IT Insights

WhatsApp to launch customer-business chat feature

WhatsApp is launching a new service for businesses to communicate directly with their customers. Cloud-based software that enables apps to communicate with each other, will open up WhatsApp to more businesses and will be free for smaller firms. The API will allow businesses to engage in customer-service chats on the service, which generates revenue for Meta.

How decentralization and Web3 will impact the enterprise

Web3 currently has some impressive proof points about its venture capital activity, that attracts the current generation of up-and-comers and leading talent to fresh, green-field opportunities, to prove itself as a major technology trend. A very important concept embedded right at the core of Web3 is decentrailization, which is now a significant industry trend and will be insisted on by a growing number of tech consumers and businesses as well. This article illustrates how Web3 is making a more evenly distributed future and also the enterprise opportunity of Web3.

System Updates

8 steps to automate the accounting cycle

NetSuite offers a comprehensive accounting solution to automate the accounting cycle with the following features. Firstly, a centralized repository of financial and operational data that gives accounting staff visibility into every business transaction. Secondly, rules-based transaction matching and auto-posting journal entries that minimize the risk of errors by reducing the need for manual data entry. Thirdly, automated schedules to ensure that depreciation, amortization, deferrals, and accruals are recorded consistently and applied to the appropriate cost centres. Next, simplified accounts payable with automated invoice scanning and general ledger code assignment, three-way invoice matching and automated payment. Finally, flexible reporting tools that make it easy to develop custom layouts to meet the requirements of different stakeholders.

From intelligent tools built on inclusivity to the latest in Windows—here is what is new in Microsoft 365

This month, Microsoft is adding new features across Microsoft 365 to improve accessibility, support flexible workstyles, streamline routine tasks, and offer more ways to make your voice heard.

Cybersecurity Announcements

NIST’s cybersecurity framework has become the common language for international cybersecurity

The NIST Cybersecurity Framework offers a clear set of guidelines for addressing and managing cybersecurity risks. Security teams can use it to help determine which activities are most important to assure critical operations. The framework can also contribute to developing a common language for international cooperation on critical infrastructure cybersecurity. NIST Framework can help prioritize projects or even help guide purchasing decisions. For practitioners, it's become a widely useful resource that the industry should share. We can also leverage them as resources to improve posture when it comes to cyber-threats and counter-cyberattacks.

PDF sneaks in Microsoft Word doc to embed snake keylogger malware

PDFs are being exploited as a transport for documents containing malicious macros. Malware can download and install information-stealing malware on victims' devices. HP's experts discovered that it is attempting to launch arbitrary code by exploiting an outdated Equation Editor vulnerability. The shellcode used in the attack targets CVE-2017-11882.