Microsoft Launches Threat Portal

JULY 11, 2007 | Microsoft now has its own security threat and research portal: The software giant this week quietly launched version 1 of its new .

The portal -- which Microsoft has been testing since April -- contains threat data, security research resources including an encyclopedia of threats, and downloadable signature updates for its antivirus and anti-spyware products. It also lets visitors submit potentially infected files so Microsoft can analyze the samples and provide feedback.

Randy Abrams, director of technical education for Eset and the former operations manager for Microsoft's Global Infrastructure Alliance for Internet Safety, says the site is not truly a malware protection center, but more a malware information center. "The site is pretty slick, but 'Malware Protection Center' it is not."

He points out the site doesn't include any viruses in its top desktop threats. "Microsoft's antivirus offerings have been less than stellar when tested using threats that are not on the 'wild' list -- for example, every one of the top desktop threats they list."

Abrams says the top threats listed by the Malware Protection Center are not necessarily the most common ones.

Microsoft was not available for comment as of this posting.

The new Microsoft portal includes security tools and other resources as well as the Microsoft Security Intelligence Report page, which contains in-depth threat analysis reports.

So why the downloadable signatures? Microsoft says it recommends updating daily via the automatic updates in its Forefront client and Windows Defender software, but the portal offers a way for users to do so themselves.

www.darkreading.com/