Microsoft's Cloud Security Measures Now Include Scanning Password-Protected Zip Files for Malware

Microsoft is scanning the contents of password-protected zip files for malware in its cloud services, according to reports. The move is aimed at bypassing password protection in zip files and scanning them for malicious code. The practice has raised concerns among security researchers, who say it could impact their ability to share malware samples with colleagues. Microsoft uses multiple methods to scan the contents of password-protected zip files, including extracting passwords from emails or the name of the file itself. However, password-protected zip files provide minimal assurance that content inside the archives can't be read.