AI innovations for a more secure future unveiled at Microsoft Ignite
Company delivers advances in AI and posture management, unprecedented bug bounty program, and updates on its Secure Future Initiative.
MAPS in the cloud: How can it help your enterprise?
(Note: Microsoft Active Protection Service is now called Windows Defender Antivirus cloud protection service. Read about it in this blog entry: Windows Defender Antivirus cloud protection service: Advanced real-time defense against never-before-seen malware.) Malware can easily send a huge enterprise infrastructure into a tailspin. However, you can get greater protection from malware by using services […]
Your Browser is (not) Locked
Most ransomware has a binary file that needs to be executed before it can infect your PC. Ransomware usually relies on social engineering or exploits to infect unsuspecting users. However, some malware authors are bypassing this requirement with a new trick – browser lockers. Unlike traditional ransomware threats that lock the entire desktop, browser lockers […]
7 Precautions for Protecting Against Perpetrators
Cyberattacks and data breaches continue to dominate the news globally. The reality is that most organizations face the same often reported threats and are carrying on their work towards counteracting those risks. Some organizations victimized by cybercriminals have shared information publicly. Others have chosen to conduct investigations and share information about the attack in a […]
Your Antivirus protection has expired. So what? You might be surprised. Microsoft’s new cybersecurity report explains.
When you buy a new computer, often times it will come pre-installed with software provided by the manufacturer. This is commonly done by software providers as way to entice people to try their products before they buy. One of the most common types of software that comes pre-installed on computers is antivirus or antimalware protection […]
Retain Microsoft Security Experts
Microsoft Security Experts are now available to strengthen your team with managed security services. Learn how to defend against threats with security experts.
Hundreds of Millions of Microsoft Customers Now Benefit from Best-in-Class Encryption
Last month, we shared some important encryption advancements as part of our ongoing commitment to increase data protection for customers using our network and services. Today, we are pleased to share that Microsoft is bringing encryption technologies currently available in Windows 8.1 and Windows Server 2012 R2, to older versions of our platforms. Through Microsoft […]
Microsoft Antimalware for Azure Cloud Services and Virtual Machines now Available for Free
Microsoft Antimalware for Azure Cloud Services and Virtual Machines is now generally available for Microsoft Azure customers. This new security extension for Microsoft Azure provides an additional layer of security by helping to identify, block and remove malicious software on virtual machines managed by Azure customers. It provides real time protection from the latest threats, […]
Looking Forward: Trustworthy Computing
When Bill Gates announced the Trustworthy Computing Initiative in 2002, he recognized that we needed to change both our processes and culture if we were to make fundamental changes in our products. To ensure that occurred, a centralized group was given responsibility to drive the initiative forward. At the 10 year milestone in 2012, a […]
Microsoft cloud protection
(Note: Read about Windows Defender Antivirus cloud protection service in this blog entry: Windows Defender Antivirus cloud protection service: Advanced real-time defense against never-before-seen malware.) Microsoft is using cloud protection to help keep our customers safe. In fact, nearly any detection made by Microsoft security products could be the result of cloud protection. Software developers […]
Modernize your Security Operations Center with Microsoft Sentinel
Microsoft Sentinel is a cloud-native SIEM solution powered by AI and automation that delivers intelligent security analytics across your entire enterprise.
How do digital youth of the “app generation” learn, communicate, and express themselves
I recently had the opportunity to speak with Katie Davis, an assistant professor from the University of Washington Information School to discuss her role and a book she co-authored called, The App Generation: How Today’s Youth Navigate Identity, Intimacy, and Imagination in a Digital World. The University of Washington is the first to have an […]
Download at your own risk: Bitcoin miners bundled with game repacks
Recently we have seen an emerging trend among malware distributors - Bitcoin miners being integrated into installers of game repacks.
Measure Twice, Cut Once, With RMA Methodology
I’ve been beating our drum for a while now about the inevitability of failure in cloud-based systems. Simply put, the complexities and interdependencies of the cloud make it nearly impossible to avoid service failure, so instead we have to go against our instincts and actually design for this eventuality. Once you accept this basic premise, […]
Industry Vulnerability Disclosures Trending Up
<p>A vulnerability disclosure, as the term is used in the <a href="http://approjects.co.za/?big=sir">Microsoft Security Intelligence Report</a>, is the revelation of a software vulnerability to the public at large. Disclosures can come from a variety of sources, including publishers of the affected software, security software vendors, independent security researchers, and even malware creators.</p> <p>The vulnerability disclosure data in the Security Intelligence Report is compiled from vulnerability disclosure data that is published in the <a href="http://nvd.nist.gov/">National Vulnerability Database </a>(NVD). This database is the US government’s repository of standards-based vulnerability management data. The NVD represents all disclosures that have a published Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) identifier.</p> <p><span style="text-decoration:underline;"><strong>Industry-wide vulnerability disclosures trending upwards</strong></span><br>Figure 1 illustrates the vulnerability disclosure trend across the entire industry since 2011. Between 2011 and the end of 2013 vulnerability disclosure counts ranged from a low of 1,926 in the second half of 2011 to a high of 2,588 in the first half of 2012; there were more than 4,000 vulnerability disclosures across the entire industry each year during this period. For <a href="/b/security/archive/2012/03/15/trustworthy-computing-learning-about-threats-for-over-10-years-part-4.aspx">additional context</a>, the peak period for industrywide vulnerability disclosures was 2006-2007 when 6,000 - 7,000 vulnerabilities were disclosed each year. Vulnerability disclosures across the industry in the second half of 2013 (2H13) were up 6.5 percent from the first half of the year, and up 12.6 percent from the second half of 2012. <a href="/b/security/archive/2014/07/08/industry-vulnerability-disclosures-trending-up.aspx">Read more</a></p>