Two major projects from the Department of Defense will use Microsoft’s Azure cloud services under new deals signed by DOD and the technology firm, according to Nextgov. Microsoft and ten companies, including Applied Materials, Intel Corporation, Northrop Grumman, BAE Systems and Siemens EDA, will use the Azure Government cloud region’s new service to develop a technology solution for a secure microelectronics design for the DOD’s Rapid Assured Microelectronics Prototype program. Writing in a blog post, Mujtaba Hamid, principal program manager for Azure, said the new cloud services would have “Confidential and Secure Cloud Accessible Design Environment (CASCADE) such as, a secure, scalable, collaborative design, and manufacturing environment for Silicon and Microelectronics on Azure.” The blog post further states that the RAMP solution “will be hosted in Azure Government regions, ensuring compliance with DoD supply chain requirements.” Meanwhile, Microsoft has also announced a partnership with General Dynamics Information Technology that would provide Azure services access to federal customers.
Jill Aitoro leads editorial for SC Media, and content strategy for parent company CyberRisk Alliance. She 20 years of experience editing and reporting on technology, business and policy.
Attacks by the Muddled Libra threat operation — also known as UNC3944, Scattered Spider, Scatter Swine, and Starfraud — have been redirected at cloud service providers and software-as-a-service apps as part of efforts to bolster its data extortion efforts, reports The Hacker News.
Mounting zero-day vulnerabilities, more sophisticated living-off-the-land attack techniques, and escalating extortion levels were noted by Mandiant executives to be among the most pressing cybersecurity concerns faced by chief information security officers, CyberScoop reports.