Microsoft is testing a new “scareware blocker” feature for the Edge browser (on Windows), which uses machine learning (ML) to detect tech support scams.
Scareware scams (also known as tech support scams) have become very common in recent years. Scammers use special pages to convince potential victims that their devices have been compromised with malware. They then attempt to gain remote access to the systems by pressuring victims to call a fake tech support number.
Microsoft already uses a security feature for Edge, Defender SmartScreen. This also protects users from scams. It is activated after an abusive website is detected and added to the malicious website index.
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However, Microsoft Edge’s new scareware blocker leverages artificial intelligence (AI) to provide additional protection by detecting signs of scareware scams in real-time using a local machine learning model. The feature was first shown off at Ignite 2024 in November. It’s now available in preview for users in the stable channel.
“ Scareware blocker adds a new, first line of defense to help protect users exposed to a new scam. It is triggered if the scam attempts to open a page in full screen. Scareware blocker uses a machine learning model that runs on the local computer ,” Microsoft said
The company explained that the model uses computer vision to compare full-screen pages with thousands of fraud samples, which the anti-fraud community has shared with Microsoft.
Upon detecting a scam page, Microsoft Edge's Scareware blocker notifies users and allows them to continue loading the webpage if they believe the site is safe.
"To enable this in Edge, first make sure that previews are allowed by your administrator and that Edge is fully up to date. You may want to restart the browser one more time to make sure the Edge client has the preview," Microsoft said.
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“After making sure you have the latest updates, you should see the preview of the scareware blocker in the “Privacy Search and Services” list“.
When a potentially malicious page is detected, Edge returns control to the user, exiting full-screen mode, stopping the loud sound, displaying a warning, and displaying a thumbnail of the page.
Users can report the scam by sharing screenshots and information with Microsoftto help protect other unsuspecting victims.
The scareware blocker model will reject the page if users do not report it. To reduce false positives, users should also report cases where legitimate websites are flagged as malicious.
“By reporting false positives, you help us make the feature more reliable to catch real scams,” Microsoft said.
The new scareware blocker in Edge is part of Microsoft's ongoing efforts to create a safer browsing experience and combat the growing sophistication of online scams.
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Additionally, this feature is expected to reduce the risk of data theft and financial loss for users. Tech support scams are often successful, and users are convinced to grant remote access to their devices or share sensitive information, which can lead to identity theft and financial fraud. With the new blocking program, Edge users can have peace of mind while browsing the web (although we should always be vigilant).
This new feature also underscores Microsoft’s commitment to integrating machine learning into more of its products. As one of the leading technology companies investing in artificial intelligence (AI) and ML technologies, Microsoft continues to find innovative ways to use these developments to the benefit of users.
Source: www.bleepingcomputer.com
