E-week (16 October 2006)

70 Pages·2006·6.935 MB·English

NEWS & ANALYSIS
www.eweek.com
NAC systems
remain open
to exploits
17
BY RYAN NARAINE
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HWEEK LABS
User Account Control brings
Vista closer to competitors
42
N E W S P A P E R P E R I O D I C A L
OCTOBER 16, 2006
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THIS WEEK
We are further behind thanwe herders keep advancing and moving forward Orlando, Fla., Oct. 8-13, in which compa-
thought. The frequent security at a fast rate, and we just can’t keep up.” nies are getting out of the PC allocation
patch updates to Windows and Exacerbating this atmosphere of “hope- practice and granting stipends to users
other applications and constant updates lessness,” Naraine writes, is the human to buy their own equipment. Instead of
of virus signatures from security vendors element, which can always be counted on embracing users as constituents, Gibson
and researchers have kept us only a few to make the jobs of bots and viruses easier. says, corporate IT would view them as
steps behind malware writ- Work-at-home wannabes are foreigners penetrating a secure infra-
ers and phishing schemes, or being scammed into taking jobs structure. In a crazy world, that just may
so we thought. Botnets have that amount to laundering the be the most sane thing to do. ´
changed all of that, reports money the Internet crime rings
eWeek Senior Editor Ryan are collecting from botnets. Also, Contact eWEEK Editor Scot Petersen at
Naraine on Page 20. Senior Writer Matt Hines reports [email protected].
“We’ve known about [the on Page 26 that remote workers
threat from] botnets for a few are not doing enough to keep
years, but we’re only now figur- their computers safe. About half
ing out how they really work, of the respondents of a Cisco-
SCOT PETERSEN
and I’m afraid we might be sponsored study admit to using
two to three years behind in terms of their company PC for personal business. eweek.com
response mechanisms,” Marcus Sachs, The workers can’t share all of the blame,
deputy director of Washington-based either, as two-thirds of those surveyed said
Podcasts
research institute SRI International, told they don’t practice safe computing because
OnSecurity:Security challenges of
Naraine. We are not gaining ground, their employers aren’t doing anything to
financial companies Senior Writer
either, in corralling the automated ad stop it.
Matt Hines interviews Ted DeZabala,
hoc malware networks that, once estab- Some companies are taking an
a principal with Deloitte & Touche’s
lished, can be used to launch everything unorthodox approach to this particular
Enterprise Risk Servi ces practice, about
from DoS (denial of service) attacks to problem. Executive Editor Stan Gibson
the security challenges faced by finan-
money-laundering schemes. reports on Page 15 about a solution
cial services companies.
“We’ve managed to hold back the tide, discussed at
but, for the most part, it’s been useless,” said Gartner’s TestRuneWEEK Labs Senior Writer
Gadi Evron, a security evangelist at Beyond Symposium/ Anne Chen talks with West Coast Tech-
Security, of Netanya, Israel. “The botnet ITxpo in nical Director Cameron Sturdevant
about his review of Network General’s
F
WEEK.COM new Network Intelligence Suite, which
sessions on what people have fuses Sniffer Enterprise NetVigil 4.2
learned from implementations. and Sniffer Enterprise Visualizer 4.2.
rRFID SPREE Care to know
Those sessions will identify
what Wal-Mart doodads and InfraSpectrum It’s become conventional
high-impact areas in supply
DuPont concoctions will be wisdom to say that the CIO needs to man-
chain management, asset
bleating out information, and age IT like a business within the enterprise;
management, work-in-process
how and when? Senior Writer the corollary should be IT-focused invest-
manufacturing, health and
Renee Boucher Ferguson operational issues that face ment in business intelligence as well as
safety, and regulatory control.
is beaming over to the EPC - small and midsize enterprises operational tools. Technology Editor Peter
The sessions also will demon-
GLOBAL U.S. CONFERENCE that ship off their work. At the Coffee talks with James Rogers, chief mar-
strate how RFID is playing out
Oct. 17-19 to get the latest conference will be people who keting officer of Troux Technologies, about
in the real world, with presen-
from the RFID (radio-frequency have outsourced successfully the company’s new IT/BI capabilities.
tations by industry leaders.
identification) biggies. David and who have been in the
Slide shows
Kepler, senior vice president of OUTSOURCING The confer- middle of making multimillion-
shared services, environment, ence program of OUTSOURCE- dollar outsourcing decisions, Windows Vista RC2 eWEEK Labs Ad-
health and safety and CIO WORLD will tackle security of such as Fred Mapp, former CIO vanced Technologies Analyst Jason
at Dow Chemical, and Rollin outsourced data along with of Advanced Mic ro Devices, Brooks brings you the highs, lows and
Ford, executive vice president physical and geopolitical secu- and Ramesh Krish, vice presi- plateaus of Microsoft’s Windows Vista
and CIO of Wal-Mart, will give rity Oct. 17-18. The confer- dent of supply management Release Candidate 2.
an update on the status of ence also will address issues at Credit Suisse First Boston.
Peter Coffee’s IT Disasters There are
their companies’ RFID rollouts. surrounding BPO (business Executive Editor Stan Gibson
technology issues, and then there are tech-
The show also will offer field process outsourcing) and reports from the show.
nology issues.Peter Coffee explains why.
www.eweek.com OCTOBER 16, 2006 n eWEEK 5
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OCTOBER 16, 2006
Editorial Director Eric Lundquist
Editor Scot Petersen
CONTENTS
Executive Editor/News Larry Dignan
Director/eWEEK Labs Jim Rapoza
Executive Editor/eWEEK Labs Deb Donston
Technology Editor Peter Coffee
Executive Editor Stan Gibson
NEWS
News Editors John Pallatto, Lisa Vaas,
Steve Bryant, Don Sears
Senior Editors Jeffrey Burt, Peter Galli,
Paula Musich, Ryan Naraine,
Darryl K. Taft
Senior Writers Renee Boucher Ferguson,
John Hazard, Matt Hines, Chris
Staff Writers SPrceoimtt eFsebregrugseorn, ,W Daeybnoer aRha sh 29 CA targets IT govern- OPINION
Rothberg ance with the release
gWEEK LABS of Clarity 8.
West Coast Technical Director Cameron Sturdevant 5 This eWEEK: Botnets
Advanced TecThencohlnoigcaiel sA Annalaylsytsst MJ aiscohna eBl rCooaktosn, Andrew Garcia, 29 Radware announces put us further behind.
Victor Loh plans to integrate
Senior Writer Anne Chen 11 8 Eric Lundquist: Once
XML acceleration.
FEATURES again, consumer tech-
Associate Editor, Solutions Series David Weldon 30 Career Central nology sets the pace.
EDITORIAL PRODUCTION 32 The Buzz
Managing Editor Rick Dagley &
Deputy Managing Editor Debra Perry NEWS
Copy Chief Jim Williams
Senior Copy Editor Emily Zurich Deyring
Copy Editors Kelsey Adams, Vikki Lipset,
Newsletter Editor SAlheathneea O Y’iNpeill ANALYSIS fWEEKLABS
ART DEPARTMENT
Senior Art Director Stephen Anderson 11 The One Laptop Per
Associate Art Director Paul Connolly 37 REVIEW: Parasoft’s
Senior Production Designer Tara-Ann Fasulo Child project creates
Senior Designer Chip Buchanan Jtest 8 aids process, but
an enormous security
gWEEK challenge. at a price.
PKuarbl lEislkheenr 15 “Digital natives” will 40 Firefox 2.0 RC1 reveals 8
Business Manager several new features in the
Eric Berk soon invade corpora-
Eric Lubeck, SMeanriokre Rtiensgearch Director tions and likely overhaul open-source browser.
Peter Chiacchiaro, Associate Research Manager IT departments. 42 REVIEW: Vista’s new
Production Manager 34 Our View: ZERT gives
Michael DiCarlis tools make User Account
Ad Traffic Coordinator 15 “Googazon” could users a patch alternative.
Tim Bennett become a retail monster Control easier to handle.
34 Reader mail
as the Web evolves. 44 REVIEW: LANShield
ZIFF DAVIS MEDIA 16 Sun is using a new Controller gives perimeter- 46 Jim Rapoza: In-house IT
Chairman & CEO level security to LANs. work is a good idea in
Robert F. Callahan three-pronged plan to
Chief MFianrakn Mcioayle Orfficer push virtualization. 47 REVIEW: ThinkTank pro- certain circumstances.
Executive Vice President &Chief Content Officer vides the tools needed for 51 Peter Coffee: Massive
Michael J. Miller 16 Indicative Software
Executive Vice PreGseindeernatl, CLiocuennsseinlg & Legal Affairs, hopes to further its expan- group decision making. grerdidrsa wanindg nITe trwooardk sm aarpes .
Gregory Barton sion with a new release. 48 REVIEW: LifeSize Room
PRESIDENTS makes conferencing 54 Spencer F. Katt mocks
Scott McCarthy (Game Group) 17 Network Admission
Sloan Seymour (Enterprise Group) clearer with high definition. Ballmer’s claims about
Jason Young (Consumer Tech/Small Business Group) Controlsystems remain Windows Live software.
immature and vulnerable.
SENIOR VICE PRESIDENTS
Kenneth Beach (Corporate Sales)
Jim Louderback (EdiAtoInrrgaia elB lDoe icrMekacentro d(rG,a rCaamonones (uGInmrtoeeurrn/pSe)tm)all Business Group) 18 Lshaobws: tThees tosp oefr aVtiisntga sRyCs-2 BOTNET
MichMaaerl tVhaiz aSrcdh (wEadrittoz r(iCal uDsitroemct oSro, lEuntitoenrsp rGisreo Gupr)oup) tem is ready to roll. BATTLE
VICE PRESIDENTS 26 Remote workers are
John Davison (Game Group)
Elaine Ebner (Corporate Sales) exposing their employers
AaKroarnl EGlkoeldnb (ePrgu b(lMisahrekr,e te WExEpEeKr)ts) to threats by using non- 20 Security provid-
Barry Harrigan (Web Buyers Guide) trusted connections. ershave offered
Kristin Holmes (International Licensing)
Michael Krieger (Market Experts) few solutions to
Ray Ledda (Game Group)
Rick Lehrbaum (Internet) an ever-growing
Eric LundCqhurisist (MEadgitionrnia (l InDtiererncetot)r, eWEEK) botnet problem.
Jim McCabe (PC Magazine)
PauSl Oco’Rtt eMillcy D(Eavneienl t (MGaamrkee tGingro Gupro)up) 22 “Money mules”
Beth Repeta (Human Resources) are aiding in the
Dave Rock (Circulation)
Chris Stetson (Research/Market Intelligence) dramatic rise in
Stephen Sutton (Audience Development, Consumer/Small Business)
Stephen Veith (Enterprise Group Publishing Director) online fraud.
Monica Vila (Event Marketing Group)
Randy Zane (Corporate Communications) Cover Illustration: Michael Morgenstern
eWEEK editorial staff members can
be reached at [phone] or
[phone], or via e-mail using
the following formula: firstname_
[email protected]. For example: [email protected].
(Don’t use middle initials in address.)
www.eweek.com OCTOBER 16, 2006 n eWEEK 7
&
NEWS ANALYSIS
WEBLOG
ERIC LUNDQUIST: UP FRONT
Consumer tech points the way
ERIC’S PICKS FROM GWEEK BLOGS
go.eweek.com/weblog
BUT BUSINESSES CAN BUILD THEIR OWN MODELS TO GAIN EDGE
@
Attendees at gartner’s workday? I’d guess the reaction would be, at DAN BRIODY
Microsoft stays
Symposium/ITxpo its mildest, unfavorable. After all, the busi-
Oct. 8-13 in Orlando, ness of business is business, and Web surf- the course
Fla., probably didn’t need ing, e-mailing and looking up the value of
any added emphasis that your house on Zillow.com doesn’t really add Considering how important
consumer technology has much to your company’s bottom line. Bill Gates has been to the
been outpacing business What the consumer sites have shown and IT community over the past
tech, but they got a $1.65 what is important for business technology is 20 years, it’s understand-
billion reminder anyway. that, by using technology wisely, you can build able there would be no small
That reminder was the $1.65 billion acquisi- robust, flexible and secure systems that can amount of consternation
tion of video site YouTube by everyone’s favorite quickly scale up to worldwide levels. Rather about his coming depar-
search site, Google. The acquisition came on than continually trying to integrate and repair ture from its ranks. And at
the same day that the Gartner analysts led off what you have, there is a good argument that Gartner’s Symposium/ITxpo
the weeklong event at Walt Disney World by tell- while one group is keeping the current system Oct. 8-13 in Orlando, Fla.,
ing the IT professionals in attendance that con- running, a second group should be building the the question was posed to
sumers with more storage, faster processors and next generation of a company’s IT network. Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer
more capable applications are taking the driver’s The applications running on those networks by concerned customers:
seat away from the business technology manag- probably will look nothing like the applications How will Microsoft be differ-
ers. Unless those managers start to understand running on the consumer networks of today. ent without Gates? Ballmer
and use consumer technology techniques such Instead of a MySpace or Facebook network declined to speculate on what
as social networks, robust search, podcasts and widely available to all, the business technology would change and chose
video, they risk being left in the fading glow of developer will be creating employee profiles that to focus on the things that
green-screen, command-line applications. are secure and sufficiently detailed to make sure would remain the same. You
Add to this the admonition from the ana- a company can bring its most-experienced and got a sense from him that,
lysts claiming that eight out of 10 IT budget best employees to the corporate tasks at hand. despite some admitted short-
dollars are “dead dollars” Instead of a YouTube comings in its current product
wasted on merely keep- CONSUMER TECHNOLOGY that makes video widely portfolio, Microsoft, indeed,
ing a creaking technol- available, the corporate will keep coming ... and com-
ALWAYS HAS PUSHED THE
ogy infrastructure run- technology strategist will ing and coming. 10/10/06
ning rather than being BUSINESS PROCESS ALONG. be developing long supply @
invested in new and chain systems that can
DEB ROTHBERG
revenue-producing projects. track a product from its raw components to the
Watch that e-mail
But are consumer technology sites really that consumer purchasing those products. Instead
far ahead of business technology? While I don’t of music downloads on a smart phone, the
question that $1.65 billion seems a very good business user will be tapping into CRM (cus- In light of former U.S.
price to be had for a mix of amateur videos and tomer relationship management), inventory and Rep. Mark Foley’s e-mail-
other people’s videos, whose copyright protec- security systems to get a real-time gauge of the induced snafu, as well as the
tion seems to be largely ignored, I’m not sure company’s financial health. indicting instant messages
that consumer sites are really the models that The tasks facing business technology are, surrounding the Hewlett-
business tech should emulate. indeed, formidable, which was pointed out by Packard leak investigation,
Consumer technology always has pushed Gartner analysts at the symposium, but the the hazards associated with
the business process along. PCs, probably technologies to help in surmounting those personal surfing, e-mailing
the most fundamental computer technology tasks are fast-changing and built around stan- and IM at work yet again
agent of change in the last 25 years, was born dards, inexpensive hardware and applications have been thrust into the
in the consumer market. You could argue that that can be combined easily to create new spotlight. According to a
business has spent the last 25 years trying to “mashed up” business applications. While busi- Websense report, more than
bring structure, security and integration into ness has something to learn from consumer 60 percent of American busi-
products that never really were meant to be technology, it will be the businesses that take nesses have disciplined their
part of the business landscape. that understanding in a new and business- employees for misusing the
What would be the reaction of your boss if oriented direction that will succeed. ´ Internet, and more than 30
you went in advocating that all the employees percent have fired workers
in your company should be running video Editorial Director Eric Lundquist can be reached for it. 10/9/06
blogs while socially networking during the at [email protected].
8 eWEEK n OCTOBER 16, 2006 www.eweek.com