IT management

Countering attackers with NAC, IPS

Product review: Information Security magazine's Wayne Rash says ForeScout Technologies' flexible CounterACT appliance combines NAC with IPS and is worth the investment. Continue Reading

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• Wayne Rash

Akonix A-Series offers complex, best-of-breed IM security

Product review: Information Security magazine's Sandra Kay Miller says The Akonix A-Series instant messaging security appliances works well but needs better documentation. Continue Reading

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• Sandra Kay Miller

Thwarting IM management challenges

Product review: Information Security magazine's Sandra Kay Miller says Symantec's IM Manager 8.0 has limited public network features, but offers excellent reporting Continue Reading

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• Sandra Kay Miller

Security event management, no strings attached

Product review: Information Security magazine's Joel Snyder says Check Point's vendor-agnostic Eventia Analyzer 2.0/Eventia Reporter is worth consideration despite limited BI options. Continue Reading

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• Joel Snyder, Opus One

Twelve Microsoft fixes coming on Patch Tuesday

Microsoft Tuesday will release a dozen new security bulletins for its Windows and Office products, likely including fixes for several outstanding PowerPoint flaws. Continue Reading

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• Eileen Kennedy, News Writer

Mobile security begins with policy

Mobile security can no longer be an afterthought. Mobile experts say security starts, but doesn't end, with policy. Continue Reading

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• Andrew R. Hickey, News Writer

Possible Cisco zero-day exploit revealed at Black Hat

Details of an alleged flaw related to SIP and PIX appliances, briefly mentioned in a Wednesday Black Hat presentation, are being kept under wraps as Cisco and US-CERT investigate. Continue Reading

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• Michael Mimoso, TechTarget

Security Bytes: Exploits targeting freshly patched Apple flaw

Apple patches nearly two dozen holes in OS X, but not before exploits are unleashed. Plus McAfee fixes a critical flaw and EMC gets the OK to buy RSA. Continue Reading

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• SearchSecurity.com Staff

Litchfield: Database security is 'IT's biggest problem'

At Black Hat USA 2006, database security guru David Litchfield unveils 20-plus IBM Informix flaws that attackers could exploit to create malicious files, gain DBA-level privileges and access sensitive data. Continue Reading

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• Bill Brenner

PING with Heidi Kujawa

Heidi Kujawa, director of enterprise architecture services for Sony Pictures Entertainment, explains how combatting piracy takes more than just keeping bootleggers out of the theatres Continue Reading

Security Bytes: ISS warns of new Microsoft Windows flaw

Attackers could exploit the latest Microsoft Windows flaw to crash vulnerable machines and Symantec fixes a Brightmail AntiSpam flaw. Continue Reading

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• SearchSecurity.com Staff

Beyond HIPAA and GLBA

Most firms are familiar with HIPAA, Gramm-Leach-Bliley and Sarbanes-Oxley, but newer regulations are pushing certain industry sectors to adopt strong authentication Continue Reading

EqualLogic updates storage provisioning software

Users have more options when it comes to pooling storage with version 3.0 of EqualLogic's array software, but some are wondering whatever happened to the SAS disks. Continue Reading

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• Beth Pariseau, Senior News Writer

Mozilla issues critical security updates

New patches to fix 13 software security flaws, eight of which have been deemed critical. Continue Reading

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• Eric Parizo, Senior Analyst

DHS puts Zitz in charge of cybersecurity division

American career intelligence officer Robert S. Zitz has taken over day-to-day operations of the US National Cyber Security Division, but his department still has numerous digital defence problems to remedy. Continue Reading

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• Dennis Fisher

Blue Cross bears burden of 'no wireless' policy

Blue Cross of Idaho had a "no wireless" policy on paper but never really enforced it. That is, until a team of auditors said the company had better do something. Continue Reading

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• Andrew R. Hickey, News Writer

Employee monitoring should be done with care

Employee monitoring is on the rise as firms try to safeguard their sensitive information and increase productivity. Continue Reading

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• Gary S. Miliefsky

Security Bytes: New Microsoft exploits in the wild

The exploits target issues Microsoft patched earlier this month. Meanwhile, flaws are reported in Oracle for OpenView and a Mozilla Firefox keystroke logger is on the loose. Continue Reading

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• SearchSecurity.com Staff

Midsized firms reach out to backup service providers

Data growth and ever-tightening compliance rules are among the factors driving some organizations to turn to service providers for help with backups. Continue Reading

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• Beth Pariseau, Senior News Writer

CSI survey: Data breaches still being swept under the rug

The annual CSI/FBI Computer Crime and Security Survey shows companies are reporting fewer financial losses from data breaches. That doesn't mean the good guys are winning. Continue Reading

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• Bill Brenner

Answers: Compliance All-in-One Guide quiz

The key compliance questions unveiled Continue Reading

Security Bytes: Investigators slam VA over data breach

Meanwhile: Cisco patches a router application flaw, a Washington law firm sues IBM over a server attack; and spammers sucker Web surfers with fake Vladimir Putin death reports. Continue Reading

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• SearchSecurity.com Staff

Trojan targets Microsoft PowerPoint flaw

Update: The exploit might be tied to an older flaw in Excel. Attackers who exploit the serious flaw could launch arbitrary code. Microsoft says it is investigating. Continue Reading

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• Bill Brenner

Critical flaws found in Excel, Flash Player

FrSIRT says holes in Microsoft's spreadsheet program and Adobe's media player could allow attackers to take control of affected machines and initiate malicious commands. Continue Reading

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• Bill Brenner

Looking ahead to life without passwords

Security pros know that passwords are nothing but trouble. For them, single-sign on, two-factor authentication and federated ID represent the path to stronger authentication. Continue Reading

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• Bill Brenner

Skills fears as number of IT students plummets

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Downtime: Now here's an idea for all of you flag flyers...

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Security Bytes: Data breach affects 100,000 military personnel

Meanwhile: Phishers use a phone trick to dupe PayPal users; the PCI security standard will get more teeth and a survey illustrates an increase in security breaches Continue Reading

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• SearchSecurity.com Staff

Application layer logging quiz answers

The key questions revealed Continue Reading

Strong authentication for businesses large and small

Product review: Customer service could return calls more quickly when there's a problem. But overall, RSA SecurID Appliance 2.0 delivers robust, scalable protection. Continue Reading

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• Phoram Mehta, Contributing Writer

Cost of Libra magistrates system trebles

The Department of Constitutional Affairs has admitted that the cost of the Libra case management system for magistrates courts will rise to £487m – more than three times the £146m original cost set in 1998. Continue Reading

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• Lindsay Clark

Dundee to teach ethical hacking BSc

A degree in ethical hacking will be on offer at a Scottish university from the new academic year. Continue Reading

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• Tash Shifrin

Microsoft offers SMBs all-in-one security and protection

Small- to medium-sized businesses (SMBs) are among the key targets of Microsoft's latest solution, Windows Live OneCare. Continue Reading

Fifa ready for cyber attack on World Cup

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FullArmor lives up to its name

PolicyPortal provides an Internet interface to easily configure, monitor and enforce near real-time Active Directory-based policy compliance through client agents. Continue Reading

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• James Foster, CSC

BlueCat appliance offers rock-solid security

Hot Pick: The Adonis 1000 appliance bundles DNS and DHCP into an enterprise-class appliance for the centralized secure operation of network addressing. Continue Reading

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• Sandra Kay Miller, Contributing Writer

Shifting services back indoors

Almost a quarter of blue chip firms in the UK are so disillusioned with outsourcing they are hauling their services back in-house. Continue Reading

SMB finds the perfect host

When All3Media, a medium-sized TV programming producer, inherited an inflexible communications system, it turned to a more appealing, hosted alternative. Continue Reading

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• Kate Large

Questions that need to be answered on NHS IT plan

Four years ago the government announced to a grateful NHS a national IT programme that would become the world's largest civil computer scheme. Continue Reading

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• Tony Collins

Outsourced way to hire contract staff

IT services company FDM has launched a "straight through" recruitment service to help IT departments in the finance sector recruit contract staff. Continue Reading

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• Tash Shifrin

Lenovo goes for gold with SMBs

When Shelley Rudman unexpectedly won a silver medal for her valiant efforts in the skeleton at this year’s Winter Olympics, the world knew she’d gained her unprecedented achievement for the UK in a matter of seconds. In fact, the world expected to know the results in that space of time. Continue Reading

Networks news in brief

Short takes from this week's network news Continue Reading

Industry chiefs to declare war on for-profit cyber criminals

IT industry leaders reaffirm the importance of security to a digital economy beset by money-driven cyber criminals. Continue Reading

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• Brian McKenna, Enterprise Applications Editor

Not just a big switch

Fibre Channel directors don't just provide lots of ports, they also offer ways to connect disparate SANs, isolate data and devices within a fabric, and configure throughput for specific applications. We look at how the big three directors match up. Continue Reading

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• Jerome Wendt

Be careful you don't get more than you pay for with VoIP

Implementing VoIP is attractive for all companies in particular SMBs. However, there are issues to address that may cost you more than what you save Continue Reading

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• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Voicing concerns on Skype

Skype has blazed a trail in the Voice over IP arena; its popularity hasn’t gone unnoticed by the hacker community however Continue Reading

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• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Sony struggles to regain trust

The company is trying to mend a reputation bruised over its antipiracy practices. One advocate for online civil liberties explains why redemption is a long way off. Continue Reading

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• Bill Brenner

Guidance turns investigative tools on itself

The forensics software firm says it was compromised by hackers in November. It's just one in a growing list of companies admitting to recent attacks or lax security. Continue Reading

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• Anne Saita, TechTarget

Flaws reported in Trend Micro ServerProtect

Storage and security managers should be wary of vulnerabilities in the AV product that could enable a denial-of-service and malicious code execution. Workarounds are available. Continue Reading

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• Bill Brenner

Hospital ditches EMC Centera for long-term archiving

UHCS in Augusta, Ga., is replacing its Centera archiving system from EMC with IBM's GMAS product after performance, reliability and cost issues forced it to seek alternatives. Continue Reading

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• Jo Maitland, TechTarget

Roundup: 2005's 'curious malicious code'

These viruses, worms and Trojans sometimes escaped our notice. But it didn't get past one antivirus vendor, who rounded up some of the year's stranger offerings from the underground. Continue Reading

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• Anne Saita, TechTarget

Two Windows patches coming, IE fix uncertain

It remains to be seen whether the software giant on Dec. 13 will address an outstanding Internet Explorer issue that is currently the target of a malicious Trojan. Continue Reading

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• Eric Parizo, Senior Analyst

Titan Rain shows need for better training

SANS says the Chinese-based attacks demonstrate the growing sophistication of hackers, and the need for IT admins who can articulate the dangers to execs. Continue Reading

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• Bill Brenner

Security pros gain ground in the board room

Executives are paying more attention to their IT security managers and taking more responsibility for online threats against their companies, according to a new study. Continue Reading

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• Bill Brenner

Cybersecurity policy takes cooperation, trust, experts say

At the Infosecurity confab, experts explain why sharing information -- even when it's embarrassing -- is vital to securing not only corporations, but also the national infrastructure. Continue Reading

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• Bill Brenner

Out-of-cycle IE patch may be imminent

Microsoft may release a critical Internet Explorer fix before the next Patch Tuesday, amid reports that malicious code is targeting a memory corruption flaw. Continue Reading

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• Bill Brenner

By the numbers: The new SOX breakdown

SOX spending for 2006 is expected to be on par with last year but it's not quite dÉjÀ vu all over again. More dough will go to technology. Continue Reading

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• Linda Tucci, Industry Editor -- CIO/IT Strategy

Who owns and administers the internet's addresses?

Given that IPv4 addresses are a finite resource, we can expect concerns over their distribution to increase in the coming years. Continue Reading

By

• Danny Bradbury

Step 6: Configuring wireless clients

With wireless networks proliferating it is a good idea to understand what it takes to build a VPN for a wireless gateway. Contributor and Microsoft MVP Brien Posey details the necessary steps in this step-by-step guide. Continue Reading

Wireless security: Public Wi-Fi could open security holes

A Michigan county is working to give everyone within its borders wireless Internet access. But when it comes to security, users are on their own. Continue Reading

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• Bill Brenner

Wireless security crucial to railway safety

A transportation firm uses wireless technology to keep the trains running on time. But securing mobile devices isn't easy when they're spread across the globe. Continue Reading

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• Bill Brenner

Wireless security: Companies deal with software updates

A health care provider found it could use wireless technology to dramatically boost patient care. But first it had to figure out how to deploy security updates over a wireless network. Continue Reading

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• Bill Brenner

Hackers installing keyloggers at a record rate

iDefense researchers have found that keylogger infections are up 65% over the year before, putting the private data of tens of millions of users at risk. Continue Reading

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• Bill Brenner

Sony rootkit uninstaller causes bigger threat

Princeton researchers say a security hole that appears when users try to remove Sony's copy protection software presents an even greater risk than the original rootkit. Continue Reading

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• Bill Brenner

Demand for development skills soars as firms seek business edge

Computer Weekly salary survey shows IT departments eager to secure skills for the future. Continue Reading

Security Bytes: FTC cracks down on alleged spyware distributors

Patches fix serious RealPlayer flaws, IM malcode launches phishing attacks; Microsoft warns of Macromedia Flash flaw; Liberty Alliance pushes stronger authentication; FEMA data security is in question; patches fix Veritas flaws and TransUnion suffers a security breach. Continue Reading

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• SearchSecurity.com Staff

Trojans target Sony DRM and Windows

Security researchers track two new Trojan horses. One exploits the Sony DRM program. The other could possibly take aim at the Windows flaw Microsoft patched this week. Continue Reading

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• Bill Brenner

Sony takes second stab at DRM patch

But a top executive's response to criticism over the company's use of rootkit technology has added fuel to the backlash. Continue Reading

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• Bill Brenner

Reporter's Notebook: NYC 'controls the software industry'

At Information Security Decisions: a security "rock star" rages against the Microsoft machine; banging the drum for enterprise security; a sour note on zero-day exploits. Continue Reading

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• Michael S. Mimoso, Senior Editor and Anne Saita, News Director

Elements of a data protection strategy

In this excerpt from Data Protection and Lifecycle Management, Tom Petrocelli addresses the importance of securing data for regulatory compliance and outlines the five components of a data protection strategy. Continue Reading

How avian flu could threaten IT security

Experts say a potential bird flu pandemic could have a disastrous effect on IT infrastructures. But if companies plan well, those infrastructures could also help minimize chaos. Continue Reading

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• Bill Brenner

Quiz: What's your infosec IQ?

We've collected our toughest questions to see how well you stand up to a challenge. Put your knowledge to the test and let us know how you do. Continue Reading

Secure your extended enterprise

How do you achieve the fine balance between ensuring that there is truly free access to sensitive information, without sacrificing security? Continue Reading

IT spending at midsized companies: How much does size matter?

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• Tom Pisello, Alinean

Secure the interests of your extended enterprise

How do you achieve the fine balance between ensuring that there is truly free access to sensitive information and applications from both inside and outside the firewall, without sacrificing security? Continue Reading

Who best to avert data security disaster: government or business?

People look to government to prevent catastrophe. But in the Information Age, some of those people, namely those working in IT shops, need to do their part to protect us. Continue Reading

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• Bill Brenner

Telework key to surviving security disaster, expert says

Cybersecurity Industry Alliance Executive Director Paul Kurtz explains why telework may be crucial to surviving The Big One. Continue Reading

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• Bill Brenner

Leave no trace: Understanding attackers' motives

This excerpt from Chapter 1 of "Rootkits: Subverting the Windows Kernel," explains the purpose of back doors and how hackers use them, as well as how stealth plays a major role in most successful attacks. Continue Reading

Catastrophic cyberattack unlikely, experts say

Predictions of a cataclysmic disaster have been around for awhile. But one security officer cites reasons why the Internet can never be brought down. Continue Reading

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• Bill Brenner

SAS drives product roundup

Serial-attached SCSI (or SAS) drives offer significant storage capacity at a much lower cost, while maintaining reasonable performance. Find out who the vendors are in this market. Continue Reading

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• Stephen J. Bigelow, Senior Technology Editor

Security tools help reduce insider threat.

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• Bill Brenner

Insider threat seen as biggest data security issue

Whether they oversee physical or online defenses, security officers say the disaster scenario that scares them most begins with an insider with malicious intentions. Continue Reading

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• Bill Brenner

Ensure that legal responsibilities are clear -- Especially when trouble strikes

Excerpt from Chapter 15 of Information Nation Warrior: Information Management Compliance Boot Camp. Continue Reading

Ofcom liberates BT to offer bespoke pricing

Ofcom has announced proposals to allow BT to offer large business customers bespoke call prices, which should lead to discounts for some companies. Continue Reading

By

• Antony Savvas

VoIP turns up the heat on firewalls

New research shows that many organizations are increasingly concerned about VoIP security and plan to augment their firewalls within the next year, changing the landscape of the firewall market. Continue Reading

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• Eric Parizo, Senior Analyst

Firewalls can help or hurt, so plan carefully

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• Laura E. Hunter, Contributor

Which data backup software is best? - Page 2

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• Rich Castagna

Which data backup software is best? - Page 4

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• Rich Castagna

Which data backup software is best? - Page 3

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• Rich Castagna

IE 7.0 may usher in wave of RSS exploits

Experts warn that Web-feed enhancements in Microsoft's new Web browser may be just the thing crackers need to compromise networks and private data. Continue Reading

By

• Mark Baard

Extending perimeters

The news that, up until 2006, 70% of successful wireless local area network (WLAN) attacks will be because of the misconfiguration of WLAN access points and client software is disquieting on a number of levels. Continue Reading

Myfip's Titan Rain connection

LURHQ researchers say the Myfip worm is a good example of the malcode Chinese hackers are using in the so-called Titan Rain attacks against U.S. government networks. Continue Reading

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• Bill Brenner

Antivirus can introduce dangerous network security holes into any OS

AV software is one of the most basic security steps available. It's also yet another gateway for security breaches. Continue Reading

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• Shawna McAlearney, News Editor

Passive fingerprinting: Applications and prevention

In this excerpt from the book Silence on the Wire, author Michal Zalewski discusses both malicious and beneficial uses for passive fingerprinting, and how to prevent successful passive fingerprinting on your network. Continue Reading

High profile breach brings security to top of agenda

There’s nothing like an apparent breach at a global company to concentrate the mind when it comes to information and data security. Continue Reading

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• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

HP sales boost as restructuring costs

HP reported a 10% increase in sales for the third quarter, and said it would spend $900m (£530m) on redundancy costs in the final quarter. Continue Reading

By

• Antony Savvas

Reduce risks of disaster recovery testing

Untested business continuity plans can leave your firm in the lurch, but taking down live environments is risky and complicated. Continue Reading

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• Matt Stansberry, TechTarget

Raising risk prospects with a new SQL injection threat

"Inference attacks" could deliver up your so-called secure database to an attacker. Continue Reading

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• Shawna McAlearney, News Editor

Attack: USB could be the death of me

Seemingly innocent Universal Serial Bus driver bugs may allow device attacks that many won't see coming, according to Black Hat presenters. Continue Reading

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• Victor R. Garza, Contributor

Lost at sea: securing the channel

As attacks seem to proliferate almost unabated, it’s worrying to think that of the three interested parties in the security technology market — the technology makers, the technology sellers and the technology users—not everyone shares a common view on the importance of the technology. Continue Reading