New research shows IoT and OT innovation is critical to business but comes with significant risks

The need for much improved IoT and operational technology OT cybersecurity became clearer this year with recent attacks on network devices,1 surveillance systems,2 an oil pipeline,3 and a water treatment facility,4 to name a few examples. To better understand the challenges customers are facing,...

Protect your business with Microsoft Security’s comprehensive protection

Securing an organization has never been simple. But over the past year, we’ve seen significant changes in the threat landscape that are having a major impact on organizations of every size in every sector. The frequency and sophistication of cyber events have increased significantly. We see...

Cyberattacks targeting health care must stop

In recent months, we’ve detected cyberattacks from three nation-state actors targeting seven prominent companies directly involved in researching vaccines and treatments for COVID-19. The targets include leading pharmaceutical companies and vaccine researchers in Canada, France, India, South Kore...

XDR meets IAM: Comprehensive identity threat detection and response with Microsoft

Identity has become the corporate security perimeter. The average organization used 130 different cloud applications in 2022. That’s up 18 percent from 2021 alone.1 And as organizations continue to embrace digital transformation and enable remote work, they look to identity and access management...

Microsoft Incident Response Retainer is generally available

The task of securing organizations is constantly changing and getting more complex. Many organizations don’t have the time, resources, or expertise to build an in-house incident response program. For customers that want help remediating an especially complex breach or avoiding one altogether,...

Connect with Microsoft Security experts at the 2022 Gartner Identity & Access Management Summit

The transition to a remote and hybrid workforce happened fast during a time of uncertainty, and IT professionals rose to the challenge with ingenuity and dedication. But two years in, many IT teams are still responding with patchwork solutions to enforce identity and access management IAM across ...

How a senior product manager is leading the passwordless movement at Microsoft

May 5, 2022, is World Password Day, a day we all use to create awareness around password security. At Microsoft, we choose to celebrate replacing passwords with better and more secure ways to sign in. I can’t think of a better person at Microsoft to represent this journey than Libby Brown, a seni...

Forrester names Microsoft a Leader in 2022 Enterprise Detection and Response Wave™ report

We are excited to share that Microsoft has been named a leader in The Forrester Wave: Enterprise Detection and Response, Q1 2022. Microsoft received one of the highest scores in the strategy category and strength of current offering category. In the Forrester Wave assessment, Microsoft Defender f...

Microsoft 365 Defender demonstrates industry-leading protection in the 2022 MITRE Engenuity ATT&CK® Evaluations

For the fourth consecutive year, Microsoft 365 Defender demonstrated its industry-leading protection in MITRE Engenuity’s independent ATT&CK® Enterprise Evaluations, showcasing the value of an integrated XDR-based defense that unifies device and identity protection with a Zero Trust approach:...

Evolved phishing: Device registration trick adds to phishers’ toolbox for victims without MFA

We have recently uncovered a large-scale, multi-phase campaign that adds a novel technique to traditional phishing tactics by joining an attacker-operated device to an organization’s network to further propagate the campaign. We observed that the second stage of the campaign was successful agains...

The importance of identity and Microsoft Azure Active Directory resilience

I love hearing my colleagues explain how they came to the industry because so many of their stories are unusual. I’m surprised how often I hear that people got into computer science by some fortuitous accident. Although he loved computers from the time he was a kid, Oren Melzer never expected to...

Microsoft is recognized as a Leader in the 2021 Forrester Wave for Unified Endpoint Management

Microsoft is honored to be recognized as a Leader in The Forrester Wave: Unified Endpoint Management UEM, Q4 2021 report for our ability to help customers on their path to modern endpoint management. Microsoft Endpoint Manager—which brings together Microsoft Intune for cloud endpoint management a...

How purple teams can embrace hacker culture to improve security

The security community is continuously changing, growing, and learning from each other to better position the world against cyber threats. In the latest Voice of the Community blog series post, Microsoft Product Marketing Manager Natalia Godyla talks with Matthew Hickey, co-founder, CEO, and writ...

MSRT June 2017: Removing sneaky Xiazai

In the June release of the Microsoft Malicious Software Removal Tool MSRT, we’re adding Xiazai, a widespread family of browser modifiers that we have blocked and removed from millions of computers since 2015. Xiazai is a software bundler that can sneak in additional changes. Xiazai does not insta...

Why endpoint management is key to securing an AI-powered future

The chief information security officer CISO agenda has a new set of priorities. Hybrid work and the resultant architecture updates, so prevalent at the beginning of the pandemic, are no longer top of mind. Instead, the thinking is focused on tackling ever more sophisticated threats and integratin...

Discover a new era of security with Microsoft at RSAC 2023

We’re thrilled to participate and connect with you at RSA Conference 2023 RSAC from April 23 to 27, 2023, in San Francisco. Join your security peers as we welcome you to the new era of security—shaped by the power of OpenAI’s GPT-4 generative AI—and introduce to you the recently announced Microso...

SEC cyber risk management rule—a security and compliance opportunity

In my practice as a Microsoft Global Black Belt, I focus on the technical and business enablement aspects of protecting organizations from cyber threats with tools like Microsoft 365 Defender, Microsoft Purview and Microsoft Sentinel. In my role as a board member for another publicly traded...

Solving one of NOBELIUM’s most novel attacks: Cyberattack Series

Our story begins with eight Microsoft Detection and Response Team DART analysts gathered around a customer’s conference room to solve a cybersecurity mystery. Joined by members of the customer’s cybersecurity team, they were there to figure out how a Russia-based nation-state hacking group known ...

Introducing new Microsoft Defender for Cloud innovations to strengthen cloud-native protections

Security teams face an expanding attack surface as organizations increasingly use cloud-native services to develop, deploy, and manage applications across their multicloud and hybrid environments. Their challenge is compounded by incomplete visibility, siloed processes, and a lack of prioritized...

The art and science behind Microsoft threat hunting: Part 2

We discussed Microsoft Detection and Response Team’s DART threat hunting principles in part 1 of The art and science behind Microsoft threat hunting blog series. In this follow-up post, we will talk about some general hunting strategies, frameworks, tools, and how Microsoft incident responders wo...

Disrupting SEABORGIUM’s ongoing phishing operations

The Microsoft Threat Intelligence Center MSTIC has observed and taken actions to disrupt campaigns launched by SEABORGIUM, an actor Microsoft has tracked since 2017. SEABORGIUM is a threat actor that originates from Russia, with objectives and victimology that align closely with Russian state...

So you want to be a CISO: What you should know about data protection

Data is the lifeblood of any organization. Whether you’re a Chief Information Security Officer CISO or aspiring to become one, protecting sensitive business data will be your main priority. But the job isn’t getting any easier. In 2021, the number of data breaches climbed 68 percent to 1,862,...

A clearer lens on Zero Trust security strategy: Part 1

Todays world is flooded with definitions and perspectives on Zero Trust, so we are kicking off a blog series to bring clarity to what Zero Trust is and what it means. This first blog will draw on the past, present, and future to bring a clear vision while keeping our feet planted firmly on the...

How a leading Microsoft engineer extends culture to service resiliency

It’s hard to underestimate the impact that people can have on us in our formative years. Huiwen Ru, who spent several years working in identity and access management and is now a Principal Software Engineering Manager on the Singularity team at Microsoft, is a living example of how important...

Secure your OT and IoT devices with Microsoft Defender for IoT and Quzara Cybertorch™

This blog post is part of the Microsoft Intelligent Security Association guest blog series. Learn more about MISA. In recent years, malicious actors have started attacking industrial control systems and key sectors of nations’ critical infrastructure to inflict damage that transcends the cyber...

What’s Next in Security from Microsoft

One of the biggest challenges in security today is complexity. Not only is there an ever-growing number of threats, but many organizations are defending their companies with a patchwork of security solutions that don’t work well together. This piecemeal approach is costly, less secure, and hinder...

Microsoft Zero Trust solutions deliver 92 percent return on investment, says new Forrester study

In the last two years, we’ve seen a staggering increase in the adoption of cloud-based services, remote work solutions, bring your own device BYOD, and IoT devices as organizations digitally transform themselves to enable a hybrid workforce.1 Zero Trust has become the essential security strategy...

Security Unlocked—A new podcast exploring the people and AI that power Microsoft Security solutions

It’s hard to keep pace with all the changes happening in the world of cybersecurity. Security experts and leaders must continue learning and unlearning to stay ahead of the ever-evolving threat landscape. In fact, many of us are in this field because of our desire to continuously challenge...

Microsoft offers several mechanisms to protect against ransomware

The start of a new year is the perfect time to reassess your security strategy and tactics especially when looking back at the new levels of ransomwares reach and damage in 2017. Its no secret that ransomware attacks are increasing. In fact, a business is hit with ransomware every 40 seconds. If...

Unified security operations with Microsoft Sentinel and Microsoft Defender XDR

Numerous cybersecurity tools exist to help organizations protect their data, people, and systems. There are different tools that check emails for phishing attempts, secure infrastructure and cloud, and provide generative AI to detect threats and uplevel response beyond human ability. While each o...

Boost identity protection with Axiad Cloud and Microsoft Entra ID

This blog post is part of the Microsoft Intelligent Security Association guest blog series. Learn more about MISA. Passwords are a security weakness and phishing attacks to exploit accounts protected by passwords are on the rise. The last 12 months have seen an average of more than 4,000 password...

Microsoft Defender for Office 365 gets highest rating in SE Labs Enterprise Email Security Services test for Q1 2023

In the ever-evolving world of cybersecurity, email remains a primary attack vector for cybercriminals, making effective email protection a foundational piece of any organization’s security strategy. In Q1 2023, Microsoft was once again part of an evaluation of email security platforms conducted b...

How one Microsoft product manager acts as champion for identity security

A technology career embodies the ancient Roman saying that “luck happens when preparation meets opportunity.” Few industries are as dynamic, fast-paced, or intense as technology. With so many challenges to solve, opportunities are everywhere, but as I’ve learned myself through the years, the best...

Hive ransomware gets upgrades in Rust

Hive ransomware is only about one year old, having been first observed in June 2021, but it has grown into one of the most prevalent ransomware payloads in the ransomware-as-a-service RaaS ecosystem. With its latest variant carrying several major upgrades, Hive also proves it’s one of the fastest...

How security leaders can help their teams avoid burnout

The security community is continuously changing, growing, and learning from each other to better position the world against cyberthreats. In the latest post of our Voice of the Community blog series, Microsoft Security Senior Product Marketing Manager Brooke Lynn Weenig talks with Maria...

Microsoft Defender for Office 365 receives highest award in SE Labs Enterprise Email Security Services test

In today’s evolving threat landscape, email represents the primary attack vector for cybercrime, making effective email protection a key component of any security strategy.1 In Q1 2022, Microsoft participated in an evaluation of email security solutions, carried out by SE labs—a testing lab focus...

How one Microsoft software engineer works to improve access management

There’s still a perception that the most successful computer scientists learn programming at a young age, study engineering at a top school, and then get a software development job right out of college. While that’s how many people enter the field, it’s not the only path. Microsoft Software...

Behind the unprecedented effort to protect customers against the NOBELIUM nation-state attack

This is the third in a four-part blog series on the NOBELIUM nation-state cyberattack. In December 2020, Microsoft began sharing details with the world about what became known as the most sophisticated nation-state cyberattack in history. Microsoft’s four-part video series “Decoding NOBELIUM” pul...

3 trends shaping identity as the center of modern security

I recently returned from Kenya, where I visited our Microsoft Nairobi development center. Like many of you, I’ve mostly worked from home for the past year and more, so it was refreshing to meet members of our global team and inspiring to feel their passion for our mission: delivering identity...

Cyberattacks against machine learning systems are more common than you think

Machine learning ML is making incredible transformations in critical areas such as finance, healthcare, and defense, impacting nearly every aspect of our lives. Many businesses, eager to capitalize on advancements in ML, have not scrutinized the security of their ML systems. Today, along with...

Expanding audit logging and retention within Microsoft Purview for increased security visibility

Since our announcement in July 2023, we have made significant efforts to enhance the access to Microsoft Purviews audit logging.1 This ongoing work expands accessibility and flexibility to cloud security logs, which began rolling out to customers around the world in September 2023. Our decision t...

Threat actors strive to cause Tax Day headaches

Threat actors often take advantage of current events and major news headlines to align attacks and leverage social engineering when people could be more likely to be distracted or misled. Tax season is particularly appealing to threat actors because not only are people busy and under stress, but ...

Cybersecurity health and how to stay ahead of attackers with Linda Grasso

The security community is continuously changing, growing, and learning from each other to better position the world against cyberthreats. In the latest post of our Community Voices blog series, Microsoft Security Senior Product Marketing Manager Brooke Lynn Weenig talks with Linda Grasso, the...

Introducing Adaptive Protection in Microsoft Purview—People-centric data protection for a multiplatform world

At Microsoft, we never stop working to protect you and your data. If the evolving cyberattacks over the past three years have taught us anything, it’s that threat actors are both cunning and committed. At every level of your enterprise, attackers never stop looking for a way in. The massive...

Cyber Signals: Risks to critical infrastructure on the rise

Today, the third edition of Cyber Signals was released spotlighting security trends and insights gathered from Microsoft’s 43 trillion daily security signals and 8,500 security experts. In this edition, we share new insights on wider risks that converging IT, Internet of Things IoT, and operation...

Microsoft recognized as a Leader in the 2022 Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for Unified Endpoint Management Tools

This month, Microsoft has been recognized by Gartner® as a Leader in the 2022 Magic Quadrant for Unified Endpoint Management UEM Tools. This blog post outlines the “so what” for IT leaders, and why we believe this Gartner analysis deserves your focus right now. As you see in the Magic Quadrant in...

Streamlining employee onboarding: Microsoft’s response to the Great Reshuffle

In 2021, workers everywhere reevaluated their professional and personal choices, leading to what became known as the Great Resignation. In 2022, a new trend that many are calling the Great Reshuffle has emerged, with 43 percent of the workforce saying they’re very likely to consider changing jobs...

How one senior developer brings the startup spirit to Microsoft

I recently had the opportunity to visit the Microsoft Africa Development Center, in my role as executive sponsor, for dedication ceremonies we hosted in both Nigeria and Kenya. All I have to say is, “Wow!” The energy at the ADC is simply electric. There’s so much optimism and so much enthusiasm f...

Secure your healthcare devices with Microsoft Defender for IoT and HCL’s CARE

It wasn’t long ago that medical devices were isolated and unconnected, but the rise of IoT has brought real computing power to the network edge. Today, medical devices are transforming into interconnected, smart assistants with decision-making capabilities. Any device in a medical setting must be...

MSTICPy January 2022 hackathon highlights

During the month of January 2022, the Microsoft Threat Intelligence Center MSTIC ran its inaugural hackathon for the open-source Jupyter and Python Security Tools library, MSTICPy. We asked the security community for their contributions to expand and improve MSTICPy’s features and capabilities, a...