Microsoft has developed a new tool called “Scareware Blocker”. This uses machine learning and computer vision to identify very wide type of online scams.
Most of the “Scareware” has been devastated the web since its establishment, in the form of fake virus software that mostly detected threats that did not exist in user machines. After that, you will deceive the user and install a malicious program or pay the unnecessary software.
Last year, two technical support companies were forced to pay $ 26 million as part of the reconciliation with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC). 。
“These companies have used scary tactics, threats to consumer personal computers, especially the elderly consumers, from tens of millions of dollars, from tens of millions of dollars,” said Samuel Levine, director of the FTC Conservation Bureau. Was stated. time.
Microsoft has already provided some tools for blocking fraudulent websites detected and reported, but the new features used to open a full screen page. To block unknown fraudulent tools.
Microsoft first wrote blockers at the November Ignite conference, but are now calling on users to test their functions through an Edge browser preview program.
set up
In Scareware blockers, users need to activate their functions through the “Privacy, Search, Service” settings.
Active Blockerimage Credit: Microsoft
This adds additional security to things that exist in things like Microsoft Defender SmartScreen. If the fraudulent tool tries to open a full screen page, the Ska Wear blocker will especially intervene. This is a more difficult tactic to identify and avoid fraud. For example, users may not know that they press the “ESC” key. Ends full screen mode.
Microsoft said that he used thousands of real world sample scams to train machine learning models supporting Ska Wear blockers. Next, use a computer vision to compare these samples with new scams that encounter real -time.
If the tool suspects a potential scar wear, the full -screen mode is terminated, stopping audio playback (alarms, sounds, etc.) that may be accompanied by fraud, continuing to the user or closed. Provides options.
ActionImage Credit Careware Blocker: Microsoft
privacy
The fact that Microsoft is using computer vision to analyze the user's screen can cause concerns. There are some similarities from the recall function equipped with AI, which is the controversy of Microsoft. This creates all the search history performed on the computer using the user's screen snapshot.
However, using the Scareware Blocker, Microsoft claims that there is nothing to run on a machine learning model locally on a user machine and store or send it to the cloud.
Microsoft is looking for feedback from early recruiters to improve the smart screen software, which is more widespread and more wider defender, and offers an option to share fraud screenshots with Microsoft. Users can also report a scenario that blocks a real website by Scareware Blocker.