Amazon‘s newly launched smart home security drone presents a “whole new wave of cyber security risks”, according to Kaspersky.

Researchers at the security firm have warned that if the technology is compromised it could give hackers a map of a user’s home and access to sensitive data, including bank details.

The flying camera drone, ‘Always Home’, is the latest product from Amazon’s Ring division. It’s a black device that sits in a white docking station that launches when something or someone sets off any home sensors.

The drone is controlled via a smartphone and is capable of capturing images which are then sent to the controlling device.

Kaspersky researchers claim it’s this functionality that has the potential to be used against the consumers who buy it.

“The development of unmanned security drones presents a whole new wave of cyber security risks,” said David Emm, principal security researcher at Kaspersky. “If hacked, this smart technology could provide cybercriminals with a complete map of an individual’s home – including the location of valuable items and possible access points to the house.

“The linked smartphone is also vulnerable to attack. If the connection between the drone and phone is compromised, then hackers can gain access to the individual’s sensitive data, including contact and banking details.”

Emm suggests that anyone considering buying the miniature security drone, or any smart device for that matter, should take steps to improve security, such as changing any default passwords, using WPA2 encryption on home routers and enabling automatic updates.

There have been a number of reports of Amazon IoT products being hacked, or at least found to have vulnerabilities, over the past year. In November 2019, researchers found an exploit in the Ring doorbell that allowed hackers to intercept Wi-Fi passwords in clear text.

Early in 2020, it was revealed that some hackers could gain access to user voice history via an Alexa subdomain attack. This was an exploit of a cross-origin resource sharing misconfiguration.

​Microsoft has suggested it will launch its Office productivity suite of apps and services in the form of a refreshed ‘perpetual release’ edition, two years after the launch of Office 2019.

Expected to be sold at a standalone cost to customers on Windows and Mac, this variety of Microsoft Office will bring the apps and services that compromise the Microsoft 365 suite to enterprises that don’t wish to buy a subscription.

The perpetual release, touted to launch in the second half of 2021, may come as welcome news to businesses not yet fully enticed by the nature of cloud services.

Office 2019, launched for Windows 10 devices two years ago, was released with a reduced extended support period against that offered in previous offline editions, namely Office 2016.

Although Microsoft offered five years of mainstream support, lasting through to 2023, the firm would only offer an additional two years of extended support, with updates ending on 14 October 2025. This was in order for the Office 2019 end-of-life cycle to align with Office 2016.

The announcement of another standalone Office suite, likely to be named Office 2022 based on historical naming conventions, suggests Microsoft has backed away from intentions to phase out this form of software launch. The firm had previously hinted it would abandon standalone releases and instead encourage its customers to opt for subscription-based services, honed by the launch of Microsoft 365 earlier this year.

“Software that is more than a decade old, and hasn’t benefited from this innovation, is difficult to secure and inherently less productive,” Barnardo Caldas, general manager for Windows and Jared Spataro, general manager for Office said in a joint blog post to mark the launch of Office 2019, for instance. “As the pace of change accelerates, it has become imperative to move our software to a more modern cadence.”

The firm announced the expected launch of a new ‘perpetual release’ for Microsoft Office alongside updates on Exchange Server as part of its Microsoft Ignite 2020 event.

The apps and services that will be available with this edition of Microsoft Office are also yet to be confirmed, although Office 2019 launched with a host of services, many of which are likely to be bundled into the release again.

These included Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Publisher, Visio, Access, and Project at launch, as well as Exchange Server, Skype for Business Server, SharePoint Server, Project Server and Office Online Server released later down the line.

Microsoft has said it would share additional details around the official names, pricing and availability of this edition of Microsoft Office in the near future.

Salesforce has launched a new platform that combines its marketing, commerce and digital services into one single package. 

Called Digital 360, the platform claims it will give businesses the ability to operate at peak levels every single day.

With the continuing impact of the coronavirus pandemic being felt around the world, Salesforce’s Digital 360 platform aims to help make digital transformation faster and easier. It combines Salesforce’s Marketing Cloud, Commerce Cloud and Experience Cloud with access to the firm’s broad partner ecosystem.

There are also new products within Digital 360, such as a customer data platform called Customer 360 Audiences, a payment solution powered by Stripe called Commerce Cloud Payments, and Experience Cloud which enables fast CRM-powered digital experiences.

“Every company has gone digital overnight because of the pandemic,” said Adam Blitzer, EVP and GM of Digital at Salesforce. “With Digital 360, we’re delivering the full power of Salesforce tailored to digital leaders – our products, ecosystem, learning and expert services – enabling them to move with the speed, agility and scale they need to operate at Black Friday levels every single day.”

Digital revenue in 2020 grew by 71% compared to the previous year, according to Salesforce’s Q2 Shopping Index. As such, the cloud giant suggests that the key to success, in any industry, is scalable, data-driven solutions that personalise customer experiences, whether that be from marketing emails and timely advertising to online shopping and in store experiences.

The service has already seen success, with companies such as Sonos using it during the pandemic to sell directly to its partners. 

“Our collaboration with Salesforce has supported Sonos’ ability to scale and accommodate a massive influx in business to our e-commerce site as we focus on selling directly to our customers,” said Lindsay Whitworth, director global direct-to-consumer at Sonos.

“As a result, we’ve been able to deliver relevant, personalised engagement at scale using campaigns and data-driven insights.”

Microsoft has announced the launch of a fully managed service that allows developers to add an array of communication tools to existing applications in a bid to help improve how businesses connect with their employees and customers.

Described by Microsoft as a first of its kind from a major cloud provider, the fully managed service, dubbed Azure Communications Service, lets businesses add voice and video calling, SMS text messaging, and instant chat support to mobile, desktop, and web apps, regardless of platform or device.

It’s currently possible for developers to add chat capabilities to existing applications, for example, by using Azure Functions. However, this is a fairly lengthy and laborious process involving sourcing code from GitHub and manually testing the application.

Microsoft claims the new set of APIs cuts much of the complexity out of the process, allowing for new integrations to be created “in a matter of minutes” using “just a few lines of code”.

Perhaps its biggest selling point is that these functions can then be integrated alongside other Microsoft services, including Azure Cognitive Services. This means businesses will be able to deploy tools like sentiment analysis and translation on top of any chat functions they add to their apps.

New chat functions will also benefit from any tools the base application has access to, which could be particularly powerful if those apps already have access to wider business operations, such as the company’s website.

Azure Communications Service will run off the same global network that underpins Microsoft Teams, the company added, allowing for much of the backend work and ongoing maintenance to be handled entirely by Microsoft.

Microsoft also confirmed that all communications, regardless of how they are delivered, will be encrypted and adhere to GDPR and similar frameworks.

The Azure Communications Service is the latest move from Microsoft to try and expand its footprint across business communications, having already opened up Microsoft Teams to third-party applications – apps that customers may have been reluctant to abandon in favour of Teams.

According to Nick McQuire, senior vice president of Enterprise Research at CCS Insight, Microsoft has managed to position itself as a major player in what is traditionally a telecommunications role.

“Azure Communications Services takes all the experience Microsoft has gained from its remote development and communications solutions during the pandemic and turns them into key developer services,” said McQuire.

“The shift to remote everything during the pandemic has meant that developers are now more attracted by communications-based features in their applications. It’s an area of opportunity that telcos worldwide have failed to grasp over the past few years and above all, shows that Microsoft has ascended to become one of the world’s most important communications companies as well.”

Voice and video calling and live chat functionality are available today, and support for both SMS text messaging and dedicated phone numbers will arrive in October.

Microsoft has announced a host of new security updates to coincide with a strategic shift that pulls all of its detection and event management services under the new Microsoft Defender brand.

Microsoft Defender represents the “broadest resource coverage” of any security portfolio in the industry, the company claims, spanning identity protection, endpoints, cloud applications, and infrastructure, to name a few.

This means all of Microsoft’s extended detection and response (XDR) tools will now sit alongside its suite of security information and event management (SIEM) software, offered as a single umbrella brand in a bid to reduce complexity.

For customers, this new direction will take the form of two separate packages, namely Microsoft 365 Defender, tailored for end-user environments, and Azure Defender, built for cloud and hybrid infrastructure. Both of these packages bring their own product name changes, with Microsoft effectively abandoning the ‘advanced threat protection (ATP)’ theme for most products.

Microsoft 365 Defender will replace all instances of Microsoft Threat Protection, the name given to the suite of products covering identity, endpoint, email, and app security, launched just two years ago.

Included in that Microsoft 365 Defender suite is an updated version of Microsoft Defender ATP, now known as Microsoft Defender for Endpoint, bringing with it expanded support for Android and iOS devices.

Microsoft Defender for Office 365, previously known as Office 365 ATP, and Microsoft Defender for Identity, previously known as Azure ATP, will also feature as part of the Microsoft 365 Defender suite.

The second package, Azure Defender, is described as an evolution of the Azure Security Center (ASC) and repurposes a number of its tools, although the original version ASC still exists. Firstly, Azure Defender for Servers will replace the standard version of ASC, while both Azure Defender for SQL and Azure Defender for IoT will both replace their respective ASC versions. All of these will be packaged inside Azure Defender.

Aside from the name changes, Azure Defender will bring a new look with a unified dashboard inside ASC, as well as expanded protection coverage for SQL on-premises, Kubernetes, and Azure Key Vault. It will also cover industrial IoT, operational technology (OT), and building management systems, largely thanks to the acquisition of CyberX in June.

“Today we’re delivering a new set of security, compliance, and identity innovations to help all customers simplify and modernize their environments by embracing the reality that the past seven months have likely reshaped the next 10 years of security and digital transformation,” said Vasu Jakkal, corporate vice president of Microsoft Security, Compliance, and Identity, announcing the rebrand.

“We hold a differentiated view among our peers that security should not only encompass all critical aspects of security — including cybersecurity, identity and compliance — but that these components should be tightly integrated, and built right into the products and platforms that businesses are already using.”

Also updated, but still separate from the Microsoft Defender branding, is Azure Sentinel, a tool that collates all of an organisation’s security logs and threat data into one window. This has been given an updated search functionality and the option to create watchlists for specific threats. It’s also now possible to create user and entity behaviour profiles that can be paired with Microsoft’s own security research to monitor for unseen threats.

Beginning in November, Microsoft will also be cutting the cost of Azure Sentinel for a limited time, which it estimates will help a typical organisation of 3,500 users save around $1,500 per month.

The COVID-19 pandemic has seen businesses increase their focus on DevOps initiatives, according to a survey commissioned by enterprise software delivery firm CloudBees. 

More than half (52%) of respondents said their firms placed higher priorities on increasing their DevOps initiatives as a result of the pandemic. The most popular initiative is daily standup meetings, which are now practised by 56% of the 347 technology professionals surveyed by the Accelerated Strategies Group (ASG).

Others include using cross-functional teams, practised by 46%, and automating tasks, which was selected by 42% of respondents.

Pandemic restrictions, such as the closure of offices, have also seen 52% of businesses prioritise contracting with public cloud service providers, while almost two-thirds (63%) of respondents said that digital transformation objectives had been placed at a higher priority than before.

The CloudBees report also further proved that employees are confident in their ability to remain productive from home. However, despite 60% of respondents saying that software developer productivity has improved during the pandemic, the speed of software delivery varies. A third (33.8%) of respondents saw speed increases, 27% saw decreases, and 39% didn’t perceive any change in speed.

According to Mitchell Ashley, CEO and managing analyst at ASG, software teams “have seen demonstrable benefit from working remotely”. However, he added that “time will tell which changes are permanent and/or beneficial” in the future.

The findings were unveiled on the first day of CloudBees’ DevOps World event, which also saw the company announce the general availability of the first two modules of its Software Delivery Management (SDM) solution.

The first module aims to solve higher-order feature management problems and provide product development teams with control over the features that get issued in software releases. Meanwhile, the second one focuses on engineering productivity and will provide leaders with insight into the prioritising abilities of their team members.

CloudBees also unveiled new DevSecOps solutions for CloudBees CI and CloudBees CD. The new security features aim to address the lack of integration when trying to meet audit and compliance requests.

They include enhanced granularity in Role-Based Access Control, audit-ready pipelines, a newly-developed hardened version of its CloudBees CI, feature flag integration, as well as proven integrations to security automation applications, such as Anchore, Alcide.io, CyberArk, Checkmarx, Contrast Security, FOSSA, RunSafe Security, Shiftleft.io, Snyk, Sonatype, Synopsys, WhiteSource Software, and Zimperium.

Speaking at the start of the event, CloudBees CEO and co-founder Sacha Labourey said: “When we originally came up with the theme for this year’s DevOps World – that was back in January – we decided on Transforming the Future of Software Delivery. And it felt right.

“We understood what transformation meant to us at the time, but we had no clue how transformative this world would truly get.”

T-Mobile has unveiled new rate plans for small business with Microsoft 365 included, which have been designed to give customers access to Office apps, cloud services, device management and advanced security. 

Access to Microsoft 365 Business Basic on T-Mobile’s Magenta for Business Plans now comes at no extra charge on up to two lines per account, while the service provider has also upgraded its 7,000-plus retail stores, as well as more than doubled its team of specially-trained experts to help better support SMBs.

Announcing the new plans, T-Mobile said it has reimagined its offerings to help small businesses save time and money, boost productivity, as well as suitably equip them to “navigate new realities”. 

“We celebrate small businesses every day at T-Mobile – they are the backbone of our communities. Today, we’re going even bigger for small businesses with Microsoft 365 on Us, providing critical Microsoft tools to help them survive and thrive in the face of new realities,” commented Mike Katz, EVP of T-Mobile for Business.

“Additionally, small business owners now have a new experience when they step into retail stores with highly trained mobile experts ready to serve them and other small businesses in the area. These businesses have endured such great challenges in 2020, and we want them to know – we’re with you.”

The new Magenta for Business and Magenta for Business Plus include Microsoft’s 365 productivity suite of tools for no extra charge and, for a limited time, T-Mobile is offering switchers up to 90 days of free wireless service. 

On top of the freshly-redesigned small-business plans, T-Mobile said it is doubling down on its support for SMBs, with the service provider more than doubling its number of dedicated staff and increasing business space in-store by 500%.

“T-Mobile and Microsoft have a shared commitment to helping small businesses save time and money by providing the tools and technology they need to succeed both now and into the future,” said Mark Kroese, General Manager at Microsoft 365 for SMB. 

“With the new offering, T-Mobile is making Microsoft 365 tools available to T-Mobile for Business customers, and in the process helping small business owners stay connected and productive in a new world of remote work.”

Unilever has partnered with Google Cloud to harness its cloud computing and big data processing technologies to gain an overview of ecosystems the business influences, and make supply chain interventions to better conserve the environment.

The multinational consumer goods firm will collaborate with Google Cloud to build platforms that can pave the way for sustainable commodity sourcing by both Unilever and companies in its supply chain. 

As part of the implementation, cloud computing will be combined with satellite imaging and AI in order to build a more holistic view of forests, water cycles and biodiversity that intersect Unilever’s supply chain.

By working with Google Cloud’s global geo-spatial platform, which includes the Google Earth Engine, Google Cloud Storage and BigQuery, Unilver can utilise accurate satellite imagery with the ability to store and process large amounts of complex data.

Uniler will use the platform to obtain insights into the impact on its sourcing processes on the environment and local communities and will allow the company and its suppliers to make interventions when they’re required.  

The project will demand that complex datasets are simplified and analysed in order to increase transparency within supply chains and allowing collaboration across public sector and private partners. The Google Earth Engine is currently used by academic and public institutions, as well as civil society groups, and this represents the first commercial venture by the project.

“At Google, we strive to build sustainability into everything that we do. Unilever has been an industry leader in environmental sustainability for many years, and we’re excited to be on this journey with them,” said Google Cloud president Rob Enslin. 

“Together, we’re demonstrating how technology can be a powerful tool in aiding businesses who strive to protect the Earth’s resources. It will require collective action to drive meaningful change, and we are committed to doing our part.” 

Owning more than 400 brands, and with its products used by 2.5 billion people every day, Unilever bears such a massive footprint on the global environment. The Google Cloud implementation, which contributes to the company’s aim to eradicate deforestation from its supply chain by 2023, will first focus on palm oil use, and then extend to other commodities.

The two companies will work with a number of tech partners to build a centralised command centre that will provide a more complete picture of ecosystems connected to Unilever’s supply chain and create a stronger mechanism for detecting deforestation. This would lead to greater accountability while also prioritising critical ares of forests and habitats that might need special protection.

“This collaboration with Google Cloud will take us to the next level in sustainable sourcing,” said Unilever’s chief procurement officer, Dave Ingram. “We will now be able to process and combine complex sets of data like never before. 

“The combination of these sustainability insights with our commercial sourcing information is a significant step-change in transparency, which is crucial to better protect and regenerate nature.”

Salesforce is adding 4,000 jobs over the next six months and 12,000 over the next year, the company’s CEO said over the weekend. 

Marc Benioff made the announcement over Twitter and called for potential candidates to send their resumes to Salesforce. 

The announcement could come as a big relief to some 1,000 employees who were told their jobs were being axed in August. Those affected were given 60 days to find a new role within the business, despite Salesforce recording revenue gains following a better than expected second quarter. 

At the time, Salesforce said it was “reallocating resources” to keep the company growing, suggesting that the actual number of employees leaving the firm would be a lot less as they move to other positions. 

The firm currently employs almost 54,000 workers around the world and has adopted a largely flexible strategy since the outbreak of COVID-19. In March, Benioff pledged not to lay off any staff off for 90 days and urged other CEOs to do the same.

The 1,000 job cuts came as soon as that period ended, but there is now a possibility that very few of the 1,000 will actually be made redundant. 

“Salesforce will add 4,000 jobs over the next 6 months & 12,000 over the next year,” Benioff wrote on Twitter. “Join our 54,000 employee strong Ohana defining the future of software. Salesforce is the world’s fastest-growing Top 5 enterprise software company. Send your resume to jobs@salesforce.com.”

The cloud giant declined to provide any more details about the hiring spree – specifically where and what these jobs will be – though it did suggest further details will be released soon. Whatever form they take, the 16,000 newly created jobs will be a huge relief to many during what is a particularly tough time. The impact of the coronavirus has had a rapid impact on the global job market, cutting many traditional and on-site roles.    

In August, Salesforce’s financial officer Mark Hawkins said the company was making “strategic shifts” that reflected how and where people now work as a result of the pandemic. 

“This means we’ll be redirecting some of our resources to fuel growth and areas that are no longer as aligned with the business priority will be de-emphasised,” he said.

Mozilla has discontinued its encrypted file-sharing service Firefox Send a couple of months after suspending the service after reports it was being abused to distribute malware and conduct spear-phishing attacks.

Send was initially rolled out in March 2019 as a free encrypted file-sharing platform that allowed individuals to share files from any browser without having to install third-party software and without fear of the files being intercepted.

However, developers were made aware in July of reports that Firefox Send was being used in a number of malware operations, prompting the company to suspended the service a little more than a year after it was first launched.