Know when your Data has been Accessed with this New Microsoft Feature

It’s no secret that some applications are a little too interested in us and what we’re doing on our devices. And it definitely seems like they are spying on us and collecting our data.

We’ve all had this experience. You might be talking to a friend about a new product that you’d like to try. Or perhaps you’ve discussed somewhere you’d like to visit.

Then the next time you go online you see adverts for the exact things you were talking about.

It’s more than a coincidence, surely?!

Until recently, we haven’t had a lot of control over what information our apps are gathering about us.

Android and iOS first stepped up to give us more power over our online privacy. We were given the ability to control which apps could access our data, and sensitive things like our camera and microphone.

But while it’s easy to think of this only being an issue with phones… laptops have the same problems. They gather info and data from us though our laptops.

So, here’s some great news: Microsoft’s testing a new feature in Windows 11 to put the power back in our hands!

Microsoft is currently testing a new feature – called Privacy Auditing – which allows you to see which applications have been accessing sensitive hardware, like your webcam and microphone.

You’ll also be able to see if your screenshots, messages, and even your contacts and location data have been accessed. And there’s a log of which apps accessed this info and when they are accessing it.

When launched, the feature will be available in your Privacy & Security menu, which is under App Permissions.

There you’ll be able to see a full list of what’s been accessed, by which app, and when it was accessed. It should become your first instinct to check this feature if you suspect any suspicious activity is taking place on your device.

When the feature is released, it will be a great tool to check periodically to help you avoid malicious activity and to make sure your sensitive data does not get into the wrong hands. Not only is this good for you and your personal devices, but also protects your business.

In the meantime, if you’d like someone to look over the data permissions on your business’s devices, get in touch with us at Itechra so that we can help.

Published with permission from Your Tech Updates.