Microsoft server hack hit 100 organisations: analysts
Microsoft on Saturday issued an alert about "active attacks" on self-hosted SharePoint servers, which are widely used by organisations to share documents and collaborate within organisations.
SharePoint instances run off of Microsoft servers were unaffected.
Dubbed a "zero-day" because it leverages a previously undisclosed digital weakness, the hacks allow spies to penetrate vulnerable servers and potentially drop a backdoor to secure continuous access to victim organisations.
Vaisha Bernard, the chief hacker at Eye Security, a Netherlands-based cybersecurity firm, which discovered the hacking campaign targeting one of its clients on Friday, said that an internet scan carried out with the Shadowserver Foundation had uncovered nearly 100 victims altogether - and that was before the technique behind the hack was widely known.
"It's unambiguous," Bernard said.
"Who knows what other adversaries have done since to place other backdoors."
He declined to identify the affected organisations, saying that the relevant national authorities had been notified.
The Shadowserver Foundation confirmed the 100 figure and said that most of those affected were in the United States and Germany and that the victims included government organisations.
Another researcher said that, so far, the spying appeared to be the work of a single hacker or set of hackers.
"It's possible that this will quickly change," said Rafe Pilling, director of Threat Intelligence at Sophos, a British cybersecurity firm.
Microsoft said it had "provided security updates and encourages customers to install them," a company spokesperson said in an emailed statement.
It was not clear who was behind the ongoing hack.
The FBI said on Sunday it was aware of the attacks and was working closely with its federal and private-sector partners but offered no other details.
The UK National Cyber Security Centre said in a statement that it was aware of "a limited number" of targets in the United Kingdom.
A researcher tracking the campaign said that the campaign appeared initially aimed at a narrow set of government-related organisations.
The pool of potential targets remains vast.
According to data from Shodan, a search engine that helps to identify internet-linked equipment, more than 8000 servers online could theoretically have already been compromised by hackers.
Those servers include major industrial firms, banks, auditors, healthcare companies and several US state-level and international government entities.
"The SharePoint incident appears to have created a broad level of compromise across a range of servers globally," Daniel Card of UK cybersecurity consultancy PwnDefend said.
"Taking an assumed breach approach is wise, and it's also important to understand that just applying the patch isn't all that is required here."
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The Advertiser
an hour ago
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"Once this rocket is more reliable and fully able to undertake launches to lower orbit, it means we are not relying on another country to access space." Gilmour Space Technologies was recently awarded a $5 million grant from the federal government to assist with the launch after receiving $52 million in Commonwealth funding to lead a space manufacturing network in Australia. "Only six nations launch to orbit regularly and just a handful are working to join them - today brings Australia closer to that club," Mr Gilmour said. Australia, we have lift-off. An Australian-made rocket has been launched from home soil for the first time, only to crash moments later. The 14-second maiden flight in Bowen, north Queensland, was hailed a "major step" toward Australia joining a potentially lucrative global space industry. Gilmour Space Technologies on Wednesday made history with the first orbital launch attempt by a rocket designed and built in Australia. To mark the milestone, a jar of Vegemite was the only occupant of the 23-metre, 35-tonne Eris rocket. Spectators at the coastal town of Bowen near Townsville gathered while thousands around the world watched via YouTube channel Aussienaut when it launched about 8.30am. The rocket took off with plumes of smoke erupting from underneath before hovering in the air briefly and then crashing into the ground nearby. There were no injuries or environmental impacts, the Gold Coast-based company said. "Off the pad, I am happy," CEO Adam Gilmour posted on LinkedIn. "Of course, I would have liked more flight time, but happy with this." He later posted on Facebook: "For a maiden test flight, especially after an extended 18-month wait on the pad for final approvals, this is a strong result and a major step forward for Australia's sovereign space capability." The flight was brief but was still set to provide vital data. "Space is hard. SpaceX, Rocket Lab and others needed multiple test flights to reach orbit," Mr Gilmour said in a statement. "We've learned a tremendous amount that will go directly into improving our next vehicle, which is already in production. "This was the first real test of our rocket systems, our propulsion technology, and our spaceport - and it proved that much of what we've built works." Gilmour Space Technologies is looking to design and manufacture rockets to carry satellites into space, using new hybrid propulsion technology. If successful, the company's rockets are set to carry small satellites to orbit for business and government in a low cost service - one that is in growing demand globally. "Satellites and communication are worth billions and billions in the global space economy," Swinburne University of Technology's Rebecca Allen told AAP. "And it would mean huge benefits for the Australian economy and jobs if the rockets are to be manufactured here. "In terms of a developed nation we are considered pretty far behind where we should be - this is definitely bringing us up closer to where we should be." The launch had been delayed for months because of weather conditions and technical issues. It was set to take off on Tuesday afternoon and was 10 minutes out from launching, only to be halted because of high winds. Australia's attempt to enter the space race didn't last long but Dr Allen agreed it was a success. "The launch is a major milestone for the space industry here. It's huge," she said. "Once this rocket is more reliable and fully able to undertake launches to lower orbit, it means we are not relying on another country to access space." Gilmour Space Technologies was recently awarded a $5 million grant from the federal government to assist with the launch after receiving $52 million in Commonwealth funding to lead a space manufacturing network in Australia. "Only six nations launch to orbit regularly and just a handful are working to join them - today brings Australia closer to that club," Mr Gilmour said. Australia, we have lift-off. An Australian-made rocket has been launched from home soil for the first time, only to crash moments later. The 14-second maiden flight in Bowen, north Queensland, was hailed a "major step" toward Australia joining a potentially lucrative global space industry. Gilmour Space Technologies on Wednesday made history with the first orbital launch attempt by a rocket designed and built in Australia. To mark the milestone, a jar of Vegemite was the only occupant of the 23-metre, 35-tonne Eris rocket. Spectators at the coastal town of Bowen near Townsville gathered while thousands around the world watched via YouTube channel Aussienaut when it launched about 8.30am. The rocket took off with plumes of smoke erupting from underneath before hovering in the air briefly and then crashing into the ground nearby. There were no injuries or environmental impacts, the Gold Coast-based company said. "Off the pad, I am happy," CEO Adam Gilmour posted on LinkedIn. "Of course, I would have liked more flight time, but happy with this." He later posted on Facebook: "For a maiden test flight, especially after an extended 18-month wait on the pad for final approvals, this is a strong result and a major step forward for Australia's sovereign space capability." The flight was brief but was still set to provide vital data. "Space is hard. SpaceX, Rocket Lab and others needed multiple test flights to reach orbit," Mr Gilmour said in a statement. "We've learned a tremendous amount that will go directly into improving our next vehicle, which is already in production. "This was the first real test of our rocket systems, our propulsion technology, and our spaceport - and it proved that much of what we've built works." 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Australia's attempt to enter the space race didn't last long but Dr Allen agreed it was a success. "The launch is a major milestone for the space industry here. It's huge," she said. "Once this rocket is more reliable and fully able to undertake launches to lower orbit, it means we are not relying on another country to access space." Gilmour Space Technologies was recently awarded a $5 million grant from the federal government to assist with the launch after receiving $52 million in Commonwealth funding to lead a space manufacturing network in Australia. "Only six nations launch to orbit regularly and just a handful are working to join them - today brings Australia closer to that club," Mr Gilmour said. Australia, we have lift-off. An Australian-made rocket has been launched from home soil for the first time, only to crash moments later. The 14-second maiden flight in Bowen, north Queensland, was hailed a "major step" toward Australia joining a potentially lucrative global space industry. Gilmour Space Technologies on Wednesday made history with the first orbital launch attempt by a rocket designed and built in Australia. To mark the milestone, a jar of Vegemite was the only occupant of the 23-metre, 35-tonne Eris rocket. Spectators at the coastal town of Bowen near Townsville gathered while thousands around the world watched via YouTube channel Aussienaut when it launched about 8.30am. The rocket took off with plumes of smoke erupting from underneath before hovering in the air briefly and then crashing into the ground nearby. There were no injuries or environmental impacts, the Gold Coast-based company said. "Off the pad, I am happy," CEO Adam Gilmour posted on LinkedIn. "Of course, I would have liked more flight time, but happy with this." 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The Australian
an hour ago
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Mercury
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Fast to deploy, easy to scale According to Jesudason, X2M can also deploy its solution in a new market in a matter of days, thanks to its microengine and network-agnostic design. 'For instance, we've integrated into a large Indian company in under seven days, and we don't need any capex to scale up," he said. India's massive 250-million-meter digitisation program is indeed a clear target for the company. 'We will move into the Indian market in the foreseeable future.' So is the UAE, where X2M's partner Dicode has already secured two commercial contracts. The company also expects Australia and the US to open up within 12-18 months. And once X2M's platform is in, it tends to stick. Switching away is expensive and in many regions, the platform is already listed on official government websites. What the market doesn't see, yet… X2M is now entering what it calls 'Horizon Three", a transformation phase focused on scaling and hitting profitability. Horizon One was about building and validating the platform. Horizon Two was expansion, getting enterprise and government customers onto the system and locking them in. 'Horizon Three is, how do you scale this business up? How do you take it to profitability? How do you end up with a share price that's many times what it is today?' Jesudason said. He says X2M will become profitable when revenue hits $15–16 million, and from there, it's highly scalable. 'Once you get past that 15, 16 million dollar hump, then you tend to grow your earnings exponentially. And it's a business that spits out a lot of cash.' 'But I think right now, investors haven't got their heads around the value that's going to accrue to companies that can capture and manage and distribute data quickly, efficiently and cheaply." The proverbial penny, he believes, will eventually drop that there is a lot of value to be had in this space. At Stockhead we tell it like it is. While X2M Connect is a Stockhead advertiser, it did not sponsor this article. This story does not constitute financial product advice. You should consider obtaining independent advice before making any financial decision. Originally published as X2M Connect is wiring Asia's smart cities and it's only getting started
