Jim Rapoza

One of the most common complaints I hear from IT pros concerns the lack of knowledge (OK, the ignorance) of company executives regarding information security. For many CEOs and high-level executives, security is at best barely understood and at worst completely misunderstood. Some execs tolerate security procedures and expenses, while others view them as a […]

Microsoft Corp.s Windows Rights Management Services for Windows Server 2003 offers very capable, simple-to-use digital rights management capabilities that can help control the flow of documents inside and outside a company, making sure documents are seen only by those who should see them. eWEEK Labs used Windows Rights Management Services, which shipped last month, to […]

Theres a program on your computer system. It installed itself without your knowledge, and it runs stealthily so you wont notice its there. Its recording information about you and sending it on to others. On top of that, its slowing down your system and potentially opening it up to serious security problems. And its not […]

Wouldnt it be great if you could book an entire trip, flight, hotel and car on sites of your choosing without having to log on to more than one site? The Liberty Alliance Project, a consortium of IT vendors and customers dedicated to creating identity management standards, thinks so, and its just-released Phase 2 specifications […]

In last years Tech Outlook, we predicted that 2003 would be like most other years when it came to security. We were wrong. It was one of the worst years on record for security incidents. This was highlighted in August, which saw Blaster and SoBig and was the worst month ever for damage from worm […]

Hey, software vendors, would you like to keep your customers happy and encourage new sales? Heres how: Dont put activation in your products, and if youve put it in, take it out. Plenty of vendors responded to my recent column criticizing the implementation of activation technologies for software products. With the goal of reducing piracy […]

If you read my column regularly, you probably already know that Im not a big proponent of legislative solutions to technological problems. From copyright protections to anti-spam enforcement, I tend to think that bills from governments will cause more harm than good. However, there is a forthcoming bill of which I am in favor. U.S. […]

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY SharePoint Portal Server 2003 Microsofts new portal server is generations ahead of the previous version. SharePoint Portal Server 2003 has added key Web services and integration features while improving existing strengths. KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS USABILITY EXCELLENT CAPABILITY GOOD PERFORMANCE GOOD INTEROPERABILITY FAIR MANAGEABILITY GOOD SCALABILITY EXCELLENT SECURITY GOOD PRO: Best-in-class end-user interface; excellent […]

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY WebSphere Portal 5.0 IBM has given its already-strong WebSphere Portal a boost in this upgrade, addressing pretty much all the weaknesses of previous versions (especially in the administration interface). Companies can more easily manage and leverage this powerful portal offering. KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS USABILITY GOOD CAPABILITY EXCELLENT PERFORMANCE GOOD INTEROPERABILITY GOOD MANAGEABILITY GOOD […]

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Vignette Application Portal 4.5 Vignette has pulled off the rare trick of acquiring an excellent product (the Epicentric EIP) and actually improving it. Vignette Application Portal provides open and flexible configuration and development options, ease of administration, and strong user management. Excellent management interface; good Web services integration; allows creation of personalized content […]