Subscription to the platform takes place through a cloud service provider (CSP), which provides cloud-based storage, application, infrastructure or platform services.
Among the tasks of a provider is the management of security procedures, which consists of protecting data, managing the identities that access it, protecting equipment from malfunctions and much more.

With regard to this aspect, Microsoft has noticed a suspicious increase in spamming, in the last period, among customers subscribing to the Azureplatform.
Spamming is the indiscriminate sending, without the recipient’s consent, of e-mail messages: it is therefore an activity that risks damaging the functioning of the service and that violates the conditions for the use of Microsoft Azureservices.

Behaviors deemed harmful

Spamming isn’t the only violation of Microsoft’s acceptable use policy, it’s also considered malicious behavior:

• Piracy and resale of pirated subscriptions.
• Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks, the sending of large amounts of data from different sources to a target to prevent access.
• Mining of cryptocurrencies.
• Distribution of malware, malicious software used to damage networks and devices.

In cases where the algorithms detect these activities, Microsoft can deactivate customer subscriptions without any kind of notice!

Cloud Service Providers can also detect anomalous behavior among their customers and can intervene both in person, informing the customer that he is violating the established conditions and that his subscription will be deactivated by Microsoft, or by informing Microsoft that it will do so later.

In the event that Microsoft directly deactivates the customer’s subscription, its Cloud Service Provider will have to take care of repeating the message to the person concerned.

Very often it happens that, when opening an account, the Terms and Conditions of Useare not read thoroughly, but their acceptance and compliance is essential for use.
Customers who see their subscription canceled will no longer be able to access it as they immediately lose access to Microsoft resources, but will be able to fill out the unlock request form.

The attack to SIAE

The last important hacker attack inItaly was recorded on 18 October 2021 and targeted SIAE (Italian Society of Authors and Publishers), the company that manages the rights of artists from the world of entertainment and culture, from the recording to the television and publishing.
The criminals’ loot is composed of about60 gigabytes of sensitive data.

From the first evaluations it seems to be a ransomware by Everest Team, a type of malware that limits the access to the device or that codes user’s data that infects Requires a ransom to be paid to remove the restriction or to prevent the publication of decrypted data.

The hacker of the case in question have already published on the Dark Web a small part of the stolen data to prove the authenticity of the hack and they have requested a ransom of 3 million euros in Bitcoin to prevent the publication of the remaining data

The SIAE seems to be not willing to pay the ransom, “We can’t give in to blackmail of criminal persons, we have already made the complaint to the postal police ant to the guarantor of privacy as usual, we will constantly monitor the situation” announces Gaetano Blandini, the general manager of the company.

Among the stolen and published data there are: identity documents, contracts between artists and companies, recognition of works, IBAN:a real tragedy for the victims of this story.

But this, as anticipated, is only the latest in a long series. On August 19, it was the Regional Health Agency of Tuscany to be under attack, on July 31 the information system of the Lazio region, on October 6 the Twich platform and many others…

The only solution to these phenomena is to take strong precautionary measures, because cybercriminals will not end up here.

Don’t wait for a hacker to “knock on your door”… it could be the beginning of the end for your company. Take cover with our security solutions.

Covid-19 has been damaging from the users point of view, who have received numerous attacks, but has increased several initiatives aimed at strenghthening cyber security in our country
To tackle the problem of cyber attack, the Government wanted to establishthe National Cybersecurity Agency (ACN). Legitimized by the legislative decree of 4 August 2021, its purpose is to promote the culture of cyber security, the awareness of the public, private amd civil sectors on cyber risks and threats.

The agency operates under the President of the Council of Ministers and the Delegated Authority for the Security of the Republic responsibility, in close contact with the Information System for the security of the Republic.
Roberto Baldoni is at the leader, after leaving his role of Deputy Director of the Information Security Department (DIS)

Agency’s duties

Agency’s duties for national cybersecurity can be summarized as follows:

• It exercises the functions of National Authority in the cybersecurity sector
• Dvelop national prevention, monitoring, detection and mitigation capabilities to tackle cyber attacs
• It contributes to raising the security of the Information and Communication Technology system, of subjects included in the national cyber security perimeter, of public administrations, of essential services operators and digital service providers.
• It increase the development of idustrial technological and scientific skills through project aimed at stimulating a solid labour power in the change of cybersecurity (with a view to national autonomy in the sector)
• It assumes the function of a single national interlocutor for public or private entities on the subject.

The Agency has also established the Cybersecurity NucleusPresident of the Council of Ministries for aspects relating to prevention and a preparation for any crisis situations and for the activation of alert procedures.
Finally, the decree consitutes the Inter-ministerial Committee for cybersecurity, with advisory, proposal and supervision functions

Information security is achieved thanks to the National Cybersecurity Strategy, which has the task of identifying the profiles and evolutionary trends of the threats and vulnerabilities of national systems, specifying the tasks of the various public and private subjects, the procedures and tools with which to adapt them.
The path taken by the Government seems to go in the right direction. Strengthening cyber security is a necessity to guarantee the availability, integrity and prrivacy of information and data in the Information System.

The degree course I am attending aims to train specialist in public and social communication, ready to support companies in everything releated to the communication process. Particular attention is paid to marketing, to advertising and to effective communication techniques to keep in touch the company with its customers and to satisfy their every single necessities.

I will carry out my internship in the Marketing office, where I will have the opportunity to follow Giorgia, my company tutor, and to see how business communication is managed.
I am very excited to be able to understand how the various professional programs work, to create and publish articles for corporate websites and to keep their social networks active.

I can’t wait to start!

This is the end of Sara’s training at our company, and she described her experience as follows.

Sara’s experience

“My name is Sara Chiorboli, and I am in my final year of studying Language Mediation in Advertising, International Marketing and Public Relations at CIELS University in Padua.

The three-year degree aims to train experts with a know-how of business management, with particular reference to the communication processes of companies. This internship has been a great opportunity to enrich my knowledge and skills.

I was placed in the marketing department, followed by Giorgia. Right away, I found a professional and calm environment that allowed me to put myself out there. All IT Solution staff is available and ready to help if needed. All agreed upon goals were achieved through the use of various web platforms, such as WordPressand IT Solution’s new support site. In both cases I was able to see concretely how the world of communication and marketingworks on a practical level in a company.

I followed the line of my studies also in the linguistic field, through the translationof articles to facilitate the use of the site to people who speak English. I’ve done blog articles in a variety of genres, from food to automotive to home. I have achieved goals and acquired skills that have allowed me to put into practice the theoretical notions, taking care of the management of social networks. I also assisted with customer care, which is critical in an IT company, especially with the advent of remote support.

It has been interesting to see the day to day operation of the IT Solution machine. Machinebecause all the components are essential to the operation of the whole thing, and I assimilated that during this month-long internship.

I would like to end by thanking the company for this opportunity, which has allowed me to improve my communication and relational skills, as well as making me grow professionally and personally”.

Founded in 1997 and headquartered in Berlin, Germany, Snom is a German multinational company that produces the world’s first and leading brand of professional and business VoIP phones.
Snom is a premium European brand renowned for pioneering VoIP and mass production of VoIP. It produces robust, high-quality, feature-rich business phones designedexclusively for trained and certified IT installers and PBX professionals and universally compatible with leading PBX platforms.

Snom aims to provide you with devices that guarantee high quality communications wherever you are and wants to be at the center of your communications, whether it’s through your cell phone, your desk phone, your computer or anything else.
Snom has more than 4 million endpoints installed globally. It’s a very strong footprint in the small to medium business VoIP telephony market with a loyal customer base that provides continuity over the years. We also cultivate long-standing partnerships with EU telecom operators of all sizes. IT Solution infact is also a Snom authorized center for technical support.

Snom’s Products

Snom’s main differentiators are our extremely high standards of voice quality, our high quality of service and our high quality of service. Our German-engineered products that provide reliability, resilience and remarkable RIO, and the value-added capabilities of Snom software, including SIP standards compliance, ease of provisioning, feature richness and security. Customers benefit from a reliable and trustworthy product that delivers good ROI and increases staff satisfaction through its ease of use, integration into enterprise systems and high-quality audio.

Snom‘s range of phones is rich in solutions for operations, call center and executive workstations, with color displays, programmable BLF keys, Wi-Fi integration.
Snom specializes in VoIP telephony for unified communications.

The IP phones are interoperable with any IPPBX (3CX, Yeastar, Broadsoft, Freepbx, Asterisk, Elastix etc) providing standard SIP extensions, but they can also be used as an IP terminal for a virtual switchboard (cloud PBX) provided by any IP operator or telecommunications company.

Snom offers Microsoft Skype for Business optimized IP phones, in addition to the standard SIP versions.

The German company, (acquired by Vtech Group) also produces the PA1audio amplifier integration system with which to manage calls via amplifier/speaker on IP PBXs equipped with SIP extensions. PA1 is an excellent interface for audio amplifiers and electrical load control via IP (even remotely).

As far as the DECTwireless systems are concerned, we find the M325and M700solutions.

M325 is a stand alone system that supports wireless repeaters, (so for small structures up to 20 terminals), while the M700 solution, is aimed at companies and accommodation facilities even of large size, thanks to the possibility of installing DECT cells on LAN PoE and, to these, also the wireless repeaters M5, so as to obtain dect coverage of large areas and with many terminals, with the possibility of remoting cells and terminals in geographically distributed locations.

In fact, in addition to sorting calls and offering voicemail services, it can have inside:

• an automatic answering machine with preset call diversion;
• call forwarding also to a mobile number
• management of queues to other extensions or voicemail
• fax function through e-mail
• traffic history
• black list and white list management and scheduling
• possibility to make video conferences and video calls
• integration with CRM and other corporate databases
• extension to chat and instant messaging tools.

Cloud switchboard: what are the benefits?

The benefits of cloud PBX are many. It allows you to organize your workin a flexibleway, overcoming the concept of telephone extension associated with a telephone system, which can be simply replaced with a pair of headsets and a computer, and that of fixed workstation, thanks to access to its users from anywhere and with any device.

Working and managing smart working, then, will be easier than ever.

It can be connected to multiple devices to receive phone calls and offers a video conference function that can be accessed simply by dialing a number.

Thanks to its integration with CTI (Computer Telephony Integration) platforms, the performance of the phonebecome identical to those of the computer and bothdevices can be used to receive and make calls, either through an application for PC, tablet or smartphone (downloadable from the Play Store or Apple Store), or with special IP or VoIP phones.

The integrationof the switchboard with CRM systems, allows us to offer a high quality level of customer service. Ultimately, the PBX cloud is an advanced and integrated solution that allows you to create a system of Unified Communications and Collaboration suitable for the needs of companies of all sizes.

In addition to technologies, the difference between VoIP virtual PBX and traditional PBX reflects different ways of working. The ISDN system, in fact, belongs to an organizational structure in which the desk of the individual has a central role in production processes.

Hence the need for an “extension” combined with a fixed location, from which one rarely leaves to attend meetings in common rooms or to travel outside the office. Today, digital transformation is subverting this order of things, pushing toward approaches that reshape how people stay in the workplace. Approaches such as, for example, ABW (Activity Based Working), which subdivides environments according to the tasks to which the employee is called, or smart working, in which remote activity tends to take on the contours of normality and no longer the exception to the rule. In such a scenario, Unified Communications (UC) platformsbecome essential for their ability to converge communication towards the same individual, regardless of physical location.

That’s what the Cloud PBX does, because it disrupts the concept of the telephone extension associated with the fixed workstation. As demonstrated by, among others, theHot Desking, i.e., the ability to access one’s user profile anywhere and with any device, the SIP Forking, which enables multiple devices to receive the phone call, or the Conference Room in which you do not enter by opening a door, but simply by dialing a number.

Yesterday morning, a meeting was held in Brussels between the European Privacy Guarantors with the aim of providing the results of the checks carried out at national level, but above all to decide on the moves to be made. At the Italian level, the task force that had already been set up to verify the information of WhatsApp users by Facebook will most likely be expanded. Recall in this regard that these are two platforms that belong to the same company, but despite this it was found in many cases that the exchange of data between WhatsApp and Facebook had been activated without the explicit consent of those concerned, involving even people who had never signed up to Facebook but had only registered their phone number on WhatsApp. Thus, the usual sore point remains: the lack of awareness of the conditions of use of these tools and the final and intermediate destination of what is poured into them on a daily basis. While waiting for the disbursement of sanctions (the GDPR will be enforceable next May 25) on the European table is already discussing the issue of the criteria to be applied: the prevailing line is to proceed all together, so that it is the European Union to assert its reasons. The only thing that remains to be established is whether the fines should be contested by Great Britain -country where Cambridge Analytica has its headquarters- or by Ireland -where instead Facebook’s European headquarters are located.

According to the declarations of Christopher Wylie, the Cambridge Analytica analyst who disclosed the wrongdoing, Italy would have been the only country to have worked with the British company and that probably a political party may have been favored thanks to the propaganda carried out through Facebook. Faced with such heavy declarations, intelligence and postal police checks were immediately triggered, from which so far at least five fake profiles created to spark debate or send messages on the “hot” topics of the election campaign, especially immigration, have emerged. Making real accusations at the moment is still early because according to analysts these profiles could even have been created to damage the party and further checks will be necessary to establish what kind of influence there has been on users and whether it could have been such as to influence the vote.

Sara Avanzi