Hot on HuffPost Tech:

See More Stories
AOL Tech

Beware the Fake Microsoft Patch E-Mail -- It Contains Malware

Beware the Fake Microsoft Patch E-Mail

Updating your computer to have the most recent software patches from Microsoft is almost always a good idea -- it doesn't take long for a system flaw to go from new discovery to critical exploit. However, as with everything else online, you have to be careful where you get those patches. Some malware pushers are currently doing their best to trick you into downloading a fake patch that, go figure, installs malicious software instead.

The patch is delivered as an attachment to an e-mail purportedly coming from Microsoft itself (shown above) indicating that you need to run the file to fix some system flaws. Instead of fixes, you'll get yourself a Trojan capable of capturing -- and broadcasting -- your personal info.

As we always say, don't run attachments to e-mails unless you're absolutely positive they're clean, and now we'll add that if you're going to be updating your Microsoft software, make sure you do so from the Windows Update site. [From: ZDNet]

Tags: breaking news, BreakingNews, e-mail scams, E-mailScams, malware, microsoft, patch, safety, security, trojan, update, viruses, windows

Comments

1