With files from Samira Balsara
Microsoft says it’s been hacked by the same group responsible for Nvidia and Samsung attacks, the EU calls for stricter cybersecurity rules, and YouTube will now offer free TV shows.
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That’s all the tech news that’s trending right now, welcome to Hashtag Trending. It’s Thursday, March 24, and I’m your host, Tom Li.
Microsoft confirmed it suffered a cyber attack and had partial source code from Cortana and Bing stolen. This is the latest attack by Lapsu$, the same group that claimed it was responsible for attacks on Nvidia and Samsung. In a statement, Microsoft detailed how the attack occurred and recommendations for increased countermeasures against attacks in the future. The company also noted that it believes no customer code or data was involved in the breach. Microsoft said Multifactor authentication (MFA), is one of the main defences against Lapsu$.
Source: Videogames Chronicle
This week, the European Commission called for a cybersecurity framework that would be implemented to stem cyber threats emerging from the Kremlin, according to Reuters. The proposal comes as part of a Cybersecurity Regulation plan that would also create a board to implement these rules. The board would require EU institutions, bodies and agencies to identify risks, create a plan to bolster cybersecurity, assess their security posture and share details of incidents. The proposal is in response to requests from EU ministers to establish a cybersecurity emergency response fund.
Source: Data Breach Today
YouTube will now offer free TV shows, as long as you’re okay with ad interruptions. YouTube users will have the option to stream 4,000 episodes of TV for free with ads. Some of the TV shows available include Andromeda, Hell’s Kitchen, and Heartland. According to The Verge, this feature will be available in the U.S. on desktop, mobile devices, and most TVs through the YouTube TV app. With this new feature, YouTube is a new competitor for over-the-air television, by offering free TV on demand. While YouTube isn’t the first platform to offer free TV, since so many people are already on the app to watch YouTube videos, it’s likely many users will check out what shows the platform has to offer.
Source: The Verge
While you may know of the eight planets within our solar system, there is much more out there. NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory confirmed there are now 5,000 known planets beyond our solar system. The so-called “exoplanets” include rocky worlds about the size of Earth, gas giants larger than Jupiter and “mini-Neptunes”, NPR reports. The ability to find new exoplanets is improving. Scientists now have a growing understanding of how to locate planets beyond our solar system and the technological tools to do it. These tools include the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite launched in 2018 and, more recently, the James Webb Space Telescope. Nasa says that our galaxy is likely home to billions of exoplanets. Of the 5,000 planets found so far, 35 per cent are similar in size to Neptune and can be ice giants or much warmer. Around 31 per cent are called super-Earths. These range in size from Earth to Neptune and are possibly rocky.
Source: NPR
That’s all the tech news that’s trending right now. Hashtag Trending is a part of the ITWC Podcast network. Add us to your Alexa Flash briefings or your Google Home daily briefing. Make sure to sign up for our Daily IT Wire newsletter to get all the news that matters directly in your inbox every day. Also, catch the next episode of Hashtag Tendances, our weekly Hashtag Trending episode in French, which drops every Thursday morning. If you have a suggestion or a tip, drop us a line in the comments or via email. Thank you for listening, I’m Tom Li.