An AI-Powered Scareware Blocker Available in Microsoft Edge

With its Edge browser,   Microsoft has begun implementing a new scareware filter. Thanks to a local machine learning model, the AI-powered function, which operates on Windows PCs, can recognize and stop current frauds as well as spot future and developing ones.  

A scareware blocker is a security mechanism that is frequently included into web browsers and is intended to keep consumers safe from scareware fraud. It is a Malware that uses misleading techniques to trick users into thinking their machine is infected or has other serious problems. Scams exploiting scareware have been around for a while, and their frequency has been improving annually. In an effort to convince you that your computer has been infected with malware and that you need to contact the phony technical support phone number in order to restore your system, the malicious person typically creates a webpage with a sizable popup that is impossible to close.

According to Microsoft, this new tool complements Defender SmartScreen, which continuously tracks hazardous sites that are new or unknown. 

Microsoft Edge says the new functionality uses a machine learning model to detect emerging scams and runs locally on the PC, and therefore, does not send any data to Microsoft.

To access it, launch Edge on your Windows computer, then press the three horizontal dots in the upper right corner of the screen and select Settings.

On the resulting screen, select “Privacy, search, and services” from the left panel. Then, under “Security,” activate the “Scareware Blocker” option. After restarting Edge, you’re ready to go. 

Additionally, Microsoft is improving the Download User Interface backend to increase its performance because of its more flexible internal User Interface architecture. Microsoft is able to provide new browser features more quickly.

Let me just add quickly that this is my first article on TechBooky and I am grateful to the team and you the reader. I look forward to publishing insightful and interesting articles on this platform.