Security Best Practices
The latest Security Best Practices coverage — news, analysis, and updates from the WindowsNews.AI desk.
Your PowerShell Profile Is a Time Machine—Here’s How to Build One That Works While You Type
You open PowerShell and type three things every single time: a module import, a connection to a cloud service, maybe a custom alias. Multiply that by dozens of sessions a day, and you’re bleeding...
Expose Every Listening Port on Windows Server with Netstat, PowerShell, and Resource Monitor
A misconfigured port can turn a routine deployment into a midnight emergency call. On Windows Server, every listening socket is a potential entry point for attackers—or a silent blocker that brings...
Microsoft Account Hacks Bypass 2FA: The Datacenter IP Mystery Explained
A growing number of Microsoft account holders are discovering successful sign-ins from IP addresses inside Microsoft's own network—despite having two-factor authentication (2FA) enabled and...
Okta Exposes VoidProxy Phishing Service That Steals Session Cookies to Bypass MFA
A new industrialized phishing service named VoidProxy is arming cybercriminals with the ability to hijack Google and Microsoft accounts in real time, exfiltrating session cookies that bypass...
Visual Studio 2026 Debuts Agentic Copilot Superpowers—and New Attack Vectors
Microsoft fired its boldest shot yet in the AI-first IDE war, launching Visual Studio 2026 (version 18.0) through a new Insiders Channel that replaces the long-standing Preview program. The release...
CVE-2025-54091: Windows Hyper-V Integer Overflow Lets Attackers Gain SYSTEM on Hosts
A critical integer overflow vulnerability in Windows Hyper-V, tracked as CVE-2025-54091, allows authenticated local attackers to escalate privileges to SYSTEM level on the host machine, Microsoft has...
Windows Hyper-V Race Condition Flaw (CVE-2025-54092) Enables Attackers to Seize Host Control
Microsoft has disclosed a dangerous race condition vulnerability in Windows Hyper-V that could allow a local attacker to seize SYSTEM-level privileges on the host. Tracked as CVE-2025-54092, the flaw...
Critical Local Privilege Escalation Bug in Windows DWM Fixed: Here’s What You Need to Know
Microsoft has patched a serious local privilege escalation vulnerability in the Windows Desktop Window Manager (DWM) Core Library, tracked as CVE-2025-53801, that could allow an attacker with a basic...
How to Prioritize Patching with Microsoft’s Confidence Metric: Lessons from CVE-2025-54894
A single metric buried inside every Microsoft Security Response Center (MSRC) advisory could be the difference between a patching strategy that works and one that wastes precious time. Security teams...
CVE-2025-9161: FactoryTalk Optix RCE via MQTT Plugin Loading — Upgrade to 1.6.0 Immediately
Industrial control system operators running Rockwell Automation’s FactoryTalk Optix visualization platform face a critical threat: a flaw in the product’s embedded MQTT broker allows...
Beyond the Slider: How Windows 11 Power Users Quiet UAC Prompts Without Sacrificing Security
Microsoft shipped User Account Control (UAC) to clamp down on the rampant privilege escalation that plagued Windows XP. Nearly two decades later, the feature still annoys experienced users who know...
Edge's SmartScreen Now Uses On-Device AI to Block Scareware Without Phoning Home
Microsoft has armed its Edge browser with a new weapon against online scams: an on-device AI that can detect and disrupt full-screen scareware pages before they trick users into handing over cash or...