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Vol. 11, #16 - Apr 14, 2006 - Issue #572
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Wipe and Rebuild PC's On A Regular Basis?
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- EDITORS CORNER
- The Real Reason Why Vista Is Late
- Wipe & Rebuild PC's On A Regular Basis?
- A First Look at Sunbelt Messaging Ninja
- SunPoll: Who wants to run Windows on a Mac?
- Quote of the Week
- ADMIN TOOLBOX
- Admin Tools We Think You Shouldn't Be Without
- TECH BRIEFING
- Why Some People Nuke Their Credit Cards
- Fast Guide: The ABCs of GPOs
- Learning Guide: Managing Windows Storage
- Learning Guide: How To Evaluate Hardware
- Exchange Tips To Make Backup A Breeze
- WINDOWS SERVER NEWS
- Join us at TechEd 2006, June 11-16 in Boston, MA!
- Did You Know About MIIS?
- This July: MS Ends Windows 9.x Support
- WINDOWS SERVER THIRD PARTY NEWS
- A Practical Guide for Developing the Right DR Plan
- Special CounterSpy Offer For Universities
- Windows IT Pro Readers' Choice 2006
- WServerNews 'FAVE' LINKS
- This Week's Links We Like. Tips, Hints And Fun Stuff
- WServerNews - PRODUCT OF THE WEEK
- Handbook of Information Security, 3-Volume Set
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Kerio MailServer - practical groupware for SMBs
Microsoft Exchange not an option? Then you should definitely
look into Kerio MailServer, a well rounded package with built-in
McAfee, SpamEliminator and a groupware connector for Microsoft
Outlook. "An excellent choice for SMBs or any business that
wants to host its own mail services without dealing with the
complexity," concluded a recent Windows IT Pro review of Kerio
MailServer, awarding the product 4.5/5 stars. Continues...
http://www.wservernews.com/060417-KerioMailServer
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EDITORS CORNER |
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The Real Reason Why Vista Is Late
In a nutshell, "It's the OEMs, stupid!" Why? The vast majority of
MS Operating System sales go through OEMs, like Dell, HP, and others.
Availability dates of new OSen need to be made in agreement with
the OEMs obviously. Now, these OEMs take an awful long time to
test, test and test. (As they should!) A little birdie told me
that the coders in Redmond have had their bits ready for a while,
but the timing with OEMs was off.
For instance Dell creates a new build every 3 months, but tests
that build for three months before it gets released. Yup, almost
6 months before new stuff gets out the door. And with HP it is
likely the same or longer. So the upshot is easy, to have a new
OS ready for the Christmas season, it needs to get the RTM to
the OEMs in July. And that was apparently too early.
Smaller OEMs might have been able to ship early, but that would
have made Dell and HP very unhappy. Such is life in the PC "mass
market" we live in. Oil tankers are a bit difficult to maneuver
as well. ;-)
Wipe & Rebuild PC's On A Regular Basis?
Last week at the InfoSec show in Orlando, Mike Danseglio, program
manager in the Security Solutions group at Microsoft, virtually
threw his hands up in the air and suggested that corporate and
government system admins should create an automated process to
wipe clean hard drives and reinstall both the OS and apps on a
regular basis as a way to deal with malware infestations.
Well, my comment on this would be that system admins have been
"ghosting" systems for years. Altiris, CA, IBM, LANDesk, and
other companies provide desktop management tools that will save
specific OS and app images to PC's on your LAN. However, that is
still extra work, and still a headache, since reinstalling apps
and getting all the settings right for individual workstations
is a pain in the neck.
Either Redmond should hire the outside security experts it needs
to come up with a secure OS, or cooperate with their development
partners that have created perfectly acceptable and workable
products to protect the OS against malware and keep it running
just fine.
A First Look at Sunbelt Messaging Ninja
Well, we're a year late, but it's actually happening! The successor of iHateSpam for
Exchange is being released. Its new name is Sunbelt Messaging Ninja and it kicks a$$ !
Here is your invitation to have a look at it:
Join Greg Kras, VP of Product Management for Sunbelt Software on Wednesday April 19th for the webcast: "A First Look at Sunbelt Messaging Ninja".
Learn about the features of this new messaging product including:
- Policy-based plug-in management for antispam, antivirus, and attachment filtering
- Fast deployment in Exchange 2000/2003 environments
- Superior spam detection using two antispam engines
- Aggressive virus detection and elimination using two antivirus engines
- Custom rules for content inspection and attachment filtering
- Powerful reporting options for all plug-ins
- And more
When: Wednesday, April 19, 2006 1:00 PM (EDT)
To register please visit:
http://www.wservernews.com/060414-Ninja
SunPoll: Who wants to run Windows on a Mac?
Question: "The hardware might be prettier, but is that enough of
a reason to move to a dual boot setup?"
- Yeah, and I want it now!
- I would definitely consider it
- Cool hardware, but the cost is prohibitive
- Perhaps, when I see an Apple 'killer app' I need
- No way, I'm happy with my Wintel box!
Vote here, bottom middle column:
http://www.sunbelt-software.com
Quote of the Week
"The superior man, when resting in safety, does not forget that
danger may come. When in a state of security he does not forget
the possibility of ruin. When all is orderly, he does not forget
that disorder may come. Thus his person is not endangered, and
his States and all their clans are preserved."
-- Confucius (551 BC - 479 BC)
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TECH BRIEFING |
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Why Some People Nuke Their Credit Cards
The Wall Street Journal this week had an article about mostly
people in IT, that destroy the RFID chips in their so called
PayPass credit cards. I'm not surprised. We all know that hacking
is rampant. For instance bluetooth phones, if not protected can be
infected and/or emptied out wirelessly. I'm not thrilled either
to have my credit card data available for some one who brushes by
me in the street with a hidden scanner in their briefcase.
These RFID cards are called SpeedPass, ExpressPay or Contactless.
The cards have an embedded chip with miniature antenna. When they
are activated by a scanner, the chip transmits your account data
via radio. By waving your hand the purchase amount is drawn from
your account. However, this has spawned a new industry! Devices to
protect you from RFID, like wallets with metal shields to block
radio signals. FoeBud in Germany has an online shop with RFID-
busting products at:
http://www.wservernews.com/060417-RFID_Block
Other websites are talking about RFID zappers that destroy the tags,
think EMP for RFID! However, that is fraught with data risk, and
might harm other electronics like iPods, cell phones, floppies,
pacemakers, and perhaps backup tapes. Here is an example site:
http://www.wservernews.com/060417-RFID_Zapper
And here is a website that sells a wallet with a special metal
insert designed to shield radio-chip bankcards from being read:
http://www.wservernews.com/060417-RFID_Wallet
Fast Guide: The ABCs of GPOs
You can use Group Policy Objects (GPOs) to control almost every
aspect of your computing environment. This guide breaks down the
basics of GPOs, and offers helpful tips for managing them and
keeping them secure. They will be updating this page from time to
time, so be sure check it out once a month to see what's new.
Also, they take input what else you'd like to see included!
http://www.wservernews.com/060417-GPO
Learning Guide: Managing Windows Storage
Looking for advice on how you can better manage your Windows
storage environment? In this guide, peruse tips, trend articles
and expert advice on Internet Small Computer System Interface
(iSCSI), network-attached storage (NAS) and storage area networks
(SANs). Also covered are the basics of Windows storage consolidation.
http://www.wservernews.com/060417-Windows_Storage
Learning Guide: How To Evaluate Hardware
Knowing what hardware to buy is never easy. Sure, you can read
product reviews in industry publications, but sometimes that
just isn't enough. Vendors' literature on their products is
oftentimes filled with marketing hype. What should you look
for when evaluating hardware? Read this guide and learn the
basics for all hardware, how to evaluate internal hardware
devices and how to evaluate external hardware devices.
http://www.wservernews.com/060417-Evaluate_Hardware
Exchange Tips To Make Backup A Breeze
Your Exchange Server may be humming but there are always ways to
make it run just a bit smoother or tricks for faster and more
reliable back up and recovery. Discover the secrets to more
efficient Exchange backups in Chapter 3 of this Windows All-in-One
backup guide over at SearchWinIT:
http://www.wservernews.com/060417-Exchange_Backup
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WINDOWS SERVER NEWS |
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Join us at TechEd 2006, June 11-16 in Boston, MA!
Sunbelt is a Sponsor at Microsoft TechEd 2006, booth 909.
Now in its 14th year, TechEd draws more than 11,000 IT Pros and
Developers for a week of technical training, breakout sessions,
and networking opportunities hosted by Microsoft staff and industry
experts. Take advantage of this face-to-face learning opportunity,
and be sure to stop by our booth, and have a chance to win a $25K
Home Entertainment Center. TechEd has sold-out early the last two
years, so register today to confirm your spot at Microsoft's
premiere, annual technical conference.
http://www.wservernews.com/060417-TechEd_2006
Did You Know About MIIS?
A WServerNews subscriber sent me this. "Hi Stu, I ran into this
little baby during a webinar I sat in on the other day. Pretty
interesting and has a monumental amount of uses when you think
about it."
Microsoft Identity Integration Server (MIIS) 2003 is a centralized
service that stores and integrates identity information for
organizations with multiple directories. The goal of MIIS 2003
is to provide organizations with a unified view of all known
identity information about users, applications, and network
resources.
MIIS 2003 helps improve productivity, reduce security risk, and
reduce the total cost of ownership associated with managing and
integrating identity information across the enterprise. Here is
a link to the web site.
http://www.wservernews.com/060417-MIIS
This July: MS Ends Windows 9.x Support
This time it's for real. No more reprieves. Microsoft has started
with a campaign to warn users of Win98, 98 Second Edition and WinME
that it's really over soon -- that is for all technical support
at least. A statement on their site said: "Microsoft is ending
support for these products because they are outdated and can
expose customers to security risks. We recommend that customers
who are still running Windows 98 or Windows ME upgrade to a newer,
more secure Microsoft operating system, such as Windows XP, as
soon as possible."
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WINDOWS SERVER THIRD PARTY NEWS |
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A Practical Guide for Developing the Right DR Plan
Hurricanes, tornados, floods, malicious acts, or simple mistakes.
Unfortunately, unplanned outages do happen. Are you Ready?
Statistics show some staggering negative results when the need to
plan for disaster is not realized and implemented. By implementing
a few short- and long-term solutions, you can help to keep your
business from being one of these statistics. This white paper
discusses a number of key items that should be included in a
comprehensive DR program including why you need a plan, the top
mistakes most companies make, and simple steps you can take now
to become disaster prepared. Click here to download the PDF:
http://www.wservernews.com/060417-DR_Plan
Special CounterSpy Offer For Universities
If you are managing a University Network and need a tool to fight
spyware, you should check out the special pricing we have for you.
Contact your rep or reseller for our new pricing for universities.
http://www.wservernews.com/060417-CSE_University_Offer
Windows IT Pro Readers' Choice 2006
I have a personal request for you. If you like receiving your
weekly WServerNews, and like Sunbelt's products, I'd be very
grateful if you would vote for us!
Windows IT Pro Magazine started their 2006 Readers' Choice awards
voting and it continues through May 1st, 2006. To vote, the only
requirement is a Windows IT Pro registered user or subscriber
account. These accounts are free and require only a valid e-mail
address. If you are not registered, you should. This is a GREAT
Site that I think is in the Top 3 for system admins. Vote here:
http://www.wservernews.com/060417-Readers_Choice
And here is the list of direct links of our five products you can
vote for. Thanks a lot in advance!
- Security: Spyware Blocker - CounterSpy Enterprise
- Messaging: Antispam Mail/Server - iHateSpam for Exchange
- Network Management: Network Analyzer - LanHound
- Security: Vulnerability Assessment Scanner - Sunbelt Network Security Inspector
So, if you have been reading WServerNews (formerly W2Knews) for a
while and would like to thank me for your weekly windows news
roundup, I would highly appreciate your vote. Go here:
http://www.wservernews.com/060417-Readers_Choice
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WServerNews 'FAVE' LINKS |
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This Week's Links We Like. Tips, Hints And Fun Stuff
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WServerNews - PRODUCT OF THE WEEK |
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Handbook of Information Security, 3-Volume Set
The Handbook of Information Security is a definitive 3-volume
handbook that offers coverage of both established and cutting-edge
theories and developments on information and computer security.
The text contains 207 articles from over 200 leading experts,
providing the benchmark resource for information security,
network security, information privacy, and information warfare.
This is 3366 pages and has a shipping weight of 18.4 pounds!
http://www.wservernews.com/060417-Security_Handbook2
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