Microsoft has announce the introduction of a new protection mechanism for URLs posted in the Live network. SmartScreen feature in Windows Live Wave 4 beta helps to protect Windows Live user from socially engineered attacks.
SmartScreen filtering feature was also introduced in Internet Explorer 8 that helps to detect phishing websites.
“The SmartScreen team has worked with several large social networking partners over the past couple years to combat this abuse and has seen success with both our browser filter and simple features within the social network that help users regain context in the midst of a scam. These features disrupt the social engineering attempt,” noted John Scarrow, General Manager – Safety Services.
How it Works
When you click a link on the New Messenger or Windows Live websites, such as profile and photos , the web request is first examined by our SmartScreen service. The service checks the reputation of the link prior to navigation with three potential outcomes:
1. Direct Navigation (Redirection)
If the website has no history of hosting any phishing scams or malware – the user is directly navigated to the destination website. This is the case most of the time – you go directly to the website you chose, with no interruption from SmartScreen at all.
2. Block
If the link points to a known bad website— for example, one that hosts a malware or a phishing scam—the redirection server navigates the user to a red block page.
3. Informational
If the website has very low traffic or has had a history of abuse, you’ll be taken to an informational interstitial page. This page helps establish context and lets you decide how to proceed.
