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Popular collaboration tools such as Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Slack and Google may be required to implement end-to-end encryption and interoperability if used by US federal agencies. Legislation put forward by US Senator Ron Wyden, titled as the Secure and Interoperable Government Collaboration Technology Act is looking to boost security for such tools following a number of high-profile recent incidents. Federal agencies don’t seem to use a single standard collaboration tool between them, making it necessary that when inter-agency communication does happen, it should be fully secure. Communication is key If written into law - which would most likely happen in 2025 due to the upcoming elections - the bill would require each collaboration tool used by federal agencies to be assessed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in order to understand how they can interoperate securely. Email accounts linked to several agencies have been cracked by Russian hackers exploiting a chain of vulnerabilities linked to Microsoft corporate email accounts, and other government agencies have succumbed to a cascade of Ivanti VPN vulnerabilities that resulted in data exfiltration and persistent system access affecting businesses and government departments alike. Speaking on the proposal, Wyden said, “My bill will secure the US government's communications from foreign hackers, while protecting taxpayer wallets. Vendor lock-in, bundling, and other anticompetitive practices result in the government spending vast sums of money on insecure software.” “It's time to break the chokehold of big tech companies like Microsoft on government software, set high cybersecurity standards and reap the many benefits of a competitive market,” he concluded. Once signed into law, federal agencies would have up to four years to ensure their collaboration software meets the standards and requirements set by NIST, so while it isn’t an immediate fix to some of the security issues the federal government is experiencing, it's certainly a step in the right direction. Via The Register More from TechRadar Pro This is the best DDoS protection softwareThe cyber landscape in 2024: AI, cyber attacks and disinformationHere is our guide to the best endpoint protection software View the full article

Being cut off or having to hang up on important work calls when on the move could be a thing of the past thanks to a new Google Meet feature. The video conferencing service has announced a new tool that will allow users to transfer between a call on a mobile device to a laptop (or vice versa) with just a click. The new "Switch here" function should prove incredibly useful for those on the move, for example if you are heading into the office, but are running late for a call, so have to start it on your phone, before switching to your PC or laptop when you get to your desk. Switch here "In today's world, getting our work done can happen from many locations, across many devices," the company noted in a Google Workspace Updates blog announcing the news. "Beginning today, you can smoothly transfer between devices while on a Google Meet call without hanging up and rejoining." The Switch here option will be displayed when joining a meeting on a laptop or PC, allowing users to switch the call from a mobile device without losing or disrupting the conversation. (Image credit: Google) Once transferred, a notification will appear on the first device noting, “Call switched to another device”, meaning there's no need to manually rejoin or even hang up on the initial call. Google Meet promises "seamless" switching between devices, but in real life this may depend on network strength and the actual computing capabilities of your devices, but we're keen to try it out. The function will be available to all Google Workspace customers and users with personal Google accounts, across Google Meet on Android and iOS mobile devices. It is rolling out now, with no admin action required. The launch is the latest tweak to Google Meet as the company looks to make it more engaging and interactive for users. Recently, the platfom announced it would bringing its "Companion Mode” second screen tool to the Meet app for Android and iOS devices, offering a quick way to participate in meetings without opening a laptop, and giving more flexibility to the way users work and meet. More from TechRadar Pro We've also rounded up the best productivity tools around right nowThese are the best free office software choices we've foundThose company-wide Google Meet calls might just get a bit less painful View the full article

Big changes could be coming to your workplace office software after Microsoft confirmed its decision to remove Teams from its Office bundle globally in a move aimed at addressing antitrust concerns. A report from Reuters says the decision comes a few months after the company detached Microsoft Teams from Office in Europe, following pressure from antitrust investigations brought on by the European Commission. The European investigation, announced in July 2023, was a direct response to Slack’s complaint alleging that Microsoft illegally tied Teams to its dominant productivity suites. Microsoft will now sell Teams separately, globally First introduced to Office 365 in 2017 as a replacement for Skype, Microsoft Teams gained traction during the pandemic, with remote workers becoming increasingly reliant on video conferencing serices to stay in touch with colleagues, offering more business-centric features, much like Zoom, which also saw interest peak as a result of the pandemic. Redmond unbundled Microsoft Teams from its Office 365 subscription in late 2023 across Europe and Switzerland, but the initiative has now expanded globally. Reuters claims Microsoft believes the move will help provide clarity and flexibility for customers who seek standardized purchasing across different regions, however with Microsoft under the watchful eye of antitrust regulators globally, it could also be a move to prevent similar future investigations. The change, effective from April 1 2024, will see Office priced at between $7.75 and $54.75 for new customers. Teams will be sold as a standalone for an additional $5.25. Microsoft has already paid out $2.4 billion in fines in the past decade in the EU alone for bundling products together, and if found guilty of wrongfully packaging Teams into the rest of Office, it could face yet another fine, accounting for up to 10% of its global annual turnover. TechRadar Pro reached out to Microsoft for further comment, but the company did not immediately respond. More from TechRadar Pro These are the best online collaboration toolsMicrosoft issued cloud pricing ultimatum by EU statesGive your workers access to the best productivity tools for a handy boost View the full article

JFrog this week announced it has integrated its DevOps portfolio with Microsoft Teams to enhance collaboration. Deep Datta, a senior product marketing manager for JFrog, said JFrog Artifactory repository and the JFrog Xray software composition analysis (SCA) tool have been integrated via a JFrog App for Microsoft Teams tool that is now available. The goal […] The post JFrog Integrates DevOps Portfolio With Microsoft Teams appeared first on DevOps.com. View the full article