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MS patches with problems are common, not fatal

Just how often does Microsoft release a patch that it knows has problems? The answer for 2010 so far: nearly half the time. How often are those problems so severe they fry your system? That's less clear, but it seems as if the answer is, "not all that often." Microsoft has so far released 45 updates in 2010, some fixing multiple vulnerabilities. Of them, 20 were released with a known problem. Yet very few people report that the patches cause systems to crash.

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SQL Marklar
Are you as tired of lazy vendors as I am? by Sean McCown
Dealing with vendors can be maddening to say the least. One of the reasons is because whenever you find a problem with their DB code they're very reluctant to change it. And to a degree I understand that because they've got regression testing to do to make sure it doesn't break anything else, but very seldom do vendors bother updating their DB code at all. This is particularly true when porting their app to a new version of the DB platform. Again, since this is mainly a... 1

Privacy and Security Fanatic
Verizon's 2010 DBIR: Rise in Misuse, Malware and Social Engineering by Ms Smith
According to the 2010 Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report (DBIR), the overall number of data breaches declined in 2009. “The reduction in breaches is a positive sign that we are gaining some ground in the fight against cybercrime,” said Peter Tippett, Verizon Business vice president of technology and enterprise innovation. What has not changed is that servers and apps account for 98.5% of total records compromised. The 2010 DBIR, based on a first-of-its kind collaboration with the U.S....

See Through the Windows
Understanding the Library of Congress’ New DMCA Rules by Dustin Puryear
As you may have read by now, the Library of Congress (LOC) released new rules for how to interpret the DMCA and its copyright access control anti- circumvention rules. The headlines on the new rules all seem to focus on the ability to jailbreak an iPhone. Well, great. I’m glad we can jailbreak legally, especially since it was definitely a gray area before. I think it’s pretty clear to just about everyone that Apple, or any company, that uses the DMCA to limit our ability to modify hardware we...

Privacy and Security Fanatic
The Next Big Privacy Concern: RFID “Spychips” by Ms Smith
Radio-frequency I.D. (RFID) tags are a convenient way to track items and cut costs for companies. But this technology is increasingly being used to track other things, like security badges — or even people — giving it the potential to cause a horrific erosion of privacy. Tracking people with smart tags, their shopping preferences, their activities, and their personal belongings sounds like something from a sci-fi thriller. But If you got your panties in a twist over Walmart's decision to track... 15

Watch Your Assets
Microsoft Office licensing now a bit easier for Citrix users! by Cynthia Farren
Microsoft Office, Visio and Project are all device licensed applications. This means that a device holds the license, not the user. So every device that uses one of these products has to hold a license for the product.That can make for an expensive proposition for companies who allow their users to access these applications via Citrix or Microsoft Application Virtualization (aka App-V or fka Softgrid) if that access isn’t limited to devices already licensed for those same applications. If users... 1

Microsoft Tech
Microsoft up for its share of Pwnies at Black Hat conference by Robert Mullins
If you’re a technology company trying to maintain a reputation for security, you don’t necessarily want to receive a Pwnie Award at the annual Black Hat security conference in Las Vegas. While some legitimately honor enterprising security experts who uncovered vulnerabilities, or important research, others are ignominious, such as the award for “Lamest Vendor Response” and “Most Epic Fail.” Researchers who discovered bugs in Microsoft software are among the nominees in seven categories total,... 5

Microsoft Tech
Microsoft benefits from IT spending growth by Robert Mullins
This recession has been going on for more than two years, but within some enterprises, there must be some people saying, “Heck, get out the checkbook. Let’s do this,” and are spending on new information technology.Two events this past week indicate that for IT vendors, business is looking up. One is a report from Forrester Research forecasting IT spending growth in the U.S. of 9.9 percent this year, over last; global IT spending should grow by 7.8 percent. The other is Microsoft’s earnings...

Privacy and Security Fanatic
Certified Lies: Big Brother In Your Browser by Ms Smith
You probably feel safe when you see the padlock on your browser window indicating secure communication with your bank or e-mail account. You probably think your users are safe if they are accessing your network over your SSL VPN. What if instead of worrying about man-in-the-middle attacks, it became government-spy-in-the-middle eavesdropping? Is Big Brother spying on you? Before I'm done showing you these surveillance products, you will probably be ticked for both security and privacy... 18

Hidden Microsoft
Cloud computing, gap analysis, and limited time trails… by Tyson Kopczynski
There is a really great thing about cloud computing. It’s in the cloud. However, when I talk to a number of organizations they still want to treat cloud based services as if they operate just like an on-premise solution. However, a solution that is deployed on-premise has some major differences from a solution that lives in the cloud. Namely, a solution that is on-premise is all yours to muck with. Therefore, the things (customizations) that you do with an on-premise solution are not... 1

The Microsoft Update
Microsoft posts record revenue, thumbs nose at Apple by Julie Bort
So this won't be the quarter that Apple sells more stuff than Microsoft. Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) eked out slightly more revenue than Apple, and billions more in profit. Microsoft reported another record quarter for its fiscal fourth-quarter that ended June 30. The company booked 16.04 billion in revenue, a 22% increase from the year ago period. Operating income, net income and diluted earnings per share for the quarter were $5.93 billion, $4.52 billion and $0.51 per share, which... 1

Essential SharePoint 2010

Win one of 15 copies of Essential SharePoint 2010: Overview, Governance, and Planning by Scott Jamison, Susan Hanley, & Mauro Cardarelli. Deadline for entries is July 31.