Microsoft alerts businesses, governments to server software attack
The FBI on Sunday said it is aware of the attacks and is working with its federal and private sector partners, but offered no other details.
In an alert issued on Saturday, Microsoft said the vulnerabilities apply only to SharePoint servers used in organisations. It said SharePoint Online in Microsoft 365, which is in the cloud, was not hit by the attacks.
The Washington Post, which first reported the hacks, said unidentified actors in the past few days had exploited a flaw to launch an attack that targeted US and international agencies and businesses.
The hack is known as a 'zero day' attack because it targeted a previously unknown vulnerability, the newspaper said, quoting experts. Tens of thousands of servers were at risk.
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IOL News
6 days ago
- IOL News
US tech titan earnings rise on AI as economy roils
AI. Global leaders have entered the AI race. Image: File Image: IOL Tech giants Amazon, Apple, Meta and Microsoft this week eclipsed earnings expectations, cashing in on artificial intelligence (AI) while navigating economic waters roiled by US tariffs. "Massive results seen by Microsoft and Meta further validate the use cases and unprecedented spending trajectory for the AI Revolution on both the enterprise and consumer fronts," Wedbush tech analyst Dan Ives said in a note to investors. "We have barely scratched the surface of this 4th Industrial Revolution now playing out around the world led by the Big Tech stalwarts such as Nvidia, Microsoft, Palantir, Meta, Alphabet, and Amazon," Ives added. Amazon reported a 35 percent jump in quarterly profits as the e-commerce giant said major investments in AI technology are paying off. "Our conviction that AI will change every customer experience is starting to play out," said Chief Executive Andy Jassy, pointing to the company's expanded Alexa+ service and new AI shopping agents. But the Seattle-based company's profit outlook for the current quarter came in lower than hoped for, with investors worried that the cost of AI was weighing on the bottom line. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ This was despite a stellar second quarter that exceeded analyst expectations, much like it did for its AI-focused rivals Google, Microsoft and Meta, which posted bumper results for the period. Amazon's net sales climbed 13 percent, signaling that the company was so far surviving impacts of the high-tariff trade policy under US President Donald Trump. Amazon Web Services (AWS), the company's world-leading cloud computing division, led the charge with sales jumping 17.5 percent to $30.9 billion. Its strong performance reflects surging demand for cloud infrastructure to power AI applications, a trend that has benefited major cloud providers as companies race to adopt generative AI technologies. $4 trillion club Shares of Microsoft spiked Thursday following blowout quarterly results, lifting the tech giant into the previously unprecedented $4 trillion club along with Nvidia, another AI standout. The landmark valuation is the latest sign of growing bullishness about an AI investment boom that market watchers believe is still in the early stages -- even as companies like Microsoft plan $100 billion or more in annual capital spending to add new capacity. "Cloud and AI is the driving force of business transformation across every industry and sector," said Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella. At the heart of the results was a stunning surge in Azure, the company's cloud computing platform, which is getting "supercharged" with AI, said Angelo Zino, technology analyst at CFRA Research. Zino attributed "just about all of" Microsoft's recent climb in valuation to AI. Superintelligence? Meta reported robust second-quarter financial results Wednesday, with revenue jumping 22 percent year-over-year as the social media giant continues investing heavily in artificial intelligence. "We've had a strong quarter both in terms of our business and community," said CEO Mark Zuckerberg. "I'm excited to build personal superintelligence for everyone in the world." Zuckerberg has embarked on a major AI spending spree, poaching top researchers with expensive pay packages from rivals like OpenAI and Apple as he builds a team to pursue what he calls AI superintelligence. Hours before the earnings report, Zuckerberg insisted that the attainment of superintelligence -- technology that would theoretically be more powerful than the human brain -- is now "in sight." Meanwhile Apple, which is seen as lagging in the AI race, beat expectations with earnings driven by strong iPhone sales despite US tariffs costing the company $800 million in the recently-ended quarter. Apple expects Trump's tariffs to cost the iPhone maker $1.1 billion in the current quarter. "The results show that Apple's iPhone strategy is working to offset the impact of looming challenges with AI development timelines, tariff pressures, and Google's antitrust issues," said Emarketer tech analyst Jacob Bourne.
TimesLIVE
29-07-2025
- TimesLIVE
Samsung opens its third call for black-owned tech SMM enterprises
Rangata and his team have also been able to pursue their passions and bring security and stability to employees and their families. 'Other direct benefits included grant funding, asset financing and continuous business mentorship, which is exactly what our business needed to move forward,' he says. 'We strongly believe the skills we acquired from this programme, which included business regulatory governance structures and strategic business growth approaches/methods, have contributed to the success of our business. It has really helped us achieve our goals, and take our business to new heights.' Based in Sinoville, Tshwane, Dumisani Mkhwebane, a 38-year-old businessman who co-owns and runs IT company TIA Solutions with Boitumelo Mkhwebane, 36. Their business focuses on secure scalable IT solutions by building cloud infrastructure through collaborative team efforts. This provides their customers with resilience from cyberattacks and contributes to productivity, efficiency and business continuity. 'We partner with multinational vendors such as Microsoft, Fortinet and Veritas, which allow us to give our customers end-to-end, tailor-made IT solutions that cater to their business needs,' says Mkhwebane. He says they entered the programme after seeing an advert on LinkedIn in 2023. 'We then received capital investment to buy computer equipment for our internal operations as well as company vehicles. We also received business training, management, marketing and skills development for our employees.' The programme has both financial and non-financial benefits for business growth and sustainability, he says. 'We would like to encourage other SMEs to apply to be part of the programme. It will help grow other SMEs like it did ours and upskill their workforce.' The Samsung ED programme aims to show future participants how the EEIP can help them start their businesses. The success of past beneficiaries proves Samsung's commitment to supporting entrepreneurs and small businesses in SA. Nicky Beukes, Samsung SA EEIP project manager says: 'It's clear from these testimonials that through the reassurance and confidence offered by this Samsung EEIP ED programme, we are slowly achieving shifting the perception of potential candidates from 'I'm working on something' to 'I run a successful business'. 'As Samsung, we are happy to be delivering according to our programme's overall and multifaceted objectives, which include the creation of a more inclusive and prosperous society through strategic investments, skills development and entrepreneurial support.'
The Citizen
25-07-2025
- The Citizen
Digital gossip: When WhatsApp groups become cyber-risk zones
93% of African respondents use WhatsApp for work communications, surpassing email and Microsoft Teams. Despite their popularity among employees, informal messaging platforms pose significant risks to organisations' cybersecurity. This is according to Anna Collard, senior vice president of Content Strategy and Evangelist at KnowBe4 Africa. WhatsApp According to the 2025 KnowBe4 Africa Annual Cybersecurity survey, 93% of African respondents use WhatsApp for work communications, surpassing email and Microsoft Teams. 'For many organisations, platforms like WhatsApp and Telegram have become integral to workplace communication. Ease of use is what makes them so popular,' explains Collard. 'Particularly on the continent, many people prefer WhatsApp because it's fast, familiar and frictionless. These apps are already on our phones and embedded in our daily routines.' Convenience at cost Collard says while it feels natural to ping a colleague on WhatsApp, especially if you're trying to get a quick answer, convenience often comes at the cost of control and compliance. In the US, a top-secret military attack on Yemen was leaked on the messaging platform Signal earlier this year, with the plan inadvertently shared with a newspaper editor and other civilians, including the Defence Secretary's wife and brother. 'There are multiple layers of risk,' states Collard. 'It's important to remember that WhatsApp wasn't built for internal corporate use, but as a consumer tool. Because of that, it doesn't have the same business-level and privacy controls embedded in it that an enterprise communication tool, such as Microsoft Teams or Slack, would have.' ALSO READ: South Africa remains a global hotspot for data breaches Data leakage Collard explains that the biggest risk for organisations is data leakage. 'Accidental or intentional sharing of confidential information, such as client details, financial figures, internal strategies or login credentials, on informal groups can have disastrous consequences. 'Informal platforms lack the audit trails necessary for compliance with regulations, particularly in industries like finance with strict data-handling requirements,' she said. Identity theft She said phishing and identity theft are also threats. 'Attackers love platforms where identity verification is weak,' she says, adding that at least 10 people in her personal network have reported being victims of WhatsApp impersonation and takeover scams. 'Once the scammer gains access to the account, in many cases via SIM swaps, the real user is locked out, and they have access to all their previous communications, contacts and files,' she comments. 'They then impersonate the victim to deceive their contacts, often asking for money or even more personal information.' ALSO READ: SA's Treasury discovers malware as hackers exploit Microsoft flaw Mitigating risks She explained that beyond security, using these channels can also lead to inappropriate communication among employees or the blurring of work-life boundaries, resulting in burnout. ' Collard said that for organisations wanting to mitigate these risks, it's important to set up a clear communications strategy. 'First, provide secure alternatives. Don't just tell people what not to use. Make sure that tools like Teams or Slack are easy to access and clearly endorsed.' Collard said it is also vital to educate employees on why secure communication matters. 'This training should include digital mindfulness principles, such as to pause before sending, think about what you're sharing and with whom, and be alert to emotional triggers like urgency or fear, as these are common tactics in social engineering attacks.' Collard said by introducing approved communication tools, organisations can benefit from additional security features, such as audit logs, data protection, access control and integration with other business tools. 'Using approved platforms helps maintain healthy boundaries, so work doesn't creep into every corner of your personal life. It's about digital wellbeing as much as it is about cybersecurity.' Collard maintains that while informal messaging offers convenience, its unchecked use introduces significant cyber risks, saying organisations must move beyond simply acknowledging the problem and proactively implement clear policies, provide secure alternatives, and empower employees with the digital mindfulness needed to navigate these cyber-risk zones safely. ALSO READ: Data breaches cost SA organisations over R360m in 3 years
