app permissions

Microsoft is moving Windows 11 toward a permission-first model: the operating system will begin surfacing smartphone-style permission prompts and enforce a stricter runtime integrity posture—called Windows Baseline Security Mode (BSM)—so that, by default, only properly signed apps, services, and...

Microsoft’s latest Windows 11 security pivot reframes desktop trust around consent, signatures, and visible agent behavior, moving the platform closer to the permission-first model smartphone users have long experienced. The company’s announcement — led by Distinguished Engineer Logan Iyer —...

Microsoft is rolling out a major rethink of how Windows handles app access and runtime trust: Windows 11 will soon present mobile-style permission prompts to users and enable a new Windows Baseline Security Mode (BSM) that moves runtime integrity protections from optional to default, while...

Microsoft’s latest security push for Windows 11 marks a deliberate turn toward a consent-first, secure‑by‑default desktop: the company has announced Windows Baseline Security Mode (BSM) and User Transparency and Consent, a pair of features that together limit runtime execution to verified...

Audit and Remove Risky App Permissions in Windows 10/11 (Camera, Mic, Location) Difficulty: Beginner | Time Required: 15 minutes Modern Windows apps (and even some desktop programs) can request access to sensitive hardware and data—especially your camera, microphone, and location. If too many...

Windows 11 gives you a surprisingly granular privacy control panel—if you know where to look and what each toggle actually does—so spending 10–20 minutes auditing and tightening those settings will materially reduce data sharing with Microsoft and third‑party apps while preserving the features...

A growing number of Microsoft account holders report successful sign‑ins from IP addresses inside Microsoft’s own network despite having two‑factor authentication enabled — an uptick of incidents first detailed in a German investigation and corroborated by threads on Reddit and Microsoft’s own...

Windows 11 ships with a modern interface and convenient cloud features, but out of the box it also shares more about you than many users expect—location, diagnostic telemetry, an advertising ID and synced activity history are all enabled by default and deserve a careful review. A handful of...

Microsoft has quietly added a new diagnostic aimed at keeping Copilot agents working reliably inside Microsoft Teams: the Copilot Agent Functionality Diagnostic — a customer-facing validator now accessible through Microsoft’s diagnostic surfaces and designed to surface licensing, permission, and...

A publicly exposed appsettings.json file that contained Azure Active Directory application credentials has created a direct, programmatic attack path into affected tenants — a misconfiguration that can let attackers exchange leaked ClientId/ClientSecret pairs for OAuth 2.0 access tokens and then...

Audit and Lock Down App Permissions & Privacy Settings in Windows 10/11 Difficulty: Intermediate | Time Required: 15 minutes Introduction Apps asking for access to your camera, microphone, location, files, and other data can be convenient — but they’re also a privacy and security risk if left...

Microsoft’s AI ambitions inside Windows have quietly been given a new label: mounting evidence from Insider builds and system files suggests Microsoft is preparing to promote a unified artificial intelligence umbrella called Windows Intelligence, consolidating generative-AI controls, app...

Windows ships with several convenience features turned on by default that quietly share behavioral and system data; disabling a few of them will materially improve your privacy without breaking day-to-day use. The core four I always disable on Windows 11 are Diagnostics & Feedback (telemetry)...

The heightened awareness around digital privacy has transformed how users vigilantly monitor which applications access their PC’s camera and microphone. Windows 11, understanding these concerns, delivers a suite of tools and notifications designed to empower users and safeguard their privacy...

Enabling microphone access for specific apps has become increasingly vital for both productivity and privacy in a connected world. Whether you're collaborating remotely, recording audio, or using voice assistants, the core of an optimal Windows experience often comes down to properly configuring...

Here is how you can turn on app permissions for your microphone in Windows 10 and Windows 11, based on the official Microsoft Support article: For Windows 11 Open Settings: Select Start > Settings. Navigate to Privacy & security. Under App permissions, select Microphone. Make sure Microphone...

Enabling microphone access in Windows is a fundamental task for users looking to improve their experience with voice-enabled features, video conferencing, and a multitude of modern applications. Whether for personal use, remote work, streaming, or gaming, having complete control over microphone...

Windows 11 may offer a visually sleek interface and new productivity tools, but its default privacy posture leaves much to be desired for anyone concerned about the security of their personal information. As millions rush to upgrade before the obligatory Windows 10 support cut-off, a pressing...

Hidden beneath the familiar tiles and menus of Windows lies a world of powerful features and privacy tweaks, many of which remain undiscovered by the average user. While most adjust nothing beyond the desktop wallpaper or display resolution, savvy enthusiasts know that real improvements to...

A Microsoft account has evolved far beyond simply serving as a login credential for Windows 11. Under the surface, it powers a sophisticated suite of features—some beneficial, others potentially intrusive—that fundamentally shape the way users interact with their PCs. Many of these functions...