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of a confirmation email. …‘Thank you for your order’ or ‘We’re unable to deliver your order’. They are meant to trick you into opening the document out of curiosity or alarm. These are often what is called a CryptoLocker virus. By opening the attached file (or click on a link embedded inside the email), your computer becomes infected with a file-encrypting ransomware. At this point, your computer is basically hijacked, your data is inaccessible and held for ransom.

How to avoid Crypto virus infection:
•Being particularly wary ofemails from senders you don’t know, especially those with attached files.
•Disabling hidden file extensions in Windows will also help recognize this type of attack.
•We’d like to remind you of the importance of having a backup system in place for your critical files. This will help mitigate the damage caused not only by malware infections, but hardware problems or any other incidents as well.
•If you become infected and don’t have a backup copy of your files, our recommendation is not to pay the ransom. That’s NEVER a good solution, as it turns the malware into a highly profitable business model and will contribute to the flourishing of this type of attack

Other than being vigilant, you can also protect yourself by locking down your macro security settings:
•click the Microsoft Office Button and open a blank Word document
•click Microsoft Word Options
•click Trust Center
•click Trust Center Settings
•check Disable all macros with notifications
•click save
https://www.mvtvwireless.com/beware-new-kind-of-virus-embedded-in-a-word-or-excel-document/

Microsoft threat intelligence archive

Threat intelligence December 2015 - Exploits

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This report explores recent exploit trends, analyzes prevalent and common exploits, and summarizes current and future mitigation strategies for preventing and recovering from exploit-based attacks.
•Overview: A summary of the report and a brief explanation of what exploits and exploit kits are and how they are most often used
•Deliver mechanisms: Analysis of common and prevalent ways that exploits are used to infect PCs with malware
•Trends and prevalence: Data looking at exploit detections over the past 6 months
•Exploit analysis: In-depth analysis of exploits, with a focus on Axpergle
•Prevention and mitigation: New technology from Microsoft and general advice for mitigating and preventing exploits
•Prevalent threats: Top malware detected by Microsoft security software over the past 30 days

Threat intelligence November 2015 - Advanced persistent threats

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Advanced persistent threats (APTs) use malicious programs combined with hacking tools and techniques directed at a specific target and with a well-defined motivation. This report looks at the lifecycle of APTs, their defining characteristics, and recommendations to protect enterprises from them.
•Overview and lifecycle: A definition of advanced persistent threats, including their lifecycle
•Attack trends: Common and shared characteristics used by APTs
•Microsoft's efforts: How Microsoft is working to identify and hunt APTs
•Analysis and statistics: Examples of recent APT attacks
•Mitigation and prevention: General advice for mitigating and preventing APT attacks
•Prevalent threats: Top malware detected by Microsoft security software over the past 30 days

Threat intelligence October 2015 - Unwanted software

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This month’s report highlights the most prevalent unwanted software, and discusses how we are working with the software development industry to better detect unwanted applications.
•Overview: How we classify unwanted software
•Assessment: The challenges of detecting unwanted software
•Statistics: Distribution patterns and telemetry
•Collaboration: Industry partnerships
•Mitigation and prevention: General advice for mitigating and preventing APT attacks
•Prevalent threats: Top malware detected by Microsoft security software over the past 30 days

Threat intelligence September 2015 - Ransomware

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This month’s report highlights the most prevalent ransomware that we’ve seen affect both consumers and enterprises across the globe, new ransomware that we’ve seen emerge, and how some of their behaviors are changing.
•Overview: Ransomware
•Statistics: Ransomware infections across the globe
•Characteristics: Distribution patterns, symptoms of infection, and diagrams
•Analysis: Examination of a ransomware
•Prevalent threats: Top malware detected by Microsoft security software over the past 30 days

Threat intelligence August 2015 - Windows Defender in Windows 10

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Windows 10 brings a number of advances and features over previous Windows operating systems. This report details the new technologies and features that are included in Windows Defender in Windows 10.
•System integration: Windows Defender in Windows 10
•Hardening improvements: Improved tampering protection
•Improved detection: Contextual clues for Windows Defender
•New technologies: Smart UAC, Secure events, Antimalware Scanning Interface
•Advanced protection: Cloud protection, Windows Recovery Environment
•Prevalent threats: Top malware detected by Microsoft security software over the past 30 days

Threat intelligence July 2015 - Macro-based malware

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Macro-based malware uses macros embedded in Microsoft Office files to sneak in further infection. This report includes the following sections:
•Overview: Evolution of macro-based malware
•Statistics: Macro-based malware infection across the globe
•Improved detection: Contextual clues for Windows Defender
•Characteristics: Distribution patterns, symptoms of infection, and diagrams
•Analysis: Examination of a macro-based attack
•Mitigation: General advice for mitigating the risk of infection from macro-based malware
•Prevalent threats: Top malware detected by Microsoft security software over the past 30 days

Older reports and whitepapers

Microsoft Malware Protection Center Threat Report—Rootkits

Author: Heather Goudey | Download

Rootkits provide stealth capabilities to malware. This report examines how attackers use rootkits, and how rootkits function on affected computers.