NIST revises guidance for assigning FISMA security categories
NIST has updated its guidelines for mapping information in government information systems to categories that specify the types of security controls the data requires.
VMware CEO apologizes for faulty patch
UPDATED: A bug in the company's most recent software update blocked users from starting their virtualized servers.
Encryptionizer submitted for FIPS certification
NetLib encryption tool undergoing Federal Information Processing Standard 140-2 validation.
USPS to adopt new bar coding system
The Postal Service is on track to put a new bar code system into production next year that will help to automate the processing of mail being sent by large mailers.
Cybereye | The Wall of Sheep
Commentary: Even among security researchers and administrators, there is plenty of lax security in online habits.
Also in the news: Time to consider PHP 5
ComputerWorld reports that the last security patch to PHP 4 has been released.
Cloning e-passports: An old trick that can still work
Optional security features are the problem with the international electronic passport scheme.
Beckstrom on cybersecurity
Cybersecurity is hampered by a lack of understanding about the physics and economics of the networks we are trying to defend, according to the director of DHS' National Cyber Security Center.
Protect your crypto key from the cold
New software suite can defend computers against cold boot attacks.
12 Microsoft patches coming
Critical patches will be issued for various Windows OS versions and applications, including Internet Explorer, Access, Windows Media Player and Office.
Legal support for security researchers
Electronic Frontier Foundation offers IT security researchers advice on navigating the potential minefield of patent and copyright laws involved in their work.
'Angell of Doom' takes center stage at Black Hat Briefings
Don't confuse data with knowledge, calculation with thought, or computers will cause problems, warns IT gadfly Ian Angell.
Microsoft to include risk assessments as part of patch cycle
Microsoft will rate the likelihood that new vulnerabilities will be exploited to help IT administrators prioritize patches.
Aruba wireless networks are EAL-2 certified
The company's equipment, featuring end-to-end encryption and segregation of user traffic, also meets FIPS 140-2 and DOD Directive 8100.2 requirements.
ScriptLogic software is FDCC-compliant
ScriptLogic's desktop management software receives certification as compliant with OMB's Federal Desktop Core Configuration standard.
Software vulnerabilities up in 2008
Topping the list of companies reporting the most vulnerabilities were IBM, Microsoft, Apple and Cisco Systems; open source software also made the list of programs with security holes.
PC repair in 25 seconds
Persystent software fixes PC problems quickly and is compliant with the Federal Desktop Core Configuration mandate.
Editor's Desk | Seller beware
Commentary: Many in and out of government might someday look back on the leadership of the Air Force Information Technology Commodity Council, and its director, Ken Heitkamp, with a sense of gratitude for the Federal Desktop Core Configuration model.
FDCC model branches out
The Air Force, which set the template for the Federal Desktop Core Configuration, is working on standardizing servers, printers, smart phones and even Apple Macs.
Leave home without it
Olympic visitors who carry any kind of sensitive or classified information got a cautionary lesson recently when a senior adviser to British Prime Minister Gordon Brown had his BlackBerry stolen while on a trip to China.
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