Microsoft’s new security feature prevents spam attacks: All details

As per a report by ZDNet, Microsoft has rolled out ‘number matching’ in push notifications which will help prevent MFA attacks that rely on push notification spam.

When ‘number matching’ is enabled, the Authenticator app asks the user to enter the number shown on the sign-on screen rather than just selecting ‘approve; when approving an MFA request. This will be a useful feature for admins whose users were unprepared for the MFA attack.

This feature is available for the administrators for now, but the company wants to make ‘number matching’ the default for all Authenticator users in February 2023.

To avoid unintentional approvals, administrators can also set up Authenticator to use application context and location context. After the new feature becomes the Authenticator app’s default, the admin rollout controls will be removed.

Earlier this year, researchers discovered so-called ‘MFA fatigue attacks’ targeting Office 365 users. In those attacks, attackers continually cause MFA push alerts while attempting to log into a victim’s account using a password that has previously been compromised.

Meanwhile, with its futuristic HoloLens headset, Microsoft Corp. grabbed an early lead in the race to the metaverse. Seven years later, its big push into augmented reality, which blends virtual imagery with views of the real world, has bumped up against the limits of the technology and the patience of company management.

The device, a ring-shaped computer worn like a crown that displays digital information on attached goggles, hasn’t become a hit. Microsoft shelved a planned new version and has struggled to meet technical requirements for its biggest buyer, the U.S. Army.

More than 100 employees have left the HoloLens team over the past two years, including its longtime leader, according to former employees and LinkedIn profiles. Microsoft has restructured the group that developed the headsets, which has numbered more than 1,000, and trimmed its budget, part of a companywide effort to reduce expenses and the size of its workforce as earnings growth slows.