Microsoft Defender Flags Legitimate Google Search Links as Malicious

Microsoft's Defender for Office 365 has started mistakenly flagging legitimate Google search links as malicious, alerting users to potential security threats.

The issue was first acknowledged by Microsoft at 10:30 AM UTC and is currently under investigation. Users attempting to access the blocked hyperlinks are met with warnings that 'Opening this website might not be safe.'

According to a service alert, the problem stems from an inaccurate security classification, which causes Microsoft's Safe Links feature to incorrectly identify legitimate Google search URLs as malicious.

While the incident has been classified as an advisory, indicating limited scope or impact, it is still causing concern among users. The company has yet to disclose which regions are affected or how many customers are impacted.