Security/Privacy
- Storm Botnet Ebbing, Says UC San Diego Analyst
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11/8/2007
An Oct. 20 presentation at the ToorCon hacker conference by Brandon Enright, a computer security researcher at the University of California, San Diego, struck a nerve in the CS community by concluding that the notorious Storm Worm could be losing steam.
- Symphoniq and F5 Offer User Monitoring Solution
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11/7/2007
Palo Alto-based Symphoniq Corp. has teamed with Seattle-based F5 to address application delivery problems on the client side--something that may not be well tracked by network administrators. Under a partnership deal, Symphoniq's TrueView Express client monitoring solution has been incorporated into F5's BIG-IP application delivery controller solution.
- IBM Unveils Converged Security Strategy
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11/6/2007
IBM is tackling security in a big way. Late last week the company unveiled a new strategy encompassing five broad aspects of security and launching new products, services, and research designed to address everything from data threats to physical vulnerabilities. The "first wave" in IBM's new security initiative targets "enterprise to edge" information security.
- FAST Launches Campus Security Grants
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11/6/2007
First Alert System Text (FAST) has launched a new grant program for colleges and universities, offering no-cost implementation and service for its text message-based emergency notification system. Through the Secure Campus Grant program, 100 higher ed campuses in the United States will be awarded the notification system.
- Web 2.0 Entails 'Sleeping Giant' Security Risk
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10/30/2007
As increasing numbers of enterprises climb aboard the Web 2.0 bandwagon, it's more important than ever for software developers to keep security in mind during the development process. So says Danny Allan, director of security research at Watchfire, the Waltham, MA-based Web-app security company acquired by IBM in July. Allan was in Santa Clara, CA to speak at this year's AjaxWorld show, and he took a few minutes to talk with me before his presentation.
- SNS Hunts Down Sensitive Data
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10/30/2007
That sensitive data resides on less-than-secure systems is a fact of university life. Over the last few years, there have been dozens of incidents in which stolen, lost, or hacked computers, hard drives, or removable storage devices resulted in more than 4.9 million reported users--students, faculty, staff, patients--having their personal or financial information exposed. And there isn't a lot IT staffs can do about it when they don't know which systems contain such sensitive data.
- Campus Security Report Card: C for Effort
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10/29/2007
Colleges and universities have done little over the last three years to improve information security. Hindered by lack of staff resources and funding, security efforts remain largely unchanged, while incidents of breaches--including the theft of personal information from within and without--continue to plague campuses. And, what's more, the integration of physical and IT security is still a reality in only a small minority of schools.
- Embry-Riddle Bolsters Security for Sensitive Data
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10/25/2007
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University is beefing up its data security with a new identity management system designed to centralize and automate security processes across multiple systems. The university worked with security service provider Mycroft to develop and deploy its security strategy based around Oracle tools, including the Identity and Access Management Suite.
- Universities Deploy Oracle Administrative Systems
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10/24/2007
Several universities and colleges have recently purchased and deployed Oracle solutions for administration and marketing, the company reported at the Educause show in Seattle, WA. These include student lifecycle management, enterprise resource management, and marketing applications. Oracle provided details on three of these implementations: Brigham Young University-Hawaii, Hobart and William Smith Colleges, and Moody Bible Institute.
- Using Thin Client Technology To Offset Costs
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10/24/2007
The University of North Carolina at Charlotte is deploying thin clients--devices with no hard drives--as kiosks, Web/e-mail stations, and in areas where sensitive data is paramount. Mike Carr and Bob Bair explore the strategy.
- GPM Deploys Emergency Communications System
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10/23/2007
Georgia Perimeter College has deployed new communications systems from Cistera Networks for public safety and quality assurance: Event and Alerting Notification (EAN) and Quality Assurance and Compliance (QAC).
- Online Plagiarism Tool Adds PDF Support
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10/22/2007
Online plagiarism detection service DOC Cop has expanded its offerings again, adding support for PDF files to its free document checking tools. This includes the ability to check PDF files against other PDFs or against Word documents.
- ShareLoader Appliance Automates Remote Backups
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10/22/2007
Crossroads Systems has started shipping a new appliance designed to automate backups of both on site and remote systems--SurePath ShareLoader. The appliance allows for backups of saved files on user machines (Windows-based) and also allows those users to retrieve lost data themselves, with the aim of reducing "IT overhead."
- Open Standards Coming to Second Life?
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10/16/2007
In an effort to shift virtual worlds to the broader realm of the World Wide Web, Linden Lab and IBM are partnering to bring open standards and interoperability to Second Life, the online 3D realm created by Linden Lab. The two will also be working with a broad range of industry partners and have discussed the formation of an open consortium for all comers to engage in the effort.
- Open Source Gains Ground in Survey of IT Pros
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10/16/2007
Open source software (OSS) is not so much the underdog in the IT world, according survey findings announced by Barracuda Networks, a provider of e-mail and Web security appliances. Barracuda polled 288 IT security professionals and found their preferences to be roughly split on the likelihood of deploying OSS versus proprietary software, particularly for applications with similar functionality.
- Barix Ships 3-Tier Campus Security Systems
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10/12/2007
Swiss IP audio technology developer Barix is launching new emergency communications and public safety tools using a "three-tier" approach, comprising various IP-based communications devices. The communications packages are designed specifically for use in multi-building campuses.
- Phishing for Mules
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10/12/2007
We all know, or should know, about phishing, a fraudulent attempt, frequently through legitimate looking email requests, to obtain personal information such as a credit card number, a social security number, or a bank account number and PIN. But to take full advantage of stolen information, the crook needs "mules."
- Testing: No Longer a Contact Sport?
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10/11/2007
Universities are turning to technology to tackle (seemingly) growing problems with academic integrity (formerly known as "cheating"). Anti-plagiarism solutions routinely check student work; centers are devoted to studying and documenting cheating; and one university has gone so far as to build a high-tech, secure site for testing.
- An Executive Director for TU's iSec
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10/10/2007
The University of Tulsa has announced the appointment David Greer as the first executive director for its newly formed Institute for Information Security.
- Web 2.0 Tops 'Emerging Cyber Threats'
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10/9/2007
The ever-nebulous "Web 2.0" is emerging as one of the five top security risks to watch for both consumers and the enterprise--this according to the inaugural edition of the "GTISC Emerging Cyber Threats Report for 2008" out of Georgia Tech's Information Security Center. The report, released at the GTISC Security Summit on Emerging Cyber Security Threats and Countermeasures, identifies the key data security threats that are likely to expand and evolve in the coming year.
- Georgia College Deploys BioPassword Authentication
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10/9/2007
Berry College in Georgia is adding biometrics to its security strategy--not for building access control or food services, where biometrics can typically be found, but on individual computers. The technology, BioPassword Enterprise Edition, from a company called BioPassword Inc., will be used to provide an additional layer of security to protect school data using nothing more than users' own keystroke rhythms.
- UMass Amherst Research Advances RFID Security
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10/8/2007
Three researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst have come up with a way to improve security on RFID devices using existing technologies and without increasing the size of the small gadgets.
- Blue Lane Ships VirtualShield 4 for VMware
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10/5/2007
Blue Lane Technologies has released VirtualShield 4.0, a security solution for VMware Infrastructure 3 and designed to integrate with VMware VirtualCenter.
- SJC Tackles P2P with NAC
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10/5/2007
Citing fears of file sharing crackdowns and potential security breaches, San Jacinto College in September deployed network access control technologies on its three campuses. The college used a NAC from Mirage Networks.
- Indiana U Begins Alert System Rollout
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10/4/2007
Indiana University is launching a new multi-campus communication system based around Connect-ED from the NTI Group. The system, part of the wider IU-Notify system, will be used to provide emergency communications to students, faculty, and staff.
