Happy Birthday, Dear Internet
The Internet turns 20 on New Year's Day. Of course, some experts think it's 34, and others consider its age impossible to determine. But there's no denying that a significant event in the history of the medium occurred on Jan. 1, 1983. Source: Wired

So Many Holes, So Few Hacks
Hole after hole, breach after breach, flaw after flaw is found -- and most of the time, it's in a Windows system. Yet hackers generally don't exploit them. Why is that? Source: Wired

Computer Clocks Wind Down
Hardly anything inside a computer would seem to be more basic, or more necessary, than the processor "clock"©the little crystal oscillator whose rhythmic ticks ultimately regulate everything the computer does. Indeed, we often define computers by their clocks, as in, "I just bought a 2-GHz PC." Yet clocks aren't necessary for the workings of digital devices, and some researchers predict that clock-regulated circuits will increasingly give way to clockless, or asynchronous, circuits. Source: ComputerWorld

Great deals, and risks, from buying hardware at online auctions
There are tech bargains to be had through online auctions, but there are big risks, too. Some IT executives say auctions help them save up to 75% off list prices. In some cases, such savings make it feasible to buy spare servers or routers in case one turns out to be a dud. Nevertheless, the arguments against buying hardware at auction are many and persuasive. For example, the money you save on a server that you use as a network access point will seem like chump change if the server fails and sensitive corporate data is released. According to the Federal Trade Commission, online auctions result in more consumer complaints than any other Internet practice. Source: ComputerWorld

Identifying Artifacts from Earlier Installations
Sometimes, earlier application installations and upgrades don't clean up after themselves and leave puzzling artifacts that can have systems administrators scratching their heads. Source: Windows & .NET Magazine

Microsoft 2003: Upgrades To Windows, Office, And Enterprise Servers
The year ahead for Microsoft contains major upgrades to Windows, Office, and enterprise servers, and the looming threat of continued antitrust litigation. Microsoft on Tuesday issued a statement outlining its plans for 2003, saying the year will see the "most bountiful crop yet" of software for its .Net Web-services strategy, connecting enterprise applications using XML standards. Next year will see the release of Windows .Net Server 2003, Office 11, the Visual Studio .Net development toolkit, and application servers. Source: InformationWeek

IT Makes FBI Most-Wanted List
What IT hiring slump? The FBI is actively hiring--and it's planning to pick up the pace. The bureau is so techie-hungry it's even changing some hiring practices to get more recruits with technology degrees. Source: InformationWeek

Zen and the Art of Error Messages
We thought we'd lighten things up a bit and lift your holiday spirit with these kinder, gentler error messages. This article is based on a claim that technology folks in Japan have replaced Windows© vague and, oftentimes, downright ugly errors with haiku messages that precisely describe the situation. the rules for composing haiku are strict and thus appeal to techies who like order in the universe. I©m sure you©ll enjoy the contrast between the graceful, empathetic, mystical haiku messages and the cryptic Windows versions. ;-)  Source: Windows & .NET Magazine

Google vs. Evil: A Losing Battle?
The world's largest and best-loved search engine owes its success to superior technology and a simple rule: Don't be evil. But Google is finding that moral compromise is the cost of doing big business. Source: Wired

Nigerian Net Scam, Version 3.0
In the latest iteration of the Nigerian e-mail swindle, scammers pose as buyers interested in big-ticket items for sale on the Net. Thanks to a little-known U.S. banking loophole, they're bilking Americans out of thousands. Source: Wired

Microsoft To Cut Off Dual-Boot Windows Option
Starting next year, PC makers won't be shipping dual-boot Windows desktops, as a result of a change Microsoft is making in its OEM licensing terms. Currently, some OEMs offer customers a choice of Windows versions©say, Windows 2000 Professional and Windows XP©and allow users to select one upon first booting their new machines. "Microsoft will no longer offer dual installation but will offer downgrade rights in Windows XP," confirmed a spokeswoman for the company's licensing division.  Source: ExtermeTech

Microsoft Management Initiative Takes the Pain Out of Enterprise Planning and Deployment
Microsoft offers a new management initiative--a suite of scenario-based prescriptive guidance blueprints. The architecture kits are rich and deep, designed so that customers can incorporate their existing technology or replace Microsoft products with those from competitors. This modular approach makes the kits applicable to a wider range of customer scenarios, although Microsoft solution partners can offer customized solutions. The company calls the underlying scheme Microsoft Systems Architecture (MSA), which harkens back to the old IBM SNA scheme, with one major difference: Microsoft doesn't assume you're going to use only its software and services. Source: Windows & .NET Magazine

Securing Outlook, Part One: Initial Configuration
Millions of Outlook users around the world, in homes, organizations, and businesses, have had to face the insecurities inherent in their email program, sometimes painfully. This article is the first of a two-part article that will examine ways that Outlook users can secure their email client. Source: SecurityFocus.com

It's not easy being breached
Surviving a security incident is just the beginning. Then you need to figure out what it really cost. Source: CSO Online.com

Virus Throttle a Hopeful Defense
A researcher at Hewlett-Packard's labs has hit on a remarkably simple way to stem the damage computer viruses cause: Slow down connection to the infected machines. Source: Wired

Hackers Want Their Prize Money
A Polish hacker group that won almost $50 grand in a hacking contest last year wants the company that sponsored it to cough up the prize. Trouble is, the sponsor company no longer exists. Source: Wired

Barbarians at the Gate: An Introduction to Distributed Denial of Service Attacks
DDoS attacks first made headlines in February 2000. Now, almost three years later, can it be that we're still vulnerable? Unfortunately the answer is yes. This article will explain the concept of DDoS attacks, how they work, how to react if you become a target, and how the security community can work together to prevent them. Source: SecurityFocus.com

ISA Server Performance Best Practices
The goal of ISA Server capacity planning is to enable planning the hardware and software configuration of an ISA Server deployment for customer-specific performance and capacity requirements. A typical question about ISA Server capacity could be: ©What hardware do I need to support ISA Server in my organization with n users?© The following is a closer look at this question, with an explanation of each of its parts. Source: Microsoft.com

Windows cheaper than Linux in some scenarios
A survey from research company IDC finds that organizations running Windows 2000 spend less in the long run for some tasks, such as print and file serving, compared with organizations running Linux. Source: IDG.net

Antispam help is on the way
In the last year, spam has grown from a nuisance to a nightmare for corporate network executives, who are scrambling to respond to the increased volume and objectionable content of unsolicited commercial e-mail messages sent to end users. In response, messaging vendors are beefing up their antispam filtering capabilities targeted at corporate customers. Source: NetworkWorldFusion

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