|
Vol. 11, #8 - Feb 20, 2006 - Issue #564
|
|
What Does The New 2007 MS-Office Mean For Admins?
|
- EDITORS CORNER
- Wanted: Beta Testers For Sunbelt Messaging Ninja
- Downtime Survey Invitation
- Quotes of the Week
- ADMIN TOOLBOX
- Admin Tools We Think You Shouldn't Be Without
- TECH BRIEFING
- Gates: A New, Bigger Role for MS's Active Directory
- Scriptomatic AD: Write Scripts For AD Search Interfaces
- Use Command Line Tools To Monitor Active Directory
- Locking Down Exchange Server
- WINDOWS SERVER NEWS
- What Does The New 2007 MS-Office Mean For Admins?
- WINDOWS SERVER THIRD PARTY NEWS
- Sunbelt Webcast: "Strategies for Wireless Security"
- Latest Additions To SNSI Vulnerabilities
- What's New In CounterSpy Enterprise V2.0?
- WServerNews 'FAVE' LINKS
- This Week's Links We Like. Tips, Hints And Fun Stuff
- WServerNews - PRODUCT OF THE WEEK
- Double-Take for Virtual Systems --- Proven, Trusted and Reliable Replication - New White Paper!
|
Now you can easily control users, applications and threats!
Cymphonix's smart gateway device, Network Composer, delivers
deep-packet scanning, payload identification and traffic control -
making it easy for administrators to optimize the demand for
network resources. See and control what your users are doing
online! Give mission-critical applications highest priority!
Stop Spyware, Viruses, P2P and Inappropriate Content! Log IM
sessions! Click the link below to see the Online Demo:
http://www.wservernews.com/060217-Cymphonix
|
 |
EDITORS CORNER |
|
Wanted: Beta Testers For Sunbelt Messaging Ninja
Hi All, we have some really exciting news. We have been running
Ninja in-house since November last year (as per the 'eat your own
dogfood' rule). We have had a handful of sites running it in closed
beta for a few months. One University site is already running the
AV module in a production environment to protect 13,000 mailboxes,
and now it's ready for public beta so YOU can get your hot little
hands on it... wOOt!
If you have an Exchange server you are able to use for testing,
and want easy to use, powerful, fully integrated, policy-based
antispam, antivirus and world-class attachment filtering, send
an email to [email protected] In the subject say NINJA
BETA and we will send you instructions for download and the beta
forum where we will discuss your test results. For Ninja specs:
http://www.wservernews.com/060217-Ninja
Downtime Survey Invitation
How much downtime are your peers confronted with? Let's find out
how the different platforms are doing! Yankee Group and Sunbelt
Software invite you to participate in a short survey about your
experience with the reliability of your server OS-en. It's few
multiple choice grids and one essay question in which you will
be asked to give your opinions on the patching process. We know
you're all very busy; the survey will take no more than 3 minutes
at best. We will provide you with a summary of the results in an
upcoming issue of WServerNews. Thanks a bundle for helping out!
http://www.wservernews.com/060217-Survey
Quotes of the Week
"Unfortunately, many people do not consider fun an important item
on their daily agenda. For me, that was always high priority in
whatever I was doing." -- Chuck Yeager.
"It doesn't matter how beautiful your theory is, it doesn't matter
how smart you are. If it doesn't agree with experiment, it's wrong."
-- Richard Feynman, theoretical physicist.
Warm regards,
Stu Sjouwerman
|
|
TECH BRIEFING |
|
Gates: A New, Bigger Role for MS's Active Directory
Active Directory is important now, but it will become more so in
the coming years. Starting with Longhorn Server, Microsoft plans
for it to be the heart of all its identity management services.
So said Bill Gates at last weeks RSA 2006 in San Jose.
http://www.wservernews.com/060217-SearchWinIT
Scriptomatic AD: Write Scripts For AD Search Interfaces
A follow-up tool to Microsoft's original Scriptomatic, called
Scriptomatic AD, writes scripts for the Active Directory Search
Interfaces. It helps users create scripts to do common tasks
with AD. Over at the SearchWinSystems site:
http://www.wservernews.com/060217-Scriptomatic
Use Command Line Tools To Monitor Active Directory
Whether you have a forest with many remote domain controllers (DCs)
spread over many sites all over the globe, or just a few DCs in
remote sites, you know how hard it is to monitor them for replication
errors. Here's a simple utility from the Windows Support Tools and
Resource Kit that does just that. At the SearchWinIT site:
http://www.wservernews.com/060217-DCs
Locking Down Exchange Server
Locking down your Exchange Server is key to protecting your
enterprise e-mail environment. In this five-part webcast series,
Exchange expert Lee Benjamin guides you through the necessary steps
to secure Exchange Server. Watch and listen to each segment at your
convenience to strengthen your Exchange Server security smarts.
At SearchExchange:
http://www.wservernews.com/060217-SearchExchange
|
|
WINDOWS SERVER NEWS |
|
What Does The New 2007 MS-Office Mean For Admins?
A lot of extra work and confusion is my first take. What used to
be called "Office 12" has been officially dubbed (surprise surprise)
"2007 Microsoft Office". Does not come off he tongue very well but
so be it. Expect it later this year after they wrap up their second
beta. Redmond has done its best to integrate a bunch of "point tools"
and make it a tool suite that allegedly helps users exploit the web
and goes beyond your old desktop apps. They have broken it up in
a bunch of different flavors.
If you are under Volume Licensing you will get "top" functionality
with something called MS Office Enterprise 2007. The first two high-
end flavors include the 2007 versions of your well-known Word, Excel,
PowerPoint, Outlook, Access, InfoPath and Publisher. With the highest
level you will get Ray Ozzie's virtual office app, which now is called
"Groove 2007", and that basically is encrypted collaboration and file
sharing, plus OneNote is included.
One step down, but still for big sites, comes "MS Office Pro Plus 2007",
(now there is a mouthful) and that puppy replaces Office Professional
Enterprise Edition 2003. Pro Plus '07 integrates with SharePoint '07,
and it has Redmond's enterprise IM called Office Communicator. Keep in
mind that SharePoint Designer 2007 is going to replace FrontPage.
Next down is your good-old Office Pro with a price tag of $499 and a
further down the line is the run-of-the-mill $399 Office Standard.
At the very bottom of the ladder is the bare-bones Office Basic 2007
that you get with OEM pre-installs and only Word, Excel and Outlook.
Something new is happening with the retail versions. First of all,
the 50 bucks cheap-o Student Edition is going away. You will only
be able to get a $149 (non-upgradeable) Office Home and Student
2007. But it's good for three machines!
And now for the 2007 Office Server Kits that you may have to tangle with.
These are the browser-based Forms Server, Groove Server, Project
Portfolio Server and SharePoint. The latter one allows you to create
portals, content publishing, and content rights management. It also
allows you to search across servers and is the central hub that ties
it all together.
And to make things ever more confused, Redmond has come up with a
newfangled "Enterprise CAL" that does not replace existing CALS
but covers your enterprise data searching, publishing of spreadsheets,
form creation via the web, and unified messaging. But that's not all,
it also covers standard Windows Server, SMS, Exchange, and SharePoint.
Are you confused already? Well, Redmond revealed it also covers MOM
Live Communications Server (which monitors IM traffic), Windows Rights
Management Services and Microsoft Security products.
Well I'm spinning already and need to take a walk. [grin] This requires
some serious thought and planning from a licensing perspective. Costs
look to be going up with about 5 percent. I'm sure we'll talk about this
some more. Here are Microsoft's Press Kits with all the detail about
Office 2007:
http://www.wservernews.com/060217-Microsoft
|
|
WINDOWS SERVER THIRD PARTY NEWS |
|
Sunbelt Webcast: "Strategies for Wireless Security"
We will host the Expert Webcast: ?Strategies for Wireless Security?,
presented by wireless expert and technology analyst Craig Mathias
on Tuesday, February 21, 2006 at 1pm Eastern Time.
The webcast is being offered as an added value to Sunbelt Software
enterprise customers under a current maintenance plan. It features
leading wireless expert, Craig Mathias, principal of Farpoint Group,
an advisory firm specializing in wireless networking and mobile
computing. Widely regarded as one of the foremost experts on wireless
security and its mechanisms, Craig has served as a Co-Chairman at the
Wireless Security Conference, serves on the Advisory Boards of major
industry conferences and is an active and well-known participant in
many of the forums dedicated to wireless technologies and industry
news.
The expert webcast will provide a look into the wireless security
puzzle and examine wireless LANs, look at the challenges, requirements,
tools, and solutions to wireless security. Craig will go beyond the
ordinary to fully examine what's really needed at Layers 2, 3, 4,
and 7 of the famous OSI model to provide unique and valuable insight.
The webcast will examine a variety of hot topics such as:
- The key elements of an overall security plan.
- Security facilities inherent in Wi-Fi
- Higher-level security tools and techniques
- How upper-layer tools can be applied to wireless beyond Wi-Fi
How to Register: The webcast is complimentary to all Sunbelt
Software enterprise customers under a current maintenance plan.
All other attendees, cost is only $99. To register, please visit
http://www.wservernews.com/060217-Register
Latest Additions To SNSI Vulnerabilities
To update from within the SNSI console, select Settings, enter your
full registration key and click on Check Now button. New vulnerability
updates for this release include:
OS_type ID - Name
W2716 Java Web Start Application Vulnerability
W2717 Firefox Memory Corruption Vulnerability
W2718 IE 5.01 Windows Metafile Vulnerability (MS06-004)
W2719 Windows Media Player Bitmap File Vulnerability - W2K3 (MS06-005)
W2720 Windows Media Player Bitmap File Vulnerability - XP (MS06-005)
W2721 Windows Media Player Bitmap File Vulnerability - W2K (MS06-005)
W2722 Windows Media Player Plug-In Vulnerability (MS06-006)
W2723 TCP/IP and IGMP Packet Vulnerability (MS06-007)
W2724 Web Client Service Vulnerability (MS06-008)
W2725 Korean Input Method Editor Vulnerability (MS06-009)
W2726 PowerPoint 2000 TIFF Vulnerability (MS06-010)
Updated Checks
Vendor superseded patches and signatures
W1142,W1986,W1999,W2067 - Anti-Virus Signatures
Revised Logic
W1871 Ntdll.dll Buffer Overflow Vulnerability - XP, replaced file version
logic which was not functioning correctly in Scanner 5.
SNSI uses the latest Mitre Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE)
list of computer incidents. It also contains the latest SANS/FBI
top 20 vulnerability list. SNSI also uses the latest CERT, CIAC
Microsoft and FedCIRC (Department of Homeland Security) advisories.
To get the latest SNSI version, visit:
http://www.wservernews.com/060217-SNSI
What's New In CounterSpy Enterprise V2.0?
Here is what CSE 2.0 is going to bring with it's release.
Deployment Wizard Improvements:
- Ability to run pre and post install actions
- (Ability to be configured by Support as well)
Performance and Scalability:
- Support up to 5000 Agents on a single server basic server
(over 5x perf increase)
- Performance monitors at key locations in the Services
Agent:
- New Threat Engine (lower memory footprint)
- New Active Protection
- Blocks changes from happening
- Reduced CPU time
- Allows admin to specify custom "allowed" active protection items
- Allows admin to specify custom "blocked" active protection items
- Incremental threat definition updates
Console:
- Persist some UI config and grid settings
- UI Enhancements to Agents Grid
- Massive speed increases when managing agents and viewing history
- UI changes for new AP settings, simplified configuration
- Display version threat was added/changed in database
Reporting:
- New database layout so that custom reports could be written directly
from the database
- Allow user to export to HTML
- Large increase in speed of reports
- Fix reports for new schema
Find out how many machines are infected with V1.5 now and get
the new V2.0 in a few months!
http://www.wservernews.com/060217-CSE
|
|
WServerNews 'FAVE' LINKS |
|
This Week's Links We Like. Tips, Hints And Fun Stuff
|
|
WServerNews - PRODUCT OF THE WEEK |
|
Double-Take for Virtual Systems --- Proven, Trusted and Reliable Replication - New White Paper!
Double-TakeŽ for Virtual Systems allows for the use of lower-cost
virtual machines as high availability and disaster recovery targets,
making disaster recovery more affordable. When you combine the
accessible data protection capabilities of Double-Take with the
flexibility and efficiency of virtual systems, you can have the
confidence that your company's most valuable data is safe. If you
want to learn more about this, please contact your Rep or Reseller
and ask for the new white paper that explains the installation.
Read the new White Paper! click here:
http://www.wservernews.com/060217-Double-Take
|
|
|
|
|
Email me: