Latest news with #MicrosoftOffice
NBC News
2 days ago
- Business
- NBC News
Chinese hackers race to target Microsoft SharePoint vulnerability, tech giants say
A newly discovered critical flaw in Microsoft's SharePoint platform has spurred a mad frenzy from hackers — including some working for the Chinese government, Google and Microsoft say. The identities of which organizations have been hacked are still not public, but they are increasing and include multiple government agencies around the world, Charles Carmakal, the chief technology officer at Mandiant, Google's cloud security service, told NBC News. SharePoint works as a shared version of Microsoft Office, letting people in the same organization directly collaborate. The flaw in the software — initially classified as a 'zero day,' because there was not a patch for victims to defend themselves when it was first discovered — lets hackers gain significant access to the computers of organizations that host SharePoint. Cloud customers were not affected. Microsoft announced Saturday that the flaw was being exploited but only made a downloadable fix for it available Monday, prompting a scramble for organizations to patch it while capable hackers hurried to find additional victims who hadn't protected themselves. The incident echoes one in 2021, when a flaw in another Microsoft product, the email program Exchange, allowed a similar mad dash of hacking. In that case, the U.S. formally accused China of snooping on government emails, but a review board also blamed Microsoft for allowing it to happen. In a blog post published Tuesday morning, Microsoft said at least three Chinese hacking groups, two of which are associated with Chinese intelligence, have been exploiting the flaw. The U.S. government and its allies, as well as Western cybersecurity companies, routinely attribute cyber espionage efforts to China, which often downplays the accusations. A spokesperson for China's Embassy in Washington did not directly deny that Chinese intelligence has been using the exploit, but said, 'Cyber attacks are a common threat faced by all countries, China included.' 'China firmly opposes and combats all forms of cyber attacks and cyber crime — a position that is consistent and clear,' the spokesperson said. Neither the White House nor the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, which protects U.S. federal networks, responded to a request for comment.
Entrepreneur
3 days ago
- Business
- Entrepreneur
Streamline Your Workflow With the Same Tools Used by Top Entrepreneurs, Now Less Than $7 Each
The Microsoft Office suite every entrepreneur should own can now be yours for just $50. Disclosure: Our goal is to feature products and services that we think you'll find interesting and useful. If you purchase them, Entrepreneur may get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our commerce partners. More than 70% of business analysis is done in Microsoft Excel, according to data from Gartner, Inc. Does your PC have a license to this powerful tool? Right now, you can see the wonders of Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Outlook, and more with this lifetime license to Microsoft Office Professional 2021 for Windows for just $49.97 (reg. $219.99) if you act before November 1. Tackle your to-do list with Microsoft tools you know and trust There's a reason the Microsoft Office apps have stuck around for decades. They're dependable and help you tackle all kinds of professional tasks, from building spreadsheets in Excel to creating eye-catching presentations in PowerPoint and answering emails in Outlook. This lifetime license to Microsoft Office Professional 2021 gives you permanent access to eight helpful apps designed to improve your workflow. You'll get Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Word, Teams, OneNote, Access, and Publisher — all for less than $7 each. If you're concerned that this isn't the most recent edition, don't worry. The 2021 version not only offers more apps than later ones, it also includes redesigned features that can help everyone from designers to data analysts. You also won't need to figure out any AI integrations, and a ribbon-based interface gives you quick access to all features, tools, and customizations. This lifetime license allows you to own these apps, unlike Microsoft 365, which requires monthly subscription fees. Just make sure your PC is running Windows 10 or 11 before your purchase. Outfit your PC with a lifetime license to Microsoft Office Professional 2021 for Windows for only $49.97 (reg. $219.99) now through November 1. StackSocial prices subject to change.
Forbes
4 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
This Week's Business Technology News: OpenAI Goes For Microsoft's Jugular
TOPSHOT - Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates delivers a speech to unveil the new Microsoft Office System ... More during a presentation in New York 21 October 2003. Microsoft calls the new software one of the most important updates in the company's history. Gates said the new software combines familiar Office productivity programs with new business applications. AFP PHOTO Timothy A. CLARY (Photo by Timothy A. CLARY / AFP) (Photo by TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP via Getty Images) Here are five business technology news stories from this week and how they affect your business. Did you miss them? This Week in Business Tech News Business Technology News #1 – OpenAI goes for Microsoft's jugular – its Office productivity suite. OpenAI is reportedly developing its own AI-powered office productivity suite, directly challenging Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace. Features reportedly include collaborative document editing, meeting transcription, team chat, and tight integration with ChatGPT. Rather than replicating Microsoft's feature-rich apps or Google's collaboration tools, OpenAI may lean into generative AI to reinvent how documents are created and edited collaboratively. This move comes amid rising tensions between OpenAI and Microsoft, despite their deep partnership and Microsoft's $13 billion investment in the AI company. If successful, OpenAI's suite could reshape enterprise software by offering a more fluid, AI-native experience. (Source: Computerworld) Why this is important for your business: I've been to this rodeo before. Over the years I've been in the tech industry countless players from - Facebook to Google - have come and gone trying to replace Microsoft Office with their own solutions. Google has probably had the most success but even their market share pales when compared to Microsoft's. Maybe OpenAI has a better answer? I'm not hopeful. Business Technology News #2 – Instagram launches trial reels, letting creators test ideas with new audiences. Instagram has launched a new feature called Trial Reels, designed to help creators and small businesses experiment with content before sharing it with their full audience. Creators can share short videos with a randomized audience of non-followers to gauge reactions – allowing businesses to try new formats or ideas without risking backlash from loyal followers. After 24 hours, Instagram provides engagement metrics like views, likes, comments, and shares. If the reel performs well, creators can manually or automatically publish it to their followers. High-performing trial reels can be auto-published based on engagement within 72 hours. (Source: Small Business Trends) Why this is important for your business: It's a simple yet brilliant idea, and not one that's foreign to the tech world. It's a sandbox to build test systems and only allow certain users/customers to use it. I love it and I think if you're an Instagram creator it's a solid way to test out potential content. Business Technology News #3 – OpenAI quietly adds Shopify as a shopping search partner. OpenAI has quietly added Shopify as a third-party search partner for its ChatGPT shopping search feature, expanding its e-commerce capabilities without a formal announcement. SEO expert Aleyda Solís spotted the update in OpenAI's documentation on May 15, 2025, following the rollout of enhanced shopping features in April. Shopify joins Bing as a data provider for ChatGPT's shopping search, enabling richer product listings with images, prices, and reviews. ChatGPT now returns shopping results from various platforms, including Amazon and Turbify (formerly Yahoo Stores). Non-Shopify stores can apply to be included, provided they allow OpenAI's web crawler – OAI-SearchBot – to access their site. (Source: Search Engine Journal) Why this is important for your business: According to the post this move positions OpenAI to compete more directly in the AI-powered shopping space, offering users a seamless and visually rich shopping experience. It's certainly an easier way to search and buy products and it makes sense – as a consumer I often ask ChatGPT for buying advice so why not be delivered links to purchase their recommendations? If your business uses Shopify I'd learn more about this functionality. And if your business uses one of Shopify's competitors I'm sure we'll be seeing similar offering in the not too distant future. Business Technology News #4 – How one subcontractor worked 10X faster with Project Intelligence. North Texas subcontractor DFW Turf Solutions dramatically improved its efficiency –working 10x faster – by adopting a product called ConstructConnect® Project Intelligence (CCPI). The challenges DFW were dealing with included driving to job sites to find work and struggling to connect with decision-makers on projects. CCPI transformed their workflow with real-time project data that gave them access to updated public and private job listings. Smart search filters allowed them to quickly narrow down projects by bid date, stage, and location. The results showed significant growth in business with 5-30 new contacts per day, and they landed on over 140 bidder lists across Texas. This case study shows how digital tools like CCPI can revolutionize subcontractor operations. (Source: ConstructConnect) Why this is important for your business: I enjoy writing about actual uses of AI and technologies by actual companies, rather than conjecture, predictions and prognostications. CCPI is a good example for those in the construction industry. Business Technology News #5 – Here are 10 ways to use Grok 4 that feel like cheating: AI resources platform God of Prompt listed 10 creative ways to use Grok 4 – xAI's large language model – on its X feed. Example tips: Users can build apps and interactive tools without code by describing their idea to Grok and prompting it to design an interactive tool based on the idea. Infographics can be designed from plain text. Prompt: 'You are a world-class visual explainer and technical designer. Transform this concept into a visual graphic using a code-based design format.' Grok can also perform as a stand-in tutor on a chosen subject by entering a prompt: 'You are a world-class private tutor. Teach me [chosen topic] as if I'm a motivated beginner.' Next, users can list specific bullet points of subtopics they want to be included in the lesson. For the full list of Grok 4 capabilities, visit the link. (Source: God of Prompt) Why this is important for your business: Grok 4 has been recently released and well received as a strong alternative to ChatGPT, Copilot, Gemini and others. I've been using it while on X to provide context and explanations behind posts. But I like the idea of expanding its usage for my business and these examples give me good week I round up five business technology news stories and explain why they're important for your business. If you have any interesting stories, please post to my X account @genemarks
Gizmodo
7 days ago
- Business
- Gizmodo
Lifetime Access to the Full Microsoft Office Suite Is 81% Off, Practically Free Now Ahead of the New Semester
A lot of things which used to be one-time purchases want to try and convince you to subscribe instead. It can have some benefits to subscribe, but sometimes you just want to pay once and be done with it. If you're feeling like this when it comes to Microsoft Office programs, then you're in luck. StackSocial has an amazing deal that brings the price of a Microsoft Office Professional 2021 Lifetime License down from $220 to just $40. That's a huge 81% discount, but this deal won't last forever. So, if you want to get your hands on it, you'd better be quick. See at StackSocial Microsoft Office Professional 2021 comes with Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote, Publisher, Access, and the free version of Teams. These are pretty much all of the software options you need to work or study on whatever device you're using. Word is an excellent tool for anyone who likes writing, no matter how professional or unprofessional. Excel is essential for not just accounting, but also budgets, and somehow, game design. PowerPoint is an excellent choice for presentations, even though most of us have some mild degree of bar chart flashbacks when using it. Outlook is great for emails, and allows for all sorts of useful functions if you're sending a lot of them. OneNote is an amazing way to take notes and share ideas with people in an easy-to-understand way. Publisher is a great piece of software for those looking to design newsletters and brochures. Access is a great databasing software, and Teams is better than Skype, and also still works. Buying this will grant access to all of these for whatever device you activate the code on. You'll then be able to use them all from then on for the rest of time. Well, you'll be able to use them until your laptop or PC gives up on things. That's because this isn't tied to your account, but the device you activate it on. Make sure you keep that in mind before activating it on your phone or something by accident. While you could sign up for Microsoft 365 and pay for access to all of these programs monthly, it's better for a lot of us to save a huge chunk of change and pick them all up while it's just $40. Just keep in mind the deal will end soon, so if you do want this, you should buy it quickly. See at StackSocial
CNET
7 days ago
- Business
- CNET
You Can Get Lifetime Access to Microsoft Windows 11 Pro and Office Pro 2021 for $45 but Only for 3 More Days
Whether for work, school or both, Microsoft Office is something just about all of us use. That also goes hand in hand with Microsoft Windows. Just because it's essential doesn't mean it's affordable, though. Getting them directly from Microsoft usually means shelling out hundreds of dollars. Windows 11 Pro will set you back $200 and an Office Pro 2021 license will cost another $440. Thankfully, this deal on StackSocial grants you both of these items for just $45, which is an incredible 89% discount. But the catch is, this offer is expiring soon so don't wait to act. Windows 11 Pro has plenty of extra features you don't get in the standard version, including Microsoft Remote Desktop, BitLocker device encryption, Windows Sandbox, Hyper-V, Azure Active Directory and much more. You'll receive an activation key that you can use on up to three devices. Just make sure to check the system requirements before you buy, because not every computer can run it. Hey, did you know? CNET Deals texts are free, easy and save you money. Office Professional 2021 offers programs like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Publisher, OneNote and more. A lot of us end up going for a Microsoft 365 subscription access to these, but if you'd rather just pay once, then this is an excellent chance to do so. Note that you'll be limited to installing Office on just one computer, but you will have access on that computer permanently. If you don't need the Office apps in this bundle, you can grab this Windows 11 Pro deal with the operating system upgrade for $10, which is 94% off the list price of $199. Whether you're going with the Windows deal or the entire bundle, you save a significant amount. Why this deal matters When it comes down to it, Microsoft is the standard for most computers. While it's not the most expensive software out there, being able to save money on it is still well worth the effort. This deal gives easy access to pretty much everything most people need, so don't miss out on it. Plus, it's $10 less than the last time we covered the deal. Just remember, it expires in three days, so don't wait.
