A serious security flaw in Microsoft’s SharePoint service has triggered data breaches globally, with several incidents reported in Finland, according to the Finnish Transport and Communications Agency's Cybersecurity Centre.
The vulnerability gives attackers full access to content stored in SharePoint, a platform widely used by companies and public bodies for internal communication and data management.
Microsoft disclosed the flaw in June. Since then, Finnish authorities have identified a limited number of confirmed breaches, along with some attempted exploits. The centre said the number of affected Finnish organisations remains small but warned of the potential for further cases.
“Globally, there are already hundreds of cases,” the Cybersecurity Centre stated. Victims include government agencies and universities.
Microsoft has issued guidance and security patches for system administrators to address the vulnerability.
In Finland, the Cybersecurity Centre has been working to identify organisations using vulnerable versions of SharePoint. It has urged them to apply the updates immediately to prevent unauthorised access.
Though Finland has seen few successful breaches so far, authorities expect new attack attempts as more details about the flaw become public. The exact number of affected entities in Finland has not been disclosed.
This case adds to growing concerns over digital infrastructure security in both the public and private sectors, with authorities stressing the importance of timely system updates and robust access control.
The incident follows a pattern of recent cyberattacks targeting commonly used platforms and cloud-based services. Earlier this year, several European institutions were affected by breaches linked to software vulnerabilities in other widely deployed systems.
Organisations are advised to monitor Microsoft’s advisories closely, review user access rights, and follow the Cybersecurity Centre’s recommendations to safeguard their systems.
HT
