Buzz
Added in one of the Windows 11 Preview builds in June, the new security feature is currently being tested on the Dev channel for Insider users.
Windows 11 will notify users of apps tracking them
In addition to listing apps that request access to contacts, the new feature also tracks and displays apps that have accessed other sensitive information such as location, calls, messages, and screenshots on the user's device.
The list of apps accessing contacts, camera, microphone, etc. is now available through the Settings app on Windows 11. Users can access Settings => Privacy & security => App permissions, where the Recent activity list will display categories of tracked information.
Click to select an option to display information about one of the installed apps on the system that has recently accessed sensitive information and devices. However, this information only displays the last time the app accessed resources.
Other useful information may include details such as file paths, process names, and process IDs, especially in cases involving malicious apps or malware with access to contacts or tracking users through the microphone or camera.
Although Microsoft has not officially announced this new security feature on the Windows Insider blog, it was disclosed by David Weston, Microsoft's Director of Enterprise and Operating System Security, last Thursday.
In April, Microsoft also announced that Windows 11 is being reinforced against targeted Phishing attacks by adding Microsoft Defender SmartScreen, the company's cloud-based Phishing and malware protection service.
Another feature called Personal Data Encryption will safeguard user files and data when not logged in by blocking access until users authenticate through Windows Hello.
Additionally, Microsoft is planning to activate Credential Guard by Default and provide additional protection for the Local Security Authority (LSA) on Windows 11 Enterprise to further enhance security for the enterprise environment.
