Security: Is technology saint or sinner?
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Data pragmatism Analysis The latest problem to be thrown at us, on top of war, global warming, disease etc, is that we are "sleepwalking into a surveillance society".â¦
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The Story: It?s not often that an analyst covering computer security issues tells you that he doesn?t do much to protect his systems. But one reputable analyst I know said just that as we talked about the rising threat of malware aimed at Apple?s hardware. I won?t mention his name, but the gentleman is dead wrong. The days when you can assume that Apple?s products are exempt from harm are over.[ Slideshow: 2007's top underreported tech stories ]                                                    Is it time to panic? No, actual attacks against Macs and the rest of the Apple family, such as the iPhone, are still rare. But as the platform becomes more and more popular, hackers are gearing up to do damage. You?d better protect yourself.?Most Mac users take security too lightly. In fact, most are quite proud of the fact that they don?t run any security at all,? says IDC analyst Chris Christiansen. ?That?s an open door; at some point it will be exploited,? he says.First some numbers: In 2006, the National Institute of Standards and Testing (NIST) tabulated 106 ?vulnerabilities? in Apple?s Mac OS X. (It defines vulnerabilities as a weakness in the code that could be exploited to perform unauthorized, and generally harmful, functions by the application.) In the first six months of 2007 there were 78 vulnerabilities found in Mac OS X. Windows XP (all flavors), meanwhile, had 55 vulnerabilities in 2006 and 19 in the first six months of 2007. Vista, which wasn?t available in 2006, chalked up 19 vulnerabilities in 2007.In a sense, Apple is a victim of its own success. Savvy hackers read the same stories and watch the same television programs as the rest of us, and so they are very aware of the burgeoning popularity of Apple?s products. Hacking Windows still provides a lot more bang per bug than attacks on Apple, but the smaller rival is a more satisfying target than ever before. And the company?s deserved reputation for building good products has probably made users overconfident.?Apple has better commercials, but the Mac is no harder to break into than a Windows PC,? says Gartner security analyst John Pescatore. What?s more, most IT shops can automatically patch large numbers of PCs at the same time, while Macs generally have to be patched one at a time, he said.The Bottom Line: Actual attacks on the Mac platform are still unusual. But as it becomes a juicier target, that will change. Why take a chance? Give a lot more thought to securing your Macs this year.Complete list of 2007 underreported stories: 1.? Java is becoming the new Cobol 2.? Sun Microsystems is back in the game 3.? Hackers take aim at Mac OS X 4.? There are some threats you can worry less about 5.? Companies may have found a way around H-1B visa limits 6.? Open source?s new commercial strategy 7.? End-to-end Ethernet finally arrives 8.? Blade servers arrive for the masses 9.? BI is dead; long live BI 10. Balance of power shifts to software buyers
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They're coming to mobile phones -- those nasty viruses, worms, and Trojan Horses that have, on more than one occasion, crippled PCs. No doubt about that. The question is: Will they be as bad?
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The plethora of security technologies on the market is enough to overwhelm even the most knowledgeable IT managers, but in sorting through all of the options, it may be helpful to look at what is not needed.
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People have long been the weakest link when it comes to protecting computers. The same applies to mobile phones, a security expert says.
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Debate rages over whether the Mac operating system is inherently safer than Windows. Part of a series on hot security topics.
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The facts of web servers don't necessarily match the myths when it comes to security.
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(Source: Lumension Security)  Today's IT security model is broken. In the ongoing battle to defend against malicious attacks, the industry studies and surveys continue to reveal a sobering fact: Although more than 99 percent of companies have anti-virus technology deployed, about 60 percent still suffer from malware infection every year. More organizations every year are also falling victim to data theft, despite the additional layers of IT security. Using traditional security measures, organizations must continuously react to risks, forcing them to constantly play catch-up with today's relentless barrage of viruses, spyware, Trojans and rogue devices. IT security has reached a tipping point, as reactive security solutions are simply unable to keep up with this constant tirade of malicious attacks. Join IDC Analyst Charles Kolodgy as he evaluates the "positive security model" as an emerging alternative and define its elements, including how this model lays a policy-based framework that facilitates proactive, continuous security across the enterprise.  In addition to Mr. Kolodgy's presentation, attendees will hear about: -How the Positive Security Model simplifes the entire security management lifecycle-Lumension Security's solutions, which provide you with unified protection and control of all endpoints-First hand experience from CWIE Holdings about the drawbacks of relying on traditional security measures
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Lies, damn lies... Comment Scott Granneman looks at the use of fear in computer security, from misleading media reports and gross exaggeration by industry leaders to the use of fear in order to sell new computers and software.â¦
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The most pervasive problem in running IT is not a specific technology issue at all. Itâs dealing with bad vendors. Even if you have been able to reduce your IT operation down to a pure open source environment on the software side, hardware still must be purchased through commercial channels. In the post-boom IT age, the power has supposedly shifted from vendor to buyer, but IT managers continue to be manipulated by vendors who donât always act in the customerâs best interest. To keep vendors in line, IT managers need to stay on the ball â and punish bad behavior when it occurs by finding new suppliers.
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A bank that guarantees its online users safety and security has direct evidence that its Web-based banking system is not bullet-proof. Should that bank tells its users?
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Security researcher Jose Nazario says the concept of antivirus as the last line of defense has been thrown out the window. What should replace it?
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The security threat posed by wireless networks has been a hot-button issue for years now. Are they still a prime target for hackers? Computerworld editors Preston Gralla and David Ramel take opposing sides on the issue.
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Worldwide spending on securing Web content is literally the hottest IT market today. With Web-based threats growing almost exponentially, IT and network managers are struggling mightily to stave off disaster while still letting employees reap the many benefits of the Web. The Webcast Barbarians At The Gate: Why Web Filtering Is So Hot, dives into the sources of the trouble while offering common-sense approaches to a secure Internet computing strategy.
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Rethinking privacy in an immodest age.
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Fluery still roots for JBoss...Edward Tufte mostly likes iPhone interface...mysteries of Linux's /proc files...multicore compression...Actually *using* mammoth telephotos
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Traditional antivirus technology may be too slow to protect users, researchers say.