Microsoft’s Pluton security processor debuts on AMD chips in new Lenovo ThinkPad laptops

New ThinkPad Series Z laptops from Lenovo will include Microsoft’s Pluton security processors in an AMD CPU. (Lenovo Image)

Lenovo unveiled two new laptops made out of materials including recycled aluminum and “recycled black vegan leather,” delivered in packaging made from compostable bamboo and sugarcane. But beneath the environmentally friendly hardware there’s another innovation: Microsoft’s Pluton security processor.

The new Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 and Z16, announced Tuesday at the International CES tech show in Las Vegas, are the first PCs to be unveiled with Pluton since Microsoft announced the security architecture in November 2020. Pluton takes security technologies that otherwise exist in a separate hardware component in Windows PCs and integrates them directly into the central processing unit.

In this case, the CPU is the new AMD Ryzen PRO 6000 Series processor.

AMD CEO Lisa Su in the company’s CES presentation Tuesday.

“Our co-development work with Microsoft eliminates entire attack vectors on notebooks, better protecting critical data like system credentials, user identities, encryption keys and personal information,” said AMD CEO Lisa Su in the company’s CES press briefing Tuesday morning. “The Pluton processor, combined with our other security features, delivers the most innovative security in a PC processor.”

Pluton is modeled after the chip design that Microsoft introduced with the Xbox One in 2013. The company also uses the technology its Azure Sphere processors for Internet of Things devices.

It’s “designed to store sensitive data, like encryption keys, securely within the Pluton hardware, which is integrated into the die of a device’s CPU and is therefore more difficult for attackers to access, even if they have physical possession of a device,” as explained in a post by David Weston, Microsoft director of enterprise and OS security. “This design helps ensure that emerging attack techniques cannot access key material.”

See also  Netflix partners with Microsoft as streamer plans to launch new ad-supported subscription plan

Lenovo says the Z13 and Z16 will be available in May, starting at $1,549 and $2,099, respectively.

Microsoft calls this the “start of the Pluton journey with the Windows ecosystem,” saying other hardware makers and chip companies are also working to integrate Pluton into upcoming products. Intel and Qualcomm took part in the original Pluton announcement along with AMD in 2020.

In other processor news out of CES, Microsoft and Qualcomm said they are working together to develop new custom chips for augmented reality glasses.

Related Posts

What is Microsoft Sharepoint?

What Is Microsoft Sharepoint And Its Outstanding Advantages

The questions we are most frequently asked about what is Microsoft Sharepoint?, SharePoint’s benefits and capabilities are listed here. We sincerely hope you can use these! What…

EU approves Microsoft’s $19.7B Nuance deal, clearing last major hurdle for big acquisition

Microsoft Image The European Commission gave unconditional approval to Microsoft’s pending acquisition of speech technology company Nuance Communications for $19.7 billion in cash, clearing the way for…

Surface Trio? Newly discovered Microsoft patent filing shows hinged device with three displays

A diagram for three-screen device from a Microsoft patent filing. (U.S. Patent & Trademark Office) Microsoft has released two versions of its Surface Duo handheld device, each…

Paul Allen’s L.A. site sells for $65M, part of effort to scale back late Microsoft co-founder’s projects

Late Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen. (Vulcan Photograph) A 120-acre site bought by the late Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen for $20 million in 1997 within the Beverly Crest…

‘Rainbow Six’ developer plans to bring Ubisoft+ subscription service to Xbox

Ubisoft’s forthcoming Rainbow Six: Extraction pits crack military operatives against invasive alien not-zombies. (Ubisoft Image) The third-party development studio behind the Assassin’s Creed and Tom Clancy video…

Tech in the wild: Seattle-area startup Thingy will test Amazon Sidewalk to connect remote sensors

Thingy AQ provides information to first responders in wildfires. (Thingy Photo via Amazon) Scott Waller is a former Cisco and Microsoft systems engineer and network architect who…

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *