http://www.ITServicesConnected.co.uk/ en-gb Fri, 21 Nov 2008 08:09:10 GMT http://www.ITServicesConnected.co.uk/News/November-2008/Small-Business-Server-2008.aspx http://www.ITServicesConnected.co.uk/News/November-2008/Small-Business-Server-2008.aspx Tue, 18 Nov 2008 09:15:25 GMT Windows Small Business Server 2008 (SBS), the latest Microsoft Server operating system is aimed at firms with up to 75 users or PCs. Windows Essential Business Server 2008 (EBS) is intended for businesses with up to 300 users or PCs. These 2 new releases join the current server product family that also includes the recently released Windows Home Server Bundled products have been updated to the latest versions in SBS 2008, Premium Edition buyers will have access to two new features: First, SQL Server 2008 Standard Edition has replaced the SQL 2005 Workgroup Edition from the earlier version of SBS. Customers are now licensed to install SQL 2008 on a second server; the suite actually includes a second installation of Windows Server 2008 to accommodate this installation as well. System requirements have jincreased dramatically in SBS 2008. Although a multi-core CPU is not strictly required, you'll need at least a 64-bit capable, high-end single core CPU (2.66GHz or more) including a minimum 4GB of RAM. Some of the new features include. A streamlined administration and management console that is designed around tasks to be accomplished rather than underlying technologies. Monitoring reports that gather data from both servers and clients on the network, including Security Center status from all the clients. New features in the Remote Web Workplace, such as the ability to define default and allowed PCs for each user, increasing security. Office Live Small Business integration for and configuring a public web site or extranet New server backup features, based on the incremental block-based backup technology in Windows Server 2008 (tape backup no longer supported via native tools, but continues to be supported via 3rd parties) One of the biggest change in SBS 2008 requires installation behind a separate network firewall device. In contrast with SBS 2003, it does not support being installed directly on the edge of the network, ISA Server is no longer bundled and a dual-NIC configuration is not possible. Changing Microsoft's previous best practice advised 2 Network card configuration with an SBS server as the gateway for any SBS Network. http://www.ITServicesConnected.co.uk/News/November-2008/End-Of-Windows-3x.aspx http://www.ITServicesConnected.co.uk/News/November-2008/End-Of-Windows-3x.aspx Thu, 06 Nov 2008 12:14:20 GMT On 1 November Microsoft has stopped issuing licences for the software that was first released in May 1990 in the US. The operating system is mainly known because of it being the first graphical user interface for once of Microsofts software publications, the various versions of Windows 3.x (including 3.11) released in the early 1990s and was the first Major competitor to Apple's desktop computer range. The OS required an 8086/8088 processor or better that had a clock speed of up to 10MHz, at least 640KB of RAM, seven megabytes of hard drive space, and a graphics card that supported CGA, EGA and VGA graphics. The software came patched with SVGA driver for 1024x768 resolution, Internet Explorer 5, WinZIP, VfW and Video Player included. Today's version of the widely available Home Basic version of Windows Vista requires a 32-bit 1GHz processor, 512MB of RAM, 20GB of hard drive space, and a graphics card with at least 32MB of memory. Today's market share of Windows operating system, shows that XP takes up 70% of consumers current choice, Vista 20%, and the odd copy of 98 or 2000 taking up a small percentage of operating systems still being used to this date, http://www.ITServicesConnected.co.uk/News/October-2008/Nets-biggest-names-push-for-free-speech.aspx http://www.ITServicesConnected.co.uk/News/October-2008/Nets-biggest-names-push-for-free-speech.aspx Wed, 29 Oct 2008 10:14:12 GMT Three of the biggest names on the internet have joined in an effort to end censorship on the web. Microsoft, Google and Yahoo are spearheading the creation of a group known as the Global Network Initiative. The aim of the project will be to lobby governments and telcos to allow users free speech without worries of censorship or arrest. The new project will link companies and non-profit groups with volunteers and investors to put pressure on authorities to end oppressive web censorship policies and user surveillance programs. The launch of the project coincides with the 60th anniversary of the UN's landmark Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The group hopes that the new campaign will lead to a similar set of principles on the rights of all web users. The project will hold special significance for the likes of Google, Yahoo and Microsoft, who often have to negotiate with authoritarian governments in order to be given access to emerging markets. Yahoo and Google have both come under heavy fire in the past for their dealings with the Chinese government in regards to censorship and user surveillance. "Yahoo was founded on the belief that promoting access to information can enrich people's lives, and the principles we unveil today reflect our determination that our actions match our values around the world," said Yahoo chief executive Jerry Yang. "These principles provide a valuable roadmap for companies like Yahoo operating in markets where freedom of expression and privacy are unfairly restricted. Through the collective efforts of industry, advocates, and government, we will continue to see technology and the Internet as a way to improve people's lives." Written by Shaun Nichols vnunet.com http://www.ITServicesConnected.co.uk/News/October-2008/Microsoft-set-to-roll-out-Vista-SP2-beta.aspx http://www.ITServicesConnected.co.uk/News/October-2008/Microsoft-set-to-roll-out-Vista-SP2-beta.aspx Wed, 29 Oct 2008 10:11:58 GMT A select number of developers are set to receive a beta version of Windows Vista Service Pack 2 (SP2) as part of Microsoft's development and testing process. Writing in his blog, Mike Nash, corporate vice president of Windows Product Management revealed that a small group of Technology Adoption Program customers will be getting their hands on the upcoming patch on Wednesday 29 October. As well as including all the patches released to date since the launch of SP1 last Spring, Vista SP2 includes a range of new features as well as support for new types of hardware and several emerging standards. Changes highlighted by Nash in his post include the addition of Windows Search 4.0, an improved version of the embedded search engine; the Bluetooth 2.1 Feature Pack, which adds support for the most recent Bluetooth specification; the ability to record data on to Blu-Ray media natively in Windows Vista; easier Wi-Fi configuration; and changes to the file system. According to Nash, the company will "track customer and partner feedback from the beta program before setting a final date for the release". Further details of Vista's successor, Windows 7, are due to be revealed at this week's Microsoft Professional Developers Conference in Los Angeles. Written by Ian Williams vnunet.com http://www.ITServicesConnected.co.uk/News/October-2008/Yahoo-and-Microsoft-take-aim-at-lottery-scams.aspx http://www.ITServicesConnected.co.uk/News/October-2008/Yahoo-and-Microsoft-take-aim-at-lottery-scams.aspx Wed, 29 Oct 2008 09:52:16 GMT Yahoo and Microsoft are teaming up in an effort to stop lottery e-mail scams. The two companies have signed on with Western Union and the African Development Bank to head a new effort to aid victims of the attacks and help catch the perpetrators. Lottery scams often arrive to users in the form of spam messages. The user is told that they have won a special internet 'lottery' drawing. The attacker will often tell the user that in order to claim the prize and securely conduct the transaction, bank details must be provided. The account information is then harvested by the attacker and sold or used for fraudulent transactions. The campaign will establish a new service which allows victims of the scams to share police reports. The companies have set up web sites and email addresses to which users can contribute their reports to the database. The hope is that the database will better enable both the companies and law enforcements to link the lottery scam cases and track down the criminals behind the fraud operations. INTERPOL will also contribute to the project by spreading awareness of the site and encouraging law enforcement groups to utilize the database in investigations. "At Yahoo, we've long told our users that if it sounds 'too good to be true,' it probably is. But as internet fraudsters continue to get more creative in their approaches, consumers continue to be deceived, said George Hadjigeorgiou, Yahoo's European general manager of communication and community products, "This unique initiative is a continuation of our online safety and trust initiatives and is intended to help support our consumer awareness efforts." Written by Shaun Nichols vnunet.com http://www.ITServicesConnected.co.uk/News/October-2008/Microsoft-unveils-Silverlight-20.aspx http://www.ITServicesConnected.co.uk/News/October-2008/Microsoft-unveils-Silverlight-20.aspx Wed, 15 Oct 2008 17:03:04 GMT Microsoft has released the latest version of its Silverlight web application tool, promising a "radical improvement" in the way developers and designers build applications on the web. Scott Guthrie, corporate vice president of Microsoft's .Net developer division, said in the announcement on Monday: "This release will further accelerate our efforts to make Silverlight, Visual Studio and Microsoft Expression Studio the preeminent solutions for the creation and delivery of media and rich internet application experiences." Silverlight 2.0 is the first version of the platform to fully support Microsoft's .Net developer framework, allowing developers to write code in several different programming languages. The new version will also include new features for Silverlight applications, such as a calendar function and the ability to zoom on images. The Silverlight software will be supported on the latest versions of the Firefox, Safari and Internet Explorer browsers for Windows, Mac and Linux. Microsoft hopes that the updated version of Silverlight will increase the platform's reach within the consumer market. The company estimates that Silverlight has reached up to 25 per cent of the consumer market in just over a year, but it still lags far behind competing technologies such as Flash and Java, which are already installed on virtually every browser-enabled computer. Written by Shaun Nichols in San Francisco vnunet.com, http://www.ITServicesConnected.co.uk/News/October-2008/Microsoft-fixes-20-security-flaws.aspx http://www.ITServicesConnected.co.uk/News/October-2008/Microsoft-fixes-20-security-flaws.aspx Wed, 15 Oct 2008 17:02:18 GMT Microsoft has issued the October instalment of its monthly 'Patch Tuesday' security update. The latest release includes 11 bulletins addressing a total of 20 security vulnerabilities. Four of the bulletins are rated 'critical', six are listed as 'important' and one as 'moderate'. Among the critical patches are a fix for a remote code execution flaw in Excel which could allow an attacker to perform a remote malware installation by way of a specially crafted Excel file. The second critical fix addresses a remote code flaw in Microsoft's Host Integration Server product, while another addresses a problem in the Active Directory component for Windows Server 2000. The final critical bulletin is a cumulative update for Internet Explorer which includes remote code execution fixes for IE 5, 6 and 7. Three of the six bulletins rated 'important' address remote code execution, including fixes for the Windows Server Message Block and Internet Printing Service, along with a flaw in the Message Queuing component for Windows 2000. Three more 'important' bulletins fix privilege-elevation flaws in the Windows Kernel, Virtual Address Descriptor and the Ancillary Function Driver. The 'moderate' bulletin addresses a vulnerability in Microsoft Office XP SP3 which could be exploited for information disclosure. David Marcus, security research and communications director at McAfee, warned that the remote code flaws pose the biggest risk to users who do not apply the patch. "It is the month of remote code execution bugs," he said. "Many of the flaws could allow an attacker to gain complete control over a vulnerable computer by tricking a user into visiting a malicious web site or opening a rigged Office file." Written by Shaun Nichols in San Francisco vnunet.com http://www.ITServicesConnected.co.uk/News/October-2008/Developers-gain-access-to-tel-domain.aspx http://www.ITServicesConnected.co.uk/News/October-2008/Developers-gain-access-to-tel-domain.aspx Wed, 15 Oct 2008 17:01:11 GMT Telnic, the registry for the new .tel sponsored top level domain (TLD), today announced it is releasing resources for developers to create applications and web services around the domain. The .tel domain is aimed at building up an internet directory of business and individual user contact information. It differs from other TLDs because, rather than storing IP addresses for web servers, it links directly to content and information stored on the DNS, according to Telnic. As such, .tel will allow users to publish contact details, links and keywords to the internet under their own domain in real time, in a format that can be viewed on any device and viewed only by those they wish, said Telnic communications director Justin Hayward. Telnic has already written plug-ins for the BlackBerry address book, Microsoft Outlook and Windows Mobile, as well as an iPhone application. These apps integrate with the address book and dynamically update information stored in a .tel owner's domain, according to Telnic. The firm is hoping that by releasing white papers, toolkits, APIs, a developer forum and the .tel code base, it will encourage the developer community to create compelling apps for businesses. "Finally IP guys have something positive to say: there's no web hosting required, anyone in marketing or customer services can manage it, and the information in your domain is refreshed at the speed of the DNS," said Hayward. Written by Phil Muncaster vnunet.com http://www.ITServicesConnected.co.uk/News/October-2008/Home-secretary-outlines-web-monitoring-plan.aspx http://www.ITServicesConnected.co.uk/News/October-2008/Home-secretary-outlines-web-monitoring-plan.aspx Wed, 15 Oct 2008 16:57:16 GMT The government wants to give law enforcement authorities greater access to information held by social networking sites amid concerns that terrorists are increasingly using them for communications. The intention was announced by home secretary Jacqui Smith this morning in a speech to think tank the Institute of Public Policy Research as she highlighted the importance of communication interception. "Our ability to intercept communications and obtain communications data is vital to fighting terrorism and combating serious crime, including child sex abuse, murder and drugs trafficking," said Smith. "Communications data - that is, data about calls, such as the location and identity of the caller, not the content of the calls themselves - is used as important evidence in 95 per cent of serious crime cases and in almost all security service operations since 2004." The government was already considering setting up a single database with information of UK citizens' emails, calls and web browsing habits, though is keen to emphasise it is information about the communications rather than the communications themselves that would be monitored. This proposal was due to be put before MPs in the Communications Data Bill next month. But Smith announced that she was delaying the Bill in order to expand its range of surveillance to include other non-traditional communication service providers. Currently security and intelligence agencies can demand to see telephone and email traffic from traditional communications services providers such as ISPs and phone companies which store the personal data for business purposes such as billing, and voluntary agreements to do this already exist. But new types of communications such as online gaming, social networking and media exchange sites also offer the potential for users to communicate, and be cause the services are free, providers have no reason to record use. This is the information the security services want to be able to access and include in the database, potentially forcing these sites to record usage. The Home Office says no decisions have been made yet and the government will be consulting on the issues in the New Year. Written by Tom Young Computing http://www.ITServicesConnected.co.uk/News/October-2008/Symantec-warns-of-alarming-spam-trends.aspx http://www.ITServicesConnected.co.uk/News/October-2008/Symantec-warns-of-alarming-spam-trends.aspx Wed, 08 Oct 2008 09:00:35 GMT The volume of spam messages laden with malicious links or attachments is increasing, according to the latest figures. Symantec's monthly State of Spam report claims that malware-laden messages are far more common than in the first half of the year. The security firm estimates that 1.2 per cent of all email messages sent contains a malicious payload. Overall, Symantec found that spam comprises some 78 per cent of global email messages. While attached .zip and .rar archives were the most popular method for spreading malware, researchers also found that embedding attack code within the source code of the message itself is becoming popular. "The increase began in May 2008 and continues to the present," the company said in the report. "During this period, there has also been an increase in email messages carrying malware payloads, not just links to malicious code." The majority of the malicious payloads were generic Trojan, downloader and information stealing applications. Trojan attacks comprised 13.4 per cent of malware detections, while downloads and 'info-stealers' logged 11.8 and 11.1 per cent respectively. The Pandex Trojan was the most popular single piece of spammed malware, followed by W32.IRCBot and the Goldun Trojan. China was the most popular origin for malicious spam messages, followed by the Republic of Korea, the US, Thailand and Vietnam. Written by Shaun Nichols