show a number of different statuses, including "in a meeting" or "in focus time".
Google Calendar statuses
"We hope by surfacing these additional statuses, this will make it easier for your colleagues to identify appropriate times to message you," the company wrote in its Google Workspace update blog post announcing the change.
Admins will also be able to configure specific options for displaying the new status, with the ability to toggle on and off - or completely disable it.
The feature, which will be on by default, has started rolling out now across Android, iOS and web users. It will be available to all Google Workspace customers, as well as G Suite Basic and Business customers. However, it won't be an option for Google Workspace Individual users or those with personal Google accounts.
The news is the latest update to Google Calendar as the company looks to help employees embracing hybrid working that are splitting their time between the office and home.
Recently, it revealed a tool that means Gmail users will now be able to specify whether they will be attending a meeting either virtually or in-person in their email RSVP.
As mentioned above, Google Calendar also recently launched "Focus time" , where users can block out periods of time where they can avoid meetings and get their heads down for actual work.
Setting such a marker in your Google Calendar will also allow users to automatically decline meetings, meaning no last-minute rush to finish off work.
