Microsoft KB: How to send malware to Microsoft for analysis

We run across a lot of different bugs, that is malware or viruses, in our business.

Fortunately we can submit any bugs that we encounter to a number of different vendors.

One is Microsoft:

• Microsoft KB: 939288: How to send malware to Microsoft for analysis

The above KB describes the many ways that we can submit the bug.

One is the following:

• Microsoft Malware Protection Center: Threat Research and Response

Note the How to prepare files for submission section later on in the article states:

How to prepare files for submission

Use care when you handle files that may be classified as malware. Add suspected malware files to a compressed archive file that uses a password. By doing this, you avoid infecting other computers when the files are in transit or when you send the files. To add the files to an archive file that uses a password, follow these steps.
Note If WinZip or a similar compression utility is installed, you can use it to create the archive. However, you must use the same file name and the same password that are included in these steps.

1. In Windows Explorer, open the folder that contains the suspected malware files.
2. Right-click a blank area in the window, point to New, and then click Compressed (zipped) Folder.
3. Type malware.zip to name the new archive file, and then press ENTER.
4. Drop the suspected malicious software files into the archive file as you would drop them into a typical Windows folder.
5. Double-click the archive file.
6. On the File menu, click Add a Password.
7. In the Password box, type infected.
8. In the Confirm Password box, retype infected, and then click OK.

If, during our searches we do not turn up any information on a bug that we have encountered we would follow through on submitting it just in case.

Philip Elder
MPECS Inc.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists
Co-Author: SBS 2008 Blueprint Book

*Our original iMac was stolen (previous blog post). We now have a new MacBook Pro courtesy of Vlad Mazek, owner of OWN.

Windows Live Writer