Latest news with #Send
Forbes
a day ago
- Forbes
Windows Warning Issued As Printers Used In New Hack Attacks
Hackers are using printers to attack Windows devices. Nobody should be surprised by now at the ingenuity of threat actors looking to hack your accounts and devices. I have recently reported on how SMS attackers can strike without knowing your phone number using the SMS Blaster machine, a smartwatch can be used to hack even highly secure air-gapped networks, and even Windows secure boot protections can be bypassed. What might come as a surprise, however, is the news that a new and ongoing hack attack campaign is enlisting the help of your printer to hack your Windows systems. Here's what you need to know. Windows Users Warned As Microsoft 365 Direct Send Hackers Deploy Printers To Attack A new report by the Varonis Managed Data Detection and Response Forensics team has confirmed an ongoing threat campaign, already known to have targeted at least 70 organizations, the vast majority of which are based in the U.S., using on-premises devices such as printers to exploit a poorly known Microsoft 365 feature to deploy the Windows hacking attack. That feature is Direct Send, allowing devices such as printers and scanners to send email without any authentication. I mean, what could possibly go wrong? Quite a lot, as it happens. 'Threat actors are abusing the feature to spoof internal users and deliver phishing emails without ever needing to compromise an account,' Tom Barnea, a forensics specialist at Varonis, said. The as yet unnamed hackers used this Microsoft 365 Direct Send function in order to target predominantly U.S. organizations with malicious messages that are 'subject to less scrutiny compared to standard inbound email,' according to Barnea. The Varonis investigation has concluded that the ongoing threat campaign appears to have started in May 2025, with a level of 'consistent activity over the past two months.' Mitigating The Windows Printer Attack To mitigate the Microsoft 365 Direct Send attacks, Varonis recommends organizations do the following: Microsoft, meanwhile, said that most Microsoft 365 and Windows customers don't need to use the Direct Send feature, and it is working on an option to disable it by default to protect customers. 'We recommend Direct Send only for advanced customers willing to take on the responsibilities of email server admins,' Microsoft concluded.
The Guardian
13-06-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
Councils in England warn of mass bankruptcies as Send deficits soar
Council leaders in England have warned that a multi-billion pound deficit from years of overspending on special educational needs has become a 'burning platform' that will push scores of councils into bankruptcy within months. They say time is running out to resolve rapidly growing shortfalls and are concerned the government gave no indication in Wednesday's spending review how it will deal with Send debts, which are expected to exceed £5bn by next March. Official figures show a sharp rise in the number of children receiving special needs support in England, along with an increase in tribunal cases brought by parents challenging council refusals of Send provision for their children. Ministers confirmed on Wednesday they will publish a schools white paper in the autumn containing measures aimed at drastically reducing eligibility for Send support, potentially by raising the threshold for access to education, health and care plans (EHCPs). EHCPs give children and young people up to the age of 25 the legal right to support from local authorities for conditions such as autism spectrum disorder, social, emotional and mental health needs, including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and speech, language and communication needs. Councils fear the white paper will not immediately slow the rapid increase in Send spending in recent years. A Guardian investigation in March revealed accrued Send deficits would rise by 54% over the coming year to more than £5.2bn. At least 15 councils will have accumulated Send deficits exceeding £100m by next March, with one in four predicting debts of more than £50m. Two-thirds overspent their allocated Send budgets last year, with 18 councils exceeding them by more than £30m. An accounting measure, known as a statutory override, has allowed councils to keep the accrued deficits off their balance sheets. The override is due to end on 31 March, leaving large numbers of councils in effect insolvent. Councils declaring effective bankruptcy would affect all areas of provision, shed hundreds of jobs, and force them to sell off assets such as buildings and land. Tim Oliver, chair of the County Councils Network, said: 'The mounting Send service deficits are the burning platform for many local authorities yet there was no resolution in the spending review. 'We are now nine months away from a financial cliff edge when these multi-billion deficits are placed on to councils' budget books, potentially rendering half of England's county and unitary councils insolvent overnight.' The Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (Cipfa) said uncertainty over the deficit 'seriously undermined' councils' financial planning, leaving them potentially unable to meet their legal obligations to set a balanced budget. A Cipfa spokesperson said: 'The government continues to leave local authorities in the dark about the future of the Send system and their financial sustainability. By the time ministers provide clarity on the statutory override councils will already be well into their budget-setting processes.' Nearly one in five pupils in England have special educational needs, according to figures published by the Department for Education, including 482,600 children with EHCPs, an increase of 11% in just 12 months. A further 1.28 million pupils require special needs support without having an EHCP, meaning there are a total of 1.7 million pupils with special needs. Sign up to First Edition Our morning email breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion Separate figures show parents are engaging in legal battles with councils over the plans in record numbers. The Ministry of Justice said 23,800 appeals over EHCPs were received by the courts in the year to March, a 36% annual increase. Hampshire county council, which has England's largest cumulative Send deficit, projected to be £312m by the end of March, said it will be forced to declare effective bankruptcy if no solution to the deficit is forthcoming. Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) council, which has projected a Send deficit of £165m by next March, said it had taken out a £57m loan to ensure it could cover rising demand for Send services this year. 'Unless the government tells us very soon [how it will deal with historic send deficits] we are going to have to issue a section 114 notice (a formal declaration of effective bankruptcy),' said Mike Cox, BCP cabinet member for finance. Penny Carpenter, cabinet member for children's services at Norfolk county council, which has a projected deficit of £183m, said: 'The lack of clarity and assurance from on future funding is deeply frustrating. The current financial pressures are unsustainable and severely hinder our ability to plan effectively.' The Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government was approached for comment.
BBC News
30-05-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Assessing special needs in Essex 'continues to be a challenge'
Assessments of children for special educational needs and disabilities (Send) by a county council "continues to be a challenge given the high volume", a new report has than one in four education health and care plans (EHCPs) were completed by Essex County Council within the 20-week target, according to data for is an improvement compared with March 2024, when 0.6% were carried out within the legal time frame - which was the worst completion rate of any local authority in Nye from Witham, who has a child with an ECHP, said it was "appalling" that more than three-quarters of these children "remain failed". Geoff Hurst has Essex school named after himEssex County Council receives between 300 and 400 requests for an EHCP every month. As of March, the authority was responsible for 14,581 young people who required extra support for has been an increase of 1,221 children with an ECHP in Essex in the space of a year, according to figures from a corporate performance report for the start of 2025, 587 EHCP assessments have been completed, but they have taken on average 346 days to complete, according to the report. More than 3,000 applications are currently being county council says it has invested £1m to increase the number of educational psychologists to work on Ball, Conservative cabinet member for education, said: "We have been open about the ongoing work to improve the local Send system and are seeing the results of the changes we have made." 'Piecemeal service' But Kim Mayhead, who runs a special educational needs advice and support group for Essex families on Facebook, argued: "There's not enough funding. "We are a huge county and we are running a piecemeal service."I've been in this world of Send with my son for 25 years. It has got worse year on year."The report, which will be discussed at county hall on Thursday, notes that artificial intelligence is being used in producing the first draft of an EHCP - which is saving two hours per has also been a rise in the number of children who are home educated in the Essex county area, which stood at 4,333 during the first three months of report forecasts there will be 4,800 to 5,000 home educated children by the end of the academic year in has been "a significant increase" in children missing education, 570 as of early 2025 and a rise of 23% in a year, the report added: "Success can only truly be measured in terms of families' experiences and we won't stop until all families benefit." Follow Essex news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
North Wales Chronicle
23-05-2025
- Health
- North Wales Chronicle
Specialist teams to tackle post-pandemic school speech therapy backlog
It is hoped earlier targeted support will help those who struggle to talk and understand words before problems escalate. More than 40,000 children had been waiting 12 weeks or more for speech and language therapy as of June 2024, the Department for Education said. A lack of early identification can have a devastating impact on children's social skills, attendance, and academic performance. The Government has backed the Early Language Support for Every Child (Elsec) programme with £3.4 million funding this year, which it said will benefit up to 20,000 more children. Early intervention is particularly important for children with special educational needs and disabilities (Send), as numbers have skyrocketed from 1.3 million in 2020 to 1.67 million in 2024 – with one in four of these children requiring extra help with speech and language. Minister for School Standards Catherine McKinnell said: 'When challenges with speech and language go unnoticed, it can have a devastating impact on children's attainment, attendance, social abilities and future life chances. 'Elsec is turning this around for so many pupils – and particularly those with Send – helping them find their voice and thrive at school and with their friends and family. 'This type of approach is exactly what we want to see in a reformed Send system that delivers the support children need at the earliest stage and restores parents' trust in a system which has let them down for too long.' Steve Jamieson, chief executive of the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists, said: 'We're delighted that the Department for Education and NHS England will fund the Early Language Support for Every Child programme until March 2026. 'It has shown that when speech and language therapists, therapy support workers and education staff work together, they can identify children's needs earlier and put timely support in place.'
The Independent
23-05-2025
- Health
- The Independent
Specialist teams to tackle post-pandemic school speech therapy backlog
The Government will deploy specialist teams to primary schools to tackle the backlog of children waiting for speech and language therapy since the pandemic. It is hoped earlier targeted support will help those who struggle to talk and understand words before problems escalate. More than 40,000 children had been waiting 12 weeks or more for speech and language therapy as of June 2024, the Department for Education said. A lack of early identification can have a devastating impact on children's social skills, attendance, and academic performance. The Government has backed the Early Language Support for Every Child (Elsec) programme with £3.4 million funding this year, which it said will benefit up to 20,000 more children. Early intervention is particularly important for children with special educational needs and disabilities (Send), as numbers have skyrocketed from 1.3 million in 2020 to 1.67 million in 2024 – with one in four of these children requiring extra help with speech and language. Minister for School Standards Catherine McKinnell said: 'When challenges with speech and language go unnoticed, it can have a devastating impact on children's attainment, attendance, social abilities and future life chances. 'Elsec is turning this around for so many pupils – and particularly those with Send – helping them find their voice and thrive at school and with their friends and family. 'This type of approach is exactly what we want to see in a reformed Send system that delivers the support children need at the earliest stage and restores parents' trust in a system which has let them down for too long.' Steve Jamieson, chief executive of the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists, said: 'We're delighted that the Department for Education and NHS England will fund the Early Language Support for Every Child programme until March 2026. 'It has shown that when speech and language therapists, therapy support workers and education staff work together, they can identify children's needs earlier and put timely support in place.'
