Lisa Phifer

Clicking on a PDF in your email in-box can be lead to series of security headaches. Lisa Phifer provides tips to protect yourself from PDF-based malware. In early 2010, PDF exploits were by far the most common malware tactic, representing more than 47 percent of all Q1 infections tracked by Kaspersky Labs. By mid-year, PDF […]

The year’s RSA security conference — as always — revealed the biggest trends in enterprise security. Lisa Phifer reports. At last week’s RSA Conference, dozens of network hardware, software, and service providers exhibited wares and announced security offerings. Internet-borne crime, cloud service delivery, and compliance concerns continue to push network security onto center stage, forcing […]

Websites that spread malware may be leveling off, but Web-borne malware encounters are still growing. According to a 2Q10 Global Threat Report published by Cisco, criminals are using search engine optimization and social engineering to become more efficient, luring more targeted victims to fewer URLs. Using IronPort SenderBase, Cisco estimated that search engine queries lead […]

After a devastating wrong turn with Vista, Microsoft is back on its game with Windows 7. Sure, Windows 7 has annoyances – such as touting attractive features, but making most of them available only to those who pay extra for Enterprise (or Ultimate). But Windows 7 Enterprise delivers a plethora of improvements to justify the […]

Gone are the early days of Wi-Fi, when CSOs lost sleep over threats like WEP cracking and war driving. 802.11n products have matured to the point where many enterprises are investing in larger, faster WLANs to support mission-critical applications. And yet, pros know that security is never to be taken for granted. Here, we offer […]

From stolen devices and phishing attacks to buggy apps and human blunders, 2009 was another banner year for data breaches. According to the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, over 345 million records containing sensitive data have been involved in incidents within the United States since January 2005. But last year, one single breach compromised 130 million records. […]

Wireless High Def TV. Internet audio/video content navigation and delivery. IP multi-media storage and streaming. Digital photo frames and netbooks. At CES 2009, Wi-Fi was everywhere—and nowhere. At the world’s biggest consumer electronics event, the focus is on splashy interfaces and user-visible features. Network plumbing tends to take a back seat. But never before has […]

El Centro Regional Medical Center‘s Director of IS John Gaede intends to use innovative medical technologies to transform healthcare. “We can attack escalation in healthcare cost by using IT to avoid test duplication, improve communication, and make it easier for physicians, nurses, and clinicians get their work done.”   “We’ve already put in an Electronic […]

Before Wi-Fi can displace Ethernet as the LAN access method of choice, enterprises must learn how to accurately plan, budget, provision, troubleshoot, and tune WLANs. To facilitate this, Meru Networks believes that WLANs must become more predictable by exploiting the advantages of virtualization.   “Micro-cell [WLAN] adaptation and variability is the main cause of high […]

VoIP is a critical real-time service with many complex moving parts. Without the proper precautions, VoIP protocols and systems can become vectors for misuse or attack—affecting not only voice services but your entire IP network. In the ‘prequil’to this investigation, we discussed common vulnerabilities that can impact SIP-based VoIP installations. Here, we take you on […]