Microsoft plans to release an add-on to MSN Search Toolbar to protect web users from phishing scams. This antiphishing tool used the same technology as the antiphishing feature from Internet Explorer 7, the next generation browser from Microsoft. Internet Explorer 7 is not yet available to public (currently only for MSDN subscribers and beta-testers), but you can get it here if you want.

The phishing filter–which issues a pop-up warning if a user navigates to a Web site that exhibits behavior typical of phishing sites, and blocks access to currently recognized phishing sites–will be available for IE 6 running on Windows XP with SP2 installed, said Justin Osner, product manager for MSN Search.

The technology will be available in a test release in a few weeks on the MSN Search Toolbar add-ins site, but Osner could not give a more specific time frame for the beta release, or a subsequent production release of the filter. Also, it may eventually end up as a permanent feature of the MSN Search Toolbar, but that has yet to be determined, he said.

Btw, what is phishing scam? Here’s a brief definition of phishing from Whatis.com:

Phishing is e-mail fraud where the perpetrator sends out legitimate-looking e-mails that appear to come from well known and trustworthy Web sites in an attempt to gather personal and financial information from the recipient. A phishing expedition, like the fishing expedition it’s named for, is a speculative venture: the phisher puts the lure hoping to fool at least a few of the prey that encounter the bait. Web sites that are frequently spoofed by phishers include PayPal, eBay, MSN, Yahoo, BestBuy, and America Online.

Be careful.

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