Microsoft Scans Password-Protected Zip Files for Malware

Microsoft is scanning the contents of password-protected zip files for malware in its cloud services, even when the files are protected by a password. The company uses multiple methods to bypass password protection, including extracting passwords from the body of emails or testing the file to see if it's protected with one of the passwords contained in a list. While this practice has prevented many users from falling prey to social engineering attacks, it has also raised concerns about privacy invasion. It's worth noting that password-protected zip files provide minimal assurance that content inside the archives can't be read.