Windows Defender blogs for home users and small businesses

The 5Ws and 1H of Ransomware

January 23, 2017 admin detect ransomware, Microsoft ransomware FAQs, ransomware, ransomware detection, ransomware FAQ, ransomware infographic, ransomware prevention, ransomware recovery, Windows Defender, Windows Defender blogs for home users and small businesses

For the past three months, we have seen ransomware hop its way across globe. Majority of the ransomware incidents are found in the United States, then Italy, and Canada. The prevalence of large-scale ransomware incidents led the United States and Canadian governments to issue a joint statement about ransomware. Due to the global ransomware incidents, the…

Microsoft Security

MSRT April release features Bedep detection

January 23, 2017 admin Angler Exploit Kit, Axpergle, backdoor, Bedep, Bedep geodistribution, Dofoil, Macro-based malware, maps, Microsoft Active Protection Service, Microsoft Edge, Microsoft Edge SmartScreen protection, MSRT, smartscreen, Trojan, Ursnif, Win32/Dofoil, Win32/Fareit, Windows Defender, Windows Defender blogs for home users and small businesses, Zemot

As part of our ongoing effort to provide better malware protection, the Microsoft Malicious Software Removal Tool (MSRT) release this April will include detections for: Win32/Bedep – Trojan family Win32/Upatre – Trojan family Ransom:MSIL/Samas – Ransomware family In this blog, we’ll focus on the Bedep family of trojans. The bothersome Bedep Win32/Bedep was first…

Microsoft Security

Locky malware, lucky to avoid it

January 23, 2017 admin Antimalware research for IT pros and enthusiasts, Bartallex, Locky, macro, macros, maps, Microsoft Active Protection Service, Office 16, Office 365 Advanced Threat Protection, Ransom:Win32/Locky.A, ransomware, Windows Defender blogs for home users and small businesses

You may have seen reports of the Locky malware circulating the web; we think this is a good time to discuss its distribution methods, and reiterate some best-practice methods that will help prevent infection. We’ve seen Locky being distributed by spam email, not in itself a unique distribution method, but this means that spreading is…

Microsoft Security

MSRT March 2016 – Vonteera

January 23, 2017 admin Fynloski, Malicious Software Removal Tool, malware, malware research, MSRT, telemetry, Uncategorized, Vonteera, Windows Defender blogs for home users and small businesses

As part of our ongoing effort to provide better malware protection, the March release of the Microsoft Malicious Software Removal Tool (MSRT) will include detections for Vonteera – a family of browser modifiers, and Fynloski – a family of backdoor trojans. In this blog, we’ll focus on the Vonteera family of browser modifiers. BrowserModifier:Win32/Vonteera We…

Microsoft Security

The three heads of the Cerberus-like Cerber ransomware

January 23, 2017 admin Antimalware research for IT pros and enthusiasts, ransomware, Windows Defender blogs for home users and small businesses

Early this month, we saw a new ransomware family that launches a three-prong attempt to get you to hand over your hard-earned cash. Called “Cerber” (it replaces file extensions with .cerber), we like to think of this three-prong approach as a nod to the mythical multiple-headed hound, Cerberus. The attack starts with a text-to-speech (TTS) synthesized…

Microsoft Security

No mas, Samas: What’s in this ransomware’s modus operandi?

January 23, 2017 admin antimalware, Credential Guard for Windows 10 Enterprise, cybersecurity, Device Guard for Windows 10 Enterprise, Disable macro, Disable macro in Office, enterprise software security, Java-based vulnerabilities, JBOSS, Lateral account movement security, Macro-based malware, microsoft, Microsoft Passport, New ransomware, Outdated JBOSS, Ransom:MSIL/Samas, ransomware, Ransomware modus operandi, Redhat, Samas ransomware, Samas ransomware geographical distribution, Samas ransomware geoloc_, Samas ransomware infection chain, Secure your code integrity, Securing Lateral Account Movement, Windows 10, Windows Defender, Windows Defender blogs for home users and small businesses, Windows Defender for Windows 10, Windows Hello

We’ve seen how ransomware managed to become a threat category that sends consumers and enterprise reeling when it hits them. It has become a high-commodity malware that is used as payload to spam email, macro malware, and exploit kit campaigns. It also digs onto victims’ pockets in exchange for recovering files from their encrypted form. …

Microsoft Security

MSRT February 2016

January 23, 2017 admin Uncategorized, Windows Defender blogs for home users and small businesses

The February release of the Microsoft Malicious Software Removal Tool (MSRT) includes updated detections for the following malware families: Bladabindi Gamarue Sality Kelihos Diplugem The updates include detections for the latest variants from these malware families. There were no new malware families added to the MSRT this month. The MSRT works in tandem with real-time…

Microsoft Security

Cleaners ought to be clean (and clear)

January 23, 2017 admin Antimalware research for IT pros and enthusiasts, Consumer, microsoft, Microsoft Security Products, Objective Criteria, Optimize system performance, prefetch files, Unwanted behaviors, Unwanted software, Windows 10, Windows Defender blogs for home users and small businesses, Windows Defender for Windows 10

There are many programs that purport to clean up and optimize system performance. While Microsoft does not endorse the use of these tools with Windows, we do not view them as unwanted or malicious. Many programs in this category have a practice of providing a free version of their software that scans your system, presents the…