Microsoft first spoke about a new security offering that would soon become a part of its Edge browser last year. Now, it seems like that feature is in testing.
The goal was to safeguard users and prevent them from falling for scams that trick others into assuming PCs were infected with some kind of malware. This urges them to make an immediate call for help and support to the fake domain. However, the latest scareware blocker will prevent them from happening as it’s now up for grabs in preview.
This is very common in today’s tech world where users are tricked into making payments by using their Amazon gift card. The feature uses machine learning models that can recognize the classic malware and scareware signs. The browser can then compare this to thousands of other scam samples. As per the software giant, the models are limited to devices only and don’t save or send out pictures to the Cloud.
After a scam gets detected, the browser loses full-screen mode and hinders any kind of media playback from coming into play. The latter refers to the action of scammers using media to add more pressure on victims’ minds so they’re more fearful. After the feature is working, it will alert the user and display the page’s thumbnail.
After that, users can assist the company in combating the scareware by making a report of the malicious page and sharing screengrabs with more data about its diagnostics. At the same time, the browser provides the option to report false positives if any error is made by the user in identifying the questionable page.
The latest scareware blocker is now up for grabs to users in preview. Don’t forget to test it out on the latest version of Microsoft Edge. Just restart the browser, and fix the settings to private search and scareware block. In case your device is managed by the company, you need the IT permissions first for testing the preview.
One final tip worth mentioning is pressing and holding the Esc key when you see something unexpected arriving while exploring the internet. This will pop up on full-screen mode and detect the scareware and avoid it in the future.
Read next: OpenAI Rolls Out New ‘ChatGPT Gov’ To Better Support The American Public Sector
The goal was to safeguard users and prevent them from falling for scams that trick others into assuming PCs were infected with some kind of malware. This urges them to make an immediate call for help and support to the fake domain. However, the latest scareware blocker will prevent them from happening as it’s now up for grabs in preview.
This is very common in today’s tech world where users are tricked into making payments by using their Amazon gift card. The feature uses machine learning models that can recognize the classic malware and scareware signs. The browser can then compare this to thousands of other scam samples. As per the software giant, the models are limited to devices only and don’t save or send out pictures to the Cloud.
After a scam gets detected, the browser loses full-screen mode and hinders any kind of media playback from coming into play. The latter refers to the action of scammers using media to add more pressure on victims’ minds so they’re more fearful. After the feature is working, it will alert the user and display the page’s thumbnail.
After that, users can assist the company in combating the scareware by making a report of the malicious page and sharing screengrabs with more data about its diagnostics. At the same time, the browser provides the option to report false positives if any error is made by the user in identifying the questionable page.
The latest scareware blocker is now up for grabs to users in preview. Don’t forget to test it out on the latest version of Microsoft Edge. Just restart the browser, and fix the settings to private search and scareware block. In case your device is managed by the company, you need the IT permissions first for testing the preview.
One final tip worth mentioning is pressing and holding the Esc key when you see something unexpected arriving while exploring the internet. This will pop up on full-screen mode and detect the scareware and avoid it in the future.
Read next: OpenAI Rolls Out New ‘ChatGPT Gov’ To Better Support The American Public Sector
