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Top IT News of the Week (14/2022)

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Date published: 1st April 2022

Monday 4th of April 2022, London, UK – This week’s top IT news series is dominated by the latest cybersecurity concerns and threats, while Microsoft and CISCO have been active in announcing new acquisitions and exciting features.

IT news #1: Companies on high alert after Okta hack.

Topic: Cybersecurity, hacking

The identity management company confirmed the breach after online gang Lapsus$ revealed classified customer data. Thousands of businesses have been put on high alert after web attackers breached the systems of a company used to log into sensitive corporate networks and exposed classified client information. Okta, the US-based identity management company, has acknowledged it has been compromised after suffering a data breach after the cyber-criminal gang Lapsus$ shared screenshots of what seemed to be customer information. The company is currently in use by more than 6,000 companies across the globe and the breach means the attackers can access data from any of these companies. It was confirmed, the hack took place after the account of a third-party customer support engineer with access to its systems was exposed and then compromised by Lapsus$ in January.

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IT news #2: UK government urges companies to strengthen their defences.

Topic: Cybersecurity, data breach

According to the latest Cybersecurity Breaches Survey, senior managers are more worried about cyberattacks than ever before. The study commissioned by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) also found that almost a third of businesses now experience data breaches or cyberattacks on a weekly basis. Companies are strongly advised by the UK government to immediately strengthen their infrastructure and follow steps to reduce the risks of falling victim to a data breach or cyberattack. This includes implementing the government-back certification, Cyber Essentials scheme, with particular attention to directing small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) to the National Cyber Security Centre’s Small Business Guide. The survey also states that four out of five UK senior managers (82%) now see cyber security as “very high” or at least “fairly high” in their business priorities, an increase from the previous year’s 77%. To help combat the cyber challenges, 40% of businesses used at least one Managed Service Provider (MSP) to access IT services and ongoing support, but only 13% of them addressed potential risks carried by suppliers.

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IT news #3: Microsoft Azure to acquire Cloudflare and Akamai.

Topic: Microsoft Azure, cloud computing

Microsoft has given a makeover to its Azure Front Door content delivery network and the new-look version will be available soon to the broader public. Sunil Kishen, Principal Program Manager for Azure Networking, has explained in a blog post that the old iterations of the service will be referred to as “classic” while the new version takes the lead. It was stressed that the classic variants will still be fully supported; only the latest version will receive the latest updates. The new versions come in two forms: Azure Front Door Standard and Premium, with the company promising to deliver a “modern architecture”, fast global delivery and intelligent security. The Premium package attaches to Azure’s web application firewall (WAF), providing Front Door with “intelligent threat protection”. Azure WAF now also comes with a DRS 2.0 RuleSet with anomaly scoring-based detection with the ability to reduce false positives.

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IT news #4: Cisco Webex to support hybrid working with new features.

Topic: Cisco, collaboration software

Cisco has revealed new features in its Webex collaboration suite that aim to enhance hybrid working. At the launch, the company emphasised that it was developing a technology that would empower companies to put their employees first in one of the first times of shifting working practices. Cisco says that not only does innovation in Webex over the year help businesses to keep employees productive and engaged securely, but due to the launch of its new features, it aims to deliver flexible workstyles, addressing people’s collaboration needs, devices and meeting platforms. The concept builds on the concept of reimagined workspaces, meaning hybrid work requires a business to transform its operation and workspaces to deliver a consistent experience, whether in an office, at home or on the go. Cisco has also announced a unique, industry-first partnership with Ford to extend Webex Meetings to vehicles in order to function as a mobile office. To support the in-office experience, Webex has broadened embedded apps from the desktop app to include Webex Desk and Webex Board Series devices, tablets, and phones, aiming to eliminate the need to use different apps and maximise collaboration.

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