Published on: October 2, 2024
Microsoft is upgrading its Defender software, which builds on its privacy protection feature and now automatically alerts users when exposed to potential attacks and enables safety measures.
The update allows Defender VPN (also known as the Defender privacy protection feature), available to users with Microsoft 365 Personal or Family subscriptions, to automatically detect and notify users when they connect to unsecured Wi-Fi networks.
Users can then turn on Defender VPN to protect their privacy and security. The VPN achieves this by encrypting and routing internet traffic through Microsoft’s servers, while also hiding users’ IP addresses.
“We’ve added detection for un-safe Wi-Fi (suspicious Wi-Fi). These detections are possible using Defender heuristics that examine multiple characteristics of a Wi-Fi hotspot to determine if it is suspicious,” Microsoft explained in a blog post. “As with unsecure Wi-Fi, you get a notification for un-safe Wi- Fi as well and can turn on Defender VPN for added safety.”
These types of networks, such as those found in cafes, airports, or libraries, can be vulnerable to cyberattacks since they’re typically not encrypted, which makes them easy to crack.
One example of a threat is a man-in-the-middle (MITM) attack, where a hacker intercepts the data being sent between your device and the internet. Without encryption, this allows them to view sensitive information like passwords, financial data, or personal messages.
Another risk is Wi-Fi snooping, where malicious actors use special software to monitor and capture your internet traffic on unsecured networks, potentially stealing sensitive information.
Currently, the unsafe Wi-Fi alerts are available in Microsoft Defender for Android, iOS, and Windows, with macOS support expected soon. Additionally, Microsoft has extended Defender VPN support to Windows and macOS systems, making the feature available in Germany and Canada, with plans to expand to more countries in the coming months.
“We’re adding privacy protection to ten additional countries in Europe, Asia, and LATAM regions soon,” said Microsoft.