New Zealand businesses warned as Microsoft SharePoint targeted in cyber attack
Photo:
AFP / Gerard Julien
New Zealand's cyber watchdog has picked up on a Microsoft warning about attacks on server software globally.
The Washington Post reported
hackers had been able to launch a so-called "zero-day" attack
, targeting a previously unknown but "major security flaw".
Microsoft issued an alert several days ago to governments and businesses that servers within organisations that use SharePoint, were exposed.
The hack does not affect SharePoint online in cloud computing systems.
The National Cyber Security Centre said New Zealand organisations should install security updates or isolate their SharePoint from the internet.
However, the remedy appeared limited.
"Currently ... patches are only available for SharePoint Subscription Edition and SharePoint Server 2019," the
centre said on its website.
US regulators last year
castigated Microsoft for what they called a lax security culture
around a 2023 attack on cloud services by Chinese hackers. Microsoft responded by saying it was hardening all its systems.
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