Here is this week's Editors' Choice; look for Readers' Choice later this week.
EDITORS’ CHOICE
Review
IPS performance tests show products must slow down for safety
High-end intrusion-prevention systems move traffic at multigigabit rates and keep exploits out of the enterprise, but they might not do both at the same time. In lab tests of top-of-the-line IPS systems from six vendors, we encountered numerous trade-offs between performance and security. Plus: Watch exclusive video by our testers.
Layer 8’s new home
We recently moved Layer 8 from Movable Type to Drupal, which required a new URL. So you’ll now find it at www.networkworld.com/community/?q=layer8 (don’t worry, though – the old URLs will continue to work).
From the front page
Momentum building for identity management
Identity-management technologies are beginning to weave together the application and network layers of corporate networks, significantly improving access control, easing management burdens and helping users meet stringent compliance and security mandates.
Techies under oath
During his law enforcement days Harry Megerian got his hands on a lot of IT gear – by brute force. “We probably did a raid once a week or once every two weeks,” says Megerian, a former computer forensics specialist with the U.S. Treasury Department. “I would walk away with five computers, on average.”
The new reality for IT security
Security executives from around the country converged in Boston this week to hear how their peers are tackling enterprise security and managing risk.
VON show takes aim at branch office set
The Voice on the Net show is set to open in Boston this week, featuring VoIP products and services aimed at helping smaller companies, or those with branch offices, set up and manage packetized voice traffic.
How to
Ron Nutter helps a user worried about data on laptops that might go missing.
Joshua Wright of the Wireless Vulnerabilities and Exploits projects explains the newest version of WPA for protecting your wireless networks.
In Depth
Content compression accelerates apps
In Web applications, client response time and latency represent challenges for network and systems administrators. Content compression is one of the most popular methods used to get content from the application to the client faster.
Taking on volunteer work for an organization pledged to IT security can pay off handsomely in solidifying business partnerships, fostering corporate security and earning kudos from your boss. Volunteering in key positions, however, inevitably takes time way from the job – meaning volunteers face working longer hours to compensate.
From the blogs and forums
Layer 8 wonders what Steve Jobs will say tomorrow. Mark Gibbs plays around with a new Amazon grid service. Jason Meserve recalls what he was doing on 9/11. James Gaskin discusses OpenOffice.
LinuxWorld Challenge
Is your open-source project a winner?
Successful information projects don’t come out of a box or straight from a vendor’s web site. Successful projects come from people who understand and identify with a company’s business goals, and use freedom-enabled technology to achieve them. That’s you, and we want to give you the recognition you deserve. We’re looking for the best projects in five enterprise categories; winners will be eligible for an all-expenses paid trip to the LinuxWorld Open Solutions Summit in New York. Enter by Sept. 30.
More news
Brocade expanding SAN software
Brocade Commuications this week is set to announce new versions of its file-aggregation and -access software that it says will let customers tap into and manage data more easily while letting them provision servers on the fly.
CA pumps up Unicenter with automation
CA this week is making available a version of its flagship network- and systems-management software that the company says includes features to more quickly identify the root cause of problems and more intelligently monitor networks.
IBM, HP boost client-management wares
IBM and HP last week separately announced updated systems-management software designed to make it easier for customers to deploy programs to client machines and to cut the cost and manual effort needed to maintain desktops.
Companies need to sell security to business-unit execs
The focus of network security should shift from securing infrastructure to securing data, and that requires extraordinary marketing measures by IT security staff, according to speakers at the Forrester Research Security Conference Thursday.
ISS jumps into e-mail security fray
Security vendor Internet Security Systems this week plans to announce its foray into the packed e-mail security market with an appliance that does double duty: blocking spam and viruses while also preventing intrusion.
Q&A: Data growth, complexity and cost driving storage market for Dell
At its annual Technology Day in New York next week, Dell is expected to talk about its storage and server roadmaps and make what it says is a significant storage announcement. Network World Senior Editor Deni Connor this week caught up with Praveen Asthana, director of Dell storage to talk about the company’s storage strategy.
Cisco steps up its WAN optimization game
Cisco Tuesday is set to introduce a product suite that couples the company’s Wide-Area File Services and content distribution technologies with optimization features to deliver an integrated feature set that tackles application performance over the WAN and at branch offices.
Cisco launches four-slot CRS-1
Cisco this week launched the smallest version yet of its biggest router — a four-slot Carrier Routing System-1, intended to extend 40Gbps from a core network to regional carrier POPs, Cisco says.
HP desktops will use vPro business bundle
HP is using streamlined IT management as a sales pitch for its latest line of PCs, including the first desktops to use Intel’s vPro technology bundle.
RightNow upgrades CRM suite
RightNow Technologies next week is expected to unveil the latest version of its hosted CRM suite, which features a revamped client architecture, new software for soliciting customer feedback, and enhanced analytic and reporting capabilities.
Cisco, IBM are winners in giant Silicon Valley Wi-Fi mesh
Cisco, IBM and two partners have been awarded the contract to build a public 802.11-based wireless mesh that is intended to blanket most of the Silicon Valley peninsula of California, some 1,500 square miles.
VeriSign security service expanded for apps, databases
VeriSign last week announced an expansion of its log-management service beyond firewalls, operating systems and intrusion-detection systems to collecting log data related to applications and databases.
Intel to slash 10% of workforce
Intel on Tuesday announced that it would cut 10,500 jobs, or about 10% of its workforce, by the middle of next year as the chip maker attempts to regain its footing in an increasingly competitive x86 processor market.
WLANs break the enterprise security model
The former chairman of Aruba, and now its recently appointed CEO, says enterprise wireless LANs are about to get much less interesting.
AirMagnet updates WLAN site survey
AirMagnet has released a version of its wireless LAN mapping application that includes a companion program for creating and refining the initial WLAN design.
