Vol. 14, #1 - Jan 5, 2009 - Issue #706 2009 Crystal Ball This issue of WServerNews is sponsored by Editors Corner Here Are The 2009 Predictions Quotes of the Year Webinars and Seminars WEBCAST: The End of Antivirus as You Know It: A Look at VIPRE Enterprise WEBCAST: Protecting your Organization from Spam and Malware with Ninja Email Security. WEBCAST: Affordable, Enterprise Email Archiving Admin Toolbox Admin Tools We Think You Shouldn't Be Without WServer Third Party News VIPRE Now With New MX-Virtualization(tm) Technology WServerNews Fave Links WServerNews - Product of the Week Use Desktop Authority to Meet the Latest USB Port Control Mandates Use Desktop Authority to Meet the Latest USB Port Control Mandates Any storage device plugged into a computer becomes an instant risk for data leakage outside an organization's usual security controls. Desktop Authority gives you the flexibility to totally restrict USB port access or to finely control it down to the specific user or device to meet current mandates. The USB and Port Security option provides policy-based access control to USB storage and communication devices. It lets you apply our patented Validation Logic to easily restrict or lock down access to USB ports as mandated. With control over 20+ device types, granular control can be established while maintaining user productivity. Download a 30 Day Trial Now! http://www.wservernews.com/090105-Desktop-Authority Editors Corner Here Are The 2009 Predictions Another turbulent year flew by. And again, traditionally, I'm donning my asbestos undies, so you can safely flame my poor behind after reading my new 2009 predictions. Here we go gazing in the crystal for the coming 12 months. To start off with though, I'm repeating the tradition of my same New Year's Wish that you have read at this spot for these many years: "A world without war, crime and insanity, where honest people can flourish, prosper and reach greater heights". First, how did I do with the 2008 predictions? Well it was a bit of an exercise in humility. The drill is well known by now. Here is a link to the archives with last year's predictions and all the earlier ones, so you can have a good chuckle seeing those earlier crystal ball issues: http://www.wservernews.com/090105-Archives First 2008 prediction on Redmond and XP was correct so I'm claiming that one. In the OS section I got about half right, claiming desktop virtualization would go mainstream which did not happen. One right and one wrong. The third one on IT budgets was interfered with by the recession, so I'm counting that one as wrong. One right, two wrong. However I did correctly predict that 2008 would be very rocky as the bottom -did- fall out the bubbles: Up to two right and two wrong. The Malware prediction was not hard, and I was mostly right on that one. Three right, two wrong. The hardware predictions were fun to do, and I was right about the Google phone, but not about the Adwords-based free version. I have been talking for years about Wi-Max and it's STILL not here.... grumble. Three right, three wrong. Security: No voting machines hacked. But at least I got 'cloud computing' right as the new buzzword, and bots going peer-to-peer. I'm claiming this one. Four right, three wrong. 2008 Tech Trends: Silverlight is doing well against Adobe's Flash, but it ain't at 30% yet - more like 10-15% http://www.wservernews.com/090105-Graph I -was- right about Tesla selling out 100% of their electric roadster production. Some others were way off, so I'm admitting defeat on this one. Four right, four wrong. 2008 Careers was an easy one to get right: security, but that was so easy that I'm not counting it. However, I am happy to announce that I correctly predicted a major security breach in the U.S. involving the Chinese. (but perhaps I shouldn't be all that happy). Five right, four wrong. Global climate predictions were half-right, half-wrong so I'm going to pass and not count any. In the 'Wild-Ass Guesses' section I only got the Hi-Def format wars right, but Yahoo is -still- not sold to Redmond, silly me, so that's a 'wrong'. Dang - five right and five wrong, my worst outcome ever. Perhaps it's time for me to retire. LOL. Let's see how 2009 is going to turn out! 2009 PREDICTIONS: The Economy Dominates - that is an obvious one, but I'll edge out on a limb and predict no recovery in 2009, with the earliest breathing room arriving mid 2010, and even that is early seen the enormous amount of bad debt that needs to be flushed out. That is going to take some time, so get ready to be asked to do (a lot) more with the same or lower budget. IT departments overall will survive in reasonable shape, but hardware and consumer electronics are going to be hosed in 2009. There will be a 3-5 percent drop worldwide in PC shipments as companies hold off on upgrading. Get ready to focus on basics, stop working on "marginal" projects and redirect resources to security capabilities that are absolutely necessary. SECURITY: This industry is driven by FUD. So all vendors are predicting doom, gloom and 2009 Mega Threats, and try to arm-twist you into buying their latest version. Granted, during 2009 Cybercrime will become increasingly sophisticated in targeting specific companies (It's called spear phishing). Also, in 2009, more than 80% of all malware will be hosted on sites with "good" reputations, using a distributed model. Such 'fast flux' criminal networks allow malicious Web sites to be moved around quickly to make it harder, if not impossible, to locate. But you are really looking at the same thing as 2008, just more of it. At least $1.7 billion worth of bank accounts were compromised in the U.S. during the year that started in July 2007. In that light, resisting cutbacks in antivirus subscriptions and purchases of front-line security tools such as endpoint protection and network intrusion-detection systems is a no-brainer. However, you can kick the can forward into 2010 regarding technologies like biometrics and intrusion-prevention. As a company, apart from your staff, your most valuable non-tangible asset is your reputation, and you cannot risk any hits to that by penny-wise, pound-foolish security cutbacks. OPERATING SYSTEMS: The most important release in 2009 will undoubtedly be Windows 7. With continued sluggish enterprise adoption of Vista, I think Redmond got the hint and will push for a Win7 late in '09. Another big one is Hyper-V for Windows Server 2008 this year. VMware will release ESX Server & Virtual Infrastructure Suite "V4.0" and their VDC-OS framework, enhancing the product and provide many new APIs and frameworks for 3rd party companies to develop more applications. Windows Azure will be a viable cloud platform only in 2010. IT OPERATIONS: Dominated by cost-savings initiatives. 2009 will see the integration of enterprises' legacy software and hardware with new, virtualized equipment. We also can expect to see more automation of IT processes in hardware, software and networking. Deploying virtualization and thin-client technologies are inherently more secure -- and less costly to manage and control -- than traditional client/server computing models. 'Cloud computing' is nothing else than a name for already existing technology like virtualization, SaaS and outsourcing, but companies will try to cut cost using this buzzword architecture. Microsoft will continue to develop its proprietary cloud while Amazon, Facebook, Google and Salesforce will create more open-source type "cloud connections". Worldwide enterprise software growth will be only 6% in 2009, down from 14% in 2008. HARDWARE: Economic recessions tend to drive innovation. In 2009 that means DDR3 memory which will become the mainstream DRAM chip. Netbooks will drop to the $200 to $300 range, and some will be free with 2-year cell phone contract. Netbooks also constitute a potential security nightmare, as their diminished technology means limited ability to run on-board security software. 2009 will be a grim year in the market for LCD TVs and mobile gadgets with the iPhone an exception. Mac enterprise usage will increase. Storage trends for 2009 are storing more data in a smaller footprint, storing more copies of data in different locations, and keeping more copies of data for longer periods of time. Lower-end SAN, NAS and appliances that use low-cost arrays of SATA drives will boom. 2009 BUDGET SURVIVAL TIPS: The steady media drumbeat of bad economic news hammers consumer's confidence which in turn causes spending to slow down even more. Tons of organizations are re-evaluating their 09 budgets. Capital Expendituresare going to be a lot less and that means IT, as it's harder to show ROI fast. You will need to run pilot projects that show an almost immediate ROI or clear cost reductions to get your (new) projects approved. I would recommend to have three budget variations at hand: Best-Case, Worst Case, and a sliding-bar one, that includes how the dead wood will be cleared. Make sure you have a 'cloud-computing' plan ready, as Management is going to ask for one since the press is touting this as a Silver Bullet, which it isn't. No one seems to care that in this scenario your Internet connection becomes a mission critical single point of failure. WILD-ASS GUESSES: Time Warner will manage to unload America Online, Microsoft will finally get (part of) Yahoo. The rest will be sold in parts Another disgruntled unemployed IT worker will hold a network hostage Dell will make a comeback Sun Microsystems will be sold off in parts Twitter is acquired by Facebook By 2015, mobile devices will be the primary Internet access point End 2009 Apple will have a 10-15% enterprise marketshare - Jobs will step down Palm Inc will be acquired by Nokia The recently merged Sirius / XM Radio will go belly-up. The 44th White House administration will improve U.S. electronic defenses Someone will through a shoe at Steve Ballmer. And here is your first 2008 SunPoll, it's a repeat of 2007 and 2006, and we will see if anything has changed over the years! "For 2009, which do you expect to be the greatest security threat to your networks?" Blended Malware Botnets Viruses Outside-in hacking attempts Internal security hacks Phishing attacks Other Vote here, bottom right column: http://www.wservernews.com/090105-SunbeltSoftware Quotes of the Year "BE the change you want to see in the World!" -- Ghandi "The future, according to some scientists, will be exactly like the past, only far more expensive". -- John Sladek "The future is here. It's just not widely distributed yet." -- William Gibson Warm regards, and thank you for being a WServerNews subscriber. No trees were killed in the sending of this message, but a large number of electrons were terribly inconvenienced. Please tell your friends about us. They can subscribe here: http://www.wservernews.com/090105-Subscribe Hope you enjoy this issue of WServerNews! Warm regards, Stu  |   Email me: feedback@wservernews.com Time To Kill Those PST Files! You all are aware of the fact that PST files are a major contributor to loss of time, especially on the admin side of email. Importing these PST files in a searchable archive, which is a central and transparent repository for all users, can save enormous amounts of time for all email users and the admin alike. PST files cause -all- kinds of storage problems, like bloated and slow backups and backup windows rapidly expanding so that they run into the next morning. They also cause risks in the legal and security areas like lost email, laptops that disappear, and no oversight which is a lawyer's nightmare. You should really check out Sunbelt Exchange Archiver. It solves all these problems in one fell swoop: http://www.wservernews.com/090105-SFA Webinars and Seminars WEBCAST: The End of Antivirus as You Know It: A Look at VIPRE Enterprise As part of its ongoing efforts to address the rapidly evolving malware landscape facing enterprises, Sunbelt Software introduces VIPRE Enterprise(tm) - a completely new solution that combines antivirus, antispyware, anti-rootkit and other technologies into a seamless, tightly-integrated product. Join Sunbelt Software on Tuesday, January 13, 2009 at 2:00pm EST for a look at VIPRE Enterprise and learn how Sunbelt started with a blank slate to design a new, next-generation antivirus and antispyware technology to deal with today's malware in the most comprehensive, highly efficient manner. The result is a clean, fast, and powerful anti-malware solution developed 'by admins for admins'. VIPRE Enterprise is designed to optimize overall performance by melding antivirus and antispyware together into one, single, powerful engine. This combination of technologies gives you high-performance software that doesn't slow down users' PCs, is low on system resources, and makes it easy for you to protect your network. Attend this webcast to learn about the following VIPRE Enterprise features: High-performance threat protection with low impact on system resources All-new technology delivers a unique single antivirus plus antispyware engine Rock solid Management Console is your "Malware Command Center" Real-time monitoring with Active Protection(tm) and advanced anti-rootkit technology Integrated, full email protection with support for Outlook and Windows Mail. When: Tuesday, January 13, 2009 2:00 PM (EST) Please register here: http://www.wservernews.com/090105-End-Antivirus When: Tuesday, January 27, 2009 2:00 PM (EST) Please register here: http://www.wservernews.com/090105-End-Antivirus2 WEBCAST: Protecting your Organization from Spam and Malware with Ninja Email Security. Securing your Exchange Server is key to protecting your enterprise environment from spam, viruses, and other malware. In this webcast Sunbelt will explain the benefits of using an 'all-in-one' integrated and policy-based email security solution versus separate products on your Exchange Server for antivirus, antispam, attachment filtering, and disclaimers. Learn how Ninja Email Security helps you to fight spam, viruses, trojans, phishing and other email security threats with a series of 'best-of-breed' plug-ins. When: January 6, 2009, 2:00 PM (EDT) Please register here: http://www.wservernews.com/090105-Protecting-Your-Organization WEBCAST: Affordable, Enterprise Email Archiving Join us for a look at Sunbelt Software's Exchange email archiving and compliance solution, Sunbelt Exchange Archiver. If you need a powerful, easy to use, enterprise-class email archiving tool that automatically enables you to comply with all requirements, and allows you or your end-users to transparently retrieve any archived email, then don't miss this webinar! The webinar will explain the features and benefits of implementing a powerful email archiving solution on your Exchange Server at an affordable price. Learn how Sunbelt Exchange Archiver can help you: Improve Exchange performance Eliminate PST headaches Dramatically reduce backup times Use up to 80% smaller message store Meet compliance requirements And more When: Tuesday, January 20, 2009 2:00 PM (EST) Please register here: http://www.wservernews.com/090105-Enterprise-Email-Archiving Admin Toolbox Admin Tools We Think You Shouldn't Be Without Make it easy to track user access to your Windows file servers. ScriptLogic's File System Auditor: Free Trial! http://www.wservernews.com/090105-File-System-Auditor Having Second Thoughts About Your Current Web Filter? Get No-Nonsense Web Filtering from iPrism and Get Your Switch Kit Today! http://www.wservernews.com/090105-Switch The Accidental Citrix Admin. For the 97% of Citrix customers that are ignored - the small guys with 50 or fewer Citrix servers: http://www.wservernews.com/090105-Citrix An outfit called Verdiem has software that reduces PC energy consumption. The consumer version is free. I tested it and it works fine: http://www.wservernews.com/090105-Verdiem Nine Web sites IT pros should master in 2009 - some good stuff in there! http://www.wservernews.com/090105-9-Sites-for-IT-Pros WServer Third Party News VIPRE Now With New MX-Virtualization(tm) Technology At this year's Consumer Electronics Show in Vegas, Sunbelt Software will be introducing our new MX-Virtualization(tm) technology as part of our popular security product VIPRE(tm) Antivirus + Antispyware. Developed exclusively by Sunbelt, VIPRE combines antivirus and antispyware into a tightly-integrated product without the performance and resource headaches of many traditional antivirus products. VIPRE's new malware execution virtualization technology, MX-Virtualization, is the latest addition to VIPRE's arsenal of detection methods to help protect against new or unidentified malware. By testing for malware behavioral characteristics in a super-compact virtual Windows environment, VIPRE is able to isolate, execute and analyze malware in a safe and controlled environment, protecting users from zero-day threats, without impacting performance. Note the new thumbnail image with "Watch Demo". This is a new "demo on demand": http://www.wservernews.com/090105-VIPRE-Enterprise WServerNews Fave Links This Week's Links We Like. Tips, Hints And Fun Stuff. Transport your micro SD sticks securely, hidden in a ... coin? http://www.wservernews.com/090105-Coins ZDNet Blogger Adrian Kingsley-Hughes compares performance of XP, Vista and Win7. Some surprising results: http://www.wservernews.com/090105-Windows7-Review Firefox tops list of 12 most vulnerable apps. Check some of the other apps too: http://www.wservernews.com/090105-FireFox-Vulnerable-App LifeHacker's Most Popular How-To Features of 2008. From classic topics like Windows tweaking and iPod how-tos to more recent favorites like the iPhone or Wii. This is a very interesting list to browse: http://www.wservernews.com/090105-How-To-Features A stuntman from the 30's shows of his amazing skills: http://www.wservernews.com/090105-Stunt-Man Mark Russinovich on virtualization, Sysinternals and the cloud: 09 Dec 2008 http://www.wservernews.com/090105-Russinovich Google CEO Eric Schmidt talks about how geothermal renewable energy can meet our energy needs and permanently end our dependence on oil: http://www.wservernews.com/090105-GEnergy DataLossDB is a research project aimed at documenting known and reported data loss incidents world-wide. You'd be surprised how many don't make the press: http://www.wservernews.com/090105-DataLossDB Disturbing, Beautiful, Terrible, Wonderful, and Eye Opening "2008 In Pictures": http://www.wservernews.com/090105-Photos 2009 FAVE Prediction: Apple introduces the smallest computer in the world: The Mactini - the inevitable future of Apple in a post-netbook world ... http://www.wservernews.com/090105-Smallest-Computer Colorful blog posting from Duf - a transplanted PA native living in the muggy metropolis of Naples, FL: So long SEP, IX still broke, soooo busy: http://www.wservernews.com/090105-Broken The never ending "creativity" of teenagers to wreak havoc, now with speed cams: http://www.wservernews.com/090105-Speed-Cams A stunning display of a group of gymnasts acting out the parts of an Audi RS6 performance car: http://www.wservernews.com/090105-Gymnastics The Proteus experimental watercraft, a radical boat design with shock absorbers to travel with the waves in the ocean, rather than through them: http://www.wservernews.com/090105-Boat The construction of the largest human tower in history: http://www.wservernews.com/090105-Tower The ultimate flying machine - an aircraft built for the weekend aviator with wings that fold at the push of a button *making it easy to store and trailer), a speed of 120 mph and a range of 300 miles. Cost $139,000, ETA 2010: http://www.wservernews.com/090105-Airplane One year in 40 seconds - Images taken at the same spot throughout one year: http://www.wservernews.com/090105-Time-Lapse WServerNews - Product of the Week Use Desktop Authority to Meet the Latest USB Port Control Mandates Any storage device plugged into a computer becomes an instant risk for data leakage outside an organization's usual security controls. Desktop Authority gives you the flexibility to totally restrict USB port access or to finely control it down to the specific user or device to meet current mandates. The USB and Port Security option provides policy-based access control to USB storage and communication devices. It lets you apply our patented Validation Logic to easily restrict or lock down access to USB ports as mandated. With control over 20+ device types, granular control can be established while maintaining user productivity. Download a 30 Day Trial Now! http://www.wservernews.com/090105-Desktop-Authority-POTW

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