Monday, September 18, 2006

Good article on secure XML messaging patterns using SAML and SSL This article from Web Services Journal (the "other WSJ") makes the point well that SSL is not "always a bad thing" when it comes to securing Web Services. As a vendor in this area, it is often assumed that Vordel's products are somehow "the opposite of SSL", whereas SSL is an important part of many of the security policies we enforce. http://webservices.sys-con.com/read/250516.htm I would add that some Web Services traffic is over transports other than HTTP, such as MQ or FTP, and so SSL is not an option for them [but if there is a "trusted path", then the same principles apply, and, of course, Vordel supports those transports too]. 4:59:38 PM    comment []

Which Bank of Ireland? Back in 1997, Bank of Ireland bought www.bankofireland.com from a pub in San Francisco "after a 9 month legal battle". Prior to this, Bank of Ireland only had www.bankofireland.ie. The pub, one of the best Irish pubs I've visited in the US, is now called The Irish Bank, although I recall noticing that I could still clearly make out the old name in its signage (although, maybe that was after a few beers). But today, Bank of Ireland is erroniously protecting its https://www.bankofireland.com site using the wrong SSL certificate, trying to use www.bankofireland.ie to protect the site. Ironic, since this month Bank of Ireland agreed to pay 160,000 euro to phishing victims. 4:36:05 PM    comment []

Free laptop skins Aspoke, the laptop skins people, are giving away a free laptop skin if you blog about An Inconvenient Truth. I already have an Aspoke laptop skin, photographed below, so I can't get another one! I also haven't seen the film, although I'm sure I will be watching it on a plane pretty soon, while burning up some more CO2, contributing to the problem. 2:58:54 PM    comment []