If a deal for software seems too good to be true, then it probably is. The software could be pirated, which means that it's been copied and sold illegally.
One of the dangers of using pirated software is that you might not get security updates, which means that your computer and your personal information could be at risk.
One way you can usually identify genuine Microsoft software is by ensuring it has the Certificate of Authenticity (COA) label.
A typical COA looks like this:
For more information, see Protect your computer from pirated software.
A reader recently asked us if she needed Windows Defender, antispyware software from Microsoft that comes with Windows Vista and Windows 7, if she had downloaded Microsoft Security Essentials (free antivirus and antispyware software).
If you use Microsoft Security Essentials, you don't need Windows Defender. When you download Microsoft Security Essentials, it will turn off (but not uninstall) Windows Defender automatically. It does this so that you don't have two programs on your computer that are doing the same thing. If you ever decided to uninstall Microsoft Security Essentials, Windows Defender will be turned back on again.
For more information, see:
Disasters like the recent floods in Pakistan are another opportunity for cybercriminals to take advantage of people who want to donate money online.
Use caution with suspicious email, websites, instant messages, or posts on social networking sites and look for signs that the site where you donate is secure.
If you want to donate and you live in the United States, you can safely help those in need by donating to the Department of State's Pakistan Relief Fund or the Red Cross.
Also, try any of the following organizations that provide support to flood relief efforts in Pakistan.
If you think you have a computer virus or other security help needs, you can get free help at the new Virus and Security Solution Center.
You can:
Visit the Virus and Security Solution Center now.
Americans are just as worried about losing personal and financial information online as they are about losing their jobs, a study by the National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA) and the Anti-Phishing Working Group (APWG) finds. According to the poll, fifty-four percent of Americans were "extremely concerned" about identity theft, compared to fifty-three percent who were concerned about job loss. An even greater number of participants in the survey (sixty-one percent) said that online safety and security was their own personal responsibility and ninety one percent expressed interest in tips and guidance on how to protect themselves and their families online. You can find all of our online safety guidance at Microsoft.com/protect and on this blog. To read more results from the study, see National Survey: Online Safety is a Personal Priority for Americans.
Americans are just as worried about losing personal and financial information online as they are about losing their jobs, a study by the National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA) and the Anti-Phishing Working Group (APWG) finds.
According to the poll, fifty-four percent of Americans were "extremely concerned" about identity theft, compared to fifty-three percent who were concerned about job loss.
An even greater number of participants in the survey (sixty-one percent) said that online safety and security was their own personal responsibility and ninety one percent expressed interest in tips and guidance on how to protect themselves and their families online. You can find all of our online safety guidance at Microsoft.com/protect and on this blog.
To read more results from the study, see National Survey: Online Safety is a Personal Priority for Americans.
Microsoft Office 2010 is now available. New security features in PowerPoint, Word, Outlook, Excel, and other Office programs help you complete tasks more easily and more safely.
For more information, see Security in Microsoft Office 2010.
A reader of this blog recently received the following suspicious email:
"This Email is from Hotmail Customer Care. We are having congestions due to the anonymous registration of Hotmail accounts so we are shutting down some Hotmail accounts and your account was among those to be deleted. We are sending this email to you so that you can verify and let us know if you still want to use this account.
Due to the congestion in all Hotmail users and removal of all unused Hotmail Accounts, Hotmail would be shutting down all unused accounts. You will have to confirm your E-mail by filling out your Login Info below after clicking the reply button or your account will be suspended within 24 hours for security reasons."
This email is a scam. It did not come from Microsoft. If you reply with personal information, you could become a victim of ID theft.
If you receive an email like this, delete it. If you already responded with your personal information, read Hotmail hacked? Take these steps.
The newest version of Hotmail allows you to associate your account with your cell phone number so that you can get back into your account if it's been compromised. To read more about this feature, see Three new Hotmail security features we love.
For more tips, see
Microsoft releases security updates on the second Tuesday of every month. Today Microsoft released 14 new security updates.
7 updates for Microsoft Windows 2 updates for Microsoft Office 1 update for Windows Media Player 1 update for Windows Server 1 update for Microsoft XML 1 update for Internet Explorer 1 update for .NET Framework
Get the updates.
Watch a video about the updates.
Pirated or counterfeit software can put your computer at risk for viruses, spyware, and other kinds of unwanted software. This can happen in at least two different ways: Malicious software could be written into the code of the pirated software, or the software could prevent you from getting critical security updates that help keep your computer safe.
One of the newest ways that Microsoft is fighting software pirates is through optical disc "fingerprinting." Microsoft runs nine regional crime labs around the world, staffed by forensic experts. Each year, these experts evaluate more than a half-million pieces of evidence collected with the help of customer tips, formal complaints, and voluntary product submissions. Experts study ridges and grooves on counterfeit discs to trace them to known production facilities to track down the pirates.
There are several common ways that spammers can get your email address:
It pays to keep your email address as private as possible, but sometimes it seems like there's nothing you can do to keep it out of the hands of spammers. For this reason you have to combine smart privacy practices with strong email filters.
All of the most recent versions of Microsoft's email services (including Hotmail) use a strong filter called SmartScreen. For more information, see Help keep spam out of your inbox.
Last week at the Black Hat security conference, Microsoft announced the newest version of the Enhanced Mitigation Experience Toolkit (EMET) .
EMET is a free tool designed to help IT professionals protect systems from common threats, even in older software. EMET lets IT pros add new and existing security technologies to software to help protect against past and future exploits. The newest version also provides a central interface to make it easier to manage threats.
Version 2 of EMET will be available later this month. Check the Security Research and Defense blog for updates on the exact release date.
For more information and to watch a technical video about EMET, visit the Microsoft BlueHat site.
We wanted to remind you about a fraudulent email scam that seems to be on the rise.
If you receive an email that claims you've won a lottery that's sponsored by Microsoft, you can be sure that this is an advanced fee fraud. These emails usually ask you to provide cash up-front in order to receive your prize. This is a scam. Delete the email and don't respond.
Today Microsoft released an out-of band security update that addresses a security vulnerability in: Windows XP Windows Vista Windows 7 Windows Server 2003 Windows Server 2008 Windows Server 2008 R2 To help protect your computer, visit Windows Update to download and install the update and ensure that you have automatic updating turned on. This update requires a computer restart. For more information, see: Out-of-band security update for Microsoft Windows, August 2, 2010 Information about Microsoft's August 2010 OOB Security Bulletin Release
Today Microsoft released an out-of band security update that addresses a security vulnerability in:
To help protect your computer, visit Windows Update to download and install the update and ensure that you have automatic updating turned on. This update requires a computer restart.