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TOP STORIES FOR MONDAY, APRIL 08, 2002 Marking Technique May Help Thwart Hackers Microsoft Refocuses on Security Pop-up Downloads Showing Up AND New Technology Provides Television Narratives for Blind Adobe and Other Publishers Move to XML WAP Upgrade Seeks to Improve Image MARKING TECHNIQUE MAY HELP THWART HACKERS Micah Adler, an associate professor at the University of Massachusetts, has devised a new technique to combat denial of service (DoS) attacks. His method--to include a single bit of information in the header of all Internet messages--would allow victims of DoS attacks to quickly identify the source of the messages and take steps to block traffic from that location. Ryan Russell of SecurityFocus said this approach to marking messages is potentially inadequate for very large attack networks and for attacks coming from a variety of sources. Adler admitted the latter weakness, saying he is researching ways to make the protocol more effective in multiple-source attacks. NewsFactor Network, 8 April 2002 http://www.newsfactor.com/perl/story/17141.html MICROSOFT REFOCUSES ON SECURITY In February Microsoft began an initiative to make security its toppriority, above adding new features. After a spate of concerns raised about security holes in its operating systems and other software, the company sent 9,000 of its top developers to training on writing secure software. Programmers were also instructed to search through existing code for flaws that could compromise security. Microsoft admitted that its goal of making software easy to use is often at odds with making it safe from attack, including two especially destructive viruses last year, Code Red and Nimbda. The company said it has shifted its attention from features to security, though many skeptics have adopted a wait-and-see attitude. New York Times, 8 April 2002 http://www.nytimes.com/2002/04/08/technology/ebusiness/08SOFT.html POP-UP DOWNLOADS SHOWING UP Web surfers are encountering a new type of advertisement, one that downloads software to their computers. So-called pop-up downloads take advantage of the fact that many Web users are not savvy enough to understand what they're agreeing to and that most people are inclined to say "Yes" when presented with a pop-up box asking whether they will accept the download. Most of the applications downloaded through such ads are legitimate products, though some are programs that can redirect users to adult Web sites, create new dial-up accounts, or otherwise interfere with a user's computer. CNET, 8 April 2002 http://news.com.com/2100-1023-877568.html ALSO ***************************************************** NEW TECHNOLOGY PROVIDES TELEVISION NARRATIVES FOR BLIND New rules from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) requiring television broadcasters to provide video descriptions for people with severely impaired vision went into effect April 1. According to the rules, stations in the 25 largest markets, and cable or satellite operators with at least 50,000 subscribers, must provide narrator descriptions of on-screen events for roughly four hours of broadcasting per week. During the shows, narrators are heard during breaks in the dialogue describing what the characters are doing. The FCC rules are part of a larger plan to make new technologies more accessible to people with disabilities. New York Times, 8 April 2002 http://www.nytimes.com/2002/04/08/technology/ebusiness/08SIMP.html ADOBE AND OTHER PUBLISHERS MOVE TO XML Adobe Systems is adding its name to the list of companies producing publishing software that supports Extensible Markup Language (XML). The new version of FrameMaker lets users create documents in XML as well as PDF, HTML, or other formats used by handhelds or e-book readers. Arbortext and Corel also provide features in their publishing software to generate XML files. XML offers significant time and cost savings to publishing because it allows creation of media-neutral content. With XML, users only need to maintain a single source for all of the applications of that material, printed or online. ITworld, 8 April 2002 http://www.idg.net/ic_843213_1794_9-10000.html WAP UPGRADE SEEKS TO IMPROVE IMAGE A new version of the wireless application protocol (WAP) aims to address many of the complaints of users who have been disappointed with the product. According to Thomas Reardon, vice president of Openwave, the company that developed WAP, early expectations--that WAP would allow browser-like functionality on cell phones--were unrealistic. The new version, which uses a hybrid of XML and HTML, will let users interact with WAP sites featuring color and easier pop-up menus. Joe Laszlo of Jupiter Media Metrix said that even if the new protocol is significantly better, Openwave will still have difficulty because there are other standards to choose from. Still, he said, much of the disappointment with WAP has had more to do with the sites available than with the tool itself. Wired News, 8 April 2002 http://www.wired.com/news/wireless/0,1382,51516,00.html ***************************************************** EDUPAGE INFORMATION To subscribe, unsubscribe, or change your settings, visit http://www.educause.edu/pub/edupage/edupage.html Or, you can subscribe or unsubscribe by sending e-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] To SUBSCRIBE, in the body of the message type: SUBSCRIBE Edupage YourFirstName YourLastName To UNSUBSCRIBE, in the body of the message type: SIGNOFF Edupage If you have subscription problems, send e-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] For past issues of Edupage or information about translations of Edupage into other languages, visit http://www.educause.edu/pub/edupage/edupage.html ***************************************************** OTHER EDUCAUSE PUBLICATIONS EDUCAUSE publishes periodicals, including "EDUCAUSE Quarterly" and "EDUCAUSE Review," books, and other materials dealing with the impacts and implications of information technology in higher education. 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