Microsoft wants to kill off Linux malware for good null
Microsoft has unveiled a new threat detection service that it hopes can greatly improve security protection on Linux systems.
Project Freta is a free cloud-based tool that is able to detect new forms of malware and other malicious software such as rootkits and cryptominers that Microsoft says could have previously gone undetected in Linux systems.
The company notes that such threats can often be found lurking in Linux cloud VM images, putting users of the open-source platform at risk.
Linux security
Microsoft says that Project Freta offers a whole new way of detecting malware threats, going beyond existing methods that rely on sensors to predict the presence of something untoward.
Such methods can often be swerved or bypassed entirely by malware authors, meaning a new approach was needed. Project Freta is able to analyse virtual machines (VMs) in order to learn about new environments and how they are affected by malware, before using this knowledge to spot emerging threats.
Microsoft says Project Freta automatically analyses images of thousands of Linux cloud VMs in order to detect new forms of malware and sensor corruption, and supports over 4,000 kernel versions at launch.
This makes it incredibly resilient, meaning malware authors would have to invest heavily in developing new threats that can get around the new scanning technology. Project Freta users, who will need a Microsoft account to access the service, can also submit a captured image to generate a report of its content, helping boost the initiative’s reach and expertise.
“We often think about the field of computer security as a field of walls and barriers that keep intruders out,” Mike Walker, Microsoft Senior Director, New Security Ventures wrote in a blog post announcing the launch.
“With Project Freta, we invite readers to think not of walls but of sunlight…Project Freta is a roadmap toward trusted sensing for the cloud that can allow enterprises to engage in regular, complete discovery sweeps for undetected malware.”
Initially only available for Linux systems, Microsoft says it plans to add Windows support for Project Freta soon, as well as AI technology that can boost decision-making potential.
“We hope that Project Freta empowers administrators and responders and is used globally as it has been used at Microsoft: to hunt advanced intruders and their toolkits,” Walker concluded.
Via BleepingComputer
Microsoft has unveiled a new threat detection service that it hopes can greatly improve security protection on Linux systems. Project Freta is a free cloud-based tool that is able to detect new forms of malware and other malicious software such as rootkits and cryptominers that Microsoft says could have previously…
Recent Posts
- Cowboy’s new all-road e-bike adds suspension and a much bigger battery
- Cowboy’s first all-road electric bike is a gentle beast
- Meta just showed off Threads’ fediverse integration for the very first time
- The Google Pixel 8A may get a brighter, 120Hz display
- Fitbit’s health chatbot will arrive later this year
Archives
- March 2024
- February 2024
- January 2024
- December 2023
- November 2023
- October 2023
- September 2023
- August 2023
- July 2023
- June 2023
- May 2023
- April 2023
- March 2023
- February 2023
- January 2023
- December 2022
- November 2022
- October 2022
- September 2022
- August 2022
- July 2022
- June 2022
- May 2022
- April 2022
- March 2022
- February 2022
- January 2022
- December 2021
- November 2021
- October 2021
- September 2021
- August 2021
- July 2021
- June 2021
- May 2021
- April 2021
- March 2021
- February 2021
- January 2021
- December 2020
- November 2020
- October 2020
- September 2020
- August 2020
- July 2020
- June 2020
- May 2020
- April 2020
- March 2020
- February 2020
- January 2020
- December 2019
- November 2019
- December 2011