This Week in IT: Microsoft Outage, VR, Cyberattacks, iOS 16.3 - TechDecisions

Editor’s note: There is simply a batch going connected successful the satellite of IT, from emerging technologies to integer translation and caller cybersecurity threats. However, we can’t perchance screen it all, truthful we’ll bring you This Week successful IT, a curated summary of IT and endeavor exertion quality stories each week.

Microsoft 365 outage

Multiple Microsoft 365 services were down Wednesday successful what Microsoft accidental was an contented called by a networking change. Services specified arsenic Outlook, Teams and others were inaccessible to users aboriginal Wednesday morning.

The institution said it identified a networking contented and rolled backmost a networking configuration change. According to a Reuters report, this affected uses astir the world, with services impacted successful Americas, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa.

Read the Reuters study for much information.

Microsoft to unopen down AltspaceVR

Microsoft is shutting down its societal virtual world platform, AltSpaceVR, connected March 10, owed to a tendency to absorption connected Mesh, the mixed world level that Microsoft wants to turn and crook into a VR connection level for commercialized customers.

“We look guardant to what is to come, including our motorboat of Microsoft Mesh, a caller level for transportation and collaboration, starting by enabling workplaces astir the world,” the institution said successful a blog. “In the near-term, we are focusing our VR efforts connected workplace experiences, learning from and alongside our aboriginal customers and partners, and ensuring we present a instauration that enables security, spot and compliance. Over time, we anticipation to widen to user acquisition a well.”

Read Microsoft’s blog for much information.

DOJ takes down Hive Ransomware

The U.S. Department of Justice says it has undergone a months-long disruption run against the Hive ransomware radical that has targeted much than 1,500 victims successful implicit 80 countries astir the world.

According to the DOJ, the FBI since July 2022 has penetrated the organization’s machine networks, captured decryption keys and offered them to planetary victims. That saved victims from having to wage $130 cardinal successful ransom demands. Law enforcement has provided implicit 300 decryption keys to Hive victims who were nether onslaught and has distributed implicit 1,000 different decryption keys to erstwhile victims.

Read the DOJ announcement for much information.

Beware of malicious usage of RMM software

Several U.S. agencies are informing of an uptick successful cyber campaigns involving the malicious usage of distant monitoring and absorption software, with 1 peculiar run utilizing phishing emails that led to the download of ScreenConnect and AnyDesk to bargain wealth from unfortunate slope accounts.

While financially motivated, these attacks tin pb to different activity, specified arsenic selling archetypal entree to different cybercrime organizations. Legitimate RMM bundle is often utilized by menace actors to disguise their activities and support persistence successful a victim’s environment, the advisory warns.

Read the advisory for much information.

iOS 16.3 and hardware information keys

Apple has rolled retired iOS 16.3, and the caller operating strategy for iPhones and iPads features enactment for carnal information keys for Apple IDs.

This allows users to usage third-party information keys alternatively of two-factor authentication for their Apple ID. The diagnostic volition lone enactment with information keys certified by the FIDO Alliance, specified arsenic keys from YubiKey oregon FEITAN.

Read this Apple enactment papers for much information.