One of my many weaknesses is a fondness for stupid jokes. Here's one that I like:
Why do ducks have webbed feet?
To put out forest fires.
Why do elephants have flat feet?
To put out burning ducks.
Not very sophisticated, I know, but it makes me smile every time I read it. Here's another classic, one that relates directly to many Internet users:
Microsoft Corp. (MSFT.O: Quote, Profile, Research) is still on track to offer an anti-virus product that will compete against similar software offered by Symantec Corp. (SYMC.O: Quote, Profile, Research) and Network Associates Inc. (NET.N: Quote, Profile, Research) , the world's largest software maker said late on Monday.
"The security of your computer and your network depends on two things: what you do to secure your computer and network, and what everyone else does to secure their computers and networks. It's not enough for you to maintain a secure network. If everybody else doesn't maintain their security, we're all more vulnerable to attack. When there are lots of insecure computers connected to the Internet, worms spread faster and more extensively, distributed denial-of-service attacks are easier to launch, and spammers have more platforms from which to send e-mail.
The US Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US-CERT), the net security watchdog, released a security alert on Friday warning of a flaw in Microsoft's Internet Explorer which allows attackers to run programs on a user's computer. The flaw is in IE's cross-domain security model, which keeps frame content from different sources separate. This means that attackers could run programs and view files using the privileges of the user running IE.
Four new holes have been discovered in the Internet Explorer Web browser that could allow malicious hackers to run attack code on Windows systems, even if those systems have installed the latest software patches from the Redmond, Washington company, security experts warn.
Some of the new flaws are already being used to attack Windows users and include a glitch that allows attackers to fake or "spoof" the address of a Web page, as well as vulnerabilities that enable malicious pages from the Internet to be handled by IE with very little scrutiny or security precautions.
More companies are using the threat of Linux when negotiating deals with Microsoft, one of the company's senior executives has admitted. While Microsoft is adamant that open-source software isn't a serious competitor on the desktop today, it may well be forcing Microsoft's prices down.
"It's definitely more of a threat than it was," said Nick Barley, director of marketing at Microsoft, when asked if more businesses are telling Microsoft that they're planning to migrate to Linux rather than to one of its own operating systems or applications in the hope of getting a better deal.
The Fair Trade Commission (FTC) on Thursday began an investigation of Microsoft Korea to verify allegations that the local subsidiary of the world’s largest software giant broke fair trade rules by packaging its instant messenger service with its Windows XP platform.
The investigation, which will continue till next Wednesday, came nearly two years after Daum Communications Corp., the nation's biggest Internet portal, filed a complaint with the FTC, claiming that Microsoft Korea was breaking fair trade rules by tying the instant messenger to its new operating system Windows XP.
The long-running legal battles between Microsoft Corp. and governments in Europe and the United States make the company look like a partner in a bad marriage, ready to walk out and call the divorce lawyer.
But in Southeast Asia, the software giant seems more like an ardent suitor, wooing governments with sweet promises and gifts -- such as unprecedented bargain prices on its Windows operating system.
Microsoft Corp. released software updates for versions of Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 and warned customers about a security vulnerability in a Windows component called IDirectPlay4, which is used to support multiplayer network games. The security hole, if successfully exploited, could allow a remote attacker to cause a Windows application using the affected component to fail, creating a denial of service attack.
Neowin has learned that unlike other sites reported earlier this week, 2144 isn't RC2 (suprisingly) and that build 2147 has earned the much awaited beginning of RC2 tagging.
