Microsoft’s latest cybersecurity report, released Wednesday, revealed a 70 percent decline in the number of severe vulnerabilities that were exploited in Microsoft products between 2010 and 2013. New research conducted by Trustworthy Computing’s Security Science team shows a 70 percent decline in the number of severe vulnerabilities (those that can enable remote code execution) that were exploited in Microsoft products between 2010 and 2013. This is a clear indication that newer products are providing better protection, even in cases where vulnerabilities exist. While this trend is promising, cybercriminals aren’t giving up. Our data shows that in the second half of 2013 there was a noticeable increase in cybercriminal activity where attackers used deceptive practices. The continued increase in deceptive tactics is striking; in the last quarter of 2013, the number of computers impacted as a result of deceptive tactics more than tripled. The security mitigations included in newer Microsoft products have raised the technical bar for would-be attackers, which may be one of the factors driving an increase in the...

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