Ransomware
The latest Ransomware coverage — news, analysis, and updates from the WindowsNews.AI desk.
Storm-0501 Abuses Entra Connect Sync to Launch Cloud-Based Ransomware, Microsoft Reveals
Storm-0501, a financially motivated threat actor, has pulled off a brazen hybrid attack that began with a compromised on-premises Active Directory, pivoted through Entra Connect Sync to seize Global...
Microsoft Defender Achieves Top Lab Scores, Smart App Control Makes Paid Antivirus Optional
Microsoft Defender has quietly evolved into a security platform that outperforms many paid antivirus suites in independent lab tests—and now it packs an execution control feature called Smart App...
Free Windows 10 Security Patches After 2025 Expiration Will Cost You a Microsoft Account
Microsoft's October 14, 2025 cutoff for Windows 10 support lands with a stark reality: no more free security patches, no more feature updates, no more technical assistance. The company isn't leaving...
Windows 10 Support Ends October 14: How to Secure Your Upgrade and See Through the AI Marketing Blitz
On October 14, 2025, Microsoft will extinguish security support for Windows 10, an operating system still powering an estimated hundreds of millions of PCs worldwide. After that date, no more...
LightBeam Unveils Copilot Governance Tools to Combat AI-Driven Data Exposure and Ransomware
LightBeam has released its Summer 2025 update, introducing real-time governance controls for Microsoft Copilot alongside ransomware containment—responding to the breakneck enterprise adoption of...
Why Windows 10 Users Are Digging In Their Heels Despite the Looming Security Cliff
October 14, 2025, is not just another Patch Tuesday. It’s the day Microsoft flips the switch on Windows 10, cutting off free security updates, feature enhancements, and official technical support...
Six Windows Security Myths Busted: Why Defender Beats Paid Antivirus for Most, but Still Isn’t Enough
Windows security folklore runs deep, and December 2024 is as good a time as any to bury six of the most persistent myths. They resurface in every forum, every Reddit thread, and every holiday tech...
$329.5B OT Cyber Losses Possible as Ransomware Hits Critical Infrastructure: Dragos-Marsh Report
The Colonial Pipeline ransomware attack in 2021 marked a seismic shift in how we view operational technology (OT) security. Once thought safely air-gapped from the internet, OT networks controlling...
Microsoft Account Lockout Nightmare: Why Cloud-Only Backup Is a Recipe for Disaster
Mike Kaganski, a LibreOffice developer, spent a week locked out of his Microsoft account after sending what seemed like an innocuous email about code bugs. The suspension cut off access to his files,...
Windows 11’s Hidden, Deprecated Backup Tool Still Outperforms Modern Alternatives for Full System Images
Microsoft has spent years nudging Windows users toward its modern, cloud-first backup and sync tools, but for one crucial capability—creating a complete, bit-for-bit system image—the best...
Windows 11's Built-in Backup Won't Save Your PC: The Hybrid Strategy That Actually Works
The first time I tried to restore a Windows 11 system image using Microsoft’s legacy Backup and Restore tool, I learned a hard lesson: the image wouldn’t boot, and Microsoft’s own documentation...
Microsoft’s TPM 2.0 Mandate Is Non-Negotiable: Higher Education’s Multi-Million Ransomware Lesson
Microsoft has declared its TPM 2.0 hardware requirement for Windows 11 “non-negotiable,” closing the door on any hopes that the company might lower security standards to ease the transition from...