Week of August 9, 2009

Where Do Non-Corporate-Issued Gadgets Fit Into Network & Security Plans?

Additionally, hackers have realized that this is a big playground with no monitors, and they’re beginning to target smartphones. Spyware and snoopware, the next generation of spyware that specifically targets smartphones, let hackers track the keystrokes and Web sites that smartphones are using, and the more devious forms of this software can let them activate the phone’s microphone, camera, or video camera so that the hacker can monitor the user’s conversations or even sneak pictures or video of the user’s environment.

Worse, those same hackers could get access to databases, applications, and other stored information anywhere on the company network once a zombie smartphone is used to access the network. And even ordinary viruses, once accidentally downloaded by the smartphone or through attachments to text messages, can merrily trot from the phone to the network. “A phone is like a flash drive,” says Chris DeHerrera, mobility architect for Enterprise Mobile in Watertown, Mass. (www.enterprisemobile.com). “It can store either good information or bad, and although it doesn’t get infected itself, it provides the transmission route for the network to get infected.” (Source: Holly Dolezalek , Processor)
Posted Friday, August 14 2009 by ChrisD
Rating: 4.5 Comments (0)

Microsoft Word Ban Sparked By 4-Page Complaint

Judge Leonard Davis, of U.S. District Court for Eastern Texas, on Tuesday ruled that Word—but not Vista and .Net—does indeed step on U.S. patent 5,787,449, which describes a "Method and System for Manipulating the Architecture and the Content of a Document Separately from Each Other," according to court records.

The patent is held by an equally obscure tech firm based in Toronto—i4i, Inc. The company describes itself as a developer of "collaborative content solutions."

In its complaint, originally filed March 6, 2007, i4i claimed Microsoft infringed its patent "by making, using, selling, offering to sell, and/or importing in or into the United States, without authority, Word 2003, Word 2007, .NET Framework, and Windows Vista." (Source: -->Paul McDougall, InformationWeek )
Hmm, I wonder if this ruling will also ban other products that create DOCX and XML format files? I'm specifically thinking of Windows Mobile which contains Word Mobile and Excel Mobile which read and write their desktop companion's file formats. - Chris De Herrera

Posted Friday, August 14 2009 by ChrisD
Rating: 2 Comments (1)

MS-Nokia Alliance Doesn't Mean Windows Mobile Demise

When Microsoft and Nokia formed a partnership to load a mobile version of Microsoft Office onto Nokia smartphones, the better to compete against RIM's BlackBerry line, analysts immediately began discussing how the alliance would weaken Microsoft Windows Mobile. However, Microsoft has shown signs that it fully intends to keep backing Windows Mobile, even if the operating system has a small share of the smartphone market. (Source: Nicholas Kolakowski, eWeek)
Posted Friday, August 14 2009 by ChrisD
Rating: 5 Comments (0)