John J. McLaughlin

The Best of the Worst

2011-08-21T18:31:00.001-05:00

I guess that all depends on your point of view; the 10 Scariest Hacks is truly frightening. If you’re a bad guy this is good news. Regardless, the bad guys are bad but they are far from stupid…take notice/. CIO (August 16, 2011)

Undetected Threats

2011-08-21T18:29:00.000-05:00

If you want to know how APT’s can go unnoticed by even the most advanced detection algorithms read APT Attackers Hiding in Plain Sight. Turns out that the way not to be noticed (also true in real life) is not do anything that will draw attention. Dark Reading (August 17, 2011)

Protecting Your Child

2011-08-21T18:27:00.000-05:00

Facebook in conjunction with two of the best in IT security has Published A Personal Security Guide for Teenagers. The guide is available through a link in the article. With over 750MM users, a lot of teens need to brought up to speed that there are bad people out there. TechWorld (August 19, 2011)

Privacy A Priority

2011-08-21T18:25:00.002-05:00

Every company has information that should not see the light of day; unfortunately thru error, malfeasance or ignorance stuff gets out. Here are the Top Five Privacy Issues Organizations Must Tackle in the coming years. There are holes that must be acknowledged and filled. IT Business Edge (August 18, 2011)

Passé Passwords

2011-08-21T18:24:00.001-05:00

The password has been with us since the beginning of time it seems and we have looked at all sorts of biometrics, token and the like as a replacement. Now from the NSTIC Director: ‘We’re Trying to Get Rid of Passwords’; whether they will find an new method of authentication for the masses is another question. NetworkWorld (August 18, 2011)

Hacked and Unaware

2011-08-21T18:22:00.002-05:00

A new report from McAfee indicates that the majority of Fortune 2000 companies have been hacked and many are not aware of the intrusion. The Dire Warning from McAfee Security Specialist should have a chilling affect on companies and prod them into an even higher level of security awareness and preparedness. Enterprise Systems Journal (August 15, 2011)

Forever Present

2011-08-21T18:21:00.000-05:00

If you thought getting rid of malware was tough you haven’t seen anything. A Man Reveals Secret Recipe Behind Undeletable Cookies, these cookies are called ‘respawning’ and can be a real headache for those infected. The Register (August 18, 2011)

BART Lessons

2011-08-21T18:19:00.000-05:00

The recent cyber attack gives 3 Security Lessons From BART’s Anonymous Breach. While you may be inclined to point a finger at a transit company thing you are different, in reality, there is no difference in the computer room – pay attention. InformationWeek (August 18, 2011)

Failure is Just the Tip of the Iceberg

2011-08-21T18:16:00.000-05:00

When something goes wrong the first thing every one does is fix the problem and then move on to the next item on the list. This article indicates what we all know: The Cure for Network Downtime is Not Just Technology but a close examination of all aspects to fully understand not only the nature of the problem but everything and everyone that could possibly be involved. NetworkWorld (August 16,

Lessons Learned the Hard Way

2011-08-21T18:14:00.000-05:00

Experience is a hard teacher when the lesson is DR. Unfortunately It Takes a Disaster To Prove a Techie Right in most cases and these four were expensive and painful. InfoWorld (August 17, 2011)

A Great Primer

2011-08-21T18:13:00.000-05:00

There are only two types of companies that are intimately familiar with BC and DR; those that are and those that will be. Making a Start on these two very important aspects for your company will mean the difference between survival and death. If you don’t have a well thought out plan, now is the time to start. Continuity Central (August 17, 2011)

Database Forensics

2011-08-21T18:11:00.000-05:00

Finding out that someone has hacked into your database is not something that shows up immediately; usually someone outside the company notices the anomaly and gives a heads up warning. The industry no recognizes that Database Auditing, Forensics Style is coming into the lime light and redo logs, etc. are not going to tell you what, when, how, where and who got tint. Dark Reading (August 15, 2011

Myths, Facts and Reality

2011-08-21T18:09:00.000-05:00

When vendors stop talking about a technology then you can rest assured that the technology is dead or getting mature. In the case of the cloud the later applies; however knowing The (Real) State of the Cloud, 2011 becomes more difficult because the hype is overshadowed by reality and vendors don’t like reality at the dog and pony shows. Cloud Computing (August 15, 2011)

Hidden Expenses Can Kill the ROI

2011-08-21T18:07:00.000-05:00

Vendors love to provide the raw data for your ROI because there are always gotchas that pop up that you don’t think about. In Preparing for the Real Costs of Cloud Computing there are going to be some substantial surprises if you are very careful in turning over every rock. InfoWorld (August 15, 2011)

Fast Isn't a Given

2011-08-21T18:05:00.000-05:00

By their nature clouds have multiple users on the same virtual machine and there’s the rub: Cloud Performance Isn't Always Stable. You can get a guaranteed performance in your contract but that clause won't be cheap…and you cost savings may evaporate very quickly. Make sure you get what you want in writing and if your cloud vendor balks, you walk. Cloud Computing (August 18, 2011)

Clemson’s Five Year Climb to the Top

2011-08-21T18:03:00.000-05:00

Five years age, CIO James Bottom came into a University with, shall we say, a diverse IT environment. The CIO provided the leadership, encouragement and vision as the Clemson IT Team Embraces Call to be Entrepreneurial and propel Clemson to a showcase for university and college IT departments. NetworkWorld (August 15, 2011)

A Great Primer

2011-08-21T18:01:00.000-05:00

The Future

2011-08-18T16:18:00.003-05:00

Predicting the future in IT is about as sure as winning the lottery; but on the other hand we know the sun is going to come up tomorrow. Likewise some things do make sense and here are Three Technology Trends Your Company Can't Ignore. We like the last paragraph about those individuals that see trends and implement good ideas. ComputerWorld (August 9, 2011)

USB Devices Pose Huge Problem

2011-08-18T16:17:00.005-05:00

USB Devices Pose Huge Problem: You may be asking how big a problem are USB devices today. A recent study by the Ponemon Institute of 745 IT and Security Managers found that USB Devices Are The Big Hole in Network Security. Some of the percentages are downright scary. NetworkWorld (August 9, 2011)

Safe Startups Is Not An Oxymoron

2011-08-18T16:17:00.004-05:00

Safe Startups Is Not An Oxymoron: HP, Google, EMC and other companies at one time or another were unheard of in the IT environment, so some one must have stepped up to the plate and bought from these unknowns. Here are some tips on How To Evaluate Storage Products from Startups that will come in handy when you see a new product from a new company that looks interesting. IT Knowledge Exchange (

The Consequences of Decisions

2011-08-18T16:16:00.005-05:00

Leadership can be hard to describe but easy to spot. Adrift in the South Pacific is a metaphor for security, knowing when to hold to your beliefs and what happens when you get talked into a different course of action. CSO Online (August 8, 2011)

Finding Rogues in Advance

2011-08-18T16:16:00.001-05:00