Matt Hines

Industry analysts were not surprised to see that many leading security vendors did not choose to roll out their new Windows Vista anti-virus products when the much-awaited Microsoft operating system launched on Nov. 30. While McAfee is actively touting its status as the only major AV (anti-virus) provider to get a Vista product out the […]

Security applications market leader Symantec is preparing to launch a range of hosted security products in an effort to tap into the growing demand for software delivered as a service. Symantec said it believes that its customers are ready to begin outsourcing more of their security operations on the online model, mirroring the shift that […]

Oracle is aiming to help companies improve their ability to manage and protect sensitive customer information with a new initiative that encourages businesses to isolate such data outside of individual IT applications. The company introduced the project, called the Identity Governance Framework, or IGF, on Nov. 29, and said it specifically seeks to aid companies […]

McAfees Avert Labs research group on Nov. 29 released its annual report on the Top 10 security threats likely to grow in severity during the coming year, highlighting expectations for continued professionalism among malware code writers and a range of attacks on emerging technology platforms in 2007. The trend toward malware writers and online fraudsters […]

Network security software maker Insightix released the latest version of its NAC package on Nov. 28, adding new features for managing remote users access to IT systems, along with expanded remediation tools and administrative capabilities. Dubbed Insightix NAC 3.0, the updated network access control software promises to give enterprises even greater ability to check the […]

Overwhelmed by an onslaught of external threats that aim to take down or infiltrate their networks, enterprises are increasingly turning to their telecommunications carriers, ISPs and managed services partners to help stop attacks before they even arrive. When enterprises are drawing up their SLAs (service-level agreements) with carriers, most already require that the providers take […]

Network appliance maker Finjan released an updated version of its Internet security software on Nov. 27, claiming new capabilities for identifying and defeating Web-based IT threats. Dubbed Vital Security Version 8.4, the software will be made available as a free download to all users of the companys existing network security appliances, and promises to allow […]

Not everyone was happy to see IBM acquire Internet Security Systems, according to officials at McAfee, which launched a new program Nov. 27 aimed at convincing ISS customers and partners to move over to its own technology. When IBM snapped up Atlanta-based ISS for $1.3 billion in late August 2006, a number of the security […]

Researchers have published exploit code that targets an unpatched kernel vulnerability in Apples OS X desktop software. An independent vulnerability analyst working as part of the “Month of Kernel Bugs” campaign released the details necessary to attack the hole in OS X on Nov. 22, revealing the manner in which hackers could target the glitch, […]

Overwhelmed by an onslaught of external threats that aim to take down or infiltrate their networks, enterprises are increasingly turning to their telecommunications carriers, ISPs and managed services providers to help stop attacks before they arrive. Companies are demanding that their providers offer a range of security protections as part of their licensing agreements. Alongside […]

Despite having technology and procedures in place to prevent and remediate attacks from spyware, many companies still have difficulty stopping the threats, researchers report. According to a new study published Nov. 13 by Ponemon Institute, based on interviews of more than 500 North American IT security professionals, a resounding majority of workers admit that their […]

Leading researchers say adware broker Zango continues to employ questionable business practices to distribute its programs, even as the U.S. Federal Trade Commission finalizes a settlement proposed by the company that would ban it from such activity. In a statement posted on his Web site Nov. 20, independent adware researcher and Harvard-trained attorney Ben Edelman […]