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...

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...

Improve your threat detection and response with Microsoft and Wortell

This blog post is part of the Microsoft Intelligent Security Association MISA guest blog series. Learn more about MISA. The way of working is changing rapidly. Many workloads are moving to the cloud and the pandemic accelerated organizations to provide infrastructure to aid employees working from...

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...

Ransomware operators are hiding malware deeper in installer packages

Note: Read our latest comprehensive report on ransomware: Ransomware 1H 2017 review: Global outbreaks reinforce the value of security hygiene. We are seeing a wave of new NSIS installers used in ransomware campaigns. These new installers pack significant updates, indicating a collective move by...

Ransomware: A declining nuisance or an evolving menace?

Note: Read our latest comprehensive report on ransomware: Ransomware 1H 2017 review: Global outbreaks reinforce the value of security hygiene. The volume of ransomware encounters is on a downward trend. Are we seeing the beginning of the end of this vicious threat? Unfortunately, a look at the...

LinkedIn and Microsoft Entra introduce a new way to verify your workplace

In the digital world, when you meet professional contacts for the first time online, you need additional trust signals to increase your confidence that they are who they say they are. We’re thrilled to announce that millions of LinkedIn members will be able to verify their place of work with a...

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...

Microsoft showcases the future of comprehensive security at RSA 2022

The last time the RSA Conference was held as an in-person event was in 2020. Needless to say, a lot has changed since then. RSA is once again going forward as an in-person and digital event in San Francisco, from June 6 to 9, 2022. After two years of remote interactions, we’re excited to exchange...

Microsoft best practices for managing IoT security concerns

The Internet of Things, or IoT, has expanded beyond the mere concept that it was when first introduced. IoT is now part of most individuals’ daily activities, from smart speakers and thermostats to smartwatches and vehicles. IoT devices and systems bring massive convenience and functionality. IoT...

3 strategies to launch an effective data governance plan

Aware of the potential risks of sensitive data if not managed properly, you’ve undertaken a data discovery process to learn where it’s all stored. You’ve classified this sensitive data—confidential information like credit card numbers and home addresses collected from customers, prospects,...

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...

Align your security and network teams to Zero Trust security demands

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 Security Product Marketing Manager Natalia Godyla talks with Jennifer Minella, Founder and...

Azure network security helps reduce cost and risk according to Forrester TEI study

As organizations move their computing from on-premises to the cloud, they realize that leveraging cloud-native security tools can provide additional cost savings and business benefits to their security infrastructure. Microsoft Azure network security offers a suite of cloud-native security tools ...

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...

It’s Cybersecurity Awareness Month and there is still a lot to do

October is National Cyber Security Awareness Month NCSAM. And there is still a lot to do! For the last 17 years, the National Cybersecurity Awareness Month NCSAM campaign, driven by the Department of Homeland Security, has raised awareness about the importance of cyber security across the Nation...

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...

MSRT July 2016 – Cerber ransomware

As part of our ongoing effort to provide better malware protection, the July 2016 release of the Microsoft Malicious Software Removal Tool MSRT includes detection for Win32/Cerber, a prevalent ransomware family. The inclusion in MSRT complements our Cerber-specific family detections in Windows...

Public preview: Improve Win32 app security via app isolation

The post Public preview: Improve Win32 app security via app isolation appeared first on Microsoft Security Blog...

Microsoft Security highlights from RSA Conference 2023

The RSA Conference RSAC gave us an incredible opportunity to meet with security professionals from around the world, learn about exciting advances in the world of cybersecurity, and share our own security innovations. Defenders everywhere serve an important mission of protecting our world, and RS...

The next wave of multicloud security with Microsoft Defender for Cloud, a Cloud-Native Application Protection Platform (CNAPP)

With digital transformation in the face of macroeconomic pressures, strategies to optimize both cloud environments and cloud security are increasingly appealing to enterprises. Organizations worry about vulnerabilities in code getting deployed, critical misconfigurations, overprivileged access to...

Addressing cybersecurity at the board level with Difenda and Microsoft

This blog post is part of the Microsoft Intelligent Security Association guest blog series. Learn more about MISA. Cybersecurity is no longer simply a lone silo or regulatory process; it is a business issue that affects every aspect of an organization. From financial losses to reputational damage...

2022 holiday DDoS protection guide

The holiday season is an exciting time for many people as they get to relax, connect with friends and family, and celebrate traditions. Organizations also have much to rejoice about during the holidays for example, more sales for retailers and more players for gaming companies. Unfortunately, cyb...

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...

Microsoft recognized as a Leader in UEM Software 2022 IDC MarketScape reports

Competition for talent has increased pressure to lead in the digital space, and business decisions now weigh user experience for employees heavily among costs and benefits. Workers insist on experiences that mirror their personal experiences, often on their own devices. As enterprise computing ha...

Secure access for a connected world—meet Microsoft Entra

What could the world achieve if we had trust in every digital experience and interaction? This question has inspired us to think differently about identity and access, and today, we’re announcing our expanded vision for how we will help provide secure access for our connected world. Microsoft Ent...

The future of compliance and data governance is here: Introducing Microsoft Purview

The worldwide shift to a hybrid workplace has pushed us all to embrace ubiquitous connectivity. Those new connections have helped us become more collaborative; routinely editing and sharing documents in real-time from wherever we happen to be working. Instant messaging went from being a tool of...

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...

Cyber Signals: Defending against cyber threats with the latest research, insights, and trends

We’re excited to introduce Cyber Signals, a cyber threat intelligence brief informed by the latest Microsoft threat data and research. This content, which will be released quarterly, offers an expert perspective into the current threat landscape, discussing trending tactics, techniques, and...

Microsoft named a Leader in IDC MarketScape for Modern Endpoint Security for Enterprise and Small and Midsize Businesses

The security stakes have never been higher and, consequently, the protection of endpoints as a key component of any extended detection and response XDR strategy has never been more critical—for organizations of all sizes. Microsoft is thrilled to be recognized as a Leader in IDC’s MarketScape...

How to assess and improve the security culture of your business

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 Security Product Marketing Manager Natalia Godyla talks with Cygenta Co-founder and Co-Chief...

NOBELIUM targeting delegated administrative privileges to facilitate broader attacks

The Microsoft Threat Intelligence Center MSTIC has detected nation-state activity associated with the threat actor tracked as NOBELIUM, attempting to gain access to downstream customers of multiple cloud service providers CSP, managed service providers MSP, and other IT services organizations...

Back to the future: What the Jericho Forum taught us about modern security

Some of the earliest formal work on what we now call Zero Trust started around in a security consortium known as the Jericho Forum which later merged into The Open Group Security Forum. This started as a group of like-minded CISOs wrestling with the limitations of the dominant and unquestioned...

Understanding the performance impact of Spectre and Meltdown mitigations on Windows Systems

Last week the technology industry and many of our customers learned of new vulnerabilities in the hardware chips that power phones, PCs and servers. We and others in the industry had learned of this vulnerability under nondisclosure agreement several months ago and immediately began developing...

Application fuzzing in the era of Machine Learning and AI

Proactively testing software for bugs is not new. The earliest examples date back to the 1950s with the term fuzzing. Fuzzing as we now refer to it is the injection of random inputs and commands into applications. It made its debut quite literally on a dark and stormy night in 1988. Since then,...

Microsoft teams up with law enforcement and other partners to disrupt Gamarue (Andromeda)

Today, with help from Microsoft security researchers, law enforcement agencies around the globe, in cooperation with Microsoft Digital Crimes Unit DCU, announced the disruption of Gamarue, a widely distributed malware that has been used in networks of infected computers collectively called the...

World Backup Day is as good as any to back up your data

In today’s security landscape, there are more threats to data than ever before. Beyond corruption caused by hardware or human failure, malware and cyberattacks can put data in serious danger. That’s why it’s imperative for enterprises, small-and-medium businesses, and individuals to back up data...

MSRT February 2017: Chuckenit detection completes MSRT solution for one malware suite

In September 2016, we started adding to Microsoft Malicious Software Removal Tool MSRT a malware suite of browser modifiers and other Trojans installed by software bundlers. We documented how the malware in this group install other malware or applications silently, without your consent. This...

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

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...

Office 2013 can now block macros to help prevent infection

In response to the growing trend of macro-based threats, a new feature in Office 2016 allows an enterprise administrator to block users from running macros in Office documents that originated from the Internet. This feature was documented back in March: New feature in Office 2016 can block macros...

The new .LNK between spam and Locky infection

Just when it seems the Ransom:Win32/Locky activity has slowed down, our continuous monitoring of the ransomware family reveals a new workaround that the authors might be using to keep it going. The decline in Locky activity can be attributed to the slowdown of detections of Nemucod, which Locky...

Nemucod dot dot..WSF

The latest Nemucod campaign shows the malware distributing a spam email attachment with a .wsf extension, specifically ..wsf with a double dot extension. It is a variation of what has been observed since last year 2015 – the TrojanDownloader:JS/Nemucod malware downloader using JScript. It still...

Microsoft at Legalweek: Secure data and gain efficiencies with Microsoft Purview eDiscovery enhanced by generative AI

The legal profession is known for being cautious or hesitant to adopt new technologies. However, when it comes to AI, it seems like legal professionals are ready to be on the leading edge of AI implementation. A Thomson Reuters survey of legal professionals found that 82% agree that AI can be...

Microsoft Purview data security mitigations for BazaCall and other human-operated data exfiltration attacks

I recently worked with an enterprise customer who experienced a data exfiltration attack using the characteristics of the BazaCall campaign. BazaCall can be both a ransomware and data exfiltration attack that are used together to increase pressure on and damage to the victim. Microsoft Purview ha...

Adopting guidance from the US National Cybersecurity Strategy to secure the Internet of Things

The recently published United States National Cybersecurity Strategy warns that many popular Internet of Things IoT devices are not sufficiently secure to protect against many of today’s common cybersecurity threats.1 The strategy also cautions that many of these IoT devices are difficult—or, in...

Why a proactive detection and incident response plan is crucial for your organization

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 Matt Suiche, Director...

Improve supply chain security and resiliency with Microsoft

Let’s start with the bad news. Cybersecurity breaches can be particularly devastating for supply chains, which involve multiple parties and sensitive information. As operational technology OT devices become increasingly connected, blurring the gap between IT and OT environments, the risk of hacke...

Microsoft achieves first native Cloud Data Management Capabilities certification

Today, Microsoft announced the successful completion of the Cloud Data Management Capabilities CDMC 14 Key Controls and Automations certification, conducted by Accenture and Avanade, accelerating the industry’s move to the cloud. The 14 Key Controls and Automations are a part of the EDM Council’s...

Microsoft threat intelligence presented at CyberWarCon 2022

At CyberWarCon 2022, Microsoft and LinkedIn analysts presented several sessions detailing analysis across multiple sets of actors and related activity. This blog is intended to summarize the content of the research covered in these presentations and demonstrates Microsoft Threat Intelligence...

Microsoft Security tips for mitigating risk in mergers and acquisitions

Sixty-two percent of organizations that undertake mergers and acquisitions face significant cybersecurity risks or consider cyber risks their biggest concern post-acquisition.1 Threat actors that focus on corporate espionage often target the acquiring company, which we will refer to as the Parent...