Microsoft finally announced that Windows 11 is now available in beta for the first time. Previously, it was only officially available as a relatively buggy developer build from the Windows Insider Program dev channel. Not that that stopped it from being an incredibly popular download: Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said: “more people have downloaded our early builds than any other Windows release or update in the history of our Insider ProgramWith the release of Windows 11 beta, this popularity is expected to reach new heights. However, there is a downside. Kaspersky security researchers to issue a vital security warning.
Kaspersky security researchers issue warning of fake Windows 11 downloads
However, not everyone takes the official route to a Windows 11 preview. For some reason, some people don’t want to register as a Windows Insider and instead download Windows 11 installers from from alternative sources such as dubious torrent sites and forums. While it’s nothing new for these sites to be distribution channels for malware, Kaspersky security researchers have uncovered particularly nasty issues with fake Windows 11 installers. of Windows 11 that Kaspersky researchers examined, the malicious payloads ranged from serving adware at one end of the spectrum to password stealers and Trojans at the other.
A particular installer was found to open what appeared to be a standard Windows installation wizard when in reality it was only there to download another installer. The secondary installer, while labeled as a Windows 11 download manager and forcing the user to accept a so-called license agreement, actually dropped a malicious bombshell: a whole bunch of malicious bombshells, in fact. The researchers said that “several hundred infection attempts using similar schemes related to Windows 11” have already been foiled by Kaspersky products.
How to Download Windows 11 Beta
If you want to take a look at an early build of Windows 11, you can do so safely with the Windows Insider Program operated by Microsoft. Pre-release testing builds were, until this week, only available to Windows Insiders signed up for the Dev (developer) channel. That changed on July 29 when Microsoft released the first beta of Windows 11, so you can now pick up what will hopefully be a slightly less buggy build through the Windows Insider Beta channel.
To sign up, just head to the update and security section of your Windows settings, where you’ll find the options to sign up for the Windows Insider Program. Of course, you’ll need to be logged in as an administrator to see this, but assuming you are, hit the start button to walk you through the very simple process. If you have already joined the Dev Channel, Microsoft has confirmed that you can, for a short time at least, move to the beta channel without requiring a fresh install of Windows. You will, however, need to have the appropriate hardware to install it.
Windows 11 Malware Risk Mitigation
“People don’t have to resign themselves to not getting the pre-release version for fear of falling victim to malware,” says Sean Wright, chief application security officer for SMBs at Immersive Labs. “The simplest thing they can do to protect themselves is to only download software from trusted and trusted sources, usually directly from the vendor or official app stores,” he advises. Jake Moore, Cybersecurity Specialist at ESET, goes further and says: “Before a real release date, it is advisable to only play with new software on isolated devices with little or no data held on them to mitigate any associated risk”.
For most technically-minded people, testing of early versions of the operating system is done using a virtual machine (VM) rather than a system required for day-to-day use. I’ve had people ask me for help setting up virtual machines so they can run a version of Windows 11 but with the best will in the world if you’re having trouble getting to grips with a virtual machine, so maybe previewing early versions of the OS isn’t really for you.
Instead, my advice tends to be to wait a few more months and grab the final preview build, just before Microsoft goes public, from Windows Insider’s “Release Preview” channel. This is the least risky option for most people who really can’t wait for the proper release, which is expected before the end of the year. After all, if the risk of something going wrong is an issue, then grabbing a download from an unofficial source raises that bar considerably. As Moore concludes, “When the Windows 11 beta was acquired outside of the Windows Insider Program, it dramatically increases the risk even if the target machine isn’t connected to anything sensitive.”
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