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Dubai Eye
24-07-2025
- Dubai Eye
Microsoft says some SharePoint server hackers now using ransomware
A cyber-espionage campaign centered on vulnerable versions of Microsoft's MSFT.O server software now involves the deployment of ransomware, Microsoft said in a late Wednesday blog post. In the post, citing "expanded analysis and threat intelligence," Microsoft said a group it dubs "Storm-2603" is using the vulnerability to seed the ransomware, which typically works by paralyzing victims' networks until a digital currency payment is made. The disclosure marks a potential escalation in the campaign, which has already hit at least 400 victims, according to Netherlands-based cybersecurity firm Eye Security. Unlike typical state-backed hacker campaigns, which are aimed at stealing data, ransomware can cause widespread disruption depending on where it lands. The figure of 400 victims represents a sharp rise from the 100 organizations cataloged over the weekend. Eye Security says the figure is likely an undercount. "There are many more, because not all attack vectors have left artifacts that we could scan for," said Vaisha Bernard, the chief hacker for Eye Security, which was among the first organizations to flag the breaches. The details of most of the victim organizations have not yet been fully disclosed, but on Wednesday a representative for the National Institutes of Health confirmed that one of the organization's servers had been compromised. "Additional servers were isolated as a precaution," he said. The news of the compromise was first reported by the Washington Post. Other outlets said the hacking campaign had breached an even broader range of U.S. agencies. NextGov, citing multiple people familiar with the matter, reported the Department of Homeland Security had been hit, along with more than five to 12 other agencies. Politico, which cited two U.S. officials, said multiple agencies were believed to have been breached. DHS' cyberdefense arm, CISA, did not immediately return a message seeking comment on the reports. Microsoft did not immediately return a message seeking further details on the ransomware angle of the hacking or the reported government victims. The spy campaign began after Microsoft failed to fully patch a security hole in its SharePoint server software, kicking off a scramble to fix the vulnerability when it was discovered. Microsoft and its tech rival, Google-owner Alphabet GOOGL.O, have both said Chinese hackers are among those taking advantage of the flaw. Beijing has denied the claim.
Economic Times
24-07-2025
- Politics
- Economic Times
Microsoft says some SharePoint server hackers now use ransomware
Agencies A cyber-espionage campaign centered on vulnerable versions of Microsoft's server software now involves the deployment of ransomware, Microsoft said in a late Wednesday blog the post, citing "expanded analysis and threat intelligence," Microsoft said a group it dubs "Storm-2603" is using the vulnerability to seed the ransomware, which typically works by paralyzing victims' networks until a digital currency payment is made. The disclosure marks a potential escalation in the campaign, which has already hit at least 400 victims, according to Netherlands-based cybersecurity firm Eye Security. Unlike typical state-backed hacker campaigns, which are aimed at stealing data, ransomware can cause widespread disruption depending on where it lands. The figure of 400 victims represents a sharp rise from the 100 organizations cataloged over the weekend. Eye Security says the figure is likely an undercount."There are many more, because not all attack vectors have left artifacts that we could scan for," said Vaisha Bernard, the chief hacker for Eye Security, which was among the first organizations to flag the details of most of the victim organizations have not yet been fully disclosed, but on Wednesday a representative for the National Institutes of Health confirmed that one of the organization's servers had been compromised."Additional servers were isolated as a precaution," he said. The news of the compromise was first reported by the Washington outlets said the hacking campaign had breached an even broader range of U.S. agencies. NextGov, citing multiple people familiar with the matter, reported the Department of Homeland Security had been hit, along with more than five to 12 other which cited two U.S. officials, said multiple agencies were believed to have been cyberdefense arm, CISA, did not immediately return a message seeking comment on the reports. Microsoft did not immediately return a message seeking further details on the ransomware angle of the hacking or the reported government victims. The spy campaign began after Microsoft failed to fully patch a security hole in its SharePoint server software, kicking off a scramble to fix the vulnerability when it was discovered. Microsoft and its tech rival, Google-owner Alphabet , have both said Chinese hackers are among those taking advantage of the flaw. Beijing has denied the claim. Elevate your knowledge and leadership skills at a cost cheaper than your daily tea. Can victims of Jane Street scam be compensated by investor protection funds? Did the likes of TCS, Infosys, Wipro let India down in AI race? How India's oil arbitrage has hit the European sanctions wall Apple has a new Indian-American COO. What it needs might be a new CEO. Stock Radar: Tata Chemicals breaks out from 1-month consolidation; time to buy the dip? Power sector companies: Will they be able to outperform? 5 power stocks with an upside potential ranging from 6 to 29% For risk-takers with long-term perspective: 7 mid-cap stocks from different sectors with upside potential of over 26% Multibagger or IBC - Part 16: Regulatory tailwind turns compliance into cash. This auto ancillary could be a winner
Business Times
24-07-2025
- Business Times
Microsoft says some SharePoint server hackers now using ransomware
[WASHINGTON] A cyber-espionage campaign centred on vulnerable versions of Microsoft's server software now involves the deployment of ransomware, Microsoft said in a late Wednesday (Jul 23) blog post. In the post, citing 'expanded analysis and threat intelligence', Microsoft said a group it dubs 'Storm-2603' is using the vulnerability to seed the ransomware, which typically works by paralysing victims' networks until a digital currency payment is made. The disclosure marks a potential escalation in the campaign, which has already hit at least 400 victims, according to Netherlands-based cybersecurity firm Eye Security. Unlike typical state-backed hacker campaigns, which are aimed at stealing data, ransomware can cause widespread disruption depending on where it lands. The figure of 400 victims represents a sharp rise from the 100 organisations catalogued over the weekend. Eye Security says the figure is likely an undercount. 'There are many more, because not all attack vectors have left artifacts that we could scan for,' said Vaisha Bernard, the chief hacker for Eye Security, which was among the first organisations to flag the breaches. The details of most of the victim organisations have not yet been fully disclosed, but on Wednesday, a representative for the National Institutes of Health confirmed that one of the organisation's servers had been compromised. BT in your inbox Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox. Sign Up Sign Up 'Additional servers were isolated as a precaution,' he said. The news of the compromise was first reported by The Washington Post. Other outlets said the hacking campaign had breached an even broader range of US agencies. NextGov, citing multiple people familiar with the matter, reported the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) had been hit, along with more than five to 12 other agencies. Politico, which cited two US officials, said multiple agencies were believed to have been breached. DHS' cyberdefense arm, Cisa, did not immediately return a message seeking comment on the reports. Microsoft did not immediately return a message seeking further details on the ransomware angle of the hacking or the reported government victims. The spy campaign began after Microsoft failed to fully patch a security hole in its SharePoint server software, kicking off a scramble to fix the vulnerability when it was discovered. Microsoft and its tech rival, Google-owner Alphabet, have both said Chinese hackers are among those taking advantage of the flaw. Beijing has denied the claim. REUTERS
Sky News AU
30-06-2025
- Business
- Sky News AU
Warning for Albanese government after US President Donald Trump pressures Canada into rescinding digital services tax
Labor has been delivered a stark warning amid negotiations with the United States after the Canadian government said it was rescinding its digital-services tax to salvage trade discussions with Donald Trump. Canada's planned digital tax was three per cent of the digital services revenue a firm reaps from Canadian users above CA$20m in a calendar year, and payments were to be retroactive to 2022. The tax would have targeted major tech giants including Facebook-owner Meta, Google-owner Alphabet, Apple, Amazon and others. Trump abruptly called off trade talks on Friday over the tax targeting US technology firms, saying that it was a "blatant attack" before reiterating this on Sunday and pledging a new tariff rate on Canadian goods. The US President and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney will now resume trade negotiations in order to agree on a deal by July 21, Canada's finance ministry said in a statement. The back-and-forth comes as a warning for the Albanese government's news media bargaining incentive which will force technology giants to pay local news outlets for their content. After Trump began revealing his array of tariffs, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese vowed to defend the legislation targeting the tech giants. 'We have been crystal clear with the United States about what is not up for negotiation,' he said in April. 'Our government stands by our media bargaining code. We strongly support local content in streaming services, so Australian stories stay on Australian screens.' Assistant Treasurer Daniel Mulino last week stressed the incentive remained a 'key priority' for Labor amid negotiations with the Trump Administration. 'This is a policy the government remains committed to,' Mr Mulino said, according to the Australian Financial Review. Concerns about Australia's media bargaining code arose recently as section 899 of Trump's 'big beautiful bill' threatened a 15 per cent tax on nations the US believes unfairly treats its companies. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent rolled back the legislation after reaching an 'understanding' with the G7 where American companies would be exempt for the new global minimum 15 per cent corporate tax. Treasurer Jim Chalmers welcomed the news after engaging with Mr Bessent last week to make Australia's case against section 899. 'In that meeting he said he was progressing what he could to try and resolve these issues, and we're really pleased to see some of that progress in his announcement today,' Chalmers said. 'Australia will continue to engage constructively through the OECD on international tax rules that are fair and ensure multinationals pay their fair share in Australia."
Kuwait Times
22-06-2025
- Business
- Kuwait Times
Europe seeks ‘digital sovereignty' as US tech firms embrace Trump
US tech companies still dwarf alternative providers BERLIN: At a market stall in Berlin run by charity Topio, volunteers help people who want to purge their phones of the influence of US tech firms. Since Donald Trump's inauguration, the queue for their services has grown. Interest in European-based digital services has jumped in recent months, data from digital market intelligence company Similarweb shows. More people are looking for e-mail, messaging and even search providers outside the United States. The first months of Trump's second presidency have shaken some Europeans' confidence in their long-time ally, after he signaled his country would step back from its role in Europe's security and then launched a trade war. 'It's about the concentration of power in US firms,' said Topio's founder Michael Wirths, as his colleague installed on a customer's phone a version of the Android operating system without hooks into the Google ecosystem. Wirths said the type of people coming to the stall had changed: 'Before, it was people who knew a lot about data privacy. Now it's people who are politically aware and feel exposed.' Tesla chief Elon Musk, who also owns social media company X, was a leading adviser to the US president before the two fell out, while the bosses of Amazon, Meta and Google-owner Alphabet took prominent spots at Trump's inauguration in January. Days before Trump took office, outgoing president Joe Biden had warned of an oligarchic 'tech industrial complex' threatening democracy. Berlin-based search engine Ecosia says it has benefited from some customers' desire to avoid US counterparts like Microsoft's Bing or Google, which dominates web searches and is also the world's biggest email provider. 'The worse it gets, the better it is for us,' founder Christian Kroll said of Ecosia, whose sales pitch is that it spends its profits on environmental projects. Similarweb data shows the number of queries directed to Ecosia from the European Union has risen 27 percent year-on-year and the company says it has 1 percent of the German search engine market. But its 122 million visits from the 27 EU countries in February were dwarfed by 10.3 billion visits to Google, whose parent Alphabet made revenues of about $100 billion from Europe, the Middle East and Africa in 2024 - nearly a third of its $350 billion global turnover. Non-profit Ecosia earned 3.2 million euros ($3.65 million) in April, of which 770,000 euros was spent on planting 1.1 million trees. Google declined to comment for this story. Reuters could not determine whether major US tech companies have lost any market share to local rivals in Europe. Digital sovereignty The search for alternative providers accompanies a debate in Europe about 'digital sovereignty' - the idea that reliance on companies from an increasingly isolationist United States is a threat to Europe's economy and security. 'Ordinary people, the kind of people who would never have thought it was important they were using an American service are saying, 'hang on!',' said UK-based internet regulation expert Maria Farrell. 'My hairdresser was asking me what she should switch to.' Use in Europe of Swiss-based ProtonMail rose 11.7 percent year-on-year to March compared to a year ago, according to Similarweb, while use of Alphabet's Gmail, which has some 70 percent of the global email market, slipped 1.9 percent. ProtonMail, which offers both free and paid-for services, said it had seen an increase in users from Europe since Trump's re-election, though it declined to give a number. 'My household is definitely disengaging,' said British software engineer Ken Tindell, citing weak US data privacy protections as one factor. Trump's vice president JD Vance shocked European leaders in February by accusing them - at a conference usually known for displays of transatlantic unity - of censoring free speech and failing to control immigration. In May, Secretary of State Marco Rubio threatened visa bans for people who 'censor' speech by Americans, including on social media, and suggested the policy could target foreign officials regulating US tech companies. US social media companies like Facebook and Instagram parent Meta have said the European Union's Digital Services Act amounts to censorship of their platforms. EU officials say the Act will make the online environment safer by compelling tech giants to tackle illegal content, including hate speech and child sexual abuse material. Greg Nojeim, director of the Security and Surveillance Project at the Center for Democracy & Technology, said Europeans' concerns about the US government accessing their data, whether stored on devices or in the cloud, were justified. Not only does US law permit the government to search devices of anyone entering the country, it can compel disclosure of data that Europeans outside the US store or transmit through US communications service providers, Nojeim said. Mission impossible? Germany's new government is itself making efforts to reduce exposure to US tech, committing in its coalition agreement to make more use of open-source data formats and locally-based cloud infrastructure. Regional governments have gone further - in conservative-run Schleswig-Holstein, on the Danish border, all IT used by the public administration must run on open-source software. Berlin has also paid for Ukraine to access a satellite-internet network operated by France's Eutelsat instead of Musk's Starlink. But with modern life driven by technology, 'completely divorcing US tech in a very fundamental way is, I would say, possibly not possible,' said Bill Budington of US digital rights nonprofit the Electronic Frontier Foundation. Everything from push notifications to the content delivery networks powering many websites and how internet traffic is routed relies largely on US companies and infrastructure, Budington noted. Both Ecosia and French-based search engine Qwant depend in part on search results provided by Google and Microsoft's Bing, while Ecosia runs on cloud platforms, some hosted by the very same tech giants it promises an escape from. Nevertheless, a group on messaging board Reddit called BuyFromEU has 211,000 members. 'Just cancelled my Dropbox and will switch to Proton Drive,' read one post. Mastodon, a decentralized social media service developed by German programmer Eugen Rochko, enjoyed a rush of new users two years ago when Musk bought Twitter, later renamed X. But it remains a niche service. Signal, a messaging app run by a US nonprofit foundation, has also seen a surge in installations from Europe. Similarweb's data showed a 7 percent month-on-month increase in Signal usage in March, while use of Meta's WhatsApp was static. Meta declined to comment for this story. Signal did not respond to an e-mailed request for comment. But this kind of conscious self-organizing is unlikely on its own to make a dent in Silicon Valley's European dominance, digital rights activist Robin Berjon told Reuters. 'The market is too captured,' he said. 'Regulation is needed as well.'— Reuters
