Benefits of Enhanced Phishing Protection in Microsoft Defender SmartScreen

Microsoft Defender SmartScreen has introduced a new feature called Enhanced Phishing Protection, which provides robust phishing protections for work or school passwords used to sign into Windows 11. This protection is designed to safeguard users from malicious activities and unauthorized access to their accounts.

One of the key benefits of Enhanced Phishing Protection is that it does not alert the user or send events to Microsoft Defender for Endpoint when a user signs in to a device using a Windows Hello for Business PIN or biometric. This ensures that sensitive login information remains secure and protected from prying eyes.

Another significant advantage of Enhanced Phishing Protection is its ability to detect and warn users if they store their work or school password in plaintext files such as Notepad, Word, or any Microsoft 365 Office app. The feature recommends deleting the password from the file to prevent unauthorized access.

The protection also checks for password reuse on sites and apps and prompts users to change their password if it's being used across multiple platforms. This is crucial because reusing passwords makes it easy for attackers who compromise a user's password to gain access to their other accounts.

Moreover, Enhanced Phishing Protection alerts users if they type their work or school password on any Chromium browser into a site deemed malicious by Microsoft Defender SmartScreen. This ensures that users are aware of potential phishing attempts and can take necessary action to protect their accounts.

When a user signs in to Windows using a password, Enhanced Phishing Protection works alongside Windows security protections to help protect typed work or school passwords used to sign into Windows 11. Starting with Windows 11 version 22H2, Enhanced Phishing Protection in Microsoft Defender SmartScreen helps protect Microsoft school or work passwords against phishing and unsafe usage on sites and apps.

In conclusion, Enhanced Phishing Protection in Microsoft Defender SmartScreen is a valuable feature that provides robust protection for work or school passwords used to sign into Windows 11. By detecting and warning users of potential phishing attempts, storing plaintext passwords, and prompting password changes, this feature helps safeguard user accounts from malicious activities and unauthorized access. With its ability to work alongside Windows security protections, Enhanced Phishing Protection is a crucial tool in the fight against cyber threats.

Microsoft windows malicious