This week, in an emergency update, Apple released a patch preventing Pegasus spyware from infecting any Apple device with a single click. Researchers have uncovered a new exploit in Microsoft’s Azure cloud services, this time in regards to their “container-as-a-service” Kubernetes offering. We discuss these stories and more on this week’s Rundown.
91% of IT Teams Feel They Sacrifice Security for Operations
In a new study by HP Wolf Security, 91% of IT professionals feel like, amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, have had to prioritize their company’s business operations over their security practices. To add to that, 73% of respondent claimed that cybersecurity has taken a back seat in their organization, with 81% believing remote work to be the new security “ticking time bomb.”
Kioxia Ships “Optane-Class” XL-Flash
After being first announced in 2019, Kioxia has finally shipped their XL-Flash line of storage drives, which they are pitching as storage-class memory to compete with Intel’s Optane. The FL6 has a PCIe Gen-4 interface and supports NVMe v1.4, promising up to a 3.2 TB capacity with a 60 write per day drive endurance, surpassing the abilities of TLC Flash.
Introducing Meris: The 250,000-Strong DDoS Botnet
As if the effects of pandemic weren’t already hard hard enough on IT staff, now they have to contend with a plague. That is, the Latvian 250K-device botnet, Meris, named after the Latvian word for “plague.” Researchers in Russia have found that Meris is the source for the majority of DDoS attacks that happened over the last several months, largely due to the overwhelming amount of requests per second the massive botnet can inflict on a webhost.
Intel Silicon as a Service with Lenovo TruScale
Users of Lenovo’s TruScale can now take advantage of a new groundbreaking feature: they can increase the number of cores at use in their machine without having to swap in new processors. This Silicon-as-a-Service feature allows companies to scale their Intel core usage without having to request that Lenovo alters their rack layout. That way, Lenovo and Intel can deploy singular high-volume configurations, allowing Intel to sell Lenovo their highest core count processors.
Thousands of Fortinet VPN Account Credentials Leaked
Credentials pilfered from 87,000 unpatched Fortinet SSL-VPNs have been posted online, the company has confirmed. The culprits? Remnants of the Babuk gang that wreaked ransomware havoc earlier this year.
Fidelma Russo Steps Down as VMware GM to Become HPE CTO
We have a big C-level move this week, as earlier in the week, VMware’s GM, Fidelma Russo announced she would be stepping down from her position at the company. Well, just shortly after the announcement, she let us know why: Russo is now HPE’s CTO.
Former VMware 5G Manager Shekar Ayyar is Now Arrcus CEO
Just this morning, Arrcus announced that, in tandem with a new strategic approach to their vision and partner program, they also are announcing a new CEO, former VMware veteran Shekar Ayyar. As edge and 5G use cases continue to expand, Arrcus looks to set themselves up for maximum success with this move, hoping to build momentum to finish out the fiscal year strong.
Emergency Apple Update Targets Pegasus, Spyware
What’s that in the sky? A bird? A plane? A flying horse infecting Apple devices? This week, in an emergency update, Apple released a patch preventing Pegasus spyware from infecting any Apple device with a single click. When infected, devices could be made to activate their microphone and camera, sending the information back to the NSO to be dispersed among their clients.
“Azurescape” Exploit Opens Up Cross-Container Kubernetes Compromise
Researchers have uncovered a new exploit in Microsoft’s Azure cloud services, this time in regards to their “container-as-a-service” Kubernetes offering. This comes hot off the recent patching of another flaw in Azure’s CosmosDB service, drawing into question some of the security practices going on in at the Redwood giant’s cloud services wing.
The Gestalt IT Rundown is a live weekly look at the IT news of the week. It broadcasts live on Facebook every Wednesday at 12:30pm ET. To watch along, “Like” our Facebook page. Be sure to subscribe to Gestalt IT on YouTube for even more weekly video content.
