Windows Defender – Page 2 – Computer Security Articles

Exploit kits remain a cybercrime staple against outdated software – 2016 threat landscape review series

Despite the disruption of Axpergle (Angler), which dominated the landscape in early 2016, exploit kits as a whole continued to be a threat to PCs running unpatched software. Some of the most prominent threats, from malvertising to ransomware, used exploit kits to infect millions of computers worldwide in 2016. The prevalence of exploit kits as an…

Microsoft Security

Been shopping lately? Fake credit card email can spook you into downloading Cerber ransomware

January 23, 2017 admin Antimalware research for IT pros and enthusiasts, AppLocker Group Policy, Cerber, Device Guard, macro malware, Macro-based malware, malware, malware research, MMPC, ransomware, Social engineering, spam, Windows Defender

As the shopping sprees become increasingly frenetic during holiday season, it’s hard not to worry about how much credit card debt we’re piling. Some of us rely on email notifications from our banks to track the damage to our finances. So what happens when we suddenly get notified about charges for things we never bought?…

Microsoft Security

Twin zero-day attacks: PROMETHIUM and NEODYMIUM target individuals in Europe

January 23, 2017 admin Advanced persistent threats, Antimalware research for IT pros and enthusiasts, APT, Exploits, NEODYMIUM, PROMETHIUM, Targeted attack, Windows 10, Windows Defender, Windows Defender ATP, Zero day exploit

Targeted attacks are typically carried out against individuals to obtain intellectual property and other valuable data from target organizations. These individuals are either directly in possession of the targeted information or are able to connect to networks where the information resides. Microsoft researchers have encountered twin threat activity groups that appear to target individuals for…

Microsoft Security

No slowdown in Cerber ransomware activity as 2016 draws to a close

January 23, 2017 admin Antimalware research for IT pros and enthusiasts, Cerber, Donoff, Exploits, holiday shopping, macro, Macro-based malware, Meadgive, ransomware, spam, Windows 10, Windows Defender, Windows Defender ATP

As everybody else winds down for the holidays, the cybercriminals behind Cerber are busy ramping up their operations. Following our discovery of a spam campaign that takes advantage of holiday shopping, we found two new campaigns that continue distributing the latest variants of Cerber ransomware. These campaigns are the latest in a series of persistent cybercriminal…

Microsoft Security

Don’t let this Black Friday/Cyber Monday spam deliver Locky ransomware to you

January 23, 2017 admin anti-malware, Antimalware research for IT pros and enthusiasts, Black Friday, Cyber Monday, JavaScript, JavaScript spam attachment, Locky, malware, MMPC, Nemucod, ransomware, research, spam, Windows Defender

We see it every year: social engineering attacks that take advantage of the online shopping activities around Black Friday and Cyber Monday, targeting customers of online retailers. This year, we’re seeing a spam campaign that Amazon customers need to be wary of. The fake emails pretend to be notifications from the online retailer that a purchase has…

Microsoft Security

Windows 10: protection, detection, and response against recent Depriz malware attacks

January 23, 2017 admin 0-day exploit, Advanced persistent threats, Antimalware research for IT pros and enthusiasts, Depriz malware, Device Guard, TERBIUM APT, Trojan, Trojan:Win32/Cadlotcorg.A!dha, Win32/Depriz, Windows 10, Windows 10 protection, Windows Defender, Windows Defender ATP, Zero day exploit

A few weeks ago, multiple organizations in the Middle East fell victim to targeted and destructive attacks that wiped data from computers, and in many cases rendering them unstable and unbootable. Destructive attacks like these have been observed repeatedly over the years and the Windows Defender and Windows Defender Advanced Threat Protection Threat Intelligence teams…

Microsoft Security

MSRT December 2016 addresses Clodaconas, which serves unsolicited ads through DNS hijacking

January 23, 2017 admin Antimalware research for IT pros and enthusiasts, browser modifier, BrowserModifier:Win32/Clodaconas, Clodaconas, DNS hijacking, Injecting ads, Microsoft Malicious Software Removal Tool, MSRT, MSRT removes Clodaconas, Unwanted software, Windows 10, Windows Defender

In this month’s Microsoft Malicious Software Removal Tool (MSRT) release, we continue taking down unwanted software, the pesky threats that force onto our computers things that we neither want nor need. BrowserModifier:Win32/Clodaconas, for instance, displays ads when you’re browsing the internet. It modifies search results pages so that you see unsolicited ads related to your…

Microsoft Security

No payment necessary: Fighting back against ransomware

January 23, 2017 admin Advanced persistent threats, antimalware, Antimalware research for IT pros and enthusiasts, Coordinated Malware Eradication, enterprise software security, malware research, microsoft, Microsoft Edge, MMPC, Product features and announcements, ransomware, research, Windows 10, Windows Defender, Windows Defender ATP, Windows Defender for Windows 10

Any IT professional who’s ever had an experience with malware knows how fast an intrusive attack can happen, and how difficult it can be to educate employees to be vigilant against such threats. And with ransomware attacks only growing, having information, tools and technologies to help protect your network can mean the difference between serious…