NETWORK WORLD NEWSLETTER: ANDREAS M. ANTONOPOULOS ON THE DATA CENTER 12/07/04 Today's focus: Spyware can cripple the data center
Dear [EMAIL PROTECTED], In this issue: * Spyware on PCs can affect apps in the data center * Links related to Data Center * Featured reader resource _______________________________________________________________ This newsletter sponsored by SBC Gimme Shelter! Converged Services Spell Relief For Beleaguered Network Managers Switched IP networks are rapidly becoming the corporate communications architecture of choice. By converging voice, data and video onto IP telephony platforms and Virtual Private Networks, enterprises can supply bandwidth when and where end users need it, while significantly lowering administrative and equipment costs. Click here to download this Whitepaper now http://www.fattail.com/redir/redirect.asp?CID=89594 _______________________________________________________________ DOZENS OF NEW WHITE PAPERS NOW AVAILABLE Recent additions to Network World's White Paper Library focus on topics such as: safeguarding your Windows(R) environment from internal and external attacks, implementing SLAs, establishing an Internet usage policy for instant messaging, advantages of a 64-bit environment and more. Download your FREE white papers today at: http://www.fattail.com/redir/redirect.asp?CID=89445 _______________________________________________________________ Today's focus: Spyware can cripple the data center By Andreas M. Antonopoulos Spyware was, until recently, mostly a consumer problem: home PCs infected with hundreds of pop-up-generating spybots. With the exception of keyloggers, spyware had often been seen as just an annoyance. But the threat to enterprises is much more serious. As enterprise applications are increasingly delivered over the Web, the browser becomes the de facto platform for these mission-critical applications. Spyware can cripple the browser and prevent your users from accessing their applications and data. Almost any browser can be infected with spyware, causing errors or crashes. If your enterprise application is Web-based, your infected browser may even affect the overall application performance. Enterprise applications may be programmed to work on many different browsers. If the application is coded using W3C-compliant markup languages, browsers such as Microsoft's Internet Explorer (IE), Firefox, Opera and Safari may all be used as clients. Some enterprise applications are programmed specifically for IE, using proprietary features such as ActiveX. IE's ActiveX capabilities are a double-edged sword: enterprise applications can gain "richer" features by coding ActiveX components, but the ActiveX support makes the browser even more vulnerable to spyware. The term "spyware" is applied to a broad range of malware. From a simple tracking cookie, to a Trojan keylogger, spyware can cause various problems for enterprise applications: * Pop-up pages may appear at random. Due to cross-site scripting vulnerabilities, this could compromise enterprise data as a script running in one frame could read data from another. It is also annoying and a drain on productivity. * If several spyware applications are running, the browser may be very slow. * Spyware contains bugs, like any software, and can cause browser and operating system crashes or even security vulnerabilities. For many years we have heard the promise, "All applications will be Web-based. Any day now!" Whether that's true or not, the Web browser is undoubtedly an important platform for application delivery in the enterprise. Spyware is therefore a serious problem for enterprise environments. Browser-specific spyware is as harmful as operation system-specific viruses in that it can kill your application platform. Enterprise IT managers should consider taking preventative steps by installing a spyware-blocker, as well as a spyware-scanning suite. RELATED EDITORIAL LINKS Vendors aim to tamp down spyware Network World, 11/22/04 http://www.nwfusion.com/news/2004/112204spy.html Debating what is spyware Network World, 11/08/04 http://www.nwfusion.com/news/2004/110804spywareside.html Universities struggling with SSL-busting spyware IDG News Service, 11/30/04 http://www.nwfusion.com/news/2004/1130univestrug.html Server virtualization is on the rise Network World, 12/06/04 http://www.nwfusion.com/nldatacenter880 Opalis looks to automate repetitive tasks Network World, 12/06/04 http://www.nwfusion.com/news/2004/120604opalis.html _______________________________________________________________ To contact: Andreas M. Antonopoulos Andreas M. Antonopoulos is principal research analyst at Nemertes Research. He can be reached at <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> _______________________________________________________________ This newsletter sponsored by SBC Gimme Shelter! Converged Services Spell Relief For Beleaguered Network Managers Switched IP networks are rapidly becoming the corporate communications architecture of choice. By converging voice, data and video onto IP telephony platforms and Virtual Private Networks, enterprises can supply bandwidth when and where end users need it, while significantly lowering administrative and equipment costs. Click here to download this Whitepaper now http://www.fattail.com/redir/redirect.asp?CID=89593 _______________________________________________________________ ARCHIVE LINKS Archive of the Data Center newsletter: http://www.nwfusion.com/newsletters/datacenter/index.html Data Center research center: http://www.nwfusion.com/topics/datacenter.html _______________________________________________________________ Remedy Free Webcast: Dynamic Change Management - Enabling IT's Response to Changing Business Requirements Join Jean-Pierre Garbani, Forrester Research, as he explores how best practices in change management can help you respond to business requests for IT change-and prevent failure of critical business systems. http://www.fattail.com/redir/redirect.asp?CID=88537 _______________________________________________________________ FEATURED READER RESOURCE COMPREHENSIVE ENTERPRISE STORAGE INFORMATION Go to NW Fusion's Research Center for detailed information on enterprise storage. Find the latest breaking news, case studies, white papers, commentary, reviews and more. Topics on how ILM impacts your storage strategy, how to migrate to a new tape drive, how to link SAN islands and more are all found in the Research Center. Click here: <http://www.nwfusion.com/topics/storage.html> _______________________________________________________________ May We Send You a Free Print Subscription? You've got the technology snapshot of your choice delivered at your fingertips each day. Now, extend your knowledge by receiving 51 FREE issues to our print publication. 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