German auto giant Volkswagen joined hands with top US tech organisation Microsoft on Thursday for developing self-driving vehicle systems.&nbsp;

Volkswagen, which owns premium car brands like Porsche and Audi, is developing both self-driving cars and driver-assistance features such as adaptive cruise control in current vehicles.&nbsp;

Watch |&nbsp;

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The German auto giant said it aims to ramp up development of such systems, which are greatly becoming the norm in the vehicle industry, reports news agency AFP.&nbsp;

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It aims to invest some (about USD 32.7 billion) 27 billion euros in this field by 2025.

"This is the next step in our strategic partnership," Microsoft director Scott Guthrie said.

Both the companies have not shared details about the terms and financial aspects of the deal.&nbsp;

The deal with Microsoft will allow the software updates adding new features to cars, a practice electric-car maker Tesla started much earlier than its rivals.&nbsp;

In 2018, Volkswagen inked a deal with Microsoft to connect its cars with Azure cloud computing service.&nbsp;

This deal will enable software updates of the same cloud to reflect on Volkswagen's cars.&nbsp;

On similar fronts, General Motors has just inked a deal with Microsoft to push its introduction of autonomous vehicles, while France's Renault partnered with Google last year. 
&nbsp;

German auto giant Volkswagen joined hands with top US tech organisation Microsoft on Thursday for developing self-driving vehicle systems. Volkswagen, which owns premium car brands like Porsche and Audi, is developing both self-driving cars and driver-assistance features such as adaptive cruise control in current vehicles.

German auto giant Volkswagen joined hands with top US tech organisation Microsoft on Thursday for developing self-driving vehicle systems. Volkswagen, which owns premium car brands like Porsche and Audi, is developing both self-driving cars and driver-assistance features such as adaptive cruise control in current vehicles. Watch | The German auto giant said it aims to ramp up development of such systems, which are greatly becoming the norm in the vehicle industry, reports news agency AFP. Also read | Google Cloud signs mega deal with Twitter It aims to invest some (about USD 32.7 billion) 27 billion euros in this field by 2025. "This is the next step in our strategic partnership," Microsoft director Scott Guthrie said. Both the companies have not shared details about the terms and financial aspects of the deal. The deal with Microsoft will allow the software updates adding new features to cars, a practice electric-car maker Tesla started much earlier than its rivals. In 2018, Volkswagen inked a deal with Microsoft to connect its cars with Azure cloud computing service. This deal will enable software updates of the same cloud to reflect on Volkswagen's cars. On similar fronts, General Motors has just inked a deal with Microsoft to push its introduction of autonomous vehicles, while France's Renault partnered with Google last year.

Volkswagen signs deal with Microsoft to develop self-driving vehicles

In a bid to strengthen the stability and future of American democracy, Microsoft on Friday said it is temporarily cutting off donations to politicians, who supported efforts to overturn President Joe Biden's victory or voted against certifying the US election results.&nbsp;

Contributions from shareholders, employees, and family members are channeled through a Microsoft Corporation Stakeholders Voluntary PAC, which will be withheld for these lawmakers through the 2022 election cycle, according to corporate vice president Fred Humphries.&nbsp;

The political action committee will also create a Democracy Forward Initiative to support campaign finance reform and voting rights, Humphries added.&nbsp;

"We believe these steps are appropriate given the importance of these issues for the stability and future of American democracy," he said in a blog post.&nbsp;

The PAC suspended political contributions after the deadly attack last month on the US Capitol Building by supporters of former president Donald Trump.&nbsp;

In an unprecedented second impeachment trial, Trump is accused of fomenting the attack by his supporters on the US legislature, forcing a halt to proceedings to certify Biden's victory in the November presidential election.&nbsp;

The January 6 violence continues to reverberate in Washington. Prosecutors have charged some 180 people in the attacks, according to a tally by the George Washington University Program on Extremism, and hundreds more are under investigation.&nbsp;

The Justice Department has suggested it could build a case for seditious conspiracy by some Trump-supporting extreme-right groups in the attack.&nbsp;

In a White House rally just before the attack, Trump encouraged supporters to reject the election results and to 'fight like hell’.&nbsp;

The Microsoft PAC is suspending all donations to members of Congress, who voted to object to the certification of the election results, according to Humphries.&nbsp;

More than 3,000 Microsoft employees donate to the PAC, and Humphries said the announced moves resulted from feedback gathered from many of them in video-meetings.&nbsp;

"We do realize that these steps, while significant, will be too much or too little for some employees," Humphries said.&nbsp;

"There were several other good ideas that arose from our recent meetings, and we will continue to consider other ways we can strengthen the MSVPAC."&nbsp;

In a bid to strengthen the stability and future of American democracy, Microsoft on Friday said it is temporarily cutting off donations to politicians, who supported efforts to overturn President Joe Biden's victory or voted against certifying the US election results.

In a bid to strengthen the stability and future of American democracy, Microsoft on Friday said it is temporarily cutting off donations to politicians, who supported efforts to overturn President Joe Biden's victory or voted against certifying the US election results. Contributions from shareholders, employees, and family members are channeled through a Microsoft Corporation Stakeholders Voluntary PAC, which will be withheld for these lawmakers through the 2022 election cycle, according to corporate vice president Fred Humphries. The political action committee will also create a Democracy Forward Initiative to support campaign finance reform and voting rights, Humphries added. "We believe these steps are appropriate given the importance of these issues for the stability and future of American democracy," he said in a blog post. The PAC suspended political contributions after the deadly attack last month on the US Capitol Building by supporters of former president Donald Trump. In an unprecedented second impeachment trial, Trump is accused of fomenting the attack by his supporters on the US legislature, forcing a halt to proceedings to certify Biden's victory in the November presidential election. The January 6 violence continues to reverberate in Washington. Prosecutors have charged some 180 people in the attacks, according to a tally by the George Washington University Program on Extremism, and hundreds more are under investigation. The Justice Department has suggested it could build a case for seditious conspiracy by some Trump-supporting extreme-right groups in the attack. In a White House rally just before the attack, Trump encouraged supporters to reject the election results and to 'fight like hell’. The Microsoft PAC is suspending all donations to members of Congress, who voted to object to the certification of the election results, according to Humphries. More than 3,000 Microsoft employees donate to the PAC, and Humphries said the announced moves resulted from feedback gathered from many of them in video-meetings. "We do realize that these steps, while significant, will be too much or too little for some employees," Humphries said. "There were several other good ideas that arose from our recent meetings, and we will continue to consider other ways we can strengthen the MSVPAC."

Microsoft cuts funds to politicians, who didn’t certify US poll results

Microsoft&nbsp;Corp said on Wednesday it fully supported proposed new laws in Australia that would force internet giants Google and Facebook Inc to pay domestic media outlets for their content.

Microsoft has been positioning itself to increase market share for its search engine, Bing after a Google executive told a Senate hearing last month that it would likely make its search engine unavailable in Australia if the government goes ahead with a draft law that would make tech giants pay for news content.

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Microsoft President Brad Smith said in a statement that he and Microsoft Chief Executive Satya Nadella had told Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Communications Minister Paul Fletcher in an online meeting&nbsp; that&nbsp;"While&nbsp;Microsoft&nbsp;is not subject to the legislation currently pending, we'd be willing to live by these rules if the government designates us."

"The code reasonably attempts to address the bargaining power imbalance between digital platforms and Australian news businesses."

Both Alphabet Inc's Google and Facebook have called the laws unworkable and said last month they would withdraw some key services from Australia if the regulations went ahead.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Monday&nbsp;Microsoft&nbsp;was ready to step in and expand its search product Bing in Australia if Google pulls its search engine after he spoke with&nbsp;Microsoft&nbsp;Chief Executive Satya Nadella last week.

Although Bing is Australia's second most popular search engine, it has only a 3.6 per cent&nbsp;market share, according to web analytics service Statcounter.

Google's search engine has 94 per cent of&nbsp;the country's search market, according to industry data.

Microsoft&nbsp;in its statement said it will offer small firms a chance to transfer advertising business to Bing with no costs and that it would invest further in the product to ensure it is competitive.

The mandatory code proposed by the government aims to make Google and Facebook pay Australian media companies fairly for using news content the tech giants siphon from news sites.

There are no plans to make smaller search engines such as Bing pay for linking users to Australian news, but the government has not ruled that option out. 
Google has faced pressure from authorities elsewhere to pay for news.

Last month, it signed a deal with a group of French publishers paving the way for the company to make digital copyright payments. Under the agreement, Google will negotiate individual licensing deals with newspapers, with payments based on factors such as the amount published daily and monthly internet site traffic.

But Google is resisting the Australian plan because it would have less control over how much it would have to pay. Under the Australian system, if an online platform and a news business can't agree on a price for news, an arbitration panel will make a binding decision on payment.

Microsoft Corp said on Wednesday it fully supported proposed new laws in Australia that would force internet giants Google and Facebook Inc to pay domestic media outlets for their content.

Microsoft Corp said on Wednesday it fully supported proposed new laws in Australia that would force internet giants Google and Facebook Inc to pay domestic media outlets for their content. Microsoft has been positioning itself to increase market share for its search engine, Bing after a Google executive told a Senate hearing last month that it would likely make its search engine unavailable in Australia if the government goes ahead with a draft law that would make tech giants pay for news content. Microsoft President Brad Smith said in a statement that he and Microsoft Chief Executive Satya Nadella had told Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Communications Minister Paul Fletcher in an online meeting that "While Microsoft is not subject to the legislation currently pending, we'd be willing to live by these rules if the government designates us." "The code reasonably attempts to address the bargaining power imbalance between digital platforms and Australian news businesses." Both Alphabet Inc's Google and Facebook have called the laws unworkable and said last month they would withdraw some key services from Australia if the regulations went ahead. Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Monday Microsoft was ready to step in and expand its search product Bing in Australia if Google pulls its search engine after he spoke with Microsoft Chief Executive Satya Nadella last week. Although Bing is Australia's second most popular search engine, it has only a 3.6 per cent market share, according to web analytics service Statcounter. Google's search engine has 94 per cent of the country's search market, according to industry data. Microsoft in its statement said it will offer small firms a chance to transfer advertising business to Bing with no costs and that it would invest further in the product to ensure it is competitive. The mandatory code proposed by the government aims to make Google and Facebook pay Australian media companies fairly for using news content the tech giants siphon from news sites. There are no plans to make smaller search engines such as Bing pay for linking users to Australian news, but the government has not ruled that option out. Google has faced pressure from authorities elsewhere to pay for news. Last month, it signed a deal with a group of French publishers paving the way for the company to make digital copyright payments. Under the agreement, Google will negotiate individual licensing deals with newspapers, with payments based on factors such as the amount published daily and monthly internet site traffic. But Google is resisting the Australian plan because it would have less control over how much it would have to pay. Under the Australian system, if an online platform and a news business can't agree on a price for news, an arbitration panel will make a binding decision on payment.

Microsoft says it supports Australia's plans to make Google pay for news

Software giant Microsoft Corp is confident its search product Bing can fill the gap in Australia if&nbsp;Google&nbsp;pulls its search over required payments to media outlets, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Monday.

Australia has introduced laws that would force internet giant&nbsp;Google&nbsp;and social media heavyweight Facebook Inc to negotiate payments to domestic media outlets whose content links drive traffic to their platforms.

However, the Big Tech firms have called the laws unworkable and said last month they would withdraw key services from Australia if the regulations went ahead. Those services include&nbsp;Google's search engine, which has 94 per cent&nbsp;of the country's search market, according to industry data.

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has since spoken with Morrison about the new rules, the tech company told Reuters, and on Monday, Morrison said the software company was ready to grow the presence of its search tool Bing, the distant No. 2 player.

"I can tell you, Microsoft's pretty confident, when I spoke to Satya," Morrison told reporters in Canberra, without giving further detail of the conversation.

"We just want the rules in the digital world to be the same that exist in the real world, in the physical world," Morrison added.

A Microsoft spokeswoman confirmed the discussion took place but declined to comment, because the company was not directly involved in the laws.

"We recognise the importance of a vibrant media sector and public interest journalism in a democracy and we recognise the challenges the media sector has faced over many years through changing business models and consumer preferences," the spokeswoman said.

Google&nbsp;declined to comment.

A day earlier, Australian treasurer Josh Frydenberg said Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg had requested a meeting over the law, and that they had talked, but that he would not back down on the change.

At a Senate hearing into the laws, Department of Treasury deputy secretary of markets Meghan Quinn said the Australian government would have limited ability to intervene if&nbsp;Google's departure hurt businesses which rely on its search function.

"The (media bargaining) code doesn't prevent the wholesale withdrawal of services, and there's difficulty in any of the legislative mechanisms we've got for someone to (be forced to) provide a service," Quinn said.

Software giant Microsoft Corp is confident its search product Bing can fill the gap in Australia if Google pulls its search over required payments to media outlets, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Monday.

Software giant Microsoft Corp is confident its search product Bing can fill the gap in Australia if Google pulls its search over required payments to media outlets, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Monday. Australia has introduced laws that would force internet giant Google and social media heavyweight Facebook Inc to negotiate payments to domestic media outlets whose content links drive traffic to their platforms. However, the Big Tech firms have called the laws unworkable and said last month they would withdraw key services from Australia if the regulations went ahead. Those services include Google's search engine, which has 94 per cent of the country's search market, according to industry data. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has since spoken with Morrison about the new rules, the tech company told Reuters, and on Monday, Morrison said the software company was ready to grow the presence of its search tool Bing, the distant No. 2 player. "I can tell you, Microsoft's pretty confident, when I spoke to Satya," Morrison told reporters in Canberra, without giving further detail of the conversation. "We just want the rules in the digital world to be the same that exist in the real world, in the physical world," Morrison added. A Microsoft spokeswoman confirmed the discussion took place but declined to comment, because the company was not directly involved in the laws. "We recognise the importance of a vibrant media sector and public interest journalism in a democracy and we recognise the challenges the media sector has faced over many years through changing business models and consumer preferences," the spokeswoman said. Google declined to comment. A day earlier, Australian treasurer Josh Frydenberg said Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg had requested a meeting over the law, and that they had talked, but that he would not back down on the change. At a Senate hearing into the laws, Department of Treasury deputy secretary of markets Meghan Quinn said the Australian government would have limited ability to intervene if Google's departure hurt businesses which rely on its search function. "The (media bargaining) code doesn't prevent the wholesale withdrawal of services, and there's difficulty in any of the legislative mechanisms we've got for someone to (be forced to) provide a service," Quinn said.

As Google eyes Australia exit, Microsoft talks Bing with Prime Minister Scott Morrison

Billionaire techie and Zoho founder Sridhar Vembu said half-jokingly that he or his employees did not have to go behind bars for being a competitor of Google. He was drawing a parallel with former Thuglak Editor Cho Ramaswamy who had taken on Prime Minister Indira Gandhi during the Emergency years.&nbsp;

Speaking at the 51st anniversary of the Thuglak magazine in Chennai, Mr Vembu said that he had been a long time reader of the tamil magazine, adding that he had enjoyed and read it more than his textbooks. 'I was barely eight years old when the Emergency was imposed and I remember some of the censoreed cartoons of those times".

Making a mention of Cho Ramaswamy and his Journalism, Vembu said that he admired the former editor's courage, multi-faceted nature. "Cho and Thuglak created a great impression on me" said the billionaire entrepreneur.&nbsp;

He added that he would often urge his employees to not fear japan or china, joking that the maximum challenge that they would have to face is to lose their jobs, unlike the emergency period that India faced between 1975 to 1977.&nbsp;

Sridhar Vembu is known as the tech magnate who brought technology functions such as software &amp; product development to villages. Recently, he has shared a few pictures where he was seen rising a bicycle for his commute, wearing a simple dhoti, while in his native, Tenkasi, Tamil Nadu. &nbsp;

His company has also unveiled an instant messaging app called 'Arattai', that is made in india. The app is expected to be formally launched in a few weeks.

Billionaire techie and Zoho founder Sridhar Vembu said half-jokingly that he or his employees did not have to go behind bars for being a competitor of Google. He was drawing a parallel with former Thuglak Editor Cho Ramaswamy who had taken on Prime Minister Indira Gandhi during the Emergency years.

Billionaire techie and Zoho founder Sridhar Vembu said half-jokingly that he or his employees did not have to go behind bars for being a competitor of Google. He was drawing a parallel with former Thuglak Editor Cho Ramaswamy who had taken on Prime Minister Indira Gandhi during the Emergency years. Speaking at the 51st anniversary of the Thuglak magazine in Chennai, Mr Vembu said that he had been a long time reader of the tamil magazine, adding that he had enjoyed and read it more than his textbooks. 'I was barely eight years old when the Emergency was imposed and I remember some of the censoreed cartoons of those times". Making a mention of Cho Ramaswamy and his Journalism, Vembu said that he admired the former editor's courage, multi-faceted nature. "Cho and Thuglak created a great impression on me" said the billionaire entrepreneur. He added that he would often urge his employees to not fear japan or china, joking that the maximum challenge that they would have to face is to lose their jobs, unlike the emergency period that India faced between 1975 to 1977. Sridhar Vembu is known as the tech magnate who brought technology functions such as software & product development to villages. Recently, he has shared a few pictures where he was seen rising a bicycle for his commute, wearing a simple dhoti, while in his native, Tenkasi, Tamil Nadu. His company has also unveiled an instant messaging app called 'Arattai', that is made in india. The app is expected to be formally launched in a few weeks.

I don't fear Microsoft or Google says billionaire techie Sridhar Vembu of Zoho

19 security firms, tech companies, and non-profit organisation have come together to create the “Ransomware Task Force” (RTF). Companies including Microsoft and McAfee have come&nbsp;together to fight ransomware.&nbsp;

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The RTF will assess technical solutions that are already in place, along with providing protections during an attack.

Besides monitoring the state of mechanisms in place, the RTF will commission research on the topic, engage with key players across industries, and find&nbsp;problems in the existing mechanism, while finding solutions to these problems.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/godaddy-apologises-to-employees-after-christmas-bonus-email-turned-out-to-be-security-test-352312" hreflang="en">GoDaddy apologises to employees after Christmas bonus email turned out to be security test</a>

In addition, the RTF will also navigate across all potential solutions to carve out a roadmap to address serious issues.&nbsp;

The goal is to come up with a standardised framework to deal with ransomware attacks across industries. To achieve this, the RTF intends to consult industry players, instead of individual advice usually given out by contractors.

And 19 founding members of the RTF include big shots like Microsoft, McAfee along with many groups include Team Cymru, Aspen Digital, Citrix, The Cyber Threat Alliance, Cybereason, The Cybersecurity Coalition among many.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/dozens-sue-amazons-ring-smart-cameras-over-horrific-invasions-of-privacy-352053" hreflang="en">Dozens sue Amazon's Ring smart cameras over 'horrific' invasions of privacy</a>

Ransomware is a type of malware which threatens to publish the data of its victim unless a ransom is paid. In addition, access to that data may be perpetually blocked until the ransom is paid.

Ransomware is not the most common form of malware, but still remains a major threat, with the threat of ransoms growing from quarter to quarter.

Even then, the Federal Bureau of Investigation has revealed that BEC scams continue to cause the largest financial losses to companies every year.

19 security firms, tech companies, and non-profit organisation have come together to create the “Ransomware Task Force” (RTF). Companies including Microsoft and McAfee have come together to fight ransomware.

19 security firms, tech companies, and non-profit organisation have come together to create the “Ransomware Task Force” (RTF). Companies including Microsoft and McAfee have come together to fight ransomware. Also read: Privacy apps you needed to have downloaded in 2020 The RTF will assess technical solutions that are already in place, along with providing protections during an attack. Besides monitoring the state of mechanisms in place, the RTF will commission research on the topic, engage with key players across industries, and find problems in the existing mechanism, while finding solutions to these problems. Also read: GoDaddy apologises to employees after Christmas bonus email turned out to be security test In addition, the RTF will also navigate across all potential solutions to carve out a roadmap to address serious issues. The goal is to come up with a standardised framework to deal with ransomware attacks across industries. To achieve this, the RTF intends to consult industry players, instead of individual advice usually given out by contractors. And 19 founding members of the RTF include big shots like Microsoft, McAfee along with many groups include Team Cymru, Aspen Digital, Citrix, The Cyber Threat Alliance, Cybereason, The Cybersecurity Coalition among many. Also read: Dozens sue Amazon's Ring smart cameras over 'horrific' invasions of privacy Ransomware is a type of malware which threatens to publish the data of its victim unless a ransom is paid. In addition, access to that data may be perpetually blocked until the ransom is paid. Ransomware is not the most common form of malware, but still remains a major threat, with the threat of ransoms growing from quarter to quarter. Even then, the Federal Bureau of Investigation has revealed that BEC scams continue to cause the largest financial losses to companies every year.

Tech companies, firms like Microsoft and McAfee institute the 'Ransomware Task Force'

As the United States comes to grips with a far-reaching Russian cyberattack on federal agencies, private corporations and the nation’s infrastructure, new evidence has emerged that the hackers hunted their victims through multiple channels.

The most significant intrusions discovered so far piggybacked on software from SolarWinds, the Austin, Texas-based company whose updates the Russians compromised. But new evidence from the security firm CrowdStrike suggests that companies that sell software on Microsoft’s behalf were also used to break into customers of Microsoft’s Office 365 software.

Because resellers are often entrusted to set up and maintain clients’ software, they — like SolarWinds — have been an ideal front for Russian hackers and a nightmare for Microsoft’s cloud customers, who are still assessing just how deep into their systems Russia’s hackers have crawled.

“They couldn’t get into Microsoft 365 directly, so they targeted the weakest point in the supply chain: the resellers,” said Glenn Chisholm, a founder of Obsidian, a cybersecurity firm.

CrowdStrike confirmed Wednesday that it was also a target of the attack. In CrowdStrike’s case, the Russians did not use SolarWinds but a Microsoft reseller, and the attack was unsuccessful. A CrowdStrike spokeswoman, Ilina Dimitrova, declined to elaborate beyond a company blog post describing the attempted attack.

The approach is not unlike the 2013 attack on Target in which hackers got in through the retailer’s heating and cooling vendor.

The latest Russian attacks, which are thought to have begun last spring, have exposed a substantial blind spot in the software supply chain. Companies can track phishing attacks and malware all they want, but as long as they are blindly trusting vendors and cloud services like Microsoft, Salesforce Google’s G-Suite, Zoom, Slack, SolarWinds and others — and giving them broad access to employee email and corporate networks — they will never be secure, cybersecurity experts say.

“These cloud services create a web of interconnections and opportunity for the attacker,” Chisholm said. “What we are witnessing now is a new wave of modern attacks against these modern cloud platforms, and we need 2021 defenses.”

Some reports have confused the latest development with a breach of Microsoft itself. But the company said it stood by its statement last week that it was not hacked, nor was it used to attack customers.

But the CrowdStrike discovery shows how the Russian hackers used its resellers to target its customers indirectly. CrowdStrike said in a blog post Wednesday that hackers tried to read the company’s emails from a reseller account but were not able to gain access to its data or systems.

U.S. officials did not detect the attack until recent weeks, and then only when a private cybersecurity firm, FireEye, alerted U.S. intelligence that the hackers had evaded layers of defenses.

It was evident that the Treasury and Commerce departments, the first agencies reported to be breached, were only part of a far larger operation whose sophistication stunned even experts who have been following a quarter-century of Russian hackings on the Pentagon and American civilian agencies.

The National Security Agency — the premier U.S. intelligence organization that both hacks into foreign networks and defends national security agencies from attacks — apparently did not know of the breach in the network-monitoring software made by SolarWinds until it was notified last week by FireEye. The National Security Agency itself uses SolarWinds software.

Two of the most embarrassing breaches came at the Pentagon and the Department of Homeland Security, whose Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency oversaw the successful defense of the U.S. election system last month.

The Russian hackers behind the attack broke into the email system used by top officials at the Treasury Department in July.

Computers at at least two dozen organizations — including Cisco, Intel, Nvidia, Deloitte and the California Department of State Hospitals — appear to have been hacked, The Wall Street Journal reported. Some of the groups, like Intel and Deloitte, said the attack did not affect their most delicate systems.

As the United States comes to grips with a far-reaching Russian cyberattack on federal agencies, private corporations and the nation’s infrastructure, new evidence has emerged that the hackers hunted their victims through multiple channels.

As the United States comes to grips with a far-reaching Russian cyberattack on federal agencies, private corporations and the nation’s infrastructure, new evidence has emerged that the hackers hunted their victims through multiple channels. The most significant intrusions discovered so far piggybacked on software from SolarWinds, the Austin, Texas-based company whose updates the Russians compromised. But new evidence from the security firm CrowdStrike suggests that companies that sell software on Microsoft’s behalf were also used to break into customers of Microsoft’s Office 365 software. Because resellers are often entrusted to set up and maintain clients’ software, they — like SolarWinds — have been an ideal front for Russian hackers and a nightmare for Microsoft’s cloud customers, who are still assessing just how deep into their systems Russia’s hackers have crawled. “They couldn’t get into Microsoft 365 directly, so they targeted the weakest point in the supply chain: the resellers,” said Glenn Chisholm, a founder of Obsidian, a cybersecurity firm. CrowdStrike confirmed Wednesday that it was also a target of the attack. In CrowdStrike’s case, the Russians did not use SolarWinds but a Microsoft reseller, and the attack was unsuccessful. A CrowdStrike spokeswoman, Ilina Dimitrova, declined to elaborate beyond a company blog post describing the attempted attack. The approach is not unlike the 2013 attack on Target in which hackers got in through the retailer’s heating and cooling vendor. The latest Russian attacks, which are thought to have begun last spring, have exposed a substantial blind spot in the software supply chain. Companies can track phishing attacks and malware all they want, but as long as they are blindly trusting vendors and cloud services like Microsoft, Salesforce Google’s G-Suite, Zoom, Slack, SolarWinds and others — and giving them broad access to employee email and corporate networks — they will never be secure, cybersecurity experts say. “These cloud services create a web of interconnections and opportunity for the attacker,” Chisholm said. “What we are witnessing now is a new wave of modern attacks against these modern cloud platforms, and we need 2021 defenses.” Some reports have confused the latest development with a breach of Microsoft itself. But the company said it stood by its statement last week that it was not hacked, nor was it used to attack customers. But the CrowdStrike discovery shows how the Russian hackers used its resellers to target its customers indirectly. CrowdStrike said in a blog post Wednesday that hackers tried to read the company’s emails from a reseller account but were not able to gain access to its data or systems. U.S. officials did not detect the attack until recent weeks, and then only when a private cybersecurity firm, FireEye, alerted U.S. intelligence that the hackers had evaded layers of defenses. It was evident that the Treasury and Commerce departments, the first agencies reported to be breached, were only part of a far larger operation whose sophistication stunned even experts who have been following a quarter-century of Russian hackings on the Pentagon and American civilian agencies. The National Security Agency — the premier U.S. intelligence organization that both hacks into foreign networks and defends national security agencies from attacks — apparently did not know of the breach in the network-monitoring software made by SolarWinds until it was notified last week by FireEye. The National Security Agency itself uses SolarWinds software. Two of the most embarrassing breaches came at the Pentagon and the Department of Homeland Security, whose Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency oversaw the successful defense of the U.S. election system last month. The Russian hackers behind the attack broke into the email system used by top officials at the Treasury Department in July. Computers at at least two dozen organizations — including Cisco, Intel, Nvidia, Deloitte and the California Department of State Hospitals — appear to have been hacked, The Wall Street Journal reported. Some of the groups, like Intel and Deloitte, said the attack did not affect their most delicate systems.

Russians are believed to have used Microsoft resellers in cyberattacks

The suspected Russian hackers responsible for the worst US cyber attack in years leveraged reseller access to Microsoft Corp services to penetrate targets that had no compromised network software from SolarWinds Corp, investigators have said.&nbsp;

Notably, the updates to SolarWinds' Orion software was previously the only known point of entry.

Security company CrowdStrike Holdings Inc said Thursday hackers had won access to the vendor that sold it Office licenses and used that to try to read CrowdStrike's email.

CrowdStrike uses Office programmes for word processing but not email. The failed attempt, made months ago, was pointed out to CrowdStrike by Microsoft on December 15.

CrowdStrike, which does not use SolarWinds, said it had found no impact from the intrusion attempt and declined to name the reseller. "They got in through the reseller's access and tried to enable mail 'read' privileges," one of the people familiar with the investigation told Reuters.&nbsp;

"If it had been using Office 365 for email, it would have been game over."&nbsp;

Many Microsoft software licenses are sold through third parties, and those companies can have near-constant access to clients' systems as the customers add products or employees. Microsoft said Thursday that those customers need to be vigilant.&nbsp;

The use of a Microsoft reseller to try to break into a top digital defense company raises new questions about how many avenues the hackers, whom US officials have alleged are operating on behalf of the Russian government, have at their disposal.

The known victims so far include CrowdStrike security rival FireEye Inc and the US Departments of Defense, State, Commerce, Treasury, and Homeland Security. Other big companies, including Microsoft and Cisco Systems Inc, said they found tainted SolarWinds software internally but had not found signs that the hackers used it to range widely on their networks. Until now, Texas-based SolarWinds was the only publicly confirmed channel for the initial break-ins, although officials have been warning for days that the hackers had other ways in.

Reuters reported a week ago that Microsoft products were used in attacks. But federal officials said they had not seen it as an initial vector, and the software giant said its systems were not utilized in the campaign.

Microsoft then hinted that its customers should still be wary. At the end of a long, technical blog post on Tuesday, it used one sentence to mention seeing hackers reach Microsoft 365 Cloud "from trusted vendor accounts where the attacker had compromised the vendor environment."

Microsoft requires its vendors to have access to client systems in order to install products and allow new users. But discovering which vendors still have access rights at any given time is so hard that CrowdStrike developed and released an auditing tool to do that. After a series of other breaches through cloud providers, including a major set of attacks attributed to Chinese government-backed hackers and known as CloudHopper, Microsoft this year imposed new controls on its resellers, including requirements for multifactor authentication.

Also Thursday, SolarWinds released an update to fix the vulnerabilities in its flagship network management software Orion following the discovery of a second set of hackers that had targeted the company's products.&nbsp;

(with inputs)

The suspected Russian hackers responsible for the worst US cyber attack in years leveraged reseller access to Microsoft Corp services to penetrate targets that had no compromised network software from SolarWinds Corp, investigators have said.

The suspected Russian hackers responsible for the worst US cyber attack in years leveraged reseller access to Microsoft Corp services to penetrate targets that had no compromised network software from SolarWinds Corp, investigators have said. Notably, the updates to SolarWinds' Orion software was previously the only known point of entry. Security company CrowdStrike Holdings Inc said Thursday hackers had won access to the vendor that sold it Office licenses and used that to try to read CrowdStrike's email. CrowdStrike uses Office programmes for word processing but not email. The failed attempt, made months ago, was pointed out to CrowdStrike by Microsoft on December 15. CrowdStrike, which does not use SolarWinds, said it had found no impact from the intrusion attempt and declined to name the reseller. "They got in through the reseller's access and tried to enable mail 'read' privileges," one of the people familiar with the investigation told Reuters. "If it had been using Office 365 for email, it would have been game over." Many Microsoft software licenses are sold through third parties, and those companies can have near-constant access to clients' systems as the customers add products or employees. Microsoft said Thursday that those customers need to be vigilant. The use of a Microsoft reseller to try to break into a top digital defense company raises new questions about how many avenues the hackers, whom US officials have alleged are operating on behalf of the Russian government, have at their disposal. The known victims so far include CrowdStrike security rival FireEye Inc and the US Departments of Defense, State, Commerce, Treasury, and Homeland Security. Other big companies, including Microsoft and Cisco Systems Inc, said they found tainted SolarWinds software internally but had not found signs that the hackers used it to range widely on their networks. Until now, Texas-based SolarWinds was the only publicly confirmed channel for the initial break-ins, although officials have been warning for days that the hackers had other ways in. Reuters reported a week ago that Microsoft products were used in attacks. But federal officials said they had not seen it as an initial vector, and the software giant said its systems were not utilized in the campaign. Microsoft then hinted that its customers should still be wary. At the end of a long, technical blog post on Tuesday, it used one sentence to mention seeing hackers reach Microsoft 365 Cloud "from trusted vendor accounts where the attacker had compromised the vendor environment." Microsoft requires its vendors to have access to client systems in order to install products and allow new users. But discovering which vendors still have access rights at any given time is so hard that CrowdStrike developed and released an auditing tool to do that. After a series of other breaches through cloud providers, including a major set of attacks attributed to Chinese government-backed hackers and known as CloudHopper, Microsoft this year imposed new controls on its resellers, including requirements for multifactor authentication. Also Thursday, SolarWinds released an update to fix the vulnerabilities in its flagship network management software Orion following the discovery of a second set of hackers that had targeted the company's products. (with inputs)

Russian hackers used Microsoft vendors to breach customers, investigators say

American fast-food restaurant chain KFC has finally introduced its gaming console called 'KFConsole' and it can do something the PS5 and Xbox Series X cannot, that is, it can also keep your chicken warm.

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The console wars are 𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓. 
 
Introducing the KFConsole. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PowerYourHunger?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PowerYourHunger</a> <a href="https://t.co/k7AM6g61Ip">pic.twitter.com/k7AM6g61Ip</a>
— KFC Gaming (@kfcgaming) <a href="https://twitter.com/kfcgaming/status/1341428570388901891?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 22, 2020</a></blockquote>
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See it for yourself. Find out more about the new <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KFConsole?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KFConsole</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/CoolerMaster?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CoolerMaster</a>: <a href="https://t.co/omZWuIhBG8">https://t.co/omZWuIhBG8</a> <a href="https://t.co/6n5panSJIs">pic.twitter.com/6n5panSJIs</a>
— KFC Gaming (@kfcgaming) <a href="https://twitter.com/kfcgaming/status/1341431562999631879?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 22, 2020</a></blockquote>
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The shape of the&nbsp;KFConsole is fundamentally the same as the famous KFC chicken container but it has&nbsp;a matte dark and red tones, and the support itself is partitioned into two particular chambers—one where all the figuring power lives and the second being where your chicken supper can remain warm while you play.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/microsoft-launches-worlds-most-powerful-next-generation-xbox-gaming-console-342103">Microsoft launches 'world's most powerful' next-generation Xbox gaming console</a>

The KFConsole has been made in a collaboration&nbsp;with PC equipment maker Cooler Master and as of now has a one-up over every other person in this comfort battle with that underlying chicken chamber.

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/G2xa7vabDkE" width="560"></iframe>

What's more, that is not all, this “bargain-bucket” shaped KFConsole can also handle the latest games. The particulars and subtleties for the KFConsole incorporate a specially fabricated Cooler Master NC100 case and is controlled by the Intel NUC 9 outrageous figuring pack, two Seagate BarraCuda 1TB PCIe NVMe SSDs and illustrations gave by Asus.

The KFConsole is evidently VR prepared, and can offer interactivity up to 240fps, upholds 4K and beam following tech. The cooling instrument is the thing that drives the warming chamber inside the support, and there is certifiably not a different grille or profound fryer component inside the comfort. Furthermore, since gaming consoles can get very warm, that should sufficiently be to keep your food warm while you do a spot of gaming.The reassure was prodded back in June this year and it is at long last here. The KFConsole is intended to keep your food hot, it has a uniquely fabricated cooling framework that concentrates heat from the support through the outside of the chicken chamber that keeps the equipment cool and the food hot.&nbsp;

KFC's gaming console is bound to give tough competition to Sony's PS5 and Microsoft's Xbox Series X.

As of now, there is no information on when you will have the option to purchase the KFConsole or the amount it will cost. Protected to state that it'll be delivered ahead of schedule one year from now, best-case scenario.&nbsp;

American fast-food restaurant chain KFC has finally introduced its gaming console called 'KFConsole' and it can do something the PS5 and Xbox Series X cannot, that is, it can also keep your chicken warm.

American fast-food restaurant chain KFC has finally introduced its gaming console called 'KFConsole' and it can do something the PS5 and Xbox Series X cannot, that is, it can also keep your chicken warm. The console wars are 𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓. Introducing the KFConsole. #PowerYourHunger pic.twitter.com/k7AM6g61Ip — KFC Gaming (@kfcgaming) December 22, 2020 × See it for yourself. Find out more about the new #KFConsole @CoolerMaster: https://t.co/omZWuIhBG8 pic.twitter.com/6n5panSJIs — KFC Gaming (@kfcgaming) December 22, 2020 × The shape of the KFConsole is fundamentally the same as the famous KFC chicken container but it has a matte dark and red tones, and the support itself is partitioned into two particular chambers—one where all the figuring power lives and the second being where your chicken supper can remain warm while you play. Also read: Microsoft launches 'world's most powerful' next-generation Xbox gaming console The KFConsole has been made in a collaboration with PC equipment maker Cooler Master and as of now has a one-up over every other person in this comfort battle with that underlying chicken chamber. What's more, that is not all, this “bargain-bucket” shaped KFConsole can also handle the latest games. The particulars and subtleties for the KFConsole incorporate a specially fabricated Cooler Master NC100 case and is controlled by the Intel NUC 9 outrageous figuring pack, two Seagate BarraCuda 1TB PCIe NVMe SSDs and illustrations gave by Asus. The KFConsole is evidently VR prepared, and can offer interactivity up to 240fps, upholds 4K and beam following tech. The cooling instrument is the thing that drives the warming chamber inside the support, and there is certifiably not a different grille or profound fryer component inside the comfort. Furthermore, since gaming consoles can get very warm, that should sufficiently be to keep your food warm while you do a spot of gaming.The reassure was prodded back in June this year and it is at long last here. The KFConsole is intended to keep your food hot, it has a uniquely fabricated cooling framework that concentrates heat from the support through the outside of the chicken chamber that keeps the equipment cool and the food hot. KFC's gaming console is bound to give tough competition to Sony's PS5 and Microsoft's Xbox Series X. As of now, there is no information on when you will have the option to purchase the KFConsole or the amount it will cost. Protected to state that it'll be delivered ahead of schedule one year from now, best-case scenario.

How KFConsole is better than Sony's PS5 and Microsoft's Xbox Series X

Josh, an Indian short video-sharing app like TikTok&nbsp;has raised more than $100 million from investors including Alphabet Inc's Google and Microsoft, months after the Chinese app&nbsp;was banned in the country.

Josh is one of a few local short-video stages that have jumped up since India hindered the uncontrollably mainstream TikTok in June in the midst of an outskirt emergency with China, pulling in worldwide financial specialist interest in applications filling the gap.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-bans-59-chinese-apps-including-tiktok-shareit-uc-browser-citing-national-security-309464">India bans 59 Chinese apps including TikTok, Shareit, UC Browser citing national security</a>

Bengaluru-based VerSe Innovation, which owns&nbsp;Josh, is valued at more than $1 billion following the investment, it said in a statement.&nbsp;Josh has crossed 50 million downloads on the Google Play store.&nbsp;

AlphaWave, a part of global asset manager Falcon Edge Capital, also invested in VerSe, as did existing investors Sofina Group and Lupa Systems, VerSe said, adding that it would use the funds to scale up&nbsp;Josh.

Google said the speculation is essential for its $10 billion (generally Rs. 73,900 crores) Google for India Digitisation Fund made to quicken India's computerised economy.&nbsp;

"At the point when we shared subtleties of the India Digitization Fund in July this year, we distinguished empowering reasonable access and data for each Indian in their own language, regardless of whether it's Hindi, Tamil, Malayalam, Gujarati, and more as a critical column to drive forward India's digitisation," Google said in a blog entry.&nbsp;

VerSe also owns the news and content platform Dailyhunt, which offers content in multiple Indian languages.

In September, Indian content-sharing platform ShareChat raised $40 million from investors including Twitter Inc and Lightspeed Ventures, in an effort to drive growth for its new short-video app Moj.

Both&nbsp;Josh&nbsp;and Moj have been installed on more than 50 million devices each, according to data from Google's Play Store.

Separately on Tuesday, Indian ad technology firm InMobi's Glance - which runs an eponymous lock-screen content app and short-video platform Roposo - said it had raised $145 million from Google and existing investor Mithril Capital.

Google set aside $10 billion earlier this year for digital investments in India.

&nbsp;

Josh, an Indian short video-sharing app like TikTok has raised more than $100 million from investors including Alphabet Inc's Google and Microsoft, months after the Chinese app was banned in the country.

Josh, an Indian short video-sharing app like TikTok has raised more than $100 million from investors including Alphabet Inc's Google and Microsoft, months after the Chinese app was banned in the country. Josh is one of a few local short-video stages that have jumped up since India hindered the uncontrollably mainstream TikTok in June in the midst of an outskirt emergency with China, pulling in worldwide financial specialist interest in applications filling the gap. Also read: India bans 59 Chinese apps including TikTok, Shareit, UC Browser citing national security Bengaluru-based VerSe Innovation, which owns Josh, is valued at more than $1 billion following the investment, it said in a statement. Josh has crossed 50 million downloads on the Google Play store. AlphaWave, a part of global asset manager Falcon Edge Capital, also invested in VerSe, as did existing investors Sofina Group and Lupa Systems, VerSe said, adding that it would use the funds to scale up Josh. Google said the speculation is essential for its $10 billion (generally Rs. 73,900 crores) Google for India Digitisation Fund made to quicken India's computerised economy. "At the point when we shared subtleties of the India Digitization Fund in July this year, we distinguished empowering reasonable access and data for each Indian in their own language, regardless of whether it's Hindi, Tamil, Malayalam, Gujarati, and more as a critical column to drive forward India's digitisation," Google said in a blog entry. VerSe also owns the news and content platform Dailyhunt, which offers content in multiple Indian languages. In September, Indian content-sharing platform ShareChat raised $40 million from investors including Twitter Inc and Lightspeed Ventures, in an effort to drive growth for its new short-video app Moj. Both Josh and Moj have been installed on more than 50 million devices each, according to data from Google's Play Store. Separately on Tuesday, Indian ad technology firm InMobi's Glance - which runs an eponymous lock-screen content app and short-video platform Roposo - said it had raised $145 million from Google and existing investor Mithril Capital. Google set aside $10 billion earlier this year for digital investments in India.

Indian version of TikTok, Josh, gets Google, Microsoft backing in $100 million fund raise

Microsoft Corp said on Thursday it found malicious software in its systems related to a massive hacking campaign disclosed by U.S. officials this week, adding a top technology target to a growing list of attacked government agencies.

The Redmond, Washington company is a user of Orion, the widely deployed networking management software from SolarWinds Corp which was used in the suspected Russian attacks on vital U.S. agencies and others.

Microsoft also had its own products leveraged to attack victims, said people familiar with the matter. The U.S. National Security Agency issued a rare "cybersecurity advisory" Thursday detailing how certain Microsoft Azure cloud services may have been compromised by hackers and directing users to lock down their systems.

"Like other SolarWinds customers, we have been actively looking for indicators of this actor and can confirm that we detected malicious Solar Winds binaries in our environment, which we isolated and removed," a Microsoft spokesperson said, adding that the company had found "no indications that our systems were used to attack others."

One of the people familiar with the hacking spree said the hackers made use of Microsoft cloud offerings while avoiding Microsoft`s corporate infrastructure.

Microsoft did not immediately respond to questions about the technique.

Still, another person familiar with the matter said the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) does not believe Microsoft was a key avenue of fresh infection.

Both Microsoft and the DHS, which earlier on Thursday said the hackers used multiple methods of entry, are continuing to investigate.

The FBI and other agencies have scheduled a classified briefing for members of Congress Friday.

The U.S. Energy Department also said it has evidence hackers gained access to its networks as part of the campaign.

Politico had earlier reported the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), which manages the country`s nuclear weapons stockpile, was targeted.

An Energy Department spokeswoman said malware "has been isolated to business networks only" and has not impacted U.S. national security, including the NNSA.

The DHS said in a bulletin on Thursday the hackers had used other techniques besides corrupting updates of network management software by SolarWinds which is used by hundreds of thousands of companies and government agencies.

CISA urged investigators not to assume their organizations were safe if they did not use recent versions of the SolarWinds software, while also pointing out that the hackers did not exploit every network they gained access too.

CISA said it was continuing to analyze the other avenues used by the attackers. So far, the hackers are known to have at least monitored email or other data within the U.S. departments of Defense, State, Treasury, Homeland Security and Commerce.

As many as 18,000 Orion customers downloaded the updates that contained a back door, SolarWinds has said. Since the campaign was discovered, software companies have cut off communication from those back doors to the computers maintained by the hackers.

But the attackers might have installed additional ways of maintaining access, CISA said, in what some have called the biggest hack in a decade.

The Department of Justice, FBI and Defense Department, among others, have moved routine communication onto classified networks that are believed not to have been breached, according to two people briefed on the measures.

They are assuming that the non-classified networks have been accessed, the people said.

CISA and private companies including FireEye Inc, which was the first to discover and reveal it had been hacked, have released a series of clues for organizations to look for to see if they have been hit.

But the attackers are very careful and have deleted logs, or electronic footprints or which files they have accessed, security experts said. That makes it hard to know what has been taken.

Some major companies have said they have "no evidence" that they were penetrated, but in some cases that may only be because the evidence was removed.

In most networks, the attackers would also have been able to create false data, but so far it appears they were interested only in obtaining real data, people tracking the probes said.

Meanwhile, members of Congress are demanding more information about what may have been taken and how, along with who was behind it. The House Homeland Security Committee and Oversight Committee announced an investigation Thursday, while senators pressed to learn whether individual tax information was obtained.

In a statement, President-elect Joe Biden said he would "elevate cybersecurity as an imperative across the government" and "disrupt and deter our adv

Microsoft Corp said on Thursday it found malicious software in its systems related to a massive hacking campaign disclosed by U.S. officials this week, adding a top technology target to a growing list of attacked government agencies.

Microsoft Corp said on Thursday it found malicious software in its systems related to a massive hacking campaign disclosed by U.S. officials this week, adding a top technology target to a growing list of attacked government agencies. The Redmond, Washington company is a user of Orion, the widely deployed networking management software from SolarWinds Corp which was used in the suspected Russian attacks on vital U.S. agencies and others. Microsoft also had its own products leveraged to attack victims, said people familiar with the matter. The U.S. National Security Agency issued a rare "cybersecurity advisory" Thursday detailing how certain Microsoft Azure cloud services may have been compromised by hackers and directing users to lock down their systems. "Like other SolarWinds customers, we have been actively looking for indicators of this actor and can confirm that we detected malicious Solar Winds binaries in our environment, which we isolated and removed," a Microsoft spokesperson said, adding that the company had found "no indications that our systems were used to attack others." One of the people familiar with the hacking spree said the hackers made use of Microsoft cloud offerings while avoiding Microsoft`s corporate infrastructure. Microsoft did not immediately respond to questions about the technique. Still, another person familiar with the matter said the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) does not believe Microsoft was a key avenue of fresh infection. Both Microsoft and the DHS, which earlier on Thursday said the hackers used multiple methods of entry, are continuing to investigate. The FBI and other agencies have scheduled a classified briefing for members of Congress Friday. The U.S. Energy Department also said it has evidence hackers gained access to its networks as part of the campaign. Politico had earlier reported the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), which manages the country`s nuclear weapons stockpile, was targeted. An Energy Department spokeswoman said malware "has been isolated to business networks only" and has not impacted U.S. national security, including the NNSA. The DHS said in a bulletin on Thursday the hackers had used other techniques besides corrupting updates of network management software by SolarWinds which is used by hundreds of thousands of companies and government agencies. CISA urged investigators not to assume their organizations were safe if they did not use recent versions of the SolarWinds software, while also pointing out that the hackers did not exploit every network they gained access too. CISA said it was continuing to analyze the other avenues used by the attackers. So far, the hackers are known to have at least monitored email or other data within the U.S. departments of Defense, State, Treasury, Homeland Security and Commerce. As many as 18,000 Orion customers downloaded the updates that contained a back door, SolarWinds has said. Since the campaign was discovered, software companies have cut off communication from those back doors to the computers maintained by the hackers. But the attackers might have installed additional ways of maintaining access, CISA said, in what some have called the biggest hack in a decade. The Department of Justice, FBI and Defense Department, among others, have moved routine communication onto classified networks that are believed not to have been breached, according to two people briefed on the measures. They are assuming that the non-classified networks have been accessed, the people said. CISA and private companies including FireEye Inc, which was the first to discover and reveal it had been hacked, have released a series of clues for organizations to look for to see if they have been hit. But the attackers are very careful and have deleted logs, or electronic footprints or which files they have accessed, security experts said. That makes it hard to know what has been taken. Some major companies have said they have "no evidence" that they were penetrated, but in some cases that may only be because the evidence was removed. In most networks, the attackers would also have been able to create false data, but so far it appears they were interested only in obtaining real data, people tracking the probes said. Meanwhile, members of Congress are demanding more information about what may have been taken and how, along with who was behind it. The House Homeland Security Committee and Oversight Committee announced an investigation Thursday, while senators pressed to learn whether individual tax information was obtained. In a statement, President-elect Joe Biden said he would "elevate cybersecurity as an imperative across the government" and "disrupt and deter our adv

Microsoft says it found malicious software in its systems

Microsoft also had its own products leveraged to attack victims, said people familiar with the matter.

Microsoft corporation says was hit by "cyberattack" related to sweeping U.S. hack

Microsoft has partnered Warner Bros ahead of the release of the "Space Jam: A New Legacy" movie with the NBA star LeBron James and cartoon icon Bugs Bunny, announcing that fans aged 14 and up can submit their best video game ideas and join free coding workshops with Microsoft. 
 
Starting December 14 through December 30, fans can visit the official contest website to review official rules and submit their game ideas to create an original Xbox arcade-style video game. 
 
"To enter, fans select the gaming genre of their choosing using a key image, and then describe the game idea in less than 500 words," Microsoft said in a statement on Monday. 
 
Two winners will have their ideas brought to life in the official "Space Jam: A New Legacy" arcade-style video game, available as a Perk for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members in 2021. 
 
The winners will also have their names featured in the game credits and receive movie merchandise, a personalised Xbox Series S console, a private friends and family screening of the film and a virtual Microsoft coding workshop for their local community, among others. 
 
"Students will build a playable prototype of a video game using block-based coding on the MakeCode Arcade platform, while learning about the professional skills and STEAM careers involved in game design," the company said. 
 
There are also two film-themed Microsoft Learn lessons, targeting more experienced coders, older teens, high school and college-aged students, and adults, that focus on how to use player stats to make real-time decisions in the middle of a game. 
 
"The video game contest, coding workshops and lessons align with Microsoft`s greater skilling initiative, which aims at helping 25 million people -- including those from underrepresented populations -- acquire new digital skills and apply them to their passions," the company said. 
 
 
&nbsp;

Microsoft has partnered Warner Bros ahead of the release of the "Space Jam: A New Legacy" movie with the NBA star LeBron James and cartoon icon Bugs Bunny, announcing that fans aged 14 and up can submit their best video game ideas and join free coding workshops with Microsoft.

Microsoft has partnered Warner Bros ahead of the release of the "Space Jam: A New Legacy" movie with the NBA star LeBron James and cartoon icon Bugs Bunny, announcing that fans aged 14 and up can submit their best video game ideas and join free coding workshops with Microsoft. Starting December 14 through December 30, fans can visit the official contest website to review official rules and submit their game ideas to create an original Xbox arcade-style video game. "To enter, fans select the gaming genre of their choosing using a key image, and then describe the game idea in less than 500 words," Microsoft said in a statement on Monday. Two winners will have their ideas brought to life in the official "Space Jam: A New Legacy" arcade-style video game, available as a Perk for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members in 2021. The winners will also have their names featured in the game credits and receive movie merchandise, a personalised Xbox Series S console, a private friends and family screening of the film and a virtual Microsoft coding workshop for their local community, among others. "Students will build a playable prototype of a video game using block-based coding on the MakeCode Arcade platform, while learning about the professional skills and STEAM careers involved in game design," the company said. There are also two film-themed Microsoft Learn lessons, targeting more experienced coders, older teens, high school and college-aged students, and adults, that focus on how to use player stats to make real-time decisions in the middle of a game. "The video game contest, coding workshops and lessons align with Microsoft`s greater skilling initiative, which aims at helping 25 million people -- including those from underrepresented populations -- acquire new digital skills and apply them to their passions," the company said.

Microsoft partners with Warner Bros ahead of 'Space Jam: A New Legacy' for free coding workshops

In a bid to steal valuable data related to Coronavirus vaccine research, government-linked hackers China, Russia, Iran and North Korea are engaged in concerted attempts to steal coronavirus vaccine secrets.

Calling it an intellectual property war security experts said that hackers are trying to obtain trial results early and seize sensitive information about mass production of drugs.

China and Russia are also racing to develop a vaccine, bringing together its state, military and private sectors to combat a disease that has killed over 1.39 million people worldwide.

Earlier this month, A report by Microsoft revealed that hackers for the Russian and North Korean governments have targeted more than half a dozen of organisations involved in the COVID-19 treatment and vaccine research from around the globe.

In this report by Microsoft, the tech giant stated that a Russian hacking group, known as 'Fancy Bear', and a pair of North Korean actors called "Zinc" and "Cerium", by Microsoft, were implicated as they tried to break into the networks of nearly seven pharmaceutical companies and vaccine researchers in fice countries, namely, Canada, France, India, South Korea, and the United States.

(With inputs from agencies)

In a bid to steal valuable data related to Coronavirus vaccine research, government-linked hackers China, Russia, Iran and North Korea are engaged in concerted attempts to steal coronavirus vaccine secrets.

In a bid to steal valuable data related to Coronavirus vaccine research, government-linked hackers China, Russia, Iran and North Korea are engaged in concerted attempts to steal coronavirus vaccine secrets. Calling it an intellectual property war security experts said that hackers are trying to obtain trial results early and seize sensitive information about mass production of drugs. China and Russia are also racing to develop a vaccine, bringing together its state, military and private sectors to combat a disease that has killed over 1.39 million people worldwide. Earlier this month, A report by Microsoft revealed that hackers for the Russian and North Korean governments have targeted more than half a dozen of organisations involved in the COVID-19 treatment and vaccine research from around the globe. In this report by Microsoft, the tech giant stated that a Russian hacking group, known as 'Fancy Bear', and a pair of North Korean actors called "Zinc" and "Cerium", by Microsoft, were implicated as they tried to break into the networks of nearly seven pharmaceutical companies and vaccine researchers in fice countries, namely, Canada, France, India, South Korea, and the United States. (With inputs from agencies)

Intellectual property war: Hackers try to steal Covid vaccine secrets

A report by Microsoft revealed that hackers for the Russian and North Korean governments have targeted more than half a dozen of organisations involved in the COVID-19 treatment and vaccine research from around the globe.

In this report by Microsoft, the tech giant stated that a Russian hacking group, known as 'Fancy Bear', and a pair of North Korean actors called "Zinc" and "Cerium", by Microsoft, were implicated as they tried to break into the networks of nearly seven&nbsp;pharmaceutical companies and vaccine researchers in fice countries, namely, Canada, France, India, South Korea, and the United States.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/watch-russias-covid-19-vaccine-sputnik-v-arrives-in-india-342873" hreflang="en">Watch: Russia's COVID-19 vaccine Sputnik V arrives in India</a>

While the majority of the break-in attempts failed, a few unspecified numbers of attempts succeeded. Majority of these attacks were aimed at medical organisations that were involved in the process of testing the COVID-19 vaccine. However, Microsoft has declined to publically identify the companies that were targetted by Rusian and North Korean hackers. The software company has also refused to provide a timeline of these attacks.

The Russian embassy in Washington, however, has declined all such accusations in the past. This time, too, the officials said there was "nothing that we can add" to the previous statements of denials.

This report came as several countries in the world are competing to produce and distribute the first COVID-19 vaccine to the world, as a lot of countries have now stepped into the second wave of coronavirus.

Microsoft also urged that a new&nbsp;set of global rules and regulations barring digital intrusions aimed at healthcare providers should be set up.

Microsoft executive Tom Burt said in a statement his company was timing its announcement with Microsoft President Brad Smith's appearance at the virtual Paris Peace Forum, where he would call on world leaders "to affirm that international law protects health care facilities and to take action to enforce the law."

A report by Microsoft revealed that hackers for the Russian and North Korean governments have targeted more than half a dozen of organisations involved in the COVID-19 treatment and vaccine research from around the globe.

A report by Microsoft revealed that hackers for the Russian and North Korean governments have targeted more than half a dozen of organisations involved in the COVID-19 treatment and vaccine research from around the globe. In this report by Microsoft, the tech giant stated that a Russian hacking group, known as 'Fancy Bear', and a pair of North Korean actors called "Zinc" and "Cerium", by Microsoft, were implicated as they tried to break into the networks of nearly seven pharmaceutical companies and vaccine researchers in fice countries, namely, Canada, France, India, South Korea, and the United States. Watch: Russia's COVID-19 vaccine Sputnik V arrives in India While the majority of the break-in attempts failed, a few unspecified numbers of attempts succeeded. Majority of these attacks were aimed at medical organisations that were involved in the process of testing the COVID-19 vaccine. However, Microsoft has declined to publically identify the companies that were targetted by Rusian and North Korean hackers. The software company has also refused to provide a timeline of these attacks. The Russian embassy in Washington, however, has declined all such accusations in the past. This time, too, the officials said there was "nothing that we can add" to the previous statements of denials. This report came as several countries in the world are competing to produce and distribute the first COVID-19 vaccine to the world, as a lot of countries have now stepped into the second wave of coronavirus. Microsoft also urged that a new set of global rules and regulations barring digital intrusions aimed at healthcare providers should be set up. Microsoft executive Tom Burt said in a statement his company was timing its announcement with Microsoft President Brad Smith's appearance at the virtual Paris Peace Forum, where he would call on world leaders "to affirm that international law protects health care facilities and to take action to enforce the law."

Hackers from Russia, North Korea targeted COVID-19 vaccine: Microsoft

Tech giant&nbsp;Microsoft Corp&nbsp;on Tuesday launched two models of its Xbox gaming console,&nbsp;kicking off a holiday season battle with Sony's latest PlayStation model.

The Xbox Series X, which the company has described as the "world's most powerful console", will retail for $499.99 (379.1 pounds) and a lower-priced Xbox Series S will sell for $299.99.

The strategy offers consumers greater choice but the compact Series S faces criticism for being less powerful than the Series X, with less storage capacity and lacking advanced "ray tracing" graphics for titles like Capcom's "Devil May Cry 5."

Xbox will compete with Sony Corp's PlayStation 5, scheduled to launch on Thursday. PS5 is widely viewed as leading the console race due to its bigger fan base and a broader range of exclusive gaming titles available at launch.

The launches are well-placed to capitalise on a massive spike in demand for gaming. Rising numbers of people around the world are seeking distraction during a pandemic that has killed 1.25 million people and left at least 3 billion more in some form of lockdown since the virus appeared in late December.

But while lockdowns and restrictions may have boosted sales, they have also forced companies to move their launch events online.

Microsoft's Xbox Game Pass, a subscription service with more than 100 titles including brand new games, is seen as the company's greatest weapon for cutting in to PlayStation's dominance. Game Pass has grown rapidly to more than 15 million users since its launch.

However, Xbox is seen as lacking killer launch titles, with the latest "Halo" game in the flagship series pushed back to next year as the pandemic hit development.

"Each studio is facing unique challenges and constraints depending on its particular location, and many of our external development partners around the world are similarly affected," said Ryan Cameron, director at Xbox, EMEA.

Phil Spencer, executive vice-president of gaming at&nbsp;Microsoft, told gamers on a Facebook live event that they were taking "the first step into the next generation of gaming."

"And you will be the first in the world to experience it."

The pandemic also means no long lines of customers camped outside stores, with the pre-orders snapped up online instead more likely to be delivered to gamers' homes.

Swan song for physical consoles?

Microsoft&nbsp;is hoping its next-generation offering will help close the gap with Sony, whose PlayStation 4 sold twice as well as the Xbox One since they both were released in 2013.

Unlike the PlayStation 5, whose release will be staggered in different countries from Thursday, the Xbox Series X hit the shelves worldwide on Tuesday.

Both Sony and&nbsp;Microsoft&nbsp;have lined up a roster of eagerly awaited games -- headlined by the latest edition of Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed, an open-world Viking epic -- to launch with the consoles, which will offer much more powerful central and graphics processors than their predecessors.

In a competitive industry where focus is shifting to online play, this could be a swan song for physical consoles, with both firms betting on cloud servers to do the heavy processing lifting in the future.

Tech giant Microsoft Corp on Tuesday launched two models of its Xbox gaming console, kicking off a holiday season battle with Sony's latest PlayStation model. The Xbox Series X, which the company has described as the "world's most powerful console", will retail for $499.

Tech giant Microsoft Corp on Tuesday launched two models of its Xbox gaming console, kicking off a holiday season battle with Sony's latest PlayStation model. The Xbox Series X, which the company has described as the "world's most powerful console", will retail for $499.99 (379.1 pounds) and a lower-priced Xbox Series S will sell for $299.99. The strategy offers consumers greater choice but the compact Series S faces criticism for being less powerful than the Series X, with less storage capacity and lacking advanced "ray tracing" graphics for titles like Capcom's "Devil May Cry 5." Xbox will compete with Sony Corp's PlayStation 5, scheduled to launch on Thursday. PS5 is widely viewed as leading the console race due to its bigger fan base and a broader range of exclusive gaming titles available at launch. The launches are well-placed to capitalise on a massive spike in demand for gaming. Rising numbers of people around the world are seeking distraction during a pandemic that has killed 1.25 million people and left at least 3 billion more in some form of lockdown since the virus appeared in late December. But while lockdowns and restrictions may have boosted sales, they have also forced companies to move their launch events online. Microsoft's Xbox Game Pass, a subscription service with more than 100 titles including brand new games, is seen as the company's greatest weapon for cutting in to PlayStation's dominance. Game Pass has grown rapidly to more than 15 million users since its launch. However, Xbox is seen as lacking killer launch titles, with the latest "Halo" game in the flagship series pushed back to next year as the pandemic hit development. "Each studio is facing unique challenges and constraints depending on its particular location, and many of our external development partners around the world are similarly affected," said Ryan Cameron, director at Xbox, EMEA. Phil Spencer, executive vice-president of gaming at Microsoft, told gamers on a Facebook live event that they were taking "the first step into the next generation of gaming." "And you will be the first in the world to experience it." The pandemic also means no long lines of customers camped outside stores, with the pre-orders snapped up online instead more likely to be delivered to gamers' homes. Swan song for physical consoles? Microsoft is hoping its next-generation offering will help close the gap with Sony, whose PlayStation 4 sold twice as well as the Xbox One since they both were released in 2013. Unlike the PlayStation 5, whose release will be staggered in different countries from Thursday, the Xbox Series X hit the shelves worldwide on Tuesday. Both Sony and Microsoft have lined up a roster of eagerly awaited games -- headlined by the latest edition of Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed, an open-world Viking epic -- to launch with the consoles, which will offer much more powerful central and graphics processors than their predecessors. In a competitive industry where focus is shifting to online play, this could be a swan song for physical consoles, with both firms betting on cloud servers to do the heavy processing lifting in the future.

Microsoft launches 'world's most powerful' next-generation Xbox gaming console

Microsoft Corp is partnering with billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk-led SpaceX and others as it targets space customers, the software giant said on Tuesday.

The partnership with SpaceX Starlink will provide high-speed satellite broadband for Microsoft`s cloud computing data centers, the company said https://blogs.microsoft.com/blog/2020/10/20/azure-space-cloud-powered-innovation-on-and-off-the-planet in a blog post.

Cloud companies have seen a surge in demand this year as more businesses use their services for switching to work from home due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

SpaceX, known for its reusable rockets and astronaut capsules, is ramping up satellite production for Starlink, a growing constellation of hundreds of internet-beaming satellites that Musk hopes will generate enough revenue to help fund SpaceX`s interplanetary goals.

Earlier this month, SpaceX won a $149 million contract to build missile-tracking satellites for the Pentagon, its first government contract to build satellites.

Microsoft Corp is partnering with billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk-led SpaceX and others as it targets space customers, the software giant said on Tuesday. The partnership with SpaceX Starlink will provide high-speed satellite broadband for Microsoft`s cloud computing data centers, the company said https://blogs.

Microsoft Corp is partnering with billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk-led SpaceX and others as it targets space customers, the software giant said on Tuesday. The partnership with SpaceX Starlink will provide high-speed satellite broadband for Microsoft`s cloud computing data centers, the company said https://blogs.microsoft.com/blog/2020/10/20/azure-space-cloud-powered-innovation-on-and-off-the-planet in a blog post. Cloud companies have seen a surge in demand this year as more businesses use their services for switching to work from home due to the COVID-19 pandemic. SpaceX, known for its reusable rockets and astronaut capsules, is ramping up satellite production for Starlink, a growing constellation of hundreds of internet-beaming satellites that Musk hopes will generate enough revenue to help fund SpaceX`s interplanetary goals. Earlier this month, SpaceX won a $149 million contract to build missile-tracking satellites for the Pentagon, its first government contract to build satellites.

Microsoft, Elon Musk's SpaceX tie up to woo space customers

Microsoft on Monday said it disrupted a major cybercrime digital network that uses more than 1 million zombie computers to loot bank accounts and spread ransomware.

This could have indirectly affected US presidential election infrastructure if allowed to continue. The action coincides with an offensive by US Cyber Command to disrupt the cybercriminals, at least temporarily, according to The Washington Post.

The operation to knock offline command-and-control servers for a global botnet that uses an infrastructure known as Trickbot to infect computers with malware was initiated with an order that Microsoft obtained in Virginia federal court on October 6.

Trickbot's operators have a decentralised fall-back system and employ encrypted routing. The company took down the servers behind Trickbot, which criminals were using to launch other cyberattacks, including a strain of highly potent ransomware.

Ransomware seizes control of target computers and freezes them until victims pay up — though experts urge those affected by ransomware not to encourage hackers by complying with their demands.

The announcement follows a Washington Post report Friday of a major effort by the US Military's Cyber Command to dismantle Trickbot beginning last month with direct attacks rather than asking providers to deny hosting to domains used by command-and-control servers.

Recently, researchers have noted a rise in Trickbot's use in ransomware attacks targetting everything from municipal and state governments to school districts and hospitals.

A separate technical report by Microsoft on Monday said Trickbot has been used to spread the Ryuk ransomware -- which has been attacking 20 organisations per week, and was reportedly the ransomware that struck Universal Health Services.

Ransomware could pose a risk to the election process if systems designed to support voting are brought down.

 
&nbsp;

Microsoft on Monday said it disrupted a major cybercrime digital network that uses more than 1 million zombie computers to loot bank accounts and spread ransomware.

Microsoft on Monday said it disrupted a major cybercrime digital network that uses more than 1 million zombie computers to loot bank accounts and spread ransomware. This could have indirectly affected US presidential election infrastructure if allowed to continue. The action coincides with an offensive by US Cyber Command to disrupt the cybercriminals, at least temporarily, according to The Washington Post. The operation to knock offline command-and-control servers for a global botnet that uses an infrastructure known as Trickbot to infect computers with malware was initiated with an order that Microsoft obtained in Virginia federal court on October 6. Trickbot's operators have a decentralised fall-back system and employ encrypted routing. The company took down the servers behind Trickbot, which criminals were using to launch other cyberattacks, including a strain of highly potent ransomware. Ransomware seizes control of target computers and freezes them until victims pay up — though experts urge those affected by ransomware not to encourage hackers by complying with their demands. The announcement follows a Washington Post report Friday of a major effort by the US Military's Cyber Command to dismantle Trickbot beginning last month with direct attacks rather than asking providers to deny hosting to domains used by command-and-control servers. Recently, researchers have noted a rise in Trickbot's use in ransomware attacks targetting everything from municipal and state governments to school districts and hospitals. A separate technical report by Microsoft on Monday said Trickbot has been used to spread the Ryuk ransomware -- which has been attacking 20 organisations per week, and was reportedly the ransomware that struck Universal Health Services. Ransomware could pose a risk to the election process if systems designed to support voting are brought down.

Microsoft takes down global criminal botnet that could have affected US election

Seattle-based technology giant Microsoft has decided to expand its work-from-home policy and make it permanent for some workers.

The company has released the new "hybrid workplace" guidance that lays out how employees can have a more flexible remote work schedule and even relocate elsewhere in the country, while it continues to adjust to changing needs during the ongoing pandemic.

Microsoft will allow employees to work from home freely for less than 50 per cent of their working week, and managers will be able to approve permanent remote work.

"We will offer as much flexibility as possible to support individual work styles, while balancing business needs, and ensuring we live our culture," Kathleen Hogan, Microsoft's chief people officer, said in a post on the official Microsoft Blog.

"To address this, we have provided guidance to employees to make informed decisions around scenarios that could include changes to their worksite, work location, and/or work hours once offices are open without any COVID-19 restrictions."

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said he is focused on three major considerations of how the nature of work is changing amid the pandemic: how collaboration happens, how learning happens inside companies and how to ensure employees aren't burning out.

The company also said that most employees' work schedules were also flexible, meaning start and end times for workdays were no longer standard.

Employees can move across country for remote work, but compensation and benefits will vary depending on the the company's own geopay scale. Those who move will need to cover their own relocation expenses. Microsoft will cover home office expenses for permanent remote workers.

Flexible working hours will be available without manager approval, the company stressed, adding that some roles still require access to Microsoft offices, hardware, data centres and in-person training.

"Flexibility can mean different things to each of us and we recognize there is no one-size-fits-all solution given the variety of roles, work requirements and business needs we have at Microsoft," Hogan said.

Microsoft was one of the first companies to shift its tech workforce remotely when the coronavirus pandemic hit in March. Other tech giants such as Twitter and Zillow have said they will allow employees to work from home indefinitely.&nbsp;

Seattle-based technology giant Microsoft has decided to expand its work-from-home policy and make it permanent for some workers. The company has released the new "hybrid workplace" guidance that lays out how employees can have a more flexible remote work schedule and even relocate elsewhere in the country, while it continues to adjust to changing needs during the ongoing pandemic.

Seattle-based technology giant Microsoft has decided to expand its work-from-home policy and make it permanent for some workers. The company has released the new "hybrid workplace" guidance that lays out how employees can have a more flexible remote work schedule and even relocate elsewhere in the country, while it continues to adjust to changing needs during the ongoing pandemic. Microsoft will allow employees to work from home freely for less than 50 per cent of their working week, and managers will be able to approve permanent remote work. "We will offer as much flexibility as possible to support individual work styles, while balancing business needs, and ensuring we live our culture," Kathleen Hogan, Microsoft's chief people officer, said in a post on the official Microsoft Blog. "To address this, we have provided guidance to employees to make informed decisions around scenarios that could include changes to their worksite, work location, and/or work hours once offices are open without any COVID-19 restrictions." Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said he is focused on three major considerations of how the nature of work is changing amid the pandemic: how collaboration happens, how learning happens inside companies and how to ensure employees aren't burning out. The company also said that most employees' work schedules were also flexible, meaning start and end times for workdays were no longer standard. Employees can move across country for remote work, but compensation and benefits will vary depending on the the company's own geopay scale. Those who move will need to cover their own relocation expenses. Microsoft will cover home office expenses for permanent remote workers. Flexible working hours will be available without manager approval, the company stressed, adding that some roles still require access to Microsoft offices, hardware, data centres and in-person training. "Flexibility can mean different things to each of us and we recognize there is no one-size-fits-all solution given the variety of roles, work requirements and business needs we have at Microsoft," Hogan said. Microsoft was one of the first companies to shift its tech workforce remotely when the coronavirus pandemic hit in March. Other tech giants such as Twitter and Zillow have said they will allow employees to work from home indefinitely.

Microsoft to expand its work from home policy, make it permanent for some staff

Big tech firms may be complying to China's confidential&nbsp;requests and handling the data of Hong Kong users to the autocratic country, as per a senior US state department official.

The allegation of cooperation between Hong Kong authorities and major technology company comes after China passed a controversial security law in Hong Kong according to which authorities can demand user sensitive data and threaten action if their request is denied.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/facebook-google-twitter-block-hong-kong-govt-from-accessing-user-data-311243">Facebook, Google, Twitter block Hong Kong govt from accessing user data</a>

“There is a possibility that things are happening but because of the restrictions put on by the Hong Kong authorities, they [companies] would not be able to divulge this,” the state department official said.

US tech giants face a reckoning over how Hong Kong's security law will reshape their businesses, with their suspension of processing government requests for user data a stop-gap measure as they weigh options, people close to the industry say.

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While Hong Kong is not a significant market for firms such as Facebook, Google, and Twitter, they have used it as a perch to reach deep-pocketed advertisers in mainland China, where many of their services are blocked.

But the companies are now in the crosshairs of a national security law that gives China authority to demand that they turn over user data or censor content seen to violate the law - even when posted from abroad.

“As we would with any new legislation, we are reviewing the new law to understand its implications. In the past, we’ve typically received only a relatively small number of requests from Hong Kong authorities, but we are pausing our responses to these requests as we conduct our review,” software and application developer Microsoft said in a statement.

"These companies have to totally reassess the liability of having a presence in Hong Kong," Charles Mok, a legislator who represents the technology industry in Hong Kong said.

If they refuse to cooperate with government requests, he said, authorities "could go after them and take them to court and fine them, or imprison their principals in Hong Kong".

The US internet firms are no strangers to governments demands regarding content and user information, and generally say they are bound by local laws.

The companies have often used a technique known as "geo-blocking" to restrict content in a particular country without removing it altogether.

But the sweeping language of Hong Kong's new law could mean such measures won't be enough. Authorities will no longer need to get court orders before requesting assistance or information, analysts said.

Big tech firms may be complying to China's confidential requests and handling the data of Hong Kong users to the autocratic country, as per a senior US state department official.

Big tech firms may be complying to China's confidential requests and handling the data of Hong Kong users to the autocratic country, as per a senior US state department official. The allegation of cooperation between Hong Kong authorities and major technology company comes after China passed a controversial security law in Hong Kong according to which authorities can demand user sensitive data and threaten action if their request is denied. Also read: Facebook, Google, Twitter block Hong Kong govt from accessing user data “There is a possibility that things are happening but because of the restrictions put on by the Hong Kong authorities, they [companies] would not be able to divulge this,” the state department official said. US tech giants face a reckoning over how Hong Kong's security law will reshape their businesses, with their suspension of processing government requests for user data a stop-gap measure as they weigh options, people close to the industry say. While Hong Kong is not a significant market for firms such as Facebook, Google, and Twitter, they have used it as a perch to reach deep-pocketed advertisers in mainland China, where many of their services are blocked. But the companies are now in the crosshairs of a national security law that gives China authority to demand that they turn over user data or censor content seen to violate the law - even when posted from abroad. “As we would with any new legislation, we are reviewing the new law to understand its implications. In the past, we’ve typically received only a relatively small number of requests from Hong Kong authorities, but we are pausing our responses to these requests as we conduct our review,” software and application developer Microsoft said in a statement. "These companies have to totally reassess the liability of having a presence in Hong Kong," Charles Mok, a legislator who represents the technology industry in Hong Kong said. If they refuse to cooperate with government requests, he said, authorities "could go after them and take them to court and fine them, or imprison their principals in Hong Kong". The US internet firms are no strangers to governments demands regarding content and user information, and generally say they are bound by local laws. The companies have often used a technique known as "geo-blocking" to restrict content in a particular country without removing it altogether. But the sweeping language of Hong Kong's new law could mean such measures won't be enough. Authorities will no longer need to get court orders before requesting assistance or information, analysts said.

Big tech companies may be handling data of Hong Kong users to China

Microsoft&nbsp;Corp said on&nbsp;Monday that&nbsp;multiple&nbsp;Microsoft&nbsp;365 services, including Outlook.com and&nbsp;Microsoft&nbsp;Teams&nbsp;and other online services experience outage due to&nbsp;a recent change it introduced.

The outages were confirmed by an official spokesman and Downdetector which aggregates user reports of issues.

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User reports indicate Office 365 is having problems since 5:33 PM EDT. <a href="https://t.co/xVELvgTStJ">https://t.co/xVELvgTStJ</a> RT if you're also having problems <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Office365down?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Office365down</a>
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While&nbsp;Teams is a collobaoration tool that integrates with Office 365, Microsoft Word, Powerpoint and Excel are other online subcriptions the tech giant offers.

The developer of Windows and Office software said it did not "observe an increase in successful connections" even after it rolled back the change to mitigate the impact.

"A moment ago nothing was working, then I went into files in Teams and it was working, now nothing is working. Well I guess now I have an excuse to not do work and watch TV," one Twitter user tweeted.

"We're pursuing mitigation steps for this issue. In parallel, we're rerouting traffic to alternate systems to provide further relief to the affected users,"&nbsp;Microsoft&nbsp;said on its status page, without specifying how many users were affected.

Several other Twitter users complained that the outage meant they could miss their job interviews and deadline for college assignments.

The Xbox maker also said https://bit.ly/339pRgI they were working to evaluate other solutions while they investigate the root cause of the outage.

Microsoft Corp said on Monday that multiple Microsoft 365 services, including Outlook.com and Microsoft Teams and other online services experience outage due to a recent change it introduced.

Microsoft Corp said on Monday that multiple Microsoft 365 services, including Outlook.com and Microsoft Teams and other online services experience outage due to a recent change it introduced. The outages were confirmed by an official spokesman and Downdetector which aggregates user reports of issues. User reports indicate Office 365 is having problems since 5:33 PM EDT. https://t.co/xVELvgTStJ RT if you're also having problems #Office365down — Downdetector (@downdetector) September 28, 2020 × While Teams is a collobaoration tool that integrates with Office 365, Microsoft Word, Powerpoint and Excel are other online subcriptions the tech giant offers. The developer of Windows and Office software said it did not "observe an increase in successful connections" even after it rolled back the change to mitigate the impact. "A moment ago nothing was working, then I went into files in Teams and it was working, now nothing is working. Well I guess now I have an excuse to not do work and watch TV," one Twitter user tweeted. "We're pursuing mitigation steps for this issue. In parallel, we're rerouting traffic to alternate systems to provide further relief to the affected users," Microsoft said on its status page, without specifying how many users were affected. Several other Twitter users complained that the outage meant they could miss their job interviews and deadline for college assignments. The Xbox maker also said https://bit.ly/339pRgI they were working to evaluate other solutions while they investigate the root cause of the outage.

Microsoft Office 365, Teams and other online services experience outage

A Chinese hacker group called&nbsp;APT41 has been&nbsp;charged by the US Justice Department after the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Microsoft caught two of the hackers in a combined effort.&nbsp;

APT41 is a group of seven hackers, out of which five of them are Chinese nationals and are expert hackers. Majority of the group members have been employees of&nbsp;Chengdu 404 Network Technology — a company that provides legal hacking services to the company to help&nbsp;detect vulnerabilities in clients' computer networks. The other company involved in the case is&nbsp;SEA Gamer Mall, a Malaysia-based firm that sells video game currency, power-ups and other in-game items.

They trapped various groups — from gaming companies to non-profit organisations — by several sophisticated and basic phishing methods. While some companies got duped through phishing emails, rest gave permission to the group to modify their codes, which provided them free and unlimited access to clients' computers and internal data.

The group has been alleged of hacking hundreds of computers of various companies around the world. The hackers accessed identities, personal information and used the hacked information to ask for ransom and commit&nbsp;cryptocurrency/bitcoin frauds. They also hacked into systems of gaming companies through which they used the data to sell game items back to the customers and dupe them of money.

They have&nbsp;also been alleged of compromising government&nbsp;data in Vietnam and India.&nbsp;

Whether or not the group was working for the Chinese government is not yet clear. The court has alleged that the hackers collected information regarding pro-democracy activists of Hong Kong and&nbsp;a Buddhist monk from Tibet. One of the hackers,&nbsp;Jiang Lizhi, has a history of working with&nbsp;China's Ministry of State Security.

However, none of these allegations have successfully proved a connection between the hacker group and the Chinese government. More investigation is being carried out for this.

Out of seven, two members have been caught. However, these two were businessmen in Malaysia, and the hackers are still at large. The two businessmen were caught in a&nbsp;sweeping operation by the FBI and private companies including Microsoft to block the hackers from using their online accounts.

The US is currently seeking permission to extradite the hacker groups, which is seemingly difficult as none of the members have lived in the US, but have committed frauds in the country.

A Chinese hacker group called APT41 has been charged by the US Justice Department after the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Microsoft caught two of the hackers in a combined effort.

A Chinese hacker group called APT41 has been charged by the US Justice Department after the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Microsoft caught two of the hackers in a combined effort. APT41 is a group of seven hackers, out of which five of them are Chinese nationals and are expert hackers. Majority of the group members have been employees of Chengdu 404 Network Technology — a company that provides legal hacking services to the company to help detect vulnerabilities in clients' computer networks. The other company involved in the case is SEA Gamer Mall, a Malaysia-based firm that sells video game currency, power-ups and other in-game items. They trapped various groups — from gaming companies to non-profit organisations — by several sophisticated and basic phishing methods. While some companies got duped through phishing emails, rest gave permission to the group to modify their codes, which provided them free and unlimited access to clients' computers and internal data. The group has been alleged of hacking hundreds of computers of various companies around the world. The hackers accessed identities, personal information and used the hacked information to ask for ransom and commit cryptocurrency/bitcoin frauds. They also hacked into systems of gaming companies through which they used the data to sell game items back to the customers and dupe them of money. They have also been alleged of compromising government data in Vietnam and India. Whether or not the group was working for the Chinese government is not yet clear. The court has alleged that the hackers collected information regarding pro-democracy activists of Hong Kong and a Buddhist monk from Tibet. One of the hackers, Jiang Lizhi, has a history of working with China's Ministry of State Security. However, none of these allegations have successfully proved a connection between the hacker group and the Chinese government. More investigation is being carried out for this. Out of seven, two members have been caught. However, these two were businessmen in Malaysia, and the hackers are still at large. The two businessmen were caught in a sweeping operation by the FBI and private companies including Microsoft to block the hackers from using their online accounts. The US is currently seeking permission to extradite the hacker groups, which is seemingly difficult as none of the members have lived in the US, but have committed frauds in the country.

Chinese hacker group, APT41, dupe companies in Malaysia and China

TikTok's deadline to sell its US shares is fast approaching,&nbsp;but the deal has still not been finalised. Hoewever, the US President&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;has made it clear that the Chinese-owned company will not get any extensions.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/microsofts-offer-to-buy-tiktok-rejected-oracle-likely-to-partner-327307">After Microsoft's bid was rejected</a> after extended talks between between the America-based tech giant Microsoft and the Chinese parent company ByteDance, news about Oracle Corp partnering with ByteDance started making the headines.

However, that deal may be in danger too as Trump has raised questions about this deal as he is not in favour of a Chinese company sharing the deal.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/oracle-very-close-to-deal-on-tiktok-donald-trump-327804">Also read|&nbsp;Oracle ‘very close’ to deal on TikTok: Donald Trump</a>

As per the deal, ByteDance may keep a majority of the US operations, and Trump's administration has warned him against it. He said he is aware about the ongoing deal but is not happy with the idea of the Chinese firm retaining the majority control.

Senator Marco Rubio and five other Republican senators on Wednesday urged the administration to reject the deal as long as ties remained to Chinese owner ByteDance, and asked the President to block the proposal.

"Conceptually, I can tell you that I don't like that," Trump told reporters. "I'm not prepared to sign off on anything. They're going to be reporting to me tomorrow morning and I'll let you know."

Senator Ted Cruz, too, has opposed the Oracle deal claiming it undermines the President's executive orders and raises questions about national security.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/youtube-officially-launches-its-own-tiktok-competitor-327616">Also read|&nbsp;YouTube officially launches its own TikTok competitor</a>

"We remain opposed to any deal that would allow China-based or controlled entities to retain, control or modify the code or algorithms that operate any US-based version of TikTok," Senator Marco Rubio wrote.

"We are heartened that this deal still requires government approval, and if reports indicating this proposed deal will retain links to ByteDance or other Chinese-controlled entities, we strongly urge the administration to reject such a proposal on national security grounds," he added.

Lawmakers fear if Oracle gets minority shares and ByteDance continues to own majority shares, the alleged practice of continuing to supply data to China will not stop.

However, this decision is coming very close to the upcoming&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/us-election">US elections</a> that are few weeks away. Donald Trump, who is competing against <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>, would not want to make his young voters, who are addicted to TikTok, to feel alienated and be angry at him.

The decision to allow TikTok to continue will partially hold the power to decide whether or not Trump gets majority votes this November.

TikTok's deadline to sell its US shares is fast approaching, but the deal has still not been finalised. Hoewever, the US President Donald Trump has made it clear that the Chinese-owned company will not get any extensions.

TikTok's deadline to sell its US shares is fast approaching, but the deal has still not been finalised. Hoewever, the US President Donald Trump has made it clear that the Chinese-owned company will not get any extensions. After Microsoft's bid was rejected after extended talks between between the America-based tech giant Microsoft and the Chinese parent company ByteDance, news about Oracle Corp partnering with ByteDance started making the headines. However, that deal may be in danger too as Trump has raised questions about this deal as he is not in favour of a Chinese company sharing the deal. Also read| Oracle ‘very close’ to deal on TikTok: Donald Trump As per the deal, ByteDance may keep a majority of the US operations, and Trump's administration has warned him against it. He said he is aware about the ongoing deal but is not happy with the idea of the Chinese firm retaining the majority control. Senator Marco Rubio and five other Republican senators on Wednesday urged the administration to reject the deal as long as ties remained to Chinese owner ByteDance, and asked the President to block the proposal. "Conceptually, I can tell you that I don't like that," Trump told reporters. "I'm not prepared to sign off on anything. They're going to be reporting to me tomorrow morning and I'll let you know." Senator Ted Cruz, too, has opposed the Oracle deal claiming it undermines the President's executive orders and raises questions about national security. Also read| YouTube officially launches its own TikTok competitor "We remain opposed to any deal that would allow China-based or controlled entities to retain, control or modify the code or algorithms that operate any US-based version of TikTok," Senator Marco Rubio wrote. "We are heartened that this deal still requires government approval, and if reports indicating this proposed deal will retain links to ByteDance or other Chinese-controlled entities, we strongly urge the administration to reject such a proposal on national security grounds," he added. Lawmakers fear if Oracle gets minority shares and ByteDance continues to own majority shares, the alleged practice of continuing to supply data to China will not stop. However, this decision is coming very close to the upcoming US elections that are few weeks away. Donald Trump, who is competing against Joe Biden, would not want to make his young voters, who are addicted to TikTok, to feel alienated and be angry at him. The decision to allow TikTok to continue will partially hold the power to decide whether or not Trump gets majority votes this November.

Trump not happy with Oracle having minority shares in TikTok

Microsoft on Sunday said its offer to buy TikTok has been rejected, with reports suggesting coming Oracle and Bytedance are likely to notch a deal.&nbsp;

"ByteDance let us know today they would not be selling TikTok's US operations to Microsoft," the US tech giant, in a statement, said, adding that their proposal was would have been "good" for TikTok users while "protecting national security interests".&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/two-months-after-tiktok-influencers-busy-rebuilding-fan-base-as-homegrown-apps-enjoy-gold-rush-327178">Two months after TikTok: Influencers busy rebuilding fan base as homegrown apps enjoy 'gold rush'</a>

Earlier, Microsoft was amongst the major contenders to buy TikTok after US President Donald Trump last month gave a deadline to the video-platform company of September 15 to get sold or be banned.&nbsp;

The Washington Post reported that ByteDance has chosen Oracle as a "technology partner" and news agency Reuters quoted a source, claiming there would be a restructuring rather than a sale, with Oracle responsible for handling TikTok's data of US users.&nbsp;

Reuters also reported that Walmart is still interested in investing in TikTok and discussions with ByteDance have been ongoing.&nbsp;

Microsoft on Sunday said its offer to buy TikTok has been rejected, with reports suggesting coming Oracle and Bytedance are likely to notch a deal. "ByteDance let us know today they would not be selling TikTok's US operations to Microsoft," the US tech giant, in a statement, said, adding that their proposal was would have been "good" for TikTok users while "protecting national security interests".

Microsoft on Sunday said its offer to buy TikTok has been rejected, with reports suggesting coming Oracle and Bytedance are likely to notch a deal. "ByteDance let us know today they would not be selling TikTok's US operations to Microsoft," the US tech giant, in a statement, said, adding that their proposal was would have been "good" for TikTok users while "protecting national security interests". Also read | Two months after TikTok: Influencers busy rebuilding fan base as homegrown apps enjoy 'gold rush' Earlier, Microsoft was amongst the major contenders to buy TikTok after US President Donald Trump last month gave a deadline to the video-platform company of September 15 to get sold or be banned. The Washington Post reported that ByteDance has chosen Oracle as a "technology partner" and news agency Reuters quoted a source, claiming there would be a restructuring rather than a sale, with Oracle responsible for handling TikTok's data of US users. Reuters also reported that Walmart is still interested in investing in TikTok and discussions with ByteDance have been ongoing.

Microsoft's offer to buy TikTok rejected; Oracle likely to partner

China's Foreign Ministry on Monday&nbsp;said that popular mobile phone app TikTok is being "encircled" and "coerced" as its parent company ByteDance picked Oracle as partner to try to save its business in the United States.

The ministry's spokesman Wang Wenbin declined to comment on the news, but urged the US&nbsp;government to provide an "open, fair and non-discriminatory international business environment for foreign enterprises".

Oracle beat Microsoft in the battle for the US&nbsp;arm of TikTok with a deal structured as a partnership rather than an outright sale to try to navigate geopolitical tensions between Beijing and Washington.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/microsofts-offer-to-buy-tiktok-rejected-oracle-likely-to-partner-327307" hreflang="en">Microsoft's offer to buy TikTok rejected; Oracle likely to partner</a>

Microsoft on Sunday said its offer to buy TikTok has been rejected. The US tech giant issued a statment saying "ByteDance let us know today they would not be selling TikTok's US operations to Microsoft".

ByteDance, TikTok's Chinese owner, had been in talks to divest the US&nbsp;business of its hugely popular short-video app to Oracle&nbsp;or a consortium led by Microsoft Corp&nbsp;after US&nbsp;President Donald Trump ordered the sale last month and said he might otherwise shut it down.

While TikTok is best known for dancing videos that go viral among teenagers, US&nbsp;officials are concerned user information could be passed to China's communist government. TikTok, which has as many as 100 million US&nbsp;users, has said it would never share such data with Chinese authorities.

China's Foreign Ministry on Monday said that popular mobile phone app TikTok is being "encircled" and "coerced" as its parent company ByteDance picked Oracle as partner to try to save its business in the United States.

China's Foreign Ministry on Monday said that popular mobile phone app TikTok is being "encircled" and "coerced" as its parent company ByteDance picked Oracle as partner to try to save its business in the United States. The ministry's spokesman Wang Wenbin declined to comment on the news, but urged the US government to provide an "open, fair and non-discriminatory international business environment for foreign enterprises". Oracle beat Microsoft in the battle for the US arm of TikTok with a deal structured as a partnership rather than an outright sale to try to navigate geopolitical tensions between Beijing and Washington. Also read: Microsoft's offer to buy TikTok rejected; Oracle likely to partner Microsoft on Sunday said its offer to buy TikTok has been rejected. The US tech giant issued a statment saying "ByteDance let us know today they would not be selling TikTok's US operations to Microsoft". ByteDance, TikTok's Chinese owner, had been in talks to divest the US business of its hugely popular short-video app to Oracle or a consortium led by Microsoft Corp after US President Donald Trump ordered the sale last month and said he might otherwise shut it down. While TikTok is best known for dancing videos that go viral among teenagers, US officials are concerned user information could be passed to China's communist government. TikTok, which has as many as 100 million US users, has said it would never share such data with Chinese authorities.

China says TikTok being 'encircled' and 'coerced' after ByteDance drops sale

Microsoft has claimed that the same Russian military intelligence outfit that hacked the Democrats in 2016 has attempted similar intrusions into the computer systems of organizations involved in the 2020 elections. Most of the infiltration attempts by Russian, Chinese, and Iranian agents were halted by Microsoft security software.

Microsoft: Hackers again target US elections, Hacking bids from Russia, China, and Iran

Wall Street's main indexes closed sharply lower on Thursday, marking their deepest one-day dives in months as investors dumped the high-flying&nbsp;technology&nbsp;sector, while economic data highlighted concerns about a long and difficult recovery.

The&nbsp;technology-centric Nasdaq led the declines as its heavyweight stocks took a hit with the biggest drags from companies including Facebook Inc, Apple Inc, Amazon.com Inc, Microsoft Inc and Google-parent Alphabet Inc.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/e-commerce-giant-amazon-will-create-7000-jobs-in-the-united-kingdom-324991" hreflang="en">E-commerce giant Amazon will create 7,000 jobs in the United Kingdom</a>

The five stocks, deemed strong bets because of solid cash positions and continued growth despite the coronavirus crisis, also account for roughly a quarter of the S&amp;P 500's market value and have driven the stock market's narrow&nbsp;technology-led recovery from the pandemic lows hit in March.

The Philadelphia chip index and the S&amp;P tech sector also dropped more than 5 per cent&nbsp;each.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/global-economy-will-take-12-trillion-hit-from-covid-19-international-monetary-fund-308349">Global economy will take $12 trillion hit from COVID-19: International Monetary Fund</a>

The pullback comes a day after the S&amp;P 500 and the Nasdaq closed at record levels and the Dow came within 1.5 per cent of its February peak, powered by fiscal and monetary support hopes for a swift economic recovery. But some participants said investors had become too optimistic.

Earlier in the day, data showed the number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits fell more than expected last week, but remained extraordinarily high. The closely watched monthly payrolls report is set for Friday

Separately, a survey showed US&nbsp;services industry growth slowed in August, likely as the boost from the reopening of businesses and fiscal stimulus faded.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 807.77 points, or 2.78 per cent, to close at 28,292.73, the S&amp;P 500 lost 125.78 points, or 3.51 per cent, to 3,455.06 and the Nasdaq Composite dropped 598.34 points, or 4.96 per cent, to 11,458.10.

Wall Street's main indexes closed sharply lower on Thursday, marking their deepest one-day dives in months as investors dumped the high-flying technology sector, while economic data highlighted concerns about a long and difficult recovery.

Wall Street's main indexes closed sharply lower on Thursday, marking their deepest one-day dives in months as investors dumped the high-flying technology sector, while economic data highlighted concerns about a long and difficult recovery. The technology-centric Nasdaq led the declines as its heavyweight stocks took a hit with the biggest drags from companies including Facebook Inc, Apple Inc, Amazon.com Inc, Microsoft Inc and Google-parent Alphabet Inc. Also read: E-commerce giant Amazon will create 7,000 jobs in the United Kingdom The five stocks, deemed strong bets because of solid cash positions and continued growth despite the coronavirus crisis, also account for roughly a quarter of the S&P 500's market value and have driven the stock market's narrow technology-led recovery from the pandemic lows hit in March. The Philadelphia chip index and the S&P tech sector also dropped more than 5 per cent each. Also read: Global economy will take $12 trillion hit from COVID-19: International Monetary Fund The pullback comes a day after the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq closed at record levels and the Dow came within 1.5 per cent of its February peak, powered by fiscal and monetary support hopes for a swift economic recovery. But some participants said investors had become too optimistic. Earlier in the day, data showed the number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits fell more than expected last week, but remained extraordinarily high. The closely watched monthly payrolls report is set for Friday Separately, a survey showed US services industry growth slowed in August, likely as the boost from the reopening of businesses and fiscal stimulus faded. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 807.77 points, or 2.78 per cent, to close at 28,292.73, the S&P 500 lost 125.78 points, or 3.51 per cent, to 3,455.06 and the Nasdaq Composite dropped 598.34 points, or 4.96 per cent, to 11,458.10.

Tech tumble jams Wall Street into reverse; sharpest fall since June

Ahead of the election in the United States, Microsoft has launched a software to detect "deepfake" photos or videos.&nbsp;

Deepfakes are created with the help of artificial intelligence to alter an image or a video which make the content look authentic or real.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/walmart-says-teaming-with-microsoft-in-bid-for-tiktok-323532">Walmart says teaming with Microsoft in bid for TikTok</a>

Microsoft has used Video Authenticator software to analyse a photo or each frame of a video for understanding whether the image or video is manipulated or not.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/chinas-new-tech-export-controls-could-give-beijing-a-say-in-tiktok-sale-324023">China's new tech export controls could give Beijing a say in TikTok sale</a>

The company said it has collaborated with San Francisco-based AI Foundation to make the tool available for media organisations, political campaigns, and several others.&nbsp;

Deepfakes are part of the phenomena of fake news that has emerged as a global challenge and are used to deliver misleading or completely false messages.&nbsp;

Microsoft is also engaging with the University of Washington among others to understand people how to distinguish between misinformation and genuine news.&nbsp;

"Practical media knowledge can enable us all to think critically about the context of media and become more engaged citizens while still appreciating satire and parody," Microsoft said, in a blog post. 
&nbsp;

Ahead of the election in the United States, Microsoft has launched a software to detect "deepfake" photos or videos. Deepfakes are created with the help of artificial intelligence to alter an image or a video which make the content look authentic or real.

Ahead of the election in the United States, Microsoft has launched a software to detect "deepfake" photos or videos. Deepfakes are created with the help of artificial intelligence to alter an image or a video which make the content look authentic or real. Also read | Walmart says teaming with Microsoft in bid for TikTok Microsoft has used Video Authenticator software to analyse a photo or each frame of a video for understanding whether the image or video is manipulated or not. Also read | China's new tech export controls could give Beijing a say in TikTok sale The company said it has collaborated with San Francisco-based AI Foundation to make the tool available for media organisations, political campaigns, and several others. Deepfakes are part of the phenomena of fake news that has emerged as a global challenge and are used to deliver misleading or completely false messages. Microsoft is also engaging with the University of Washington among others to understand people how to distinguish between misinformation and genuine news. "Practical media knowledge can enable us all to think critically about the context of media and become more engaged citizens while still appreciating satire and parody," Microsoft said, in a blog post.

Ahead of US election, Microsoft launches software to detect 'deepfakes'

The announcement comes hours after TikTok CEO Kevin Mayer quit his job as the video-sharing app faces criticism from US President Donald Trump

Walmart is joining Microsoft in Tiktok bid

US retail giant Walmart said Thursday it had teamed with Microsoft in a bid to buy Chinese-owned short-form video app TikTok.

The app has been at the center of a diplomatic storm between Washington and Beijing after President Donald Trump signed an executive order on August 6 giving Americans 45 days to stop doing business with its Chinese parent company ByteDance.&nbsp;

The move effectively set a deadline for a sale of TikTok to a US company.

"We are confident that a Walmart and Microsoft partnership would meet both the expectations of US TikTok users while satisfying the concerns of US government regulators," the retailer told AFP.

Walmart is likely interested in TikTok to better connect with younger shoppers who turn to the internet for lifestyle trends, according to analysts.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/tiktok-in-trouble-again-with-an-offensive-holocaust-trend-323437">Also read|&nbsp;TikTok in trouble again with an 'offensive' Holocaust trend</a>

Younger people are much less likely to shop at Walmart, whether online or in real-world stores, according to GlobalData Retail managing director Neil Saunders.

"A social platform like TikTok would give Walmart easy access to the very audience it wants and needs to attract," Saunders said.

Having access to the social media sensation could help Walmart's marketing campaigns while tapping into "a rich seam of data" or product development and more, according to Saunders.

Walmart teaming with US technology colossus Microsoft was "the final piece of the puzzle that ultimately cements Microsoft successfully acquiring TikTok's US operations for likely $35 billion to $40 billion," according to Wedbush analyst Dan Ives.

'High stakes poker'

"While deal negotiations will be complex with a number of technology and data privacy issues that need to be worked out before an agreement is inked, we believe ByteDance is playing a game of high stakes poker with Microsoft looking like the only true white knight around," Ives said in a note to investors.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/i-have-decided-to-leave-the-company-tiktok-ceo-kevin-mayer-resigns-amid-us-government-crackdown-323355">Also read|&nbsp;'I have decided to leave the company': TikTok CEO Kevin Mayer resigns amid US government crackdown</a>

TikTok CEO Kevin Mayer said Wednesday he had quit the company as tensions soar between Washington and Beijing over the Chinese-owned video platform.

Mayer's departure was taken by some in the market as a sign that a deal to sell TikTok is imminent. Oracle is also said to be in the bidding

Mayer's resignation came just days after TikTok filed a lawsuit challenging a crackdown by the US government over claims the wildly popular social media app can be used to spy on Americans.

TikTok, which has been downloaded 175 million times in the US and more than a billion times around the world, argued in the suit that Trump's order was a misuse of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.

The platform — on which users share often playful short-form videos — is not "an unusual and extraordinary threat," it said.

The platform's kaleidoscopic feeds of clips feature everything from dance routines and hair-dye tutorials to jokes about daily life and politics.&nbsp;

The company holds firm that it has never provided any US user data to the Chinese government, and Beijing has blasted Trump's crackdown as political.

US retail giant Walmart said Thursday it had teamed with Microsoft in a bid to buy Chinese-owned short-form video app TikTok. The app has been at the center of a diplomatic storm between Washington and Beijing after President Donald Trump signed an executive order on August 6 giving Americans 45 days to stop doing business with its Chinese parent company ByteDance.

US retail giant Walmart said Thursday it had teamed with Microsoft in a bid to buy Chinese-owned short-form video app TikTok. The app has been at the center of a diplomatic storm between Washington and Beijing after President Donald Trump signed an executive order on August 6 giving Americans 45 days to stop doing business with its Chinese parent company ByteDance. The move effectively set a deadline for a sale of TikTok to a US company. "We are confident that a Walmart and Microsoft partnership would meet both the expectations of US TikTok users while satisfying the concerns of US government regulators," the retailer told AFP. Walmart is likely interested in TikTok to better connect with younger shoppers who turn to the internet for lifestyle trends, according to analysts. Also read| TikTok in trouble again with an 'offensive' Holocaust trend Younger people are much less likely to shop at Walmart, whether online or in real-world stores, according to GlobalData Retail managing director Neil Saunders. "A social platform like TikTok would give Walmart easy access to the very audience it wants and needs to attract," Saunders said. Having access to the social media sensation could help Walmart's marketing campaigns while tapping into "a rich seam of data" or product development and more, according to Saunders. Walmart teaming with US technology colossus Microsoft was "the final piece of the puzzle that ultimately cements Microsoft successfully acquiring TikTok's US operations for likely $35 billion to $40 billion," according to Wedbush analyst Dan Ives. 'High stakes poker' "While deal negotiations will be complex with a number of technology and data privacy issues that need to be worked out before an agreement is inked, we believe ByteDance is playing a game of high stakes poker with Microsoft looking like the only true white knight around," Ives said in a note to investors. Also read| 'I have decided to leave the company': TikTok CEO Kevin Mayer resigns amid US government crackdown TikTok CEO Kevin Mayer said Wednesday he had quit the company as tensions soar between Washington and Beijing over the Chinese-owned video platform. Mayer's departure was taken by some in the market as a sign that a deal to sell TikTok is imminent. Oracle is also said to be in the bidding Mayer's resignation came just days after TikTok filed a lawsuit challenging a crackdown by the US government over claims the wildly popular social media app can be used to spy on Americans. TikTok, which has been downloaded 175 million times in the US and more than a billion times around the world, argued in the suit that Trump's order was a misuse of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. The platform — on which users share often playful short-form videos — is not "an unusual and extraordinary threat," it said. The platform's kaleidoscopic feeds of clips feature everything from dance routines and hair-dye tutorials to jokes about daily life and politics. The company holds firm that it has never provided any US user data to the Chinese government, and Beijing has blasted Trump's crackdown as political.

Walmart says teaming with Microsoft in bid for TikTok

By 2021 Microsoft 365 apps and services will no longer support Internet Explorer. The tech giant is bidding farewell to IE 11 as well as Microsoft Edge Legacy. Watch report.

End of an Era: Microsoft to phase out internet explorer

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