Microsoft confirms it was hacked as Lapsus$ leaks 37GB of source code
Microsoft has confirmed reports that it was hacked by the Lapsus$ extortion group, also known as DEV-0537. While admitting that the hackers managed to steal source code, the company is simultaneously trying to downplay the incident.
Lapsus$ shared a 37GB archive online containing partial source code for Cortana and Bing, but Microsoft insists that no customer data was compromised. The company says that "our investigation has found a single account had been compromised, granting limited access."
Microsoft releases KB5011543 update preview to bring new Search Highlight feature to Windows 10
With Windows 11 now very much Microsoft's focus, it might come as something of a surprise to find that the company is still adding things to Windows 10 -- but with the release of the KB5011543 update, this is precisely what is happening.
This is a preview of the update that will be officially released on April's Patch Tuesday, and it is designed for Windows 10 20H2, Windows 10 21H1 and Windows 10 21H2. What can you expect in this update? In addition to the arrival of search highlights -- with slightly different looks for enterprise users and ordinary consumers -- there are numerous bug fixes, and changes to the Action Center.
Microsoft's furry Sonic the Hedgehog 2 Xbox controllers are magnets for stains, foul odors, and other grossness
Microsoft unveiled the newest Xbox controller today and it is both disgusting and disturbing. As part of a promotion for the upcoming Sonic the Hedgehog movie sequel, a furry/hairy controller was created in two colors -- red and blue. The colors represent Sonic (blue, duh) and Knuckles (red).
While the controllers look... interesting, they are sure to be very gross. Many gamers eat food while gaming, so you can only imagine all the Doritos and Cheetos dust that will get stuck in the fur. Not to mention, during long gaming sessions, your hands will sweat and cause the controller to get wet and smelly. Hell, this new controller could end up being ground zero for a future pandemic. Gross!
Dynabook's Tecra A40-K And A50-K laptops come with AI features for the modern hybrid worker
Dynabook (formerly Toshiba PC Company) has announced two new laptops in its Tecra range -- the 14" Tecra A40-K and the 15" Tecra A50-K.
Both new laptops are powered by the latest 12th generation Intel Core P-Series 28W processors (up to i7) and come with Windows 11 Pro. They also have AI tools to increase productivity and collaboration within the workplace, including Cortana-enabled dual mics with AI noise reduction, and a face authentication camera with AI-enhanced functionality.
81 percent of organizations have outages caused by expired certificates
A new report shows that 81 percent of organizations have experienced at least two or more disruptive outages caused by expired certificates in the past two years, up from 77 percent last year.
The report from machine identity platform Keyfactor, based on research by the Ponemon Institute, finds the cut in SSL/TLS certificate lifespans to one year in September 2020 has made it much more difficult to keep the pace with certificate issuance and management.
How to best serve your SRE and DevOps teams
Technology is critical to driving business growth and increasing revenue in our fast-growing digital economy. But the effectiveness of a technology is often determined by its performance and reliability.
DevOps and site reliability engineering (SRE) teams are behind this continuous availability. These teams ensure the top performance of an organization’s apps and vital services, especially as IT environments grow in complexity. Avoiding incidents and outages is only one aspect of the job though.
Most enterprise network assets are cloud-based but policies aren't keeping pace
Nearly 90 percent of device assets in the modern organization are cloud-based, meaning physical devices such as laptops, tablets, smartphones, routers, and IoT hardware represent less than 10 percent of total devices.
However, the latest State of Cyber Assets report from JupiterOne analyzed nearly 10 million security policies and finds that cloud-specific ones represent less than 30 percent of the total.
Pen testing tools increasingly used by threat actors
Legitimate penetration testing tools like Cobalt Strike, Impacket and RMM, are being used by threat actors because it's more efficient to use existing tools that are proven to be successful than to create new software.
The latest Threat Detection Report from managed detection and response firm Red Canary shows Cobalt Strike in particular has never been more popular, impacting eight percent of its customers in 2021.
F-Secure creates new corporate security brand
Cybersecurity company F-Secure is rebranding its corporate security business under the new name WithSecure and with a snazzy new logo, above.
Previously known as F-Secure Business, WithSecure will focus on corporate security products and solutions, while consumer security products and services remain available under the existing F-Secure name.
Android Messages and Dialer apps sent data to Google without consent
In a paper published by Douglas J Leith of Trinity College Dublin, it is claimed that the Messages and Dialer apps found in Android have been sending data back to Google. The paper, entitled "What Data Do The Google Dialer and Messages Apps On Android Send to Google?" says that data is sent without user knowledge or consent.
In what could be a breach of GDPR legislation, it is claimed that there is also no way to opt out of the data sharing. Among the data said to be shared with Google are phone numbers, call duration, hashes of messages and more.
Screenshots leaked by Lapsus$ strongly suggest Microsoft has been hacked
Microsoft is conducting an investigation after data extortion group Lapsus$ claimed to have hacked the company and stolen data.
In a leaked screenshot, the hackers brag about gaining access to an Azure DevOps repository which is home to source code for all manner of Microsoft projects including Bing and Cortana. Having already hacked the likes of Samsung, NVIDIA and Vodafone, the claims made by Lapsus$ are entirely feasible, but for now Microsoft is saying nothing about what -- if anything -- has been stolen.
Bridging the governance gap -- the rise of Data-Governance-as-a-Service
Recent years have seen an increasing emphasis on data governance, with growing levels of regulation accompanied by a widespread awareness that data is an asset with -- potentially -- huge latent value.
But, with experience and skillsets at a premium, many organizations are applying an inexact set of methodologies and tools in an attempt to manage and exploit their data assets while staying compliant.
Three-quarters of businesses plan to redesign the office as employees return
The switch to hybrid working driven by the pandemic has had a major impact on the relationship between employers and employees.
As people begin to drift back to the office, a new study by audio visual equipment specialist Poly shows that only 19 percent of enterprises are expecting staff to come back to the office full time, while 77 percent plan to redesign the office to include more open-plan areas, collaboration spaces, areas to socialize and quiet zones.
How PSD2 is changing open banking [Q&A]
Compliance with the EU Payments Services Directive (PSD2) is the next key milestone in the continued evolution of open banking. This evolution involves a new set of rules that will change how we confirm our identity when making purchases online.
The implementation of strong customer authentication (SCA), on top of existing open banking capabilities, will require merchants and payment service providers (PSPs) to work together with technology suppliers, card schemes and many others to deliver SCA in a way which works well for customers.
After tests, Microsoft has decided to add the 'System requirements not met' watermark to Windows 11
Looking for another reason to be annoyed by Windows 11? Microsoft delivers yet again. It is not very long since the company started A/B testing a watermark on the desktop of people who had installed Windows 11 on unsupported hardware. Now, for reasons best known to Microsoft, the decision appears to have been taken to roll out this irritating banner.
In the latest update pushed to the Release Preview Channel, the watermark is present for everyone running Windows 11 on hardware that doesn’t make the grade. The message has changed slightly, now reading "System requirements not met. Go to Settings to learn more". The good news? You can take steps to hide the watermark if it grates on your nerves
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