Penetration testing provider Synack is getting an infusion of $21.25 million from the investment arms of Microsoft and HP, among others, and some of it will be used to hire more security analysts to fuel what it calls its hacker-powered intelligence platform. The investment is the Series C round of funding and is led by…
Microsoft this week retired the security bulletins that for decades have described each month’s slate of vulnerabilities and accompanying patches for customers — especially administrators responsible for companies’ IT operations. One patch expert reported on the change for his team. “It was like trying to relearn how to walk, run and ride a bike, all…
After the Shadow Brokers group opened up its archive of exploits allegedly stolen from the United States National Security Agency, security experts found a nasty surprise waiting for Solaris administrators. The Register reported that the dumped Shadow Broker files reference two programs, Extremeparr and Ebbisland, that would let attackers obtain root access remotely over the network…
Microsoft this week offered corporate customers a free 90-day trial of the enterprise-grade edition of Windows 10’s latest version, continuing its pitch to businesses that have yet to deploy the new operating system. Yesterday marked the official launch of Windows 10 Creators Update, the latest feature upgrade in the OS’s software-as-a-service model. Microsoft also tagged…
One of the first big stories about the Raspberry Pi when it hit retail shelves more than five years ago was that it didn’t actually hit most retail shelves. Availability was a serious issue at launch, as the Raspberry Pi Foundation didn’t yet realize what a hit it had on its hands, and initial supplies…
Advocates of Google’s Go have put together a working group to take the open source language forward in areas like installation and helping new users. The DXWG (Developer Experience Working Group) will work on streamlining the experience for first-time Go users. Initial tasks include improving the Go installation experience, providing better guidelines to help new users, and…
A previously unknown Microsoft Office vulnerability was recently used to deliver spyware to Russian-speaking targets, in a possible case of cyberespionage. Security firm FireEye noticed the intrusion attempt, which taps a critical software flaw that hackers are using to craft malicious Microsoft Word documents. On Wednesday, FireEye said it uncovered one attack that weaponized a…
Industrial control systems (ICS) that run the valves and switches in factories may suffer from inherent weaknesses that cropped up only after they were installed and the networks they were attached to became more widely connected. FireEye iSIGHT Intelligence Sean McBride The problems are as far ranging as hard-coded passwords that are publicly available to…
Microsoft is hosting an education-focused event in New York City on May 2, and the tech titan is expected to reveal new software and hardware. The company sent out invitations a day after it launched the Windows 10 Creators Update, the latest major feature release for its current operating system. Microsoft is working to make…
Samsung’s highly promoted Bixby voice assistant won’t be shipping with the Galaxy S8 smartphone on April 21, as previously announced. The company released a statement Tuesday night that said Bixby will be available in the U.S. on the Galaxy S8 “later in the spring.” Samsung didn’t explain the delay. The Bixby will join a pack…