To:mswier@YAHOO.COM
Date: Wed, 26 Apr 2006 16:46:18 -0400 (EDT)
From:"Linux Pipeline Newsletter" <linuxed@techwire.com>
Subject: [LXP] Linux Pipeline - 04.26.2006 - Scary Stories Linux Pipeline Newsletter | Scary Stories | 04.26.2006
Linux Pipeline Newsletter
www.LinuxPipeline.com
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 26, 2006


In This Issue:
  • Editor's Note: Scary Stories
  • Top Linux News
        - Sun CEO McNealy Steps Down, Schwartz Steps Up
        - Novell CEO Wants Closer Relationship With Oracle
        - Zero-Day Firefox Flaw May Create Problems, Experts Warn
        - More News...
  • Editor's Picks
        - How-To: Windows-To-Linux Migrations, Made Easy
        - As Linux Malware Multiplies, Will OS X Be Far Behind?
        - Enterprise Users Weigh Linux Tradeoffs
        - More Picks...
  • Voting Booth: Does Enterprise Linux Have A Future?
  • Get More Out Of Linux Pipeline
  • Manage Your Newsletter Subscription


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    Have you heard about the DataComm Enterprise Conference? June 6-7, McCormick Place, Chicago during GLOBALCOMM. Unique 3-in-1 event covers wireless, storage and enterprise security. You're invited to the premier 2-day forum for Business and IT Includes free access to GLOBALCOMM 2006 exhibits and keynotes. "http://www.data.com"

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    Editor's Note: Scary Stories

    I tend to resist security scares of any sort. That's especially true when a scare involves malware or software security flaws; such "threats" are, in fact, rarely much of a threat at all to users who take basic, common-sense security precautions.

    At any rate, given the number of stories you'll find this week, here and elsewhere, covering the new wave of malware targeting Linux and OS X systems, as well as still more security-related coverage of the usual suspects, it's a good time to hang back, take a deep breath, and take stock of the situation.

    It's undeniably true that malware developers are, at long last, sinking their teeth into some dangerously complacent Open Source backsides. It's also true that the problem has far less to do with this or that technology than it does with the people using them: As always, users who cut corners, assume too much, and refuse to take responsibility for themselves are the ones who will never even know what hit them.

    Also keep in mind that computer security is not just an intellectual discipline; it's a multi-billion dollar business. In this environment, the distinctions between consumer education, awareness-raising tactics, and traditional marketing are important; you don't have to subscribe to conspiracy theories, or assume the worst about people, to know that it's a bad idea to depend on people who want to sell you something to tell you what you need and why you need it.

    That's not an excuse, by the way, to justify not paying $30 for decent malware protection, no matter which desktop operating system you prefer. It is a reminder that no security expert, and certainly no software, can help us when we forget about the only security vulnerabilities that no developer can ever patch: the ones between our ears.

    Matt McKenzie
    Editor, Linux Pipeline
    mattcmp@sonic.net
    www.LinuxPipeline.com


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    Top Linux News

    Sun CEO McNealy Steps Down, Schwartz Steps Up
    Scott McNealy, chief executive and co-founder of Sun Microsystems is stepping down, the company announced Monday; Jonathan Schwartz, Sun's president and COO, will be charged with turning around the company's increasingly grim financial situation.

    Novell CEO Wants Closer Relationship With Oracle
    Novell Chairman and CEO Jack Messman on Wednesday declined to comment on industry buzz about possible acquisition talks with Oracle, but he didn't deny that he'd like to get friendlier with the database giant.

    Zero-Day Firefox Flaw May Create Problems, Experts Warn
    A security firm fears that a zero-day vulnerability could leave even the most current, fully patched versions of Firefox exposed to online attackers who have already devised ways to exploit the flaw.

    Minnesota Standards Bill Could Affect Microsoft Word, Adobe
    Legislation calling for open data formats gains momentum in Minnesota, where supporters of a bill before the state legislature say that relying on proprietary document formats, including Microsoft Word and Adobe PDF, is the wrong way to manage public-sector information.

    Mozilla Patches Thunderbird, Puts Mozilla Suite To Sleep
    Mozilla Corp. late Friday unveiled security fixes for several products, including its Thunderbird e-mail client and Mozilla browser suite, and announced that this week's Mozilla Suite patch would be its last.

    Microsoft Widens Aim With IE 7 Beta Release
    Microsoft drops the "Preview" label from this week's Internet Explorer 7 Beta 2 release and says it will begin protecting IE 7 testers with regular security updates, making the browser far more suitable for widespread public use.

    CollabNet Intros Web-Based Version Control
    By offering its Subversion on Demand version-control system as a hosted app, CollabNet says it will enable firms of any size to coordinate globally-dispersed development teams -- and enable itself to keep up with a field of like-minded competitors.

    JasperSoft Delivers Open-Source Biz Intelligence Platform
    JasperSoft unveils its open-source business intelligence architecture, shipping a new server that allows users to build reports customized for any department within a company.

    MySQL To Outline Plug-in Plans, Database Upgrade
    At its user conference next week, MySQL plans to outline its plug-in architecture that allows VARs and developers to use specialized storage and transaction engines suited for their workloads. The company also is slated to highlight MySQL 5.1, a point upgrade of its open-source database.

    Yahoo Tied to Jailing Of Third Chinese Activist
    An international group dedicated to freedom of the press says information retrieved from Yahoo's China-based email servers helped Chinese authorities to hunt down and imprison yet another political dissident.

    Mac OS X Hit By 6 New Zero-Day Bugs
    At least six zero-day vulnerabilities in Apple Computer's Mac OS X have been spotted by an independent researcher, who claims he notified the company about the flaws as far back as January.


    Editor's Picks

    How-To: Windows-To-Linux Migrations, Made Easy
    If you're ready to make the leap from Windows to Linux, these two migration tools make it far more likely that you'll enjoy a soft landing.

    As Linux Malware Multiplies, Will OS X Be Far Behind?
    Malicious threats against the open-source Linux operating system doubled in 2005 over the previous year, but some say it's Mac OS X users who should fear the future.

    Enterprise Users Weigh Linux Tradeoffs
    Think you're going to save gobs of money by opting for Linux over other operating systems? You may be in for a rude awakening, according to some financial services IT managers, who cited skill shortages and integration challenges aplenty as major problems during their own Linux migrations.

    VMware, Linux ISVs Launch Alternative Desktop Models
    As Microsoft prepares to tout Windows Vista's advanced management features at a summit this week, VMware and Linux desktop competitors are banding together to push alternative desktop technologies.

    Journalists, Executives Await Decision On Apple Speech Suit
    A three-judge panel is preparing its ruling on a case that weighs First Amendment and privacy rights against businesses' efforts to keep proprietary information confidential.


    Voting Booth: Does Enterprise Linux Have A Future?

    Cast Your Vote Now!
    Actually, this week's question is more a matter of whether the two leading enterprise Linux vendors, Novell and Red Hat, have futures as independent companies. Can the two firms -- or either of them, for that matter -- survive an increasingly inhospitable-looking competitive landscape? Let us know, cast your vote!


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    ------- Advertisement -------------------
    Have you heard about the DataComm Enterprise Conference? June 6-7, McCormick Place, Chicago during GLOBALCOMM. Unique 3-in-1 event covers wireless, storage and enterprise security. You're invited to the premier 2-day forum for Business and IT Includes free access to GLOBALCOMM 2006 exhibits and keynotes. "http://www.data.com"

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