Introduction

With Christmas fast approaching online businesses are booming and delivery companies are feeling the pressure. There has been a 33% reported increase in online grocery shopping. Which I will take to mean that because it's cold, we have all decided to stay indoors and shop from the comfort of our armchairs.

Microsoft Windows

Did you know it's been 20 years since Microsoft Windows first appeared on the market and became the worlds leading operating system for desktop computers. It can now be found running on portable devices, mobile phones, and embedded in custom vendor solutions. How things have advanced over the last 20 years.

Microsoft is set to release it's newest version in 2006 and this will lead many users and companies thinking - shall I upgrade? Historically it has been a good idea delay upgrading until the new operating system is at least at service pack 1, but has anyone noticed that Windows XP was and is still the most resilient operating system Microsoft released and the next version Windows Vista is set to be just as stable but with enhanced security and management functions.

A big issue with distributed desktops is the deployment of software and software updates, Vista promises to have enhanced functionality to handle desktop management. There are also promised "lite" versions for environments using "thin clients". If you would like to know more or have specific questions then please contact me.

Domains

If you remember I talked about ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) and how they have a monopoly on the internet, which some nations are seeing as the USA trying to control the internet.

Well a Dutch Internet domain registrar "Unified Root" has installed 13 internet domain name system root servers (DNS) on four continents and is hopeful of signing deals with Internet service providers. These steps effectively allow the ICANN to be side stepped and would offer more user-friendly domain names (as they can use a different naming convention). You can read more about this at www.unifiedroot.com

Quotes

"Emails get in the way of serious consideration of what you want to do. Don't do email" - Sir Bob Geldof

Sir Geldof is unlikely to be getting a blackberry in his Christmas Stocking.

"The biggest mistake the [music] labels are making is they're letting their lawyers make technical decisions. Lawyers don't have any better understanding of technology than a cow does algebra" Phil Leigh

Phil Leigh, an analyst for Inside Digital Media, says digital rights management is not the panacea to copyright theft the music industry has sought.

Interestingly enough there is a current issue with the anti-spyware software vendors and one of the largest music labels, their CD's come with software on them so that when the CD is inserted into a computer, special software is loaded and could result in the machine becoming unstable or the user having problems playing other cd's or media. The software has the finger prints of "spyware" as the music labels are not asking user permission to install this software and it is acting somewhat "covertly".

Some of the advanced anti-spyware tools have been detecting this software and thus causing a conflict with the music company's software. It would seem that maybe someone technical needs to represent user interests to the music companies.

Inside Track

I would just like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas season and a most prosperous New Year.

Security bulletin