Unwanted software often piggy-backs on program downloads, delivered by software bundlers. These bundles, which you might have downloaded, can include software that you do not want, and some that are harmful. The bundled or “extra” software can perform actions on your device that run the gambit from unwanted to annoying to malicious. The threat that…
Category: Objective Criteria
MSRT September 2016 release feature: Prifou
As part of our ongoing effort to provide better malware protection, the Microsoft Malicious Software Removal Tool (MSRT) release this September includes detections for: BrowserModifier:Win32/Prifou TrojanClicker:Win32/NightClick Trojan:Win32/Suweezy Trojan:Win32/Xadupi This blog discusses BrowserModifier:Win32/Prifou (Prifou). Windows Defender detects this threat because it limits your choice and control over your browser and operating system. The unwanted behaviors are detailed…
MSRT August 2016 release adds Neobar detection
As part of our ongoing effort to provide better malware protection, the August 2016 release of the Microsoft Malicious Software Removal Tool (MSRT) includes detections for BrowserModifier: Win32/Neobar, unwanted software, and Win32/Rovnix, a trojan malware family. This blog discusses BrowserModifier:Win32/Neobar and its inclusion in MSRT supports our unwanted software family detections in Windows Defender, along…
A brief discourse on ‘Changing browsing experience’
In response to questions we’ve received from the software distribution and monetization industry, and following our blog announcing our browser modifier policy update, we’d like to provide some details on what we refer to in our policy as “changing browsing experience”. For us, “changing browsing experience” means behaviors that modify the content of webpages. We…
Keeping Browsing Experience in Users’ Hands, an Update…
Since we published the Keeping Browsing Experience in Users’ Hands blog in December 2015, we’ve received feedback from the ecosystem and engaged in discussions with the industry. Based on those discussions and feedback, we are making a couple of updates. We are broadening the scope of the evaluation criteria we blogged about to state: Programs…
Cleaners ought to be clean (and clear)
There are many programs that purport to clean up and optimize system performance. While Microsoft does not endorse the use of these tools with Windows, we do not view them as unwanted or malicious. Many programs in this category have a practice of providing a free version of their software that scans your system, presents the…
Keeping browsing experience in users’ hands
In April last year we announced some changes to our criteria around Adware designed to ensure that users maintain control of their experience. These changes are described in our blog, Adware: a New Approach. Since then, we’ve taken policy and enforcement measures to address unwanted behaviors exhibited by advertising programs that take choice and control away from…
Shields up on potentially unwanted applications in your enterprise
Has your enterprise environment been bogged down by a sneaky browser-modifier which tricked you into installing adware from a seemingly harmless software bundle? Then you might have already experienced what a potentially unwanted application (PUA) can do. The good news is, the new opt-in feature for enterprise users in Windows can spot and stop PUA…
Detection changes: search protection code
In late 2014 we announced changes to our evaluation criteria regarding the way we detect programs that have search protection functionality. Microsoft security products will detect programs with browser search protection functionality from June 1, 2015. Non-compliant programs that exhibit such functionality will be detected by our software signatures that look for browser search protection…
Cleaning up misleading advertisements
The Microsoft Malware Protection Center is committed to protecting our customers and their Windows experience. We use our evaluation criteria to determine if a program should be detected by our security products. As the software ecosystem evolves, so does our evaluation criteria. We are currently updating our evaluation criteria to address new technology changes, industry trends,…