| |
|
Sunday, March 11, 2007
|
|
Whenever a program gets wide distribution
there are bound to be some users who, rightly or wrongly, feel it has
caused them pain. Sometimes it's a case of post hoc ergo propter hoc
(Latin for "the hog was here, so the hog did it"). Other times there
really is a problem, perhaps due to an unusual configuration or a
compatibility problem with some less-common applications. But it's rare
that the problem is as serious and the response as limited as in this
case.
A reader brought to my attention a thread in Microsoft's discussion forums for Windows OneCare titled "Outlook and Outlook Express Mail Store Missing or Quarantined".
The thread started with a message in January and it's still running
today, with no clear resolution. In brief, if you get a virus in an
email message received by Outlook, OneCare's next virus sweep may quarantine or delete your entire email store. If you receive a virus via Outlook Express OneCare may quarantine or delete the entire folder containing the virus. Really!
As
the thread goes on, more and more users weigh in reporting the problem.
Moderators attempt soothing responses like "Obviously, the action by
OneCare is undesirable. However, you can ... exclude the Outlook PST
file" and "I know it won't make you feel any better, but you're all
really helping to make OneCare a better program for everyone" and "You
never want email scanned on the way in or out of the system as it
causes more problems than it fixes." At one or two points the
moderators announce a fix, but the problem reports keep coming in. One
moderator mused that this had been a problem in the beta of OneCare
1.0, but he hadn't seen it since then. Another suggested that version
1.5 may have been coded from the wrong "code branch" of the base
1.0/1.1 version. Hmm....
3:08:23 PM 
|
|
Rather than passing through SSL sessions between clients and servers located in remote data centers, some WAN optimization gear can terminate the SSL sessions, shrink the traffic and re-encrypt it for the next leg of the trip. These chains of encrypted sessions introduce potential vulnerabilities that different vendors address in different ways.
SSL traffic represents a growing percentage of total traffic on WAN
links, according to Forrester Research. So SSL support in WAN
optimization appliances will become more important to businesses that
want to keep traffic secure while minimizing the size of their WAN
links.
In a survey last month of 1,300 IT executives by WAN-optimization vendor Blue Coat Systems, one-third of respondents said that 25% of their WAN traffic is SSL. And of those surveyed, 45% plan to roll out more SSL
applications this year.
About
a third of all WAN traffic at Richardson Partners Financial Ltd. in
Toronto is SSL, says Andrew McKinney, director of technical services
for the firm. But if only the urgent business traffic is considered,
the percentage is much higher. "For critical business traffic, it's all
encrypted," he says. So he uses Blue Coat Systems gear to secure
traffic and optimize it for good performance.
1:45:40 PM
|
|
SSL Optimization Over WAN Needs Scrutiny. coondoggie writes with word of the expansion of WAN optimization appliances to handle SSL traffic and the security concerns this brings up. From the article: "With more and more WAN optimization vendors extending their capabilities to include encrypted traffic, corporate IT executives have a decision to make: Should they trust the security these devices provide? Rather than passing through SSL sessions between clients and servers located in remote data centers, some WAN optimization gear can terminate the SSL sessions, shrink the traffic, and re-encrypt it for the next leg of the trip. These chains of encrypted sessions introduce potential vulnerabilities that different vendors address in different ways. SSL traffic represents a growing percentage of total traffic on WAN links, according to Forrester Research. So SSL support in WAN optimization appliances will become more important to businesses that want to keep traffic secure while minimizing the size of their WAN links." [ Slashdot]
1:41:59 PM
|
|
Connecticut Wants to Restrict Social Networking. csefft writes "According to the Hartford Courant, Connecticut became the latest state to want to restrict the use of MySpace and other social networking sites. The proposed bill would require that all such sites verify the identity and age of users, as well as get parent's permission for those under 18. Sites that failed to comply would be subject to a $5,000 per day fine. Attorney General Richard Blumenthal said of the proposition, 'If we can put a man on the moon, we can verify age on the Internet,' but quickly followed with the acknowledgment that there is no foolproof method." [Slashdot: Your Rights Online]
1:06:21 PM
|
|
Anybody who objects to their personal details going on the new "Big
Brother" ID cards database will be banned from having a passport.
James Hall, the official in charge of the supposedly-voluntary
scheme, said the Government would allow people to opt out - but in
return they must "forgo the ability" to have a travel document.
With one in every eight people saying they will refuse to
sign-up, up to five million adults could effectively be refused
permission to leave the country.
Campaigners reacted to Mr Hall's remarks with fury, saying they
were yet more evidence of the lurch towards "Big Brother" Britain.
Phil Booth, of the NO2ID group, said: "The idea that ID cards scheme is voluntary, and people can opt-out, is a joke.
"There are all sorts of reasons why people need to travel, not just for holidays. There is work, visiting relatives.
"What are these people supposed to do? It stretches the
definition of voluntary beyond breaking point. They will go to any
length to get personal information for this huge database. Who knows
what will happen to it then?"
12:56:16 PM
|
|
|
© Copyright 2007 Paul Hardwick.
Last update: 3/18/07; 10:49:23 PM.
|
|
|
