The Banking Executive Magazine - August 2021

Windows 11 & The Banking Sector Microsoft is yet to confirm the exact Windows 11 Home and Pro differ- ences. Both versions offer all of the same fundamental features, though, in terms of security, they differ slightly. Most fundamentally, Windows 11 Home is unlikely to offer any busi- ness management or deployment software. This is the case with the Windows 10 Home version. Business management features include mobile device management, access to the Microsoft Store for Business, and the Windows Update for Business fea- ture. Even in the absence of any business needs, security-conscious consumers might want to opt for Windows 11 Pro in order to gain those potential benefits. Of course, there is also no Microsoft account or internet access requirement when setting up the Pro version. THE REAL REASON FOR WINDOWS 11 The real reason for Windows 11 is all about security, and it is going to be a costly upgrade because most of us will need to buy new PCs to make it work. One may wonder why Microsoft is releasing Windows 11 now. Clearly, it is been done in a hurry. Few months ago, no one outside of Mi- crosoft saw Windows 11 coming. Mi- crosoft had made it clear that it sees the future of the desktop on the Azure cloud with Microsoft Cloud PC. The reason for Windows 11 is not money. Windows 11 will be a free upgrade for current Windows 10 users. Being able to run Android apps on Windows is nice, but is not the reason for a whole new release. The main reason for windows 11 is security. It also means that Windows 10 is just as much a security mess as ever. Windows 11 raises the bar for security by requiring hardware that can enable protections like Windows Hello, Device Encryption, virtualiza- tion-based security (VBS), hypervi- sor-protected code integrity (HVCI), and Secure Boot. These features in combination have been shown to re- duce malware by 60% on tested de- vices. That is why all Windows 11-supported CPUs have an embed- ded TPM, support secure boot, and support VBS and specific VBS capa- bilities. THE FUTURE OF WINDOWS Windows 11 may feel like the next evolution for Windows, but Mi- crosoft is working on something even more revolutionary, with another leak hitting the internet that shows off the company’s Cloud PC service. Windows 11 looks like a version of a Windows desktop running in a web browser. This could be especially useful for banks and businesses, as they could let their employees access ISSUE 152 AUGUST 2021 the BANKING EXECUTIVE 49