The good news? People are keeping Windows up to date and patched. The bad news? They are a lot sloppier about the apps they use on their Windows PCs.According to a new report from Secunia Research in its Country Reports, covering Q2 2016 for 12 countries, the number of unpatched Windows machines has declined to just 5.4 percent, which is a sizable drop from the 6.1 percent of the first quarter. In Q2 of 2015, that figure was 10.3 percent.+ Also on Network World: The unrelenting danger of unpatched computers +To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
This vendor-written tech primer has been edited by Network World to eliminate product promotion, but readers should note it will likely favor the submitter’s approach.Everyone is generally aware that MPLS is expensive compared to Internet connectivity (check out “Why MPLS is so expensive”), but are you aware exactly how enormous the difference is? Even with MPLS prices coming down, the precipitous drop in Internet prices has made the gap larger. A few years ago MPLS typically cost $300-$600 per Mbps per month for the copper connectivity (i.e. n x T1/E1) typically deployed at all but the largest enterprise locations, while today in most of North America and much of Europe a more typical range is $100 - $300 per Mbps per month.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Researchers have found a way to steal a PC’s data by using the mechanical noise coming from the hard disk drives inside.It’s not a very practical hack, but the scheme has been designed for “air-gapped” systems, or computers that have been sectioned off from the Internet.The researchers at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Israel have been studying how to use sound to extract information from air-gapped computers. In June, they showed that even a PC’s cooling fans can be controlled to secretly transmit data, including passwords and encryption keys.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
HP has dabbled in many operating systems over the last few years, but the company always seems to come back to Windows.The company is building a mobile device strategy around Windows 10 Mobile and is slowly cutting its reliance on Android, once high on the company's list for tablets and PCs.HP has discontinued low-cost Android tablets, and two remaining enterprise tablets feature aging hardware and an old version of the OS. Company executives have said future mobile devices will be built around Windows 10 unless there's significant new demand for Android.HP is following the lead of Dell, which has cut Android devices to focus on Windows. Lenovo, meanwhile, still sells Android tablets and smartphones but is cutting its number of Android tablets and increasing its number of Windows 2-in-1s.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Swiss conglomerate Datwyler today said that it was still considering its options after its $795 million bid for Raspberry Pi manufacturer Premier Farnell was trumped by a $900 million offer from Avnet Inc late last month.In an earnings release issued today, Datwyler emphasized that the process isn’t over, and that the prospect of acquiring the U.K.-based electronics supply company is still a highly attractive one.+ALSO ON NETWORK WORLD: How well does social engineering work? One test returned 150% + 'Golden keys' that unlock Windows' Secure Boot protection discovered+To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Best Deals of the Week, August 8-12 - Deal AlertCheck out this roundup of the best deals on gadgets, gear and other cool stuff we have found this week, the week of August 18th. All items are highly rated, and dramatically discounted!23% off HDMI Cloner Box for Gaming or HD Video Stream Capture, No PC neededHere's a device any gamer or video enthusiast may want to have on hand. Connect a game console, DVD, or any video source to this gadget via its HDMI input, and with the push of a button it captures and saves the video stream to any attached USB flash drive, with no PC required. Advanced hardware H.264 encoding captures your live gameplay or video playback in 1080p Full HD, while keeping the file size low and capturing speeds high. Averaging 4 out of 5 stars on Amazon from over 170 customers (read reviews), the gadget's $129.99 list price has been reduced23% to $99.99. With the unit you'll get a free 16gb USB stick to get you started (enough for several hours of video). See the discounted cloner box now on Amazon.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
This column is available in a weekly newsletter called IT Best Practices. Click here to subscribe. The term "advanced persistent threat" is tossed around so frequently that some people might think that every cyberattack results from an APT. This is far from the case. In fact, APTs represent a very dangerous category of cyber threats that use sophisticated resources and techniques to evade detection and that are tenacious in their mission, whether it's to steal information or disrupt normal operations.NIST defines advanced persistent threat by describing three characteristics. The APT:1. Pursues its objectives repeatedly over an extended period of timeTo read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Last month I mentioned Microsoft could be targeting the all-in-one (AIO) market—including Apple's horribly neglected iMac line—with a series of AIO PCs. Now details are emerging on just what Redmond has in the works.Windows Central, which fueled the initial rumors, has updated the story with new details from its own sources on Microsoft's AIO Surface devices. According to the report, which cites unnamed sources, Microsoft is currently testing three Surface AIOs:To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
The Wi-Fi Alliance says it’s taken more steps toward compromise since backers of LTE-Unlicensed slammed a coexistence workshop that took place last week. But those moves haven’t brought about wireless peace just yet.LTE-U is a system for running LTE networks in some of the unlicensed frequencies used by Wi-Fi. The workshop, the latest of several intended to make sure LTE-U doesn’t unfairly interfere with Wi-Fi, brought together participants that want to use the new cellular system as well as those devoted to Wi-Fi.When it was done, the Alliance said a test for coexistence was on track for completion next month. However, LTE-U supporters, including Qualcomm, said the whole effort was technically unsound and biased against them.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Microsoft made a divisive announcement last month when it revealed that Azure Stack will be delayed until the middle of next year and that the private cloud software will only run on a set of integrated hardware systems rather than a wide variety of hardware. Now, the company is trying to explain that change to customers. On Thursday, Microsoft Principal Group Program Manager Vijay Tewari makes the case for shipping Azure Stack on a small variety of hardware in a video interview. His main point is this: constraining the software to a small set of hardware leads to a better product that's more useful right out of the gate.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Millions of Volkswagens built over the past 20 years can be broken into with a hack that exploits the cars’ remote control key systems, security researchers have found.
Most VWs built since 1995 use one of a handful of electronic “master keys” to remotely open and lock the doors, and those keys can be extracted by reverse engineering the firmware, the researchers wrote in a new paper.
That alone isn’t enough to break into a car -- the master key has to be combined with a unique code generated by each remote key device. But the researchers also devised a way to do that, assembling a piece of radio hardware costing around $40.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Hewlett Packard Enterprise is buying SGI in a $275 million deal that it hopes will give it a major boost in big-data analytics and high-performance computing.It's the latest surprise development at HPE, which has continued to make big changes since it was formed in the break-up of the old Hewlett-Packard last year.The deal to buy SGI, announced Thursday, fits with HPE's goal to expand its data analytics business. It will also make HPE a bigger player in high performance computing, a growing part of the server market. SGI has roughly 1,100 employees worldwide. On Thursday, it reported a net loss for its last fiscal year of $11 million, on revenue of $533 million.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Acer's 15.6-inch Full HD Chromebook allows you to see more, do more and explore more than ever before. With a 27% larger screen area than the 13.3-inch Chromebook, and a 24% larger screen than a 14-inch Chromebook means more content can be shown and less scrolling and productivity tools such as Excel are easier to interact with. The display is bright and crisp with a 1920 x 1080 Full HD resolution with wide viewing angle display, allowing you to share content simply and easily with those around you. It also has a high-dynamic-range imaging (HDR) web cam which provides clearer photos and supports better Google Hangouts experience in HD, The two full-sized upward facing speakers bring movies to life, give songs more depth and make games more engaging and immersive.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Pulse Solo is the world's first LED light with dual speakers in one bulb. Pulse Solo combines the energy efficiency of a dimmable LED light with the high-quality audio of JBL Bluetooth speakers. Setup is easy, twist the Pulse Solo into any standard light socket, and adjust both lighting and sound from any Bluetooth enabled iOS or Android device. Experience the soaring highs and the rich stereo sound of JBL combined with warm, dimmable lighting, without the fuss of speaker wires, power cords, or an independent remote control. The intuitive iOS and Android App offers seamless control of both light and sound while listening to your favorite streamed music or media, offering you the ability to customize your light and music to suit any mood.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Amazon launched a new tool on Thursday aimed at helping developers build applications that offer insights from a firehose of data in real time. Kinesis Analytics will let users set up SQL queries that run on data that's constantly updating, expanding the reach of the popular data analysis language beyond traditional database applications. Once a user has set up a Kinesis Analytics stream, the results can then be routed to up to four different services, including Amazon S3, Redshift, and Elasticsearch Service.It's a service that's useful for bringing in data from sources that are rapidly shifting in real time, like sensor information from the internet of things, or live data from a stock market. That's key as more and more companies start leaning on big sets of live data to help drive business applications. To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
AMD's move three years ago to rely on ARM for server chips is turning out to be a big mistake.The company is putting its faith back in x86 chips as it seeks a reboot in servers, a market in which the company was once a big player. Riddled with chip delays and abandoned projects, AMD has downgraded ARM in its server strategy.Instead of ARM-based servers, AMD is relying again on x86 chips, this time based on the promising Zen architecture, to take market share from Intel.AMD shipped its first ARM-based Opteron A-series processors early this year after delays. The first server chips based on a custom ARM-based core, called K12 core, could be released next year, an AMD spokesman said, but the company's server strategy next year is centered on Zen and x86.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Microsoft today repudiated an early retirement date for Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 support, saying that it will patch those operating systems on PCs running Intel's Skylake silicon until 2020 and 2023, respectively.The move was a complete rollback of a January degree that Microsoft called a "clarification" of its support policy. Under the January plan, Microsoft would have ended most support for Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 on July 17, 2017, if the operating systems were powering machines equipped with Intel's now-current Skylake processor family.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
With September steadily approaching, we're inching ever closer to the grand unveiling of Apple's iPhone 7. While the iPhone 7 likely won't introduce a radical new redesign or futuristic features, the device will undoubtedly carry a number of internal enhancements, along with much-improved cameras on both the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus models.Last week, we detailed how Apple's iPhone will likely hit store shelves on Friday, Sept. 16. And now comes word via Bloomberg that the device will officially be unveiled on Wednesday, Sept. 7.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
This week, the U.S. government unveiled its official Federal Source Code policy.Here is, in my opinion, the key excerpt from the announcement:
“The policy, which incorporates feedback received during the public comment period, requires new custom-developed source code developed specifically by or for the Federal Government to be made available for sharing and re-use across all Federal agencies. It also includes a pilot program that will require Federal agencies to release at least a portion of new custom-developed Federal source code to the public and support agencies in going beyond that minimum requirement.”To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
White hat hackers see companies at their worst. It is, after all, their job to expose weaknesses. Network World Editor in Chief John Dix recently chatted with penetration testing expert Josh Berry, Senior Technology Manager at Accudata Systems, an IT consulting and integration firm based in Houston, to learn more about the attack techniques he encounters and what he advises clients do to fight back.
Josh Berry, Senior Technology Manager, Accudata SystemsTo read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here