Microsoft had once said that its Windows OS line-up will end after Windows 10. But 6 years after launching Windows 10, Microsoft has announced that it is ready to roll out Windows 11, an upgrade to Windows 10.
In a dedicated event in June, Microsoft finally announced Windows 11 after multiple leaks, rumours and a full leak of a developer build. As of now, only the beta version of Windows 11 OS is available, that too only for testing.
The early adopters of technologies are eagerly waiting for Windows 11 OS, which will only be released to the public in October. Hackers, however, are already taking advantage of the excitement towards having Windows 11 OS installed. It’s been found that hackers have rolled out fake Windows 11 installers, packed with malware, worms, ransomware, etc. to eat away people’s computer software.
Windows 11: The Big Picture
- In June event, Microsoft revealed that Windows 11 is packed with many features like visual changes, android app support, changes in the Microsoft Store, new widgets, snap groups, larger touch targets, etc.; and users are eagerly waiting for these updates.
- Many users are already trying to upgrade to Windows 11 while it will only be available to the general public only in October. As of now, it is available only for beta testing to those developers who are a part of Windows Insider Program.
- To take undue advantage of users’ sentiment, cybercriminals are slipping in malwares to users who think that they are downloading Microsoft’s new OS. This was revealed in the latest report of Kaspersky on Microsoft Windows 11.
- In the same report Kaspersky warns the users that if they are installing the Windows 11 update from an unknown or unverified source, then it is likely that they are falling prey to a fake installer, riddled with malware.
- Kaspersky revealed that to fool innocent users, attackers are attaching an extra file (the malware) with the so-called Windows 11 file. They are naming the file just like the original one and are also making sure the size of the fake update matches with the real one to make it look genuine.
- Even the installation wizard of the executable file looks like the legitimate installation wizard of Windows. Another executable installer consists of a license agreement, when users agree to the terms and conditions, multiple malware would be installed in the device and this would later compromise its privacy and security.
- To avoid this, the eager users will have to make sure that they are downloading the beta version of the update from Microsoft’s official source only. They should also know that the Windows 11 OS upgrade is free and will only be available for consumers in October.
- The users should also keep in mind that the Windows 11 OS will run on specific devices only, like the ones that have Intel Core processor of 8th Gen or newer, AMD Zen 2 or newer processor, TPM (Trusted Platform Module) 2.0, among several other technicalities. All this automatically rules out the compatibility of several devices.
Food For Thought
It is said that half information is more dangerous than no information. The users that are falling prey to cyber-attacks via fake Windows 11 updates are also falling prey to the danger of half information. They should keep in mind that as of now Microsoft has just ‘announced’ the updates and hasn’t yet ‘released’ the public version of the same. In the era of the internet, hackers and scammers are not leaving a single chance to trick people, and that calls for attentiveness and awareness about whatever you are doing on the internet.