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Now, the Windows 11 gained another ally in the protection against phishing, an increasingly common scam that seeks to deceive users in order to steal personal data, such as access passwords to websites and applications. The novelty comes along with the 22H2 update, which arrived at the end of last month with several changes and improvements to the operating system. In addition to shielding your users from phishing attempts, the Microsoft it also tries to discourage users from using bad passwords.
Users who enter their passwords on malicious websites will receive an antivirus alert Microsoft Defender Smart Screen, I told Microsoft in a note released last Friday (7). In addition, the program will request a password change so that potential intruders cannot access the accounts and will start to warn when users use the same password on several different sites.
In addition to sending warning notices to discourage users from reusing passwords, the Windows Defender will also be able to detect when users record their passwords in documents of the Notepad, Wordpad, Office ou Microsoft 356, warning them against the practice. The idea is to prevent critical data from being stored in insecure and easily accessible locations in the event of breaches.
According to Microsoft, protection is directly integrated into the operating system of the Windows 11 for “understand the users password input context”.
How Windows 11's Advanced Phishing Protection has unparalleled insight into what's happening at the operating system level. It can identify when users enter their work or school passwords insecurely.
Microsoft
In this way, the protection barrier will notify when users leave their passwords in a Word document or Notepad. "Protection recommends that they delete your password from the file”, says the statement. THE Microsoft will also cross-reference information from websites to identify whether they distribute or host malicious content. When this is confirmed, it will warn users not to connect to that site with login and password.
How to enable phishing protection in Windows 11
Because it is integrated into the operating system, enabling phishing protection in Windows 11 is quite simple. With it, you will be safer and avoid scams that steal your passwords and personal data, such as phone and credit card passwords. Remembering that it is necessary that your OS is updated to the latest version. Here's how to enable phishing protection in Windows 11:
- Open the Start Menu and type “App and Browser Control”. Then click on the first option that will appear in the “Best match” list.
- In the “Reputation-based protection” box, click on “Reputation-based protection settings”.
- Finally, enable Phishing Protection and the boxes located below it. Okay, now you will be even more secure!
What is phishing?
Phishing has been around for a long, long time and takes many different forms. What phishing scams have in common, however, is that they try to get you to share your username and password details for a specific account. This is usually done through some clever subterfuge to make it look like you're dealing with someone you trust (at your bank, on a social media platform, or at work) rather than a hacker.
For example, you might receive an email that appears to be from your credit card company and asks you to make changes to your account: it would redirect you to a fraudulent website simulated to appear authentic. Once you innocently log in with your normal data, it will be in the hands of phishers.
Or you might get an email supposedly from your boss in the office several floors above you. It might ask you to log in to a specific company website (which again would be a fraudulent copy of the real website), for example, or it might ask you to simply email a list of usernames and passwords urgently. .
Many phishing attempts are done cleverly and are difficult to detect, but by taking your time and being wary of any kind of digital communication that comes your way, you can usually avoid them – if something looks suspicious, it probably is. That way, we've separated some ways to protect yourself from these attacks, check it out!
How to protect yourself?
A few precautions can prevent you from falling for scams like this. In addition, tools like antivirus can be excellent allies too. We separate some tips that can be very useful for you, check it out!
Be suspicious of every email you receive
As much as an email is from a person you trust, be suspicious! Check if the email address is what that person usually uses. In some cases, the attacker makes subtle changes to email addresses by changing a letter or using '.co' instead of '.com', deceiving at first glance.
Also check if the file or link that was sent can generate any kind of doubt. Especially if it's a subject that the person doesn't usually talk about or something very flashy, like "lose weight", "I send my resume", "free dinner". If necessary, contact the person before opening the material they sent you, especially if they have .exe, .scr, .pif, .cmd, .com, .cpl, .bat, .vir extensions
Keep OS and security software up to date
Use technology to your advantage by enabling automatic updates. They can help fix possible bugs and prevent the installation of spyware-type programs. The computer is not 100% protected, but certainly less vulnerable. In addition, the ideal is that you use antivirus software and keep the firewall enabled. And a very important detail: they always need to be updated!
Antivirus helps to detect malicious emails, but it also does not guarantee complete security, since the decision to open a file or not is entirely up to the user. The Firewall creates a barrier that prevents receiving these emails, but it is also not completely guaranteed that the environment will be clean.
Password Manager is a good choice
In addition to having virus protection software on your computer, it is critical to use a password manager to manage your online credentials. You need to have a password manager because nowadays it is very important to have different passwords for each website because in case of a data breach, malicious attackers will try to use the credentials discovered all over the web. One of the best features of password managers is that they auto-complete login forms to minimize clicks.
See also:
Have you heard about the Phantom Hand Swipe? Basically, he tries to gain access to your bank account fraudulently and has already claimed more than 40 victims in Brazil. Understand how it works and learn how to protect yourself.
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