Microsoft can scan inside your password-protected files (although it’s for a good reason)

A recent report from Ars Technica reveals that Microsoft has begun scanning users’ ZIP files for malware, including those that are password-protected.

windows is the most widely used desktop operating system in the worldwell above the other two great alternatives: MacOS and Linux, which is why it is highly recommended to install a good antivirus on it to prevent your computer can be infected with different types of viruses or malware.

The truth is that you do not need to install a third-party antivirus such as AVG, Norton or Avast, since Windows Defender, the native Windows antivirus, perfectly fulfills its function, but now it seems that it is going a step further because, according to a recent information, Microsoft is using this antivirus to scan all your files, even password-protected ones, for malware.

Microsoft is scanning your ZIP files for malware

Such as they tell us from the media Ars Technica various users of the free social network Mastodonincluding cybersecurity researchers, confirmed that Windows Defender is beginning to scan Windows users’ .zip files, including password-protected ones, for malware.

The reason for this controversial decision lies in the fact that, on many occasions, password protected ZIP files are used to host malware and spread it to more computers, as cybercriminals often share their malware via zipped files that are sent via email, because security measures of email platforms rarely detect them.

One of the cybersecurity researchers who balked at this move at Mastodon was Andrew Brandt, who justified it as follows:

“While I fully understand doing this for anyone who isn’t a malware analyst, this kind of meddling and meddling in your own business is going to become a huge problem for people like me who need to send malware samples to their colleagues.” malware. The space available to do this continues to shrink and will affect the ability of malware researchers to do their job.”