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Time of India
05-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
LinkedIn CEO to take over Office, more AI duties in Microsoft executive shuffle
HighlightsRyan Roslansky, the Chief Executive Officer of LinkedIn, will take on additional responsibilities overseeing Microsoft's Office products, including Word and Excel. Roslansky will also oversee 'Copilot,' Microsoft's leading artificial intelligence product within the productivity software suite. Charles Lamanna, who leads 'Copilot' for business and industrial users, will now report to Rajesh Jha, who oversees Microsoft Windows and Teams. The CEO of LinkedIn will take additional responsibility for Microsoft's Office products, while an executive responsible for one of the company's leading business-to-business artificial intelligence products will start reporting to head of the company's Windows unit, according to a memo from Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella viewed by Reuters. Ryan Roslansky , who oversees the business-focused social network owned by Microsoft, will remain CEO of LinkedIn but also oversee products such as Word and Excel and also "Copilot," Microsoft's leading AI product, within the company's productivity software suite, the memo said. Roslansky will report to Rajesh Jha , who oversees Microsoft Windows and Teams, among other duties. The memo said existing Office leaders Sumit Chauhan and Gaurav Sareen will report to Jha as well. Also moving to report to Jha will be Charles Lamanna , who leads "Copilot" for business and industrial users, the memo said.
Techday NZ
04-06-2025
- Business
- Techday NZ
Study finds 84% of severe cyber incidents use LOTL methods
Bitdefender has released new research analysing 700,000 cybersecurity incidents to better understand the use of so-called 'living off the land' techniques (LOTL) by cybercriminals. LOTL techniques involve attackers exploiting commonly used applications and utilities already present in target environments, making them particularly difficult to identify and prevent using conventional security measures. According to the data collected by Bitdefender Labs, 84 per cent of major security incidents – defined as those with high severity – involved the use of LOTL binaries. This figure was corroborated by managed detection and response (MDR) data, which indicated that 85 per cent of incidents employed LOTL methods. The research specifically highlights how attackers leverage widely used backend tools like PowerShell, a Microsoft Windows command-line shell and scripting language, and Netsh, a network configuration utility. The most frequently abused tool was found to be appearing in one-third of major attacks. Bitdefender's team of several hundred security researchers conducted this foundational study as part of the development of GravityZone Proactive Hardening and Attack Surface Reduction (PHASR) technology. The company is sharing these initial findings in advance of a more comprehensive report. "Attackers are demonstrably successful in evading traditional defences by expertly manipulating the very system utilities we trust and rely on daily – and threat actors operate with a confident assertion of undetectability. This stark reality demands a fundamental shift towards security solutions like Bitdefender's PHASR, which moves beyond blunt blocking to discern and neutralise malicious intent within these tools," the report stated. The use of well-known tools such as and was common among both administrators and attackers. Notably, prevalence among attackers was unexpected compared to its more typical use by administrators for network management, firewall configuration, and routing. Other tools often targeted by attackers include used to query and modify Windows registry entries; the Microsoft C# Compiler; and which loads and executes functions from DLL files, frequently facilitating DLL sideloading attacks. Some tools, such as and were found to be used often by threat actors but rarely by administrators, presenting an additional challenge for traditional security monitoring, which tends to focus on more familiar administration tools. The research also identified a subset of tools primarily used by developers, such as and that are less recognised by security monitoring systems focused only on administration binaries. Their legitimate use in development environments allows them to evade detection more easily. Analysis also revealed that PowerShell was not used solely by administrators. The study found that 96 per cent of organisations in the dataset legitimately utilise PowerShell, with activity detected on 73 per cent of endpoints. Many third-party applications were discovered invoking PowerShell code without any visible interface, blurring the distinction between routine and potentially malicious use. A similar pattern was found with an older management tool now largely superseded by PowerShell but still in use by third-party applications to gather system information, despite its planned deprecation by Microsoft. Geographical comparisons demonstrated varying patterns in tool usage. In the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region, PowerShell was present in only 53.3 per cent of organisations studied, contrasting with a rate of 97.3 per cent in the Europe-Middle East-Africa (EMEA) region. Conversely, use of was higher in APAC compared with other regions. The report noted the significance of such differences. It said, "This underscores the importance of nuanced understanding, as even tools appearing outdated or unused can be critical for specific functions and disabling them can cause unforeseen disruptions." The findings directly informed the design of Bitdefender's PHASR technology, which adopts a targeted, behaviour-based approach to endpoint security. Rather than indiscriminately blocking entire utilities, PHASR analyses the actions performed within tools like or and allows or blocks specific behaviours based on baseline use and known malicious patterns. The report detailed PHASR's methodology: the technology monitors typical user and application behaviour on each endpoint, comparing ongoing activity with patterns characteristic of cyberattacks. This allows for proactive blocking of suspicious actions without impeding legitimate business operations or requiring constant policy updates. Highlighting the threat posed by the use of trusted tools, the report quoted the leader of the BlackBasta ransomware group, known as 'gg': "If we use standard utilities, we won't be detected... We never drop tools on machines." Referring to this observation, the report stated, "The staggering 84 per cent prevalence of Living off the Land (LOTL) techniques in major attacks directly validates this adversary perspective." The assessment of the ongoing challenge provided by these techniques was summarised as, "Attackers are demonstrably successful in evading traditional defences by expertly manipulating the very system utilities we trust and rely on daily – and threat actors operate with a confident assertion of undetectability." "This stark reality demands a fundamental shift towards security solutions like Bitdefender's PHASR, which moves beyond blunt blocking to discern and neutralise malicious intent within these tools."
Time of India
26-05-2025
- Time of India
How this TikTok trend promising free Spotify and Microsoft software updates is ‘dangerous' for you
Hackers are reportedly using short promotional videos disguised as offers for free Spotify Premium and Windows 365 on TikTok to spread malware. These ten-second videos, which have garnered millions of views on the platform, claim to provide an easy method to unlock paid subscriptions or features for popular services like Microsoft Windows, Office 365 and Spotify Premium, a report claims. The method involves a simple prompt to be typed into the PowerShell command-line tool in Windows. However, this command does not unlock any premium services. Instead, it downloads and installs malware designed to steal various types of private information from an infected PC. This stolen data can include personal documents, cryptocurrency, and social media login credentials. What cybersecurity researchers said about these TikTok videos According to a report by Forbes, a cybersecurity researcher at Trend Micro who discovered the attack said that traditional security tools are likely to miss this malware. This is because the malicious software is not delivered via typical methods such as email attachments or software exploits. Instead, it is unwittingly installed by users who are seeking free subscriptions. In a report on the attack, the company explained: 'There is no malicious code present on the platform for security solutions to analyse or block. All actionable content is delivered visually and aurally.' by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 5 Books Warren Buffett Wants You to Read In 2025 Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo In a statement to Forbes, Trend Micro researcher Junestherry Dela Cruz said that the company believes AI is enabling the scam as the promotional videos all use similar synthetic voices and feature nearly identical shots and camera angles. Meanwhile, TikTok informed Forbes that it had removed all accounts identified by the researchers as dangerous but declined to elaborate further. However, the report didn't mention how many viewers installed the malware, but it noted that the videos were popular, as one clip promising to 'boost your Spotify experience instantly' received over 500,000 views, and two TikTok accounts posting 11 such videos collectively reached nearly 1 million views. In the comments on a video offering pro Windows features, which had over 550,000 views, one user asked, 'Is this safe?' One of the replies also reportedly warned of serious consequences, saying: 'My hard drive had been wiped after running the code,' and 'All my accounts were hacked because of these videos.' AI Masterclass for Students. Upskill Young Ones Today!– Join Now
Mint
26-05-2025
- Mint
CERT-In issues high-risk advisory over critical Microsoft vulnerabilities: Report
The Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In), under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, has issued a high-risk security advisory for users of Microsoft products,reported Business Standard. As per the publication, the alert, published on CERT-In's official platform, highlights serious vulnerabilities that could potentially expose users and organisations to a range of cyber threats. You may be interested in According to the advisory, the identified flaws reportedly affect a wide range of Microsoft services and tools, including Microsoft Windows, Microsoft Azure, Office, Developer Tools, Dynamics, System Centre, and extended security updates for older Microsoft products. CERT-In has raised concerns that the vulnerabilities could be exploited by attackers to gain elevated privileges, access confidential data, bypass security mechanisms, execute remote code, or initiate denial-of-service (DoS) and spoofing attacks. 'These multiple vulnerabilities in Microsoft products could be exploited to compromise system integrity and put sensitive information at risk,' the agency warned, urging IT administrators, cybersecurity teams, and general users to act promptly. As of now, Microsoft has not issued any official workaround or mitigation for the vulnerabilities. Users are being advised to install the latest security patches released by Microsoft in its May 2025 update to minimise potential risks. It is noteworthy that the advisory serves as a crucial reminder for organisations and individuals to remain vigilant and to ensure that all systems are updated regularly to avoid potential exploitation. Install the latest security updates as detailed in Microsoft's May 2025 release notes. Monitor systems for unusual activity and apply best practices in access management and endpoint security. Engage security professionals to assess vulnerabilities and ensure appropriate defences are in place. With cyberattacks growing increasingly sophisticated, CERT-In's alert underscores the importance of proactive cybersecurity measures in safeguarding digital infrastructure.
News18
26-05-2025
- News18
Windows 10, 11 And Microsoft Office Users Face Major Security Risks, Indian Govt Raises Alert
Last Updated: Windows and Office users are facing multiple security issues that can leave them vulnerable to cyber attacks and hacking. Microsoft Windows and Office among other products are facing another big security risk that has forced the Indian government to alert the users across the country. Windows is the popular OS used by millions for their PCs and laptops, while Office lets you use apps like Word, Excel and PowerPoint. The latest concerning issue has been detailed by the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team or CERT-In in May 2025, sharing some worrying details about the security risks that make millions of Windows PCs vulnerable to hacking attacks. The CERT-In alert explains the security risks that are plaguing not just the Windows and Office users but other Microsoft products that are heavily relied on by businesses. 'Multiple vulnerabilities have been reported in various Microsoft Products which could allow an attacker to gain elevated privileges, obtain Information Disclosure, bypass Security restriction, conduct remote code execution attacks, perform spoofing attacks, or cause denial of service (DoS) conditions," the security bulletin says. The government alert also points out the Microsoft users who are at risk because of the latest issues: Windows, both latest and legacy versions are vulnerable to the security issues, which makes it critical that everyone using a Windows PC should install the latest patch at the earliest. You also have businesses targeted with products like Azure and dynamics also in the mix. And yes, like we said, Office has a wide suite of apps that are used by both personal and business users. The agency also informs that Individuals and IT administrators, security teams responsible for maintaining and updating Microsoft products could be targeted with ransomware or cyber attacks. So what can you do to protect your systems from the issues? Microsoft has already discovered the risks, and released the patches that will keep your machine safe. We suggest you go to settings, enable auto-update Windows and reboot the system to have the new version installed to keep your PC safe.
