Patch Management
Computerworld, 1/5/04: Users Turn to Microsoft's SMS for Patch Management
Early adopters of new version find tools easier to use
Story by Carol Sliwa
Patch management wasn't a burning concern for many users of Microsoft Corp.'s Systems Management Server when they purchased earlier editions of the software. But that mind-set is changing.
A set of tools for automating the patching process is the No. 1 product feature that customers have been buzzing about since the long-awaited release of SMS 2003 in November, according to David Hamilton, director of Microsoft's enterprise management division. Hamilton said he bases that assessment on interviews with customers and on the numerous message boards and community groups he monitors.
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Security
Computerworld, 1/5/04: Security group warns of hole in Linux kernel
It could be used by malicious hackers to control systems using the popular open-source operating system
Story by Paul Roberts
ISEC Security Research said today that it found a critical vulnerability in code that is used to manage virtual memory on Linux systemss. The vulnerability affects versions of the Linux kernel up to and including Version 2.6 and would give low-level Linux users total control over a system.
ISEC, a noncommercial security research group based in Poland, discovered the problem in kernel code for a component called mremap, according to a message posted by Paul Starzetz, an iSEC member.
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Computerworld, 1/5/04: Managing Security Risk
These guardians of the gate have found ways to effectively lock down their companies against ever-increasing threats.
Story by Dan Verton
Like an army under attack, most companies today find themselves surrounded by a growing number of threats, vulnerabilities and regulatory challenges. But the most successful and secure organizations are finding that in a world of limitless technology choices, the leadership abilities of their CIOs and chief information security officers are what make the difference.
David Jordan knows what it's like to be a wartime security leader. For the past two years, the CISO for the Arlington County Government in Virginia has had to deal with the ballooning security needs of federal intelligence agencies, the Pentagon, Reagan Washington National Airport and 3,500 county employees.
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eWeek, 12/30/03: E-Mail Security Services for Small Business and Individuals
By Larry Seltzer
A good number of Internet Service Providers offer decent security features, still many still don't. If your ISP doesn't block viruses or filter spam, or if your unhappy with their services, you have more options than you might think.
Changing ISPs to one with better service isn't necessarily an easy thing for many individuals and small businesses. If you're a cable modem customer you probably can't just take your business to some other cable company. And almost certainly, you'd have to change your e-mail address, a major hassle.
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Optimism
Internetnews.com, 1/6/04: SG Cowen: Even Better IT Year is Dawning
By Erin Joyce
Investment banks are in love with technology again, fueled in part by the continued rally in the tech-heavy Nasdaq index, which is up by over 50 percent in the past 24 months, thanks in part to a solid outlook in the semi-conductor sector.
SG Cowen is the latest technology investment research concern to adjust its expectations on IT spending and fortunes for 2004, writing in its IT outlook for 2004 that the recovery gaining momentum, helped by an improving economy and continued interest in compelling technologies such as wireless LANs (define).
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Computers As A Waste of Time
Marshall Brain Weblog, 12/31/03: Amazing Amount of Time Wasted Repairing Computers in December
During the month of December, I tried an experiment. Every time something went wrong with one of the computers here in the Brain household, I made a note of it in my blog.
My goal was to see how much time I waste in a typical month on computer problems/maintenance. Prior to this experiment, I had a vague notion that I was spending a fair amount of time on this kind of stuff. This experiment has brought the actual amount of time into sharp focus.
Having done the experiment, it is amazing to me how many problems a tiny home network can create. Over the course of one month, I logged 21 different errors/problems/activities that wasted time. Here they are:
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Big Picture
Business Week, 12/30/03: Tech's Top Trends for 2004
Yes, it will be a better year, especially for consumers, overseas telecoms, and China -- which will become ever-more important
In 2003, the tech industry hit bottom and bumped through yet another bad year. Microsoft's (MSFT ) legal woes continued as a new wave of legal disputes hit the software giant. Big corporations kept their wallets largely closed to new tech spending even though their profits and margins rose smartly as the year progressed. Database king Oracle (ORCL ) had another subpar year as new licenses for its products kept falling. And a series of worms and viruses -- most notably the Slammer worm -- crippled large swathes of Corporate America for days on end.
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