How Will All Home Devices Integrate With Each Other?
Longhorn will be using a platform to deliver the intercommunication
services compliant with the efforts underway finalizing the Digital
Home Working Group?s specifications. See this link:
http://www.w2knews.com/rd/rd.cfm?id=040607TB-DHWG
It is what Microsoft and partners listed in the MSDN article below.
They will be proposing to the UPnP? Forum as the recommended
Version 2 architecture for UPnP technologies. The great part is
that it leverages the current UPnP Device Control Protocol (DCP)
XML schemas that all of the Consumer Electronics and most of the
computer industries currently are backing and integrates them with
Web Services and the whole WS-* world. Microsoft has stated that
they only can support one security and communications architecture
moving forward and Web Services are it.
The NCD specs in the MSDN article step you through how WS-Discovery
replaces the current UPnP Simple Service Discovery Protocol (SSDP)
? Section 4. In about 2006, this is how all of the devices in your
home will communicate with each other. It is an integral part of
their grand vision for the home and associated communications points.
Think of it as the hardware-based Plug n Play standards spread out
of the physical box to incorporate logical devices connected "somehow"
over IP (IP v4, IPv6, wired, or wireless) actually PnP-X. The
drivers would load like they do now for things like video and
sound APIs, only they really are TVs, stereos, speakers, portable
media players, Portable Media Centers, etc. As you can see, I like
this direction. We have gone from "5 years out" to about two!
Here is the proposal for UPnP 2.0 Device Architecture:
http://www.w2knews.com/rd/rd.cfm?id=040607TB-UPnP
Troubleshooting XP Startup Issues, Part 1
Determining the source of a Windows XP startup problem -- and fixing
it -- is easier if you use a step-by-step approach. Find out what
to do if a workstation starts normally and fails after logon. Good
technical article at searchwin2000.com:
http://www.w2knews.com/rd/rd.cfm?id=040607TB-Troubleshooting
Firewall is XP SP2's "Shining Star"
A network management expert and Windows MVP outlines highlights from
the coming release of Microsoft's much-anticipated Windows XP Service
Pack 2. In a coming article from a third party vendor we will look
at the drawbacks of this firewall and what it can break if you are
not careful!
http://www.w2knews.com/rd/rd.cfm?id=040607TB-Firewall
Need some Ammo To Get Budget For A Security Scanner?
The latest 2004 E-crime Watch survey showed a significant increase
in electronic crimes. The losses are estimated at $666 Million.
A study by CSO, the Secret Service and Carnegie Mellon University
has found that 43 percent of companies surveyed reported an increase
in electronic crimes and network intrusions in 2004. Read more details
in the full release below (this is a PDF by the way) but first, here
is an example.
December 2003, an employee of a Acxiom Corp. (in the database records
business) was convicted of stealing credit card information and
causing $5.8 million worth of damage. The U.S. Department of Justice
has brought more than 100 such computer crime cases to trial just in
the last two years. Most attacks go unreported though. CERT and the
FBI reported on a recent survey that 80% of the companies that replied
were hit by a virus or worm in 2003.
The conclusions are clear. Attacks via cyberspace are now happening
with higher frequency and are increasing in sophistication. And as
we reported earlier, it takes less and less time for attackers to
take advantage of a revealed vulnerability, while it takes longer
to get service packs out. Did you know that EVERY MONTH, somewhere
between 500 and 800 viruses, worms and exploits are released into
the wild? (SearchSecurity.com had an article about this Jan 2004)
The need for high-end firewalls like MS's new ISA Server combined
with vulnerability scanners are something you cannot afford not
to have. Here is the crime watch article in CSO Online. (PDF)
http://www.w2knews.com/rd/rd.cfm?id=040607TB-Crime_Watch
And here is a world-class, high-quality, military strength scanner
that will not make a hole in your budget. Early July we'll add
scanning by IP, service, port and other goodies!
http://www.w2knews.com/rd/rd.cfm?id=040607TB-SNSI
This issue of W2Knews™ contains:
