BleepingComputer reports that Microsoft Defender, also known as Defender VPN, has been improved with automated unsecure Wi-Fi network detection capabilities to enhance safety among Microsoft 365 users amid increasingly prevalent cyberattacks.
User data is being protected by Defender VPN while connected to untrusted networks via internet traffic encryption and routing through Microsoft's servers, as well as the utilization of a VPN to conceal devices' IP addresses. "We've added detection for un-safe Wi-Fi (suspicious Wi-Fi). These detections are possible using Defender heuristics that examine multiple characteristics of a Wi-Fi hotspot to determine if it is suspicious. As with unsecure Wi-Fi, you get a notification for un-safe Wi-Fi as well and can turn on Defender VPN for added safety," said Microsoft, which noted that the tool only provides its servers with anonymized server data. Such alerts have already been implemented in Defender for Windows, Android, and iOS, with Microsoft noting imminent support for macOS systems.
