TRADE CHAT Microsoft Could Threaten our National Security
WINDOWS 11 IS PERHAPS one of the most divisive operating systems we’ve seen come out of Microsoft for some time. It’s not any one design element that’s causing the problem, the biggest bugbear, by far, is the security requirements—and, oh boy, does it ope
So, to run Windows 11, Microsoft has declared that you’re going to need a processor that supports TPM (Trusted Platform Module) 2.0, along with Secure Boot. Now, I won’t go into detail about what TPM is, or how it works, as we’ve covered that enough already. However, the short version is that this is usually used in more enterprise grade products and companies than with everyday users, and it deals with generating and storing cryptographic keys, it’s a crypto-processor effectively.
The problem, however, is that Microsoft is demanding TPM 2.0 at a minimum to run Windows 11, despite it only being available on Intel 8th series processors and AMD Ryzen 2000 series chips and above. If you haven’t built a machine in the last three years or so, you won’t be able to upgrade.
On the one hand, I can understand why Microsoft is pushing for this. It’s trying to take the fight to Apple in regards to the security of its operating system (in fact there’s a myriad of new security features baked into the update, that make it plain to see). However, there are some massive drawbacks to this too, that absolutely need addressing and resolving before it goes live.
First up, we know that Windows 10 has an EOL date now, and that’s October 14th, 2025. That’s just four years away, admittedly a lengthy amount of time, but it will mark the end of all security updates for the supposedly perennial platform without any intervention from Microsoft.
If you don’t upgrade, the basic infrastructure of your society could be susceptible to attack.
Why does that matter? Well, my biggest concern isn’t actually to do with us as individuals at all. Inevitably in those next four years, the majority of the systems we’re running today, as enthusiasts, will need to be upgraded anyway. Those who do want to try Microsoft’s latest and greatest will probably already be looking at updates, or discrete TPM 2.0 modules to install on motherboards instead, so it’s less of a problem there as well.
However, the bigger issue is for health services, government departments, and infrastructure companies around the world. The majority of which typically do favor running cheaper, older, machines.
If you’re asking all the big players in Western society to upgrade the entirety of their digital infrastructure to more secure devices, built within the last three years, so they can get security updates, that’s an enormous cost. You’re going to need hundreds of thousands of new machines, bespoke software will have to be rewritten, and bugs quashed. You will also need to retrain your staff and, of course, we’re in the middle of a processor shortage, too.
The environmental impact will be huge, and the financial implications massive, which will inevitably be pushed on to taxpayers and customers. But if you don’t do it, the basic infrastructure of your society could be susceptible to ransomware attacks and worse, which we’ve seen only proliferate in the last decade. All of which poses a threat to national security.
It’s a genuine nightmare waiting to happen, and perhaps the most asinine decision the company has ever made. Don’t get me wrong, I love using Windows 11, it’s a fantastic operating system. The new features are amazing, and I can’t rate it highly enough. But this decision to demand TPM 2.0 at an absolute minimum, makes the world and all the countries that use Windows as a platform, less secure, not more.
Zak is Maximum PC’s editor-in-chief and long-time staff member.