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…
Read moreThere 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…
Read moreHas your enterprise environment been bogged down by a sneaky browser-modifier which tricked you into installing adware from a seemingly harmless software bundle? Then you might have already experienced what a potentially unwanted application (PUA) can do. The good news is, the new opt-in feature for enterprise users in Windows can spot and stop PUA…
Read moreLaw enforcement agencies from around the globe, aided by Microsoft security researchers, have today announced the disruption of one of the most widely distributed malware families – Win32/Dorkbot. This malware family has infected more than one million PCs in over 190 countries. Dorkbot spreads through USB flash drives, instant messaging programs, and social networks. It…
Read moreMost well-known antimalware tests today focus on broad-spectrum malware. In other words, tests include malware that is somewhat indiscriminate (isn’t necessarily targeted), at least somewhat prevalent and sometimes very prevalent. Typically, tests are not focused on specialized threats that are highly targeted, and most avoid including programs that walk the line between good and evil,…
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