Microsoft unveils Microsoft Security Copilot agents and new protections for AI
Learn about the upcoming availability of Microsoft Security Copilot agents and other new offerings for a more secure AI future.
Latest posts
Parental controls in Xbox One
Xbox One is the newest all-in-one games and entertainment system from Microsoft. If you’ve already purchased one, or if you plan to, it’s a good idea to learn more about the built-in privacy and safety parental controls. Control the content your children play and watch Customize your children’s access to specifically rated games, movies, TV shows, and music […]
Windows Defender and Microsoft Security Essentials: Which one do I need?
Depending on which operating system your computer is running, you can use either Windows Defender or Microsoft Security Essentials to get rid of malicious software and viruses.
Check security settings in Windows Vista
The newest version of Windows is Windows 8, but we know that many of you still use Windows Vista. The best way to ensure that Windows Vista is as secure as it can be is to use the Windows Security Center, which is built into Windows Vista. The Windows Security Center can help you check […]
5 reasons NOT to share personal information on a website
Knowing when to trust a website depends in part on who publishes it, what information they want, and what you want from the site. Here are five reasons to think twice before sharing information with a website. 1. The site asks for personal information on a page whose URL does not start with HTTPS. If the […]
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.
The Risk of Running Windows XP After Support Ends April 2014
<p>Back in April I published a post about the end of support for Windows XP called <a href="/b/security/archive/2013/04/09/the-countdown-begins-support-for-windows-xp-ends-on-april-8-2014.aspx">The Countdown Begins: Support for Windows XP Ends on April 8, 2014</a>. Since then, many of the customers I have talked to have moved, or are in the process of moving, their organizations from Windows XP to modern operating systems like Windows 7 or Windows 8.</p> <p>There is a sense of urgency because after April 8, Windows XP Service Pack 3 (SP3) customers will no longer receive new security updates, non-security hotfixes, free or paid assisted support options or online technical content updates. This means that any new vulnerabilities discovered in Windows XP after its “end of life” will not be addressed by new security updates from Microsoft. Still, I have talked to some customers who, for one reason or another, will not have completely migrated from Windows XP before April 8. I have even talked to some customers that say they won’t migrate from Windows XP until the hardware it’s running on fails.</p> <p>What is the risk of continuing to run Windows XP after its end of support date? One risk is that attackers will have the advantage over defenders who choose to run Windows XP because attackers will likely have more information about vulnerabilities in Windows XP than defenders. Let me explain why this will be the case. <a href="/b/security/archive/2013/08/06/the-risk-of-running-windows-xp-after-support-ends.aspx">Read more.</a></p>
Why does my AV software keep turning off?
Bob writes: My antivirus software keeps turning off and I can’t get it back on. Here are the most common reasons you might encounter this problem: Your computer is already infected with rogue security software The warning that you’re antivirus software is turned off might be a fake alert, also known as “rogue security software.” […]
Can I use Microsoft Security Essentials with Windows 8?
A reader writes: Can I use Microsoft Security Essentials with Windows 8? No—but you don’t need to. Windows 8 includes Windows Defender, a program that provides enhanced protection against viruses and spyware. Learn more about Windows 8 If your computer is running Windows 7, Windows Vista, or Windows XP, we recommend downloading Microsoft Security Essentials or […]
Ad injection and you: How adware gets on your computer
Are advertisements showing up in your browser (no matter whether you use Internet Explorer, Firefox or Chrome) on sites that you’ve never seen ads on before; or, do the ads seem different from what you’ve seen before? Your system might be affected by adware that injects advertisements into sites as you browse, such as Adware:Win32/InfoAtoms […]
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.
What is a Microsoft account?
A Microsoft account (formerly known as a Windows Live ID) is a single email address and password you use to sign in to various Microsoft products and services. If you have a device that runs Windows 8 or Windows RT or you use a service like Hotmail, Outlook.com, or Xbox LIVE, you probably already have […]
Microsoft’s Free Security Tools – Microsoft Assessment and Planning (MAP) Toolkit
<p>This article in our<a href="https://blogs.technet.com/b/security/archive/2012/10/04/microsoft-s-free-security-tools-summary.aspx?Redirected=true"> free security tools series</a> focuses on the benefits of the <a href="http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/security/jj657553">Microsoft Assessment and Planning Toolkit</a>. If you are an IT Professional then you know platform migrations can be a daunting task. Depending on your organization’s size, complexity and maturity, simply understanding your organization’s IT state and migration potential can take hours, days and sometimes even months. To help ease the migration process, Microsoft has created the Microsoft Assessment and Planning (MAP) Toolkit. The MAP Toolkit is a powerful inventory, assessment and reporting tool that can securely assess IT environments for various platform migrations. The toolkit is designed to run in any organization regardless of size and is effective at helping to accelerate PC, server, database and cloud migration planning across heterogeneous environments. It also provides tailored assessment proposals and recommendations, and helps gain efficiencies through multiple technology migration assessments with a single tool. </p>
Watch out for fake Java updates
You may have seen reports about security alerts for Java recently. Java is a commonly used piece of software from Oracle, so there’s a good chance you have it installed on your computer. Cybercriminals often use fake virus alerts to lure you into buying fraudulent antivirus software. These alerts state that your computer or other […]
Microsoft’s Free Security Tools – URLScan Security Tool
One of the best ways to keep potentially malicious Internet traffic from attacking your Internet Information Services (IIS) Web server is to keep it from getting to the Web server service. To help protect users from malicious webpages, Microsoft and other browser vendors have developed filters that keep track of sites that host malware and phishing attacks and display prominent warnings when users try to navigate to them