Microsoft Published Counter-Threat Measures to Ease the 60% Tech Support Scam Rate in 2021
Microsoft addresses the rising cases of tech support scams worldwide through releasing a four-part guide in order for users to combat this threat more efficiently. This exemplifies that the company is already on top of this issue by maximizing its tech expertise.
Aside from the Windows Defender Security Warning scareware, tech support scams are one of the leading fraud schemes globally and continue to infiltrate markets today. In fact, Microsoft’s 2021 Global Tech Support Scam Research emphasized that these tech support scams have victimized more than half or 60% of its worldwide users in 2021 alone. One out of six users fell prey to this scheme in a more granular view.
This fraud scheme usually starts with a phone call claiming that it’s from a software company, informing users that they have security issues with their devices. The scammers will then ask users to install applications to give them remote access to their devices or lead them to fraudulent sites displaying fake security error messages. This is to trick victims into paying for a fake solution or availing of a fake subscription for a tech support service.
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As one of the renowned tech innovators and forerunners of IT security solutions, Microsoft released a four-part guide to addressing the alarming growth of tech support threats. This lays out the following:
1. Nature of these tech support scams.
2. Preventive measures for the users against these threats.
3. The steps to take when victimized by a fraudulent tech support call.
4. The instructions for reporting a scam incident.
These counter-threat measures strongly emphasized the advantages of using Microsoft technologies against these scams. Microsoft Edge was highly recommended because of its built-in scam site and pop-up dialogue loop blocking via Windows Defender SmartScreen. As for removing and detecting support scam malware or viruses, enabling the Microsoft Defender Antivirus in Windows 10 and 11 was also highlighted as a protection against these scams.
Allen Hamaoui, the Senior Managing Partner of Computer Solutions East, expressed his thoughts about the tech support scams and Microsoft’s lateral support. ”These tech scams are here to stay, and it is always a conscious effort to rise above these threats through licensed software, security updates, and applying the best practices. And Microsoft being the tech giant itself, it’s fascinating how they can be very intricate in assisting their customers, a trait consistently emulated by tech partners like CSE.”
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“To supplement these measures that Microsoft published, I think doing a comprehensive network security assessment is necessary to ensure all the corners of one’s infrastructure are checked and safeguarded from future threats, not just from this scam. It is an investment that will benefit a company in the long run,” he adds.
As these scams continue to evolve and penetrate industries and individual users, the threat response and guidance from Microsoft assure consistent and prompt action to address future threats. CSE also consistently re-echoes the tech giant’s threat mitigation and customer service approach.
