Introducing Scareware Blocker & Defender SmartScreen, Now in Edge!
Does your company use Microsoft Edge as its internet browser? If so, you’ll want to know about even more ways Microsoft is helping to keep users safe — including small business users.
Two new or improved features are rolling out to Windows 11 users in the latest update to Microsoft Edge. Both can help, but to get the most benefit you’ll need to know a little about what’s happening behind the scenes.
New in Edge: Scareware Blocker
Scareware is a malicious tactic similar to malware or ransomware. The difference here is (can you guess?) that scammers attempt to scare you into taking action that turns out to be a scam.
You’ve seen these kinds of scams before: a giant flashing pop-up warning you that your system is infected, or slow, or vulnerable to attack. All you have to do is click the button, and they’ll fix everything for you… but of course what they’re really after is your money or your information. These scareware scams try to convince you to sign up for bogus security tools and then steal your money or steal data off your PC — or both.
Other scareware variants are pop-ups that look like a Microsoft dialog box, telling you to call support right now or connect to support via video call. (Spoiler alert: it’s not really Microsoft support.)
With better and better AI tools, scammers are getting more savvy and more capable with these tools, too. Some of them look and act way too much like actual Windows dialog boxes. Not good.
All of this brings us to what’s new in Microsoft Edge: Scareware Blocker. Now Microsoft is using AI to identify these kinds of scareware attacks and shut them down before you, the end user, ever see them.
With newer PCs, this all happens using on-device AI, so you can rest easy knowing Microsoft isn’t harvesting data or seeing your confidential business information.
This is the kind of feature that you’ll never really see. It runs in the background and silences threats invisibly. But it’s a huge security improvement, one that’s adding even more value to Microsoft Edge.
New and Improved: Microsoft Defender SmartScreen
This tool is already built into Windows 10 and Windows 11, but it’s getting a boost for 2026 and beyond.
While Windows does better than ever at stopping them, if you do encounter a scam or similar threat, Defender SmartScreen gives you the option to report it. If you do, the utility takes your report, analyzes it, and stops that scam from hitting other users. In some tests, the new reporting system stopped scams before other methods kicked in, sometimes adding several days of protection.
What else can Microsoft Defender SmartScreen do? Glad you asked:
- Protects users from phishing and malware attacks by screening out domains known to be malicious.
- Evaluates websites’ reputation and warns users if they are visiting a site with no reputation or a poor reputation (which is the case for many phishing sites).
- Analyzes apps, including third-party browsers, looking for apps that attempt to download and run without your consent.
- Learns from its heuristic and diagnostic work so it keeps improving over time.
Plus, Microsoft Defender SmartScreen can be configured using group policy and mobile device management (MDM) tools from Microsoft, so businesses can enforce adoption across all business devices.
While there are plenty of threats out there, Microsoft continues to work hard to keep its customers safer and more protected. Just as important is how your business sets up its network and cloud infrastructure. Got questions about how to get the most out of the security tools you’re already paying for, or how to tighten up your infrastructure security? Our team is ready to help. Give us a call to discuss your needs.