ITEC

Infiltration of Kneber reveals interesting data, but what is the threat?

Security vendor NetWitness recently tapped into the logs of a command-and-control server for a botnet it calls Kneber, which has infected at least 75,000 computers at 2,500 companies and government agencies worldwide. Here are some answers to frequently asked questions about the botnet.

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Computerworld - Ulteo is poised to offer commercial support for its free virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) software, which the open-source start-up says will cost companies a fraction of established offerings from Citrix Systems Inc., Microsoft Corp. and VMware Inc., while offering, in some cases, more choice in platforms.

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Microsoft's new Outlook add-on pushes Outlook into the social networking century.

Computerworld - Microsoft's just-released beta of the Outlook Social Connector aims to solve a formidable problem: How to retain Outlook's centrality when social networking sites and services such as Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter have become increasingly important. It largely succeeds.

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SoftAP feature in the new OS could threaten enterprise security

The consumerization of IT is alive, well and causing all sorts of enterprise security challenges in the mobile arena. But highly visible issues, such as the consumer-centric Apple iPhone, represent only the tip of the vulnerability iceberg. Microsoft Windows 7, for example, contains software that allows a user's laptop to do double-duty as a rogue Wi-Fi access point that masks the entry of unauthorized users onto the corporate network.

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Solid-State Drives Are Ushering Data Centers Into A Speedy, Flash-Based Future

Key Points:

• SSDs boast performance-related benefits that give them the upper hand over conventional hard drives for certain data center tasks, such as online transactional processing.

• Vendors are already prepping products to mesh with SSDs, so future adoption of the storage technology shouldn’t prove to be overly painful.

• Instead of looking to replace all hard drives with SSDs, examine the tasks at hand and consider a hybrid environment to get the best of both storage worlds.
A flash-based storage continues to enjoy immense success in the mobile sector, the technology is beginning to garner serious attention on far larger scales. SSDs, or solid-state drives, are now a viable storage option for data centers at small to midsized enterprises, thanks to impressive performance and steadily declining prices.

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Given the impact that cloud computing is already having, and will continue to have, on the WAN, this is the third in a series of newsletters on cloud computing. In the previous newsletter we discussed why we think that attempting to define cloud computing is not worthwhile. In this newsletter we will continue our discussion of the primary characteristics of a cloud computing solution.

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Revamping Existing Centers Is A Potentially Budget-Friendly & Effective Trend To Watch

Key Points

• With the implementation of more blade servers, many data centers are opting to redesign rather than to use managed services or undertake a new construction.

• When taking on a redesign, first quantify the overall capacity of the data center in terms of space, power, and cooling.

• Run the numbers to make sure that redesign makes sense; for some data centers, the cost of new construction might actually be lower than taking on demolition and rebuilding.
Because building a new data center can be capital-intensive, many companies are choosing to redesign existing centers, particularly to address power density issues. Although this type of revamp may require careful planning, many experts believe it’s worth the extra effort and expense to stay up-to-date with newer technologies in such areas as cooling and power.

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Learn From Past Mistakes In Power & Cooling Setups, Data Center Design & Personnel Decisions

Key Points

• Common data center setup mistakes can be grouped into three categories: power and cooling, design, and people and processes.

• Today’s cutting-edge technology is a double-edged sword, as it provides more functionality but has higher requirements. Proper power and cooling are essential to ensure good technology does not become a problem.

• The importance of establishing key processes, and hiring the right personnel to implement them, is vital to success.
 
It is critical that IT administrators engaged in the task of setting up data centers pay heed to the lessons learned from mistakes made by previous businesses. Paying close attention to these lessons can provide a roadmap to successfully navigating the complex task of setting up a data center and avoiding extremely costly mistakes. After all, as George Santayana once said, “Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it.”

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The rapid growth of social networks and electronic communications compel employers to understand, implement and update their Acceptable Internet Use Policies.

But maintaining a policy is not enough. Regulatory compliance and affirmative defense strategies require employers to monitor employee use of Internet services and electronic communications. Creating, Updating and Enforcing Your "Acceptable Use Policy" for a Social Networking World

The rapid growth of social networks and electronic communications compel employers to understand, implement and update their Acceptable Internet Use Policies.
But maintaining a policy is not enough. Regulatory compliance and affirmative defense strategies require employers to monitor employee use of Internet services and electronic communications. How much monitoring is appropriate? What are the available technologies? How can they legally and properly be used?

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Black Hat presenter describes latest public Wi-Fi security threat

Public Wi-Fi networks such as those in coffee shops and airports present a bigger security threat than ever to computer users because attackers can intercede over wireless to "poison" users' browser caches in order to present fake Web pages or even steal data at a later time.That's according to security researcher Mike Kershaw, developer of the Kismet wireless network detector and intrusion-detection system, who spoke at the Black Hat conference.

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