Security News

Windows 10 now blocks some third-party drivers from installing
2020-10-13 14:15

Microsoft says that Windows 10 and Windows Server users will be blocked from installing incorrectly formatted third-party drivers after deploying this month's cumulative updates. Starting with the October 2020 updates, Windows requires DER-encoded PKCS#7 content to be valid and correctly embedded in catalog files.

Windows 10 Cumulative Updates KB4579311 & KB4577671 Released
2020-10-13 13:36

Today is the second Tuesday of October 2020 and the first batch of security updates or 'B' updates are now available for all supported versions of Windows 10. If you want to grab these updates, check for updates in the Settings and the update will begin installing.

Windows 10 now warns when apps are configured to run at startup
2020-10-13 13:17

This new Windows 10 feature is especially useful for apps that will run minimized without any user interface showing up on the screen or for those that only start a background task. At the moment, the notification only warns of apps configured to run on startup and listed in the Settings > Apps > Startup apps page as Jen Gentleman, a Senior Community Manager at Microsoft, explained.

Windows Update can be abused to execute malicious programs
2020-10-12 18:02

The Windows Update client has just been added to the list of living-off-the-land binaries attackers can use to execute malicious code on Windows systems. The WSUS / Windows Update client is a utility located at %windir%system32 that provides users partial control over some of the Windows Update Agent's functionality from the command-line.

Windows Update can be abused to execute malicious files
2020-10-12 18:02

The Windows Update client has just been added to the list of living-off-the-land binaries attackers can use to execute malicious code on Windows systems. The WSUS / Windows Update client is a utility located at %windir%system32 that provides users partial control over some of the Windows Update Agent's functionality from the command-line.

QBot uses Windows Defender Antivirus phishing bait to infect PCs
2020-10-12 15:50

The Qbot botnet uses a new template for the distribution of their malware that uses a fake Windows Defender Antivirus theme to trick you into enabling Excel macros. Qbot, otherwise known as QakBot or QuakBot, is Windows malware that steals bank credentials, Windows domain credentials, and provides remote access to threat actors who install ransomware.

QBot uses Windows Defender Antivirus lure to infect computers
2020-10-12 15:50

The Qbot botnet uses a new template for the distribution of their malware that uses a fake Windows Defender Antivirus theme to trick you into enabling Excel macros. Qbot, otherwise known as QakBot or QuakBot, is Windows malware that steals bank credentials, Windows domain credentials, and provides remote access to threat actors who install ransomware.

Windows 10 upgrades blocked after installing KB4577062
2020-10-12 12:04

Microsoft says that customers who install the optional KB4577062 update for Windows 10 versions 1903 and 1909 will encounter issues upgrading to newer Windows 10 versions on some devices. "When updating to Windows 10, version 1903 or Windows 10, version 1909 from any previous version of Windows 10, you might receive a compatibility report dialog with 'What needs your attention' at the top and the error, 'Continuing with the installation of Windows will remove some optional features. You may need to add them back in Settings after the installation completes'," Microsoft explains.

How to supercharge your Windows 10 experience with PowerToys
2020-10-11 14:49

Windows 10's PowerToys tool is a great way to customize your Windows experience. In this article, we're highlighting the key features of PowerToys that you should try to boost your Windows 10 experience.

The most common malicious email attachments infecting Windows
2020-10-11 13:18

To trick users into clicking these buttons, the malware distributors create Word and Excel documents that contain text and images stating that there is an issue displaying the document. The combination of text and images in these malicious attachments are called 'document templates.