Microsoft Sounds Alarm On Active Cyberattacks Targeting SharePoint — Thousands Of US Government Servers May Be At Risk
Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) has issued an urgent security alert after uncovering active cyberattacks targeting SharePoint server software widely used by U.S. government agencies and businesses for internal document sharing.
What Happened: On Saturday, Microsoft disclosed that previously unknown vulnerabilities in on-premises SharePoint servers are being exploited in a "zero-day" attack, reported Reuters.
The company confirmed that SharePoint Online in Microsoft 365 is not affected. "We’ve been coordinating closely with CISA, DOD Cyber Defense Command, and key cybersecurity partners globally throughout our response," a Microsoft spokesperson said.
The company warned that the vulnerability allows an authorized attacker to conduct spoofing over a network, masquerading as a trusted source to manipulate data or access sensitive information.
The Washington Post first reported the attacks, noting that unidentified actors exploited the flaw in recent days to target U.S. and international agencies. Tens of thousands of servers may be at risk, according to cybersecurity experts cited in the report.
The FBI confirmed it is aware of the attacks and is working closely with federal and private-sector partners to assess the threat. However, it did not disclose further details.
Microsoft did not immediately respond to Benzinga's request for comments.
Why It's Important: On Friday, Microsoft announced it would no longer involve engineers based in China in supporting its cloud-computing projects for the U.S. Defense Department.
The decision follows a ProPublica investigation that brought the practice to light, leading Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to initiate a review of the Pentagon's cloud contracts.
In June, reports indicated that Microsoft plans to launch its AI Copilot tool for the Pentagon by summer 2025. A top executive mentioned that a major client with over 1 million Microsoft 365 licenses will adopt Copilot, with the Pentagon seen as a likely candidate due to its massive workforce.
Earlier this month, it was reported that Alphabet Inc.'s (NASDAQ:GOOG) (NASDAQ:GOOGL) Google plans to significantly lower its cloud computing prices for the U.S. government, following pressure from the Donald Trump administration to cut costs on federal IT contracts worth over $20 billion annually.
This move follows Oracle Corp’s (NYSE:ORCL) steep discounts, and similar price cuts are expected from Microsoft Azure and Amazon.com, Inc.'s (NASDAQ:AMZN) Web Services. The effort is part of a broader government initiative to reduce IT spending.
Price Action: Microsoft shares have climbed 21.85% year-to-date and gained 15.15% over the past 12 months. On Friday, the stock dipped 0.32% during regular trading, according to Benzinga Pro data.
Benzinga’s Edge Stock Rankings indicate that MSFT continues to show strong upward momentum across short, medium and long-term timeframes. However, despite its solid momentum score, the stock’s value rating remains comparatively lower. Further performance insights can be found here.
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