You’re online, minding your own business, when suddenly—a pop-up alert flashes across your screen.
“WARNING! Your computer is infected! Hackers are draining your bank accounts right now! Click here to fix it immediately.”
It looks official. It feels urgent. And the solution is right there—a single click to run a tool that will “fix everything.”
Except, if you do, you’ve just let the hackers in.
This is called scareware, a deceptive tactic that pressures people into giving cybercriminals direct access to their systems. And it’s working—so well that the FBI reports billions of dollars in losses each year.
Microsoft’s New Weapon Against Scareware
To combat this growing threat, Microsoft is rolling out a major update that includes machine learning-powered protection against these scams.
Right now, Microsoft Edge already blocks scams using Defender SmartScreen, but what happens if you’re the first person to encounter a new one—before it’s flagged as dangerous?
That’s where this new update comes in.
Stronger Protections for a Growing Threat
Microsoft says scams have increased fivefold in just three years, and hackers are only getting more convincing. Scareware is particularly dangerous because it creates panic, making victims act before they can think critically.
With this update, Windows will be smarter about detecting these attacks before you fall for them. And you can bet that other tech giants will follow.
For now, the best defense is still awareness. If something online is trying to rush you into action, slow down, verify, and never click blindly.
