When the expense of a remote access server is no longer attractive, it's time to look at the solution offered by a VPN.
www.topix.net | 7/29/10 11:29 PMVPN News
| Juniper Networks Protects Customers From New Microsoft Vulnerabilities Disclosed Today JNPR ) today confirmed its Intrusion Detection and Prevention (IDP)
security systems and Integrated Security Gateway (ISG) firewall/virtual
private network (VPN) systems with IDP offer protection for ...
story.venezuelastar.com |
7/13/10 9:40 PM
Virtual Personal Networks Allow Secure Internet Passage Sometimes it takes a tunnel to provide safe passage from point A to B.
The same applies to the Internet. The solution is a virtual personal network (VPN) for sending secure data packets. The technology is especially popular for people who want to access work computers from home or for university students who need secure access to their academic network. However, VPN is also gaining popularity among private users. Gamers, in particular, are enjoying the opportunities it creates. Many people also appreciate the privacy it offers against prying eyes. VPN creates an encrypted connection between a remote computer and an existing network, says Gunnar Troitsch of Chip, a German computer magazine. The VPN essentially integrates the remote computer into the network, letting it operate as if it were on site. Additionally, data packets sent between the two are safe from snooping, thanks to encryption. VPN provides significant advantages over unprotected communications via the Internet, says Jens Toelle of the Fraunhofer Institute for Communication, Information Processing and Ergonomics (FKIE). "Users can view the VPN connection as a tunnel leading them through the unsecure space of the Internet." University students enjoy the technology to access library holdings or more powerful university computers, says Mark Perseke of Netzwelt, an online German magazine. The VPN software installed on the remote computer, also known as the client, provides the user with a new IP address, making the other computer essentially a guest of the university network. The client must also know the address of the server, which is either publicly accessible or available via a private, individualized key -- the more standard practice. But Troitsch says private users are starting to embrace VPN, especially because of the way it can be used to link gamers together into one network. "Gamblers spread across the whole world can come together on one network via VPN to play,... www.cio-today.com | 7/13/10 3:32 PM CVE-2009-4911 Unspecified vulnerability on Cisco Adaptive Security Appliances (ASA)
5580 series devices with software before 8.1(2) allows remote attackers
to cause a denial of service (device crash) via vectors involving SSL
VPN and PPPoE transactions, aka Bug ID CSCsm77958.
web.nvd.nist.gov |
6/29/10 1:00 AM
After Microsoft Spat, VPN Player Gets Patent OK VirnetX is given the all-clear from the U.S. Patent and Trademark
Office, paving the way to hit up other vendors for licensing fees --
with some potential impact on IT buyers. Dyn Inc. Selects NTT America as Infrastructure Partner NTT America, a wholly owned U.S. subsidiary of NTT Communications Corporation (NTT Com) and a global IP network services provider, today announced the company is helping customers provide premium externally managed DNS options for corporations and enterprises that need global, 24/7 access and support through its highest quality, fully redundant, dual stack, Tier-1 Global IP Network, as illustrated in a case study with Dynamic Network Services Inc. (Dyn Inc.), the world's fastest growing provider of managed DNS. "Both Dyn and NTT America share a keen understanding of Internet and network infrastructure and Dyn can leverage a wide variety of NTT America's infrastructure assets including financial stability, depth of services and a forward thinking approach on using innovation to help efficiently and cost effectively grow businesses" When selecting an infrastructure partner, Dyn prioritized top criteria including a high performance, IPv6 ready, global network supported by engineering based customer service and chose NTT America to help power the Web infrastructure of customers like Zappos, Netflix and Twitter. "For our customers, it's all about performance; our goal is to optimize the speed of response," said Tom Daly, Dyn's President and CTO. "That's why the only option is to go with a Tier-1 network and NTT America is one of the best in the world. The investment required to keep a global network running at the performance levels we need is one of the major factors in our choice of network partners." Dyn's solutions for enterprises are based on the Dynect Platform, a scalable external DNS platform that directs Internet traffic, routes around outages and maximizes network performance. The platform has key features that enterprises demand in a premium service including active failover to avoid any outage events, efficient network load balancing and a CDN manager, which provides geographical or weighed load balancing to improve performance and cost efficiencies. "The kind of advanced solutions we are able to offer depends fundamentally on two things, technical expertise and innovation, as well as support and service levels that are second to none," commented Daly. "One of the things about NTT America that really impressed us, and maybe it's because we are 90 percent staffed by engineers, is that if we have any issue or question, our calls are answered directly by a network engineer 24/7 in their Network Operations Center (NOC). You aren't routed to a call center where your call is triaged by someone who doesn't understand the issue. This is really critical to both us and our customers because we guarantee nearly 100 percent DNS resolution, just like NTT America guarantees 100 percent uptime." "Both Dyn and NTT America share a keen understanding of Internet and network infrastructure and Dyn can leverage a wide variety of NTT America's infrastructure assets including financial stability, depth of services and a forward thinking approach on using innovation to help efficiently and cost effectively grow businesses," said Shuichi Ikeda, vice president of sales and business development for NTT America's Global IP Network Business Unit. As a Tier-1 provider, NTT America's Global IP Network (GIN) provides private peering and seamless service from a single global ASN (ASN2914), directly connecting telecoms, ISPs, content providers, CDNs and enterprises at the highest performance levels available. In addition to its US and Latin American networking capabilities, NTT America employs six transpacific cable systems to provide one of the shortest, fastest paths for transpacific Internet traffic, meeting and often exceeding the performance metrics set by customers. In addition, the transpacific portion of the network has reached 300 gigabytes (300Gbps) per second of available capacity, one of the highest available for any global Tier-1 network. (Note: To view the NTT Communications Global IP Network, visit: http://www.ntt.net/english/about/network_map.cfm.) To view the complete NTT America / Dyn Inc. case study, visit NTT America's website at http://www.us.ntt.net/products/case_studies/. About NTT America NTT America is North America's natural gateway to the Asia-Pacific region, with strong capabilities in the U.S. market. NTT America is the U.S. subsidiary of NTT Communications Corporation, the global data and IP services arm of a Fortune Global 500 telecom leader: Nippon Telegraph & Telephone Corporation (NTT). NTT America provides world-class Enterprise Hosting, managed network, and IP networking services for enterprise customers and service providers worldwide. For additional information on NTT America, visit us on the Web at www.us.ntt.com. U.S. product information regarding the NTT Communications Global IP Network and its award winning IPv6 transit services may be found at http://www.us.ntt.net/, by calling 877-8NTT-NET (868-8638), or by emailing sales@us.ntt.net. Follow NTT America on Twitter at @NTT_America or join us on Facebook at http://www.nttamerica.com/facebook for up-to-date news and announcements. About NTT Communications Corporation NTT Communications provides a broad range of global networks, management solutions and IT services to customers worldwide. The company is renowned for delivering reliable, high-quality security, hosting, voice, data and IP services; its expertise in managed networks; and its leadership in IPv6 transit technology. NTT Communications' extensive infrastructure includes Arcstar™ Global IP-VPN and Global e-VLAN, as well as a Tier-1 IP backbone reaching more than 150 countries in partnership with major Internet service providers, and secure data centers in Asia, North America, and Europe. NTT Communications is the wholly-owned subsidiary of Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation, one of the world's largest telecoms with listings on the Tokyo, London and New York stock exchanges. Please visit www.ntt.com/index-e.html. www.circleid.com | 6/22/10 7:29 PM VPN Security Flaw Makes IP Address of Users Using IPv6 Easily Traceable Duncan Geere reporting in Wired: "Since the slow introduction of internet monitoring systems around the world began, more and more people have attempted to preserve their privacy by signing up for VPN services like the Pirate Bay's Ipredator and Pirate Party offering Relakks. But it turns out that there's a gaping security flaw in these services that allows individual users to be identified..." Related Links: Apple OS X gets IPsec VPN client And it's free for single users Mac users are being offered a new and feature-rich alternative to Apple’s in-house OS X VPN client which is also currently being offered free of charge to individual users.  www.macworld.co.uk | 6/17/10 9:15 PM Mac OSX 10.6.4 Released From the apple site: "The 10.6.4 Update is recommended for all
users running Mac OS X Snow Leopard. It includes Safari 5 and general
operating system fixes that enhance the stability, compatibility, and
security of your Mac, including fixes that: resolve an issue that causes
the keyboard or trackpad to become unresponsive, resolve an issue that
may prevent some Adobe Creative Suite 3 applications from opening,
address issues copying, renaming, or deleting files on SMB file servers,
improve reliability of VPN connections, resolve a playback issue in DVD
Player when using Good Quality deinterlacing, resolve an issue editing
photos with iPhoto or Aperture in full screen view, improve
compatibility with some braille display."
osnews.com |
6/15/10 10:40 PM
Orange Business wins IP VPN deal from Daimler Orange Business Services has won a contract renewal to support the
Internet Protocol Virtual Private Network, or IP VPN, service for
Daimler, a German truck and car manufacturer, in
story.venezuelastar.com |
6/14/10 7:11 AM
snom 821 goes Gigabit snom, a provider of VoIP phones, has launched its newest desktop IP phone--the snom 821. The phone builds on previous snom phones by adding an integrated gigabit switch, which the company bills as Gigabit Speed. The Gigabit switch provides for fast deployment of unified communications (UC) features. The new desktop phone features snom's firmware with robust security through secure integrated open VPN, TLS and SRTP. The phone also boasts support for most SIP-based IP PBX and unified communications environments, including Microsoft OCS 2007 R2. snom 821 also offers a large high-resolution TFT color display for call lists, phone directories, and caller information via the integrated XML browser as well as business features like 5-way conferencing, multiple ringtones, and up to twelve different SIP identities. For more: Related articles: Juniper's Sa Series SSL VPN Appliances Tested and Certified by U.S. Defense Department Juniper Networks , a provider of software, silicon and systems for networking, has stated that their SA Series SSL VPN appliances have been tested and certified for public key infrastructure interoperability by the U.S. Defense Information Systems Agency Joint Interoperability Test Command . www.topix.net | 6/2/10 2:54 PM Tulip lines up Rs 450 crore expansion Tulip Telecom, a virtual private network (VPN) service provider, has
lined up a capital expenditure of about Rs 450 crore during the current
fiscal, mainly for laying fibre.
www.dnaindia.com |
5/31/10 9:30 PM
U.S. Defense Department Certifies Juniper Networks SSL VPN Appliances ... Juniper Networks, Inc. today announced that its SA Series SSL VPN appliances have been tested and certified by the U.S. Defense Information Systems Agency Joint Interoperability Test Command for interoperability with Defense Department Public Key Infrastructure requirements. www.topix.net | 5/27/10 9:28 PM Global Crossing teams with On24 for enhanced video conferencing Global Crossing is using ON24's Webcast Center platform and Virtual Show solution to work with its suite of video conferencing services, giving customers a single online video platform that promises real-time interaction, social network capabilities and reliability. The Webcast Center platform is a scalable, secure solution for providing webcasts and podcasts through the web. The Virtual Show solution is a customizable virtual event platform that could be used for corporate communications as well as training and continuing education initiatives. Global Crossing has added a unique spin to the offering by esstabling a Virtual Private Network (VPN) connection with ON24, which means added stability for content heavy video and audio communications. The new service is another addition to Global Crossing's sizable offerings which include web conferencing services like Global Crossing Web Meeting, Cisco WebEx, and Microsoft Office Live Meeting. For more: Related articles: Microsoft Settles Patent Dispute With VirnetX Software titan agrees to shell out $200 million for a one-time fee, and
commit to additional licensing arrangements for two patents concerning
VPN technology. Microsoft settles VPN patent case for $200M In the original February 2010 lawsuit, Scotts Valley, Calif.-based VirnetX claimed Microsoft used its patented virtual private networking technologies in Windows XP and Vista, Windows Server 2003, Live Communications Server, Windows Messenger, Office Communicator and Microsoft Office from the 2003 edition on. www.topix.net | 5/18/10 5:22 AM Microsoft settles VPN patent case for $200M Lost in same Texas court that made it pay i4i nearly $300M and
banned Word sales Microsoft today said it will pay communications software maker VirnetX $200 million to settle a three-year-old patent infringement case.  www.macworld.co.uk | 5/17/10 8:00 PM Microsoft To Pay $200 Million In VPN Lawsuit Microsoft has decided to settle a three-year-old patent infringement
case related to its use of virtual private network technology in XP,
Vista, and Windows 7. www.crn.com | 5/17/10 7:48 PM Microsoft to pay $200 M to VirnetX to make future patent suits go away By Scott M. Fulton, III, Betanews Two months ago, VPN builder VirnetX was awarded $105.75 million by a Tyler, Texas jury, for Microsoft's infringing upon its patented tunneling protocol for private networks. Realizing that this could actually be the first home run by VirnetX in the same turn at bat, Microsoft has opted to pay $200 million to VirnetX as a settlement for this and all future lawsuits. The technology that triggered the initial award was a way for VoIP phones to conduct communications on secure channels, without the phone user having to log in using some kind of keyboard. What Microsoft wanted for its Unified Communications suite was a way to keep the same "dialtone" when a user picks up a voice receiver and dials a recipient, and yet keep the channel between the parties secure using VPN technology. VirnetX definitely held a patent on something meeting that general description, though Microsoft's challenge was that the basic innovation behind VirnetX's twist on tunneling wasn't much of a twist. After its fifth-of-a-billion-dollar payout, Microsoft will not be appealing that argument. Instead, VirnetX will be putting its newfound revenue to use by funding something it calls the Secure Domain Name Initiative. Launched just last month, the company claims it will be utilizing the two patents it holds -- the two upon which the jury said Microsoft infringed -- to develop a system it describes as enabling always-on communications security between DNS endpoints, presumably using encrypted traffic. Imagine an HTTPS connection (or perhaps something more secure) where the browser doesn't have to create the session key, and where all traffic is encrypted by default. To get to a Web where that's the case, apparently engineers will have to go through VirnetX's channels; and that $200 million payout doesn't just pave the way, but puts up guardrails, fences, and gates as well. Copyright Betanews, Inc. 2010       Microsoft settles with VirnetX for $200 million  Microsoft has settled two lawsuits filed against it by VirnetX for $200
million. The Windows developer will now get a patent license from
VirnetX relating to the VPN networking capability of Windows 7 and
Windows Server 2008 operating systems. In mid-March, Microsoft was
ordered to pay nearly $106 million to VirnetX for infringing the VirnetX patents....
www.electronista.com |
5/17/10 3:25 PM
tw telecom Collaborates with Cisco, BT to Deliver TelePresence Conferencing Solutions May 14, 2010 -- tw telecom leverages its industry-leading, nation-wide business Ethernet and MPLS IP VPN services to connect enterprises to BT's Global Video Exchange across the U.S. -- tw telecom network services portfolio enables Cisco and its VARs to provide TelePresence equipment, with BT providing conferencing capabilities LITTLETON, Colo. www.topix.net | 5/15/10 10:22 AM Juniper Networks Protects Customers From New Microsoft Vulnerabilities Disclosed Today JNPR ) today confirmed its Intrusion Detection and Prevention (IDP)
security systems and Integrated Security Gateway (ISG) firewall/virtual
private network (VPN) systems with IDP offer protection for ...
story.venezuelastar.com |
5/11/10 7:49 PM
Mike When the expense of a remote access server is no longer attractive, it's time to look at the solution offered by a VPN. www.topix.net | 5/7/10 4:01 AM Amazon Opens Virtual Private Cloud in Europe Amazon has taken its Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) to Europe. Customers
can now seamlessly connect their IT infrastructure via an encrypted
IPsec Virtual Private Network (VPN) connection to Amazon resources in
the European Union, keeping their data in the EU and lowering latency.
Until Tuesday VPC, a bridge between a company’s existing IT
infrastructure and a set of isolated Amazon compute resources in the
Amazon cloud, was only available in the US. With VPC customers can use
their existing management capabilities such as security services,
firewalls and intrusion detection systems on their Amazon resources. ajax.sys-con.com |
5/5/10 1:30 PM
Amazon's Virtual Private Cloud Service Comes to Europe
(PC World) PC World - Amazon Web Services has launched VPC (Virtual Private Cloud)
in Europe, the company said on Tuesday. The service lets companies
connect their existing data centers to isolated computing resources in
Amazon's European cloud using an encrypted VPN (virtual private network) connection.
us.rd.yahoo.com |
5/4/10 1:50 PM
strongSwan 4.4.0 It also fully supports the new IKEv2 protocol with Linux 2.6 kernels. It interoperates in both IKEv1 and IKEv2 mode with most other IPsec-based VPN products. www.topix.net | 5/3/10 7:15 PM Weekend Project: Setting Up a VPN on Your Linux Router or Gateway Linux offers an array of free VPN alternatives, which you can set up and test in just a few hours' time. If you are running a Linux-based router as the gateway between your LAN and the Internet, the task becomes even simpler... www.linux.com | 4/30/10 10:41 PM Netgear Targets SMBs With New ProSafe Gigabit VPN Firewall Today, Netgear released the ProSafe Quad WAN Gigabit SSL VPN Firewall
(SRX5308), a business firewall appliance that, at $500, is priced for
the small- to medium-sized business IT budget.
www.networkworld.com |
4/26/10 5:00 PM
NETGEAR Announces Gigabit VPN Firewall NETGEAR today announced a quad-WAN Gigabit business firewall priced at
under $500. Cisco reading a 7-inch tablet of its own?  Cisco may be developing its own tablet device for the near future, a
supposed leak may have given away late yesterday. During the most
recent episode of CNET's Buzz Out Loud, an Irish listener's e-mail
response about 37 minutes into the podcast claimed that Cisco is working
on a 7-inch, Android-based tablet that would most likely be used for
business communication. It would probably have hardware tailored to
this with a front camera, dual microphones with noise cancellation, and
possible support for Cisco-oriented features like VPN access and WebEx
for meetings....
www.electronista.com |
4/23/10 4:20 PM
AT&T puts out AirCard 890 with ExpressCard, PC Card hooks  AT&T today added a rare dual-mode 3G modem to its choices. Sierra
Wireless' AirCard 890 at its core is an ExpressCard/34 modem that works
in modern notebooks like the 17-inch MacBook Pro but has a special PC
Card housing that will let it fit into older portables. It can reach up
to 7.2Mbps downstream with either card format and has both GPS and VPN
support for those that need them....
www.electronista.com |
4/20/10 4:25 PM
Equinux releases VPN Tracker 6.2.1 Germany-based Equinux has announced the release of version 6.2.1 of
its VPN Tracker product, which can now be used to better
interoperate with VPN devices from WatchGuard Technologies.
www.networkworld.com |
4/19/10 5:00 PM
Equinux releases VPN Tracker 6.2.1 Germany's Equinex has released version 6.2.1 of its VPN Tracker
software, which can now better integrate with WatchGuard VPN
appliances. www.macworld.com | 4/19/10 4:50 PM Equinux releases VPN Tracker 6.2.1
(Macworld.com) Macworld.com - Germany-based Equinux has announced the release of
version 6.2.1 of its VPN Tracker product, which can now be
used to better interoperate with VPN devices from WatchGuard Technologies.
us.rd.yahoo.com |
4/19/10 4:50 PM
Using iRedMail And OpenVPN For Virtual Email Hosting And VPN Services Do you like HowtoForge? Please consider supporting us by becoming a subscriber . www.topix.net | 4/15/10 4:03 AM Using iRedMail And OpenVPN For Virtual Email Hosting And VPN Services Do you like HowtoForge? Please consider supporting us by becoming a subscriber . www.topix.net | 4/14/10 10:49 PM iPhone OS 4.0 Could Make iPad a Business Thin Client The tech world is still buzzing about Apple's iPad. As user complaints
about Wi-Fi issues and news of jailbreaks are released, business users
are exploring the potential of the new tablet device that sold 300,000
units at launch. iSuppli predicts early adopters and others attracted to the iPad's unique touchscreen-based user interface will drive iPad sales in 2010. In 2011 and 2012, the firm said, iPad sales will be driven up by a range of factors, including a flood of new applications, improved functionality, and declining prices. But what about business adoption? Mike Disabato, a senior analyst at the Burton Group, a division of Gartner, said the iPad is missing some important enterprise functions. "The iPad is the world's first literal 100 percent thin client. Look at the size of that device and you can imagine what an enterprise user could do with it. The downside is that it doesn't multitask," Disabato said. "With that much screen real estate, I need to be able to have an IM open, a VPN open, an e-mail open, and work on a document while I am on a phone call. But where is the camera? Where is the webcam so I can do my Skype video call?" The Future of iPhone OS Apple is offering details on iPhone OS 4.0 on Thursday. The new version of Apple's mobile operating system is expected to include multitasking. The iPad runs on the same operating system as the iPhone. That would allow users to run multiple applications simultaneously on the iPhone, and the iPad when the OS is updated. "Even if Apple doesn't offer a camera, if the iPad gets to the multitasking functions with the new OS update and Apple makes the iPad enterprise-class ready where you can encrypt the content, you actually have enough screen real estate there to... www.cio-today.com | 4/6/10 2:26 PM How we tested the cloud services We used our facility in our hosted network operations center at n|Frame
in Indianapolis to connect with each competitor's cloud. We used a
Vyatta router/VPN virtual machine appliance to connect with each vendor
to test their skills in connecting non-Cisco equipment.
www.networkworld.com |
4/5/10 5:00 PM
DevOps at dealnews.com I was telling someone how we roll changes to production at dealnews and
they seemed really amazed by it. I have never really thought it was that
impressive. It just made sense. It has kind of happened organically here
over the years. Anyhow, I thought I would share.Version ControlSo, to
start with, everything is in SVN. PHP code, Apache configs, DNS and even
the scripts we use to deploy code. That is huge. We even have a misc
directory in SVN where we put any useful scripts we use on our laptops
for managing our code base. Everyone can share that way. Everyone can
see what changed when. We can roll things back, branch if we need to,
etc. I don't know how anyone lives with out. We did way back when. It
was bad. People were stepping on each other. It was a mess. We quickly
decided it did not work. For our PHP code, we have trunk and a
production branch. There are also a couple of developers (me) that like
to have their own branch because they break things for weeks at a time.
But, everything goes into trunk from my branch before going into
production. We have a PHP script that can merge from a developer branch
into trunk with conflict resolution assistance built in. It is also
capable of merging changes from trunk back into a branch. Once it is in
trunk we use our staging environment to put it into
production.Staging/TestingEverything has a staging point. For our PHP
code, it is a set of test staging servers in our home office that have a
checkout of the production branch. To roll code, the developer working
on the project logs in via ssh to a staging server as a restricted user
and uses a tool we created that is similar to the Python based
svnmerge.py. Ours is written in PHP and tailored for our directory
structure and roll out procedures. It also runs php -l on all .php and
.html files as a last check for any errors. Once the merge is clean, the
developer(s) use the staging servers just as they would our public web
site. The database on the staging server is updated nightly from
production. It is as close to a production view of our site as you can
get without being on production. Assuming the application performs as
expected, the developer uses the merge tool to commit the changes to the
production branch. They then use the production staging servers to
deploy.Rolling to Production For deploying code and hands on
configuration changes into our production systems, we have a staging
server in our primary data center. The developer (that is key IMO) logs
in to the production staging servers, as a restricted user, and uses our
Makefile to update the checkout and rsync the changes to the servers.
Each different configuration environment has an accompanying nodes file
that lists the servers that are to receive code from the checkout. This
ensures that code is rolled to servers in the correct order. If an
application server gets new markup before the supporting CSS or images
are loaded onto the CDN source servers, you can get an ugly page. The
Makefile is also capable of copying files to a single node. We will
often do this for big changes. We can remove a node from service, check
code out to it, and via VPN access that server directly to review how
the changes worked. For some services (cron, syslog, ssh, snmp and ntp)
we use Puppet to manage configuration and to ensure the packages are
installed. Puppet and Gentoo get along great. If someone mistakenly
uninstalls cron, Puppet will put it back for us. (I don't know how that
could happen, but ya never know). We hope to deploy more and more Puppet
as we get comfortable with it. Keeping Everyone in the LoopHaving
everyone know what is going on is important. To do that, we start with
Trac for ticketing. Secondly, we use OpenFire XMPP server throughout the
company. The devops team has a channel that everyone is in all day. When
someone rolls code to production, the scripts mentioned above that sync
code out to the servers sends a message via an XMPP bot that we wrote
using Ruby (Ruby has the best multi-user chat libraries for XMPP). It
interfaces with Trac via HTTP and tells everyone what changesets were
just rolled and who committed them. So, in 5 minutes if something
breaks, we can go back and look at what just rolled.In addition to bots
telling us things, there is a cultural requirement. Often before a big
roll out, we will discuss it in chat. That is the part than can not be
scripted or programmed. You have to get your developers and operations
talking to each other about things.Final ThoughtsThere are some subtle
concepts in this post that may not be clear. One is that the code that
is written on a development server is the exact same code that is used
on a production server. It is not massaged in any way. Things like
database server names, passwords, etc. are all kept in configuration
files on each node. They are tailored for the data center that server
lives in. Another I want to point out again is that the person that
wrote the code is responsible all the way through to production. While
at first this may make some developers nervous, it eventually gives them
a sense of ownership. Of course, we don't hire someone off the street
and give them that access. But it is expected that all developers
will have that responsibility eventually.
brian.moonspot.net |
4/5/10 2:00 PM
When it comes to smart grid security, Trilliant says think VPN The subject of a new white paper from smart grid player Trilliant is a
bit technical for yours truly BUT it does cover an issue that is
increasingly on the minds of utility companies and government agencies
that are deploying smart grid solutions: how do you keep the data and...
blogs.zdnet.com |
3/22/10 7:50 PM
Week in Review: #SXSW - Where CMSs Go to Die, Our Take on Drupal Gardens One of the things the chief Drupalister Dries Buytaert is good at is
creating buzz. His SXSW session (see our event coverage here) struck
a chord for many. Entitled R.I.P. Content Management
System, it is one of our most popular articles this week. Editor’s Picks
Most Popular ArticlesThese articles were what you fancied most this week, according to Uncle G’s analytics data.
Polls and Your VotesMany organizations either have a portal platform in place today or are considering implementing one. What is your take on portals? Do you have one? Do you plan to implement a portal technology? Here are the preliminary results: This poll will remain open until March 31. But don’t wait until
then, vote now and watch how the results unfold. Also, check out our previous polls:
Content Management JobsHere’s what’s been brewing lately in the CMS jobs and careers field. Both seekers and employers, catch the best fish of the season on our content management job board. Featured Jobs
Traveling or Virtual, There are Events to AttendWondering how to spend your time in the next few weeks or months? Attend a conference, or maybe just a webinar or two. Have a look at our Industry Events Calendar to see what’s happening in your area. Featured Events:
Microsoft sued again by VirnetX over same patents Microsoft suffered its second legal setback in as many days on Friday
with word of a second patent lawsuit from VirnetX. The accuser hopes to
expand on the $105.8 million fine against Microsoft by claiming that
Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 also infringe on the same patents for
VPN networking that were the subject of the prior lawsuit. VirnetX
didn't specify what it hoped for in damages but characterized the second
complaint as plugging a gap that would otherwise exempt newer versions
of Windows....
www.electronista.com |
3/19/10 5:35 PM
Microsoft to lose $105.8m in patent lawsuit  Microsoft has suffered its second legal blow this year with a loss in a
patent infringement lawsuit. Judge Leonard Davis ordered the Windows
developer to pay $105.8 million for allegedly violating two VirnetX
patents for VPN networks, including "transparently" creating a
computer-to-computer connection and using a secure DNS server to create
a link. The technology had supposedly been used in platforms from
Windows XP through to Vista as well as Office and services like Windows Messenger....
www.electronista.com |
3/17/10 7:25 PM
Microsoft loses another jury verdict, this time over obviousness of VPN patent By Scott M. Fulton, III, Betanews Usually the purpose of a virtual private network is to establish a secure, tunneled route between two points in an IP network. Is the idea that such a network could be secured using two encryption layers rather than one, and without the need for a user to log in first, worthy of a patent? These were questions central to the latest Tyler, Texas patent infringement case for Microsoft to lose: VPN technology provider VirnetX was awarded $105.75 million yesterday, in a case closely followed by the Seattle P.I.'s Nick Eaton. It's clear from a reading of VirnetX's key patent on VPN technology, issued in 2002, that it is an attempt to go one step further with the VPN concept. The firm calls its system Tunneled Agile Routing Protocol (TARP). Here, the communications between VPN hosts are encrypted at one level, but then the routing information is hidden behind a second level. The intent is to hide not only what's being talked about or shared over a VPN, but who is sharing it, and what route it's taking to get there. "Each TARP packet's true destination is concealed behind a layer of encryption generated using a link key," reads a portion of the summary from US Patent #6,502,135. "The link key is the encryption key used for encrypted communication between the hops intervening between an originating TARP terminal and a destination TARP terminal. Each TARP router can remove the outer layer of encryption to reveal the destination router for each TARP packet. To identify the link key needed to decrypt the outer layer of encryption of a TARP packet, a receiving TARP or routing terminal may identify the transmitting terminal by the sender/receiver IP numbers in the cleartext IP header. Once the outer layer of encryption is removed, the TARP router determines the final destination." Microsoft implemented its own interpretation of VPN technology for Office Communicator, the endpoint for the company's bold Unified Communications project -- its effort to render the phone networks, and PBXes that support them, obsolete. To make the Internet work more like a phone, people using a telephone console need to be able to pick up the receiver and dial. They shouldn't have to go to some dialog box and log in. Avoiding that option is what UC tries to do, and is one of the acts for which VirnetX cried foul. In hearings last July (which Eaton also covered closely), Microsoft defended itself by asserting that the whole point of a VPN is to establish both secure and anonymous communications between points, so the idea that VirnetX was somehow inventing the addition of anonymity was absurd. If you doubt that a VPN is supposed to be anonymous, counsel argued, just look it up in a glossary. Which the judge did, and that got into a wholly separate argument over the quality of glossaries, resulting in the judge in the case issuing his own glossary for the jury to interpret as fact. An excerpt from Judge Leonard Davis' opinion last July shows the extent of the argument over how deeply a glossary may define a concept, especially if that concept may be proof of "prior art" that could invalidate a patent (PDF available here, from SeattlePI.com): "Microsoft cites the portion of the 'FreeS/WAN' glossary definition for 'virtual private networks' that states, 'IPSEC [Internet Protocol Security] is not the only technique available for building VPNs, but it is the only method defined by RFCs [Request for Comments, Internet documents -- some of which are informative while others are standards] and supported by many vendors. VPNs [virtual private networks] are by no means the only thing you can do with IPSEC, but they may be the most important application for many users.'...Microsoft points out that IPSEC is the only method defined by RFCs and supported by many vendors. Microsoft argues that this narrow language shows that the 'FreeS/WAN' glossary does not identify Secure Sockets Layer ('SSL') or Transport Layer Security ('TLS') as methods for building 'virtual private networks.' Microsoft then argues that VirnetX's proposed construction is overly broad because it allows for a network using SSL and TLS. However, Microsoft's cited excerpt is an ancillary portion of the 'virtual private network' definition and is set apart in a different paragraph from the primary portion of the definition...Also, Microsoft selectively asserts that IPSEC is the only method defined by RFCs and supported by many vendors and ignores that its cited excerpt states that, 'IPSEC is not the only technique available for building VPNs.' Thus, Microsoft's cited excerpt does not support that the 'FreeS/WAN' glossary restricts 'virtual private network' to IPSEC." If Microsoft could have proved that VirnetX's contribution to VPN architecture was so obvious that it would still be covered by a published glossary definition of the term, then it might have persuaded the jury that no patent should have been issued in the first place. But that assertive defense became problematic (at best) last summer when it was revealed that Microsoft itself attempted to patent the same technology, in an application that was denied by the US Patent Office. The basis of the denial was prior art -- specifically, the pre-existence of patents issued to VirnetX. As the jury no doubt heard from plaintiff's counsel, if Microsoft didn't know about the existence of VirnetX's patents before, it did when it received its rejection notice. No haggling over glossary definitions could save the case at that point. In a statement, Microsoft continued to assert the invalidity of VirnetX's patents, and will begin the long and arduous process of appealing to overturn the verdict. Copyright Betanews, Inc. 2010 Do Your Employees Hate the IT Department? We all know the joking, and sometimes snide comments about the IT
department that come out around the water-cooler. Fredric Paul on the
Enterprise Efficiency blog relates an interesting story that highlights
how easily the CIO and the IT team can make themselves not only the butt
of jokes, but truly disliked. Fredric's example is a light-hearted, but
imagine the result if IT reacted the same way to a new process
improvement solution proposed by a senior manager. It is true,
unfortunately, that IT gets a tough job. There are not only the day to
day hassles of nursing aging systems through another crisis, but the
constant whining from stupid users that their laptop is not booting, or
the VPN is slow. So add to that the need to add another device or worse
still, enterprise application such as BPM to their support burden, and
its no wonder that people in IT look and act sour. ajax.sys-con.com |
3/15/10 2:00 PM
Do Your Employees Hate the IT Department? We all know the joking, and sometimes snide comments about the IT
department that come out around the water-cooler. Fredric Paul on the
Enterprise Efficiency blog relates an interesting story that highlights
how easily the CIO and the IT team can make themselves not only the butt
of jokes, but truly disliked. Fredric's example is a light-hearted, but
imagine the result if IT reacted the same way to a new process
improvement solution proposed by a senior manager. It is true,
unfortunately, that IT gets a tough job. There are not only the day to
day hassles of nursing aging systems through another crisis, but the
constant whining from stupid users that their laptop is not booting, or
the VPN is slow. So add to that the need to add another device or worse
still, enterprise application such as BPM to their support burden, and
its no wonder that people in IT look and act sour. ajax.sys-con.com |
3/15/10 2:00 PM
Do Your Employees Hate the IT Department? We all know the joking, and sometimes snide comments about the IT
department that come out around the water-cooler. Fredric Paul on the
Enterprise Efficiency blog relates an interesting story that highlights
how easily the CIO and the IT team can make themselves not only the butt
of jokes, but truly disliked. Fredric's example is a light-hearted, but
imagine the result if IT reacted the same way to a new process
improvement solution proposed by a senior manager. It is true,
unfortunately, that IT gets a tough job. There are not only the day to
day hassles of nursing aging systems through another crisis, but the
constant whining from stupid users that their laptop is not booting, or
the VPN is slow. So add to that the need to add another device or worse
still, enterprise application such as BPM to their support burden, and
its no wonder that people in IT look and act sour. dotnet.sys-con.com |
3/15/10 11:45 AM
Secure mobile access to the cloud with StoneGate Virtual SSL VPN 1.4 March 11, 2010 - Stonesoft, an innovative provider of integrated network security and business continuity solutions, introduces the new StoneGate SSL VPN Virtual Appliance, SSL VPN 1.4 and SSL-1060 for secure mobile and remote access. www.topix.net | 3/14/10 1:35 PM |
