Microsoft today announced the general availability of the Office 365 Safe Documents security feature which expands the protection provided by Protected View by checking untrusted documents for risks and known threats.
Safe Documents — launched in private preview in February — uses Microsoft Defender Advanced Threat Protection (ATP) to scan documents opened in Protected view and block users from editing them until a verdict is available.
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Microsoft’s efforts to expand its document security tools is certainly a welcome move, as malicious attachments continue to be a very popular entry vector for attackers. In fact, it is purported that 88 percent of phishing emails contain ransomware attachments, according to Proofpoint’s “2020 State of the Phish Report.
The goal of most phishing emails is to get the victim to infect their own computer with malware. “Soft targeted” email is often the vessel for malicious attachments—for instance, an email may be sent to an HR employee with a .doc of a job seeker’s resume. In actuality, the resume is an attachment that contains embedded ransomware or malware. Alongside security tools such as Office 365 Safe Documents feature, security awareness for all employees is key when it comes to protecting against phishing attacks. It is imperative that organisations develop a multi-layered security approach that utilises both people—and technology-based strategies.