Security

Although ciphers long have been a staple of spy thrillers and mysteries, data encryption now has gained a real -- and critical -- foothold in the business world. Without this technology, data packets can be easily captured and viewed by unauthorized users. Right now, most enterprises and government ...

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security issued an updated advisory entitled "Potential for Significant Impact on Internet Operations Due to Vulnerability in Microsoft Operating Systems." The warning listed all the major iterations of Windows server platforms as well as client-side Windows XP. The a...

"Inside jobs" have become all too commonplace in today's corporations -- but clamping down too fiercely on employee data access can wreak havoc with morale and put extra strain on already overworked IT staff. Overzealous security efforts also can reduce efficiency and increase the number of help des...

Microsoft has released a security bulletin warning that a flaw in the DirectX graphic interface in a majority of Windows computers leaves users vulnerable to buffer overruns The vulnerability allows hackers to execute code on a user's PC at the user's security level. It affects PCs running Windows 9...

While enterprises face all kinds of security risks, including vulnerabilities that must be patched and viruses that bombard corporate firewalls, the threats that strike the most fear into the hearts of chief security officers and their employees are the ones nobody has thought of yet. "There are no ...

Microsoft's recent purchase of antivirus firm GeCAD Software has sparked a torrent of speculation about the company's intentions in the security arena. Established antivirus firms, such as Symantec and Network Associates, were quick to downplay the competitive threat posed by Microsoft, and some obs...

The day after the big Web site defacement challenge laid a big egg, the headlines predictably told of a threat that never really materialized. Before the purported contest, some security firms warned customers to take extra precautions to make their networks as safe as possible as they headed into t...

Passwords are both the universal language for network navigation and the weakest link in network security, as fraught with peril as they are essential. However, any enterprise, large or small, can take steps to minimize risk without resorting to cutting-edge and costly technologies like biometrics.

Security experts have warned that the holiday weekend could bring an onslaught of defacement attacks on U.S. Web sites, not as a result of anti-American sentiment, but instead because of a purported contest among domestic hackers. "The Defacers Challenge" reportedly is a race to see which computer h...

With multiple offices, thousands of employees and a wealth of electronic access points into their systems, large enterprises must lock down a great deal of infrastructure to stay safe. Thanks to vendors that are committed to providing the locks in the form of firewalls, CIOs can sleep a bit better.

As software flaws, wireless network holes and data thieves continue to make companies vulnerable to technological bad guys, a growing need for security experts has driven more IT workers toward this constantly changing field. However, the search for the right security guru can be a tricky one. After...

Fraud on the Web may be analogous to fraud in the real world, but it seems to be far easier to defraud individuals of their bank accounts, cell phone accounts and even entire identities online. In this new medium, the black hats are outpacing the white hats, at least so far. Analysts are hoping the ...

Given the pace of business today, instant messaging seems like a natural fit for the global enterprise, enabling far-flung employees and contract workers to communicate in real-time throughout the workday. However, many businesses are balking for a simple reason: IM and other peer-to-peer applicatio...

In a bid to boost its often-mocked Trustworthy Computing initiative, Microsoft has reached an agreement to work with VeriSign to make Microsoft products more secure. The company also said it will train a new generation of security experts to master its software by adding a security certification to ...

By all indications, Windows Server 2003 is engineered to be more secure than its predecessors. Microsoft has adopted a two-pronged approach to achieving this goal: The company has added several new features intended to boost security, and it has altered the operating system's out-of-the-box settings...