Artificial intelligence is coming to Windows: Are enterprises ready for security policy settings?

From word processing documents to the upcoming Windows 11 (which will include AI prompts in the Explorer platform), businesses should review how their employees approach when using AI platforms Customer data or other confidential information.

Many businesses want to establish restrictions and guidelines in their security plans regarding what can be entered into platforms and websites that may store or share information online. Any application that processes such data must not contain confidential information without explicitly specifying appropriate safeguards. There should already be examples online of what concepts to include in the policy.

Evaluate all artificial intelligence tools introduced into the network

The security of any artificial intelligence software or tools introduced into the network must first be evaluated. Before using software, businesses should evaluate its overall suitability to ensure it won't crash or provide error messages at runtime. Suppliers should adhere to privacy policies and terms of service.

It is also important to evaluate the vendor's representation of updates, security and bug report handling, and measures for platform improvements. Ensure that vendors identify control options in the software that enable users to integrate AI or limit it. Check if they have the ability to tag where AI is used on their platform. Review whether they are promoting the ethical use of AI and provide appropriate channels for feedback.

The policy for artificial intelligence should clearly state that uploading any confidential customer information to the artificial intelligence platform is prohibited. Clear instructions in the policy should indicate what is allowed into the software. Employees should not share access with anyone who is not authorized to use these tools, and every employee who will use AI tools should be required to review and sign the policy. Businesses should consider training employees to ensure these policies are followed.

Windows will include clear insights into policy controls

In addition, enterprises may need to review those applications that will contain artificial intelligence and the linking or binding allowed by the vendor. certain controls or restrictions. In the case of Microsoft Windows, the company has exposed Group Policy controls to limit the connections available to applications such as the Microsoft Edge browser and the Bing search engine.

More things are yet to come. At the recent Microsoft Build conference, Microsoft showed off how they will bring artificial intelligence into the operating system to make it easier for users to find the features and settings they want. Businesses need to assess the impact of this technology before embarking on a full rollout of these platforms.

Businesses can start with the basics, like blocking requests to change the default browser to Microsoft Edge and the default search engine to Bing. For example, as described in Edge Policies, this can be set via Group Policy or Intune. Other settings like Bing Chat AI can also be disabled in Windows 11’s search.

To disable Bing Chat AI in the search bar of the taskbar, you can hit the Windows key and open Settings, or use the Windows key I shortcut to open it directly. Next, click "Privacy and Security" in the left panel, scroll down to the "Windows Permissions" section, and select "Search Permissions" from the list. Scroll down to the "More settings" section and turn off the "Show search highlighting" option. The Bing Chat AI icon will no longer appear in the search box.

The Bing AI button can be removed in Microsoft Edge's settings. Open the Microsoft Edge browser's settings and select the "Sidebar" option via the left navigation bar. In the Application-specific settings section, click Discover. Now toggle the "Show Discovery" setting and the button will disappear.

Future Windows versions also require due diligence

Due diligence must be performed on the upcoming Windows 11 version. As highlighted at Microsoft's Build conference, artificial intelligence is becoming part of the desktop operating system. Windows Copilot is scheduled to be available in preview in Windows 11 starting in June. In addition, Microsoft plans to bring artificial intelligence to the Bing Chat plug-in for Windows, which will allow developers to integrate applications into Copilot to "increase engagement in native Windows applications." Microsoft is expected to expose Group Policy and Intune settings to limit its use.

Currently, users can restrict Bing Chat using Group Policy. A new Group Policy setting has been introduced in Windows 11 21H2 Administrative Templates that can be used to disable the chat icon. Users must download the ADMX template for Windows from the official Microsoft Download Center, updated on October 11, 2021 [21H2]. Users need to copy the files from C:\Windows\PolicyDefinitions on their Windows 11 machine to their central policy store. TaskBar.admx and TaskBar.adm are components of the GPO settings that configure the chat icon.

Change policy settings for Windows Artificial Intelligence Components

In the Group Policy Management Console, expand Domains and navigate to Group Policy Objects. Create a new Group Policy Object and create a new GPO. Navigate to the Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Chat path of the Group Policy Management Editor. Find "Configure chat icon on taskbar". Right-click this policy setting and select "Edit", from here you can set the policy as follows:

If you select Enable and set the policy to "Show", the chat icon will be displayed on the taskbar by default. Users can show or hide it in Settings.

The chat icon is hidden by default, if enabled and set to "hidden". Users can show or hide it in Settings.

· Disabled: If you enable this policy setting and set it to "Disabled", the chat icon will not be displayed and users will not be able to show or hide the icon in Settings.

For the policy "Configure chat icon on taskbar GPO", select "Enable" to enable this setting, click "Apply" and click "OK". Likewise, the user can again choose to Show, Hide, or Disable the icon.

Artificial intelligence will enter the web and the desktop faster than people think. Therefore, businesses should consider establishing strategies and review processes now to ensure readiness.

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