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Techday NZ
9 hours ago
- Techday NZ
Semperis launches tool to secure AD service accounts
Semperis has introduced a new edition of its Directory Services Protector (DSP), known as Service Account Protection Essential, aimed at improving the security management of Active Directory and Entra ID service accounts. Service accounts, which are non-human identities used by applications to interact with directory services, frequently pose security challenges due to unmanaged proliferation and a tendency to accrue excessive privileges over time. These characteristics make them susceptible to exploitation by cyber attackers. Service Account Protection Essential is designed to provide organisations with an inventory of these accounts and facilitate ongoing monitoring for vulnerabilities based on intelligence from the Semperis research team. The tool can also discover previously unknown or misplaced service accounts, as well as detect stale and misconfigured ones. In addition, it identifies risky configurations, highlights critical exposures, and issues real-time alerts in response to malicious or anomalous activity. Security concerns "Service accounts are pernicious and nearly ungovernable by nature, so organisations struggle to adequately address them in security planning. Think about how many applications are onboarded and retired over the course of an Active Directory's lifespan. Each one of these applications may have several service accounts that connect them to AD. Those service account permissions are a black box, with passwords that are static or stale, but no one dares delete them. They're an obvious target for attackers because of their ungovernable state," said Ran Harel, Semperis AVP of Security Products. The focus on service accounts comes in the wake of high-profile supply chain attacks. Alex Weinert, Semperis Chief Product Officer, drew attention to previous incidents involving compromised service accounts to illustrate their ongoing risk to organisations. "Service accounts are very attractive to attackers. These accounts tend to proliferate in legacy AD applications and acquire excessive privileges over time, making them an obvious target for malicious actors, especially when service accounts are included in privileged cloud roles or groups tied to Microsoft 365. Service Account Protection Essential gives organisations unprecedented visibility into their service account security posture by helping them identify service accounts, create an inventory, and continuously monitor them to reduce the overall attack surface of the hybrid AD environment," said Weinert, former Microsoft VP of Identity Security. Features and dashboard improvements The updated DSP platform offers new capabilities designed to streamline work for security teams managing Active Directory and Entra ID object lists. Security practitioners can now categorise AD and Entra ID objects - including both privileged and service accounts - directly within the tool. This categorisation supports administrative tasks, enables swift policy changes, and helps automate responses to malicious modifications by reverting unauthorised changes as soon as they are detected. The DSP dashboard itself has been enhanced to provide a detailed summary of recent changes within Active Directory, comprehensive records of attack detection events, overall system health indicators, and a risk scoring mechanism. This information is intended to facilitate quick responses to identity threats and help organisations convey the status of their identity security posture internally. With the launch of Service Account Protection Essential, Semperis expands its capabilities for protecting hybrid and multi-cloud identity environments, which now include Active Directory, Entra ID, and other platforms. The new edition is positioned as a way for businesses to address pressing risks associated with unmanaged service accounts and reduce their exposure to identity-based attacks. Follow us on: Share on:
Scoop
2 days ago
- Scoop
Norton Adds Audio And Visual Deepfake Protection On Mobile
Norton, a leader in Cyber Safety and part of Gen (NASDAQ: GEN), has launched AI-powered deepfake protection in the Norton Genie AI Assistant on Norton 360 mobile apps. Currently in early access phase, Norton Deepfake Protection enables people to defend themselves from malicious AI-generated audio and video content. Initially available on select Microsoft Copilot+ PCs, people can now protect themselves not only from everyday scams, but also AI scams even if they don't have an AI PC. Norton Deepfake Protection in the Genie AI Assistant includes the ability to analyse audio and visual content for signs of manipulation. Beyond detecting AI-generated voices used in fraudulent schemes, the feature provides an added layer of contextual protection by spotting inconsistencies or faint deformations in the physical features of people appearing in videos. If a harmful deepfake is detected, the Genie AI Assistant will provide conversational Cyber Safety guidance and suggestions on what to do next. 'As AI-generated voices and faces become harder to distinguish from the real thing, trust is rapidly becoming one of the most fragile elements of our digital lives,' said Leena Elias, Chief Product Officer at Gen. 'The line between truth and deception is blurring, especially when malicious actors can abuse AI to create scams that replicate voices and imagery with startling realism. This is why we've made our deepfake protection accessible to people who don't have AI hardware, so they can confidently navigate and consume digital content without second-guessing what they see or hear.' Currently, Norton Deepfake Protection in Genie Scam Protection supports English-language YouTube videos with plans to expand platform and language support in future updates. To check for signs of scams in video content, people can upload YouTube links to Norton Genie AI Assistant and receive real-time guidance on the authenticity of a video. If malicious AI-generated content is found, the Genie AI Assistant will flag it and provide advice on what to do next. The early access version of Norton Deepfake Protection is currently available in Norton 360 mobile products in the US, UK, Australia, and New Zealand, across Android and iOS devices with desktop support coming soon. The focus at Norton on AI-powered scam protection won't stop here. Later in the year, deepfake protection for AI PCs will extend to devices powered by Intel chipsets, and more advanced detection capabilities will be available on both desktop and mobile platforms. For more information, visit
Techday NZ
2 days ago
- Techday NZ
Norton launches AI deepfake detection for mobile in early rollout
Norton has begun offering early access to AI-powered deepfake protection within its Norton 360 mobile apps in several countries, including New Zealand. The feature, known as Norton Deepfake Protection, is available through the Genie AI Assistant as part of the Norton Genie Scam Protection suite. Initially accessible only on some Microsoft Copilot+ PCs, the technology is now available to mobile users with Android and iOS devices, enabling consumers without AI-specific hardware to benefit from the protection. Detection capabilities The tool can analyse audio and visual content, identifying signs of manipulation that could indicate the presence of AI-generated deepfakes. Its functions include the detection of AI-generated voices that might be used in fraudulent schemes and the spotting of subtle inconsistencies or deformations in the facial features of people shown in videos. If a deepfake is identified, users receive cyber safety guidance and recommendations on their next steps directly from the Genie AI Assistant. The service currently supports the analysis of English-language YouTube videos, with the ability for users to upload video links and obtain real-time feedback regarding authenticity. Support for additional languages and platforms is planned for future updates. Protecting digital trust "As AI-generated voices and faces become harder to distinguish from the real thing, trust is rapidly becoming one of the most fragile elements of our digital lives," said Leena Elias, Chief Product Officer at Gen. "The line between truth and deception is blurring, especially when malicious actors can abuse AI to create scams that replicate voices and imagery with startling realism. This is why we've made our deepfake protection accessible to people who don't have AI hardware, so they can confidently navigate and consume digital content without second-guessing what they see or hear." According to Norton, the rise in AI-generated audio and video content increases the potential for scams, particularly those involving fake voices or impersonations. By offering tools that evaluate both the sound and appearance of digital content for authenticity, the company aims to support individuals and families in verifying what they encounter online. Initial rollout and future plans The early access version of Norton Deepfake Protection is currently being made available to users in the US, UK, Australia, and New Zealand. Coverage is provided across both Android and iOS platforms, with the company stating that support for desktop devices is expected soon. Norton has indicated that deeper integration of deepfake protection capabilities will continue, with plans to extend the solution to AI PCs running on Intel chipsets later in the year. The company also intends to introduce further advanced detection features for both desktop and mobile users. The Genie AI Assistant will notify users if a piece of analysed content is determined to be an AI-generated scam, providing guidance on how to respond. For now, the feature is designed specifically for reviewing YouTube video content in English, but development is ongoing to broaden its usage across additional platforms and formats. Norton has stated its commitment to enhancing cyber safety measures to counter the rise in sophisticated online fraud that makes use of artificial intelligence, by making protections available to the general public without the need for specialised devices. Follow us on: Share on:
