Although Windows 11 can also be installed on non-compatible PCs, the Microsoft operating system has significantly raised the i requirements cutting out a large number of machines based on processors that are still valid and performing. Windows 12, a new version of the Microsoft platform which should debut in the second half of 2024, will provide for even more stringent requests. THE Windows 12 requirements they should remain unchanged as regards the processors: as is already the case with Windows 11, devices based on CPUs prior to AMD Ryzen 2000 and eighth generation Intel Core Coffee Lake will be excluded. The RAM required by Windows 12 may go up to 8 GBa double of the current 4GB requirement.
Among the requirements of Windows 12, perhaps also the presence of the Pluton chip
As the Microsoft note from the title suggests Hardware-backed Windows 11 empowers Microsoft with secure-by-default baselineHowever, Windows 12 could be much stricter in terms of security tools hardware based.
Microsoft insisted on the advantages of TPM 2.0 chip and VBS (Virtualization Based Security). The presence and effective qualification of the modulo TPM they are already considered essential aspects to install Windows 11. However, starting with Windows 12, Microsoft could make the Pluton chip, a hardware security component developed by the Redmond company, mandatory.
Pluton is designed to provide advanced protection on Windows platforms, including PC and Xbox consoles. It is integrated directly onto the device’s motherboard, and acts as a specialized security module. Its main objective is to protect the cryptographic keysuser authentication and confidential information used to ensure the security of devices and communications.
Considered as the evolution of the TPM chip, Pluton can be integrated directly at the processor level offering better protection against the execution of potentially malicious code.
Other security improvements: Rust, Windows Defender System Guard, and Win32 program isolation
The adoption of the Pluton chip is accompanied by other improvements the company is working on: the use of Rust code in the Windows kernel to improve memory security and Windows Defender System Guard against firmware attacks which will be enabled by default, not only in Windows 12 but also in future updated versions of Windows 11.
L’isolation of Win32 programs it is another important novelty that will soon come to light. Despite the efforts of Microsoft who first invested so much in UWP apps and then only talked about Windows AppWin32 applications still take the lion’s share today.
The Win32 applications, however, currently have access to all user data. Microsoft notes that this is a big risk, especially since users are not informed about access and, in the standard configuration, cannot impose restrictions. By presenting Win32 isolation, the Redmond-based company’s engineers clarified that the feature must be implemented by individual developers but relying on the sandboxing system integrated in Windows will make it possible to effectively defend against zero day attacks.