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howie, thanks!!!!
for being so concerned about the regular investors! I think I'll forward your name to Spitzer. Perhaps there's a place on his team for such a proactive shareholder watchdog!
Can you tell me when you'll again be posting your thoughts on that big revenue miss a couple years ago?
Why companies need ETS?
Results of a recent Forrester Group survey found 62 percent of CIOs consider security or disaster recovery upgrades a top priority for 2004 IT spending. Administrators who neglect physical security can lose carefully tuned hardware to common theft as well as common environmental disturbances (e.g., blackouts or heat waves). No matter how tight the budget, security and failover should always be taken into account.
Hardware Today: Getting Blood From a Stone, Maximizing the Server Budget
By Ben Freeman
Maybe it's a case of too much punch at the holiday party, but did you just hear your CFO mention the word "economy" without the requisite wailing and gnashing of teeth that accompanied it for the past two years?
Perhaps. Forrester Research saw a conservative 1.7 percent growth in IT budgets during 2003, but the research firm predicts that once the good economic cheer is fully dispensed, spending will increase by 4 percent. IDC's latest Worldwide Quarterly Server Tracker, released last week, reflected similar growth, with a 2 percent revenue pickup during the past three months. The gain is nearly one percentage point higher than analysts anticipated, and this was the second consecutive quarter of positive growth for server revenue worldwide.
Such optimistic growth indicators likely have some CIOs scrambling to expand their server-room wish lists, while others may be cautiously hoping they asked nicely enough for minimal add-ons. However, no matter how financially flush (or impoverished) you feel, now that it's late in the fiscal year and the creatures aren't stirring much, it's high time to assess the battle plan for next year and figure out how to get the most out of that budget now sitting in your inbox.
No matter how big the budget, a careful TCO analysis is in order. Calculations will help to realistically weigh server room price tags. Blade servers, for example, cost more up front, but they conserve space, cable clutter, and electricity, and they are beginning to prove themselves in enterprise environments. Hewlett-Packard is emerging as the market leader in this space, and one could argue that IA-64-based blades are moving mainframes closer to the retirement block. The migration to Linux-based servers evidenced in science, academia, and, modestly, in the enterprise may be initially costly, but open source has begun to prove its cost effectiveness. Examples of successful migrations to open source include Israel's Ministry of Commerce's OpenOffice 1.1 deployment and the Chinese government's and one Dutch company's commitments to Linux-based Windows alternatives, all of which have Microsoft taking (at times legal) notice.
CIOs who have determined (or for whom it has been determined) they can make do with a smaller budget than in the past also face a variety of choices. Grid and virtual computing, which developed during the past few years of cost-consciousness, continue to maximize server output as budgets modestly expand.
For a CIO looking to quickly pare down or contain costs, blades are generally not the way to go, as they will likely lead to purchasing more equipment than necessary. Blades aren't yet interoperable, and the vendors dominating the game, like HP and IBM, have little incentive to develop standards that would allow their competitors to sell low-cost alternatives. With standards nowhere in sight and prices unlikely to drop, purchasing a blade system may be less desirable than maximizing current server hardware usage through virtualization or a rudimentary grid.
The combination of standards (or lack thereof) and the hardware hodgepodge in many server rooms will likely result in interoperability remaining a key focus in 2004. A variety of operating systems have made interoperability easier in heterogeneous server rooms. For example, Panther's improved compatibility with Windows allows folder, printer, and network sharing between Mac and Windows users. Linux's adherence to open standards, coupled with enthusiastic backing from most major vendors, will enable the open source operating system to earn wider acceptance. As budgets increase, it will be interesting to watch whether enterprise interest in Linux, stoked partially out of a need to cut costs, will burn as bright.
It's important to protect even a slightly increased investment, and we recommend taking stock of potential server marginalization at this time. Whether bought or leased, server hardware should always provide a clear upgrade path as it approaches end of life. In this respect, ubiquity offers some guarantee of return on investment, as it outlines a frequently traveled upgrade path. A major vendor has the muscle to provide clearer retirement strategies for its servers than does a typical white box vendor. However, Windows, Linux, and other stripes of Unix can make for easier upgrade transitions than proprietary operating systems historically deployed by these bigger vendors.
Unfortunately, even the best laid plans are meaningless if an errant meteor razes the server room or some other unforeseen disaster occurs. Results of a recent Forrester Group survey found 62 percent of CIOs consider security or disaster recovery upgrades a top priority for 2004 IT spending. Administrators who neglect physical security can lose carefully tuned hardware to common theft as well as common environmental disturbances (e.g., blackouts or heat waves). No matter how tight the budget, security and failover should always be taken into account.
The next Windows may set new agenda for tech
By Helen Jung
ASSOCIATED PRESS
But the real promise of Longhorn is as a powerful new platform for developers to write "Web services" -- applications that leverage Internet connectivity to automate such tasks as, say, setting up a dentist appointment. Or notifying someone via cell phone when a particular stock price drops.
SEATTLE - Microsoft Corp. has been tarred as an illegal monopoly and a copycat. Its flagship Windows operating system gets knocked for its security holes and user-unfriendly quirks.
So what is the world's dominant software company doing? Betting billions that its next generation of Windows, code-named Longhorn, will be the breakthrough technology that quiets its critics.
Still in its early stages, Longhorn represents Microsoft's best assessment of how computing will evolve. And although the operating system won't be ready until 2005 at the earliest, Microsoft is already hard at work trying to get outside programmers to write software that will work with it.
Even with Microsoft's operating systems running on more than 90 percent of the world's desktop computers, challenges loom for software's goliath.
Microsoft struggles these days to batten down its products against viruses and hackers, and is wrestling a growing open-source movement. On top of that, European regulators could order it next year to decouple its multimedia player from its operating systems.
"Microsoft's control comes from its ownership of the desktop," said Ted Schadler, an analyst with Forrester Research. "If it doesn't create energy and excitement in the developer community and the partners and in the people who create tools for the desktop around where they're headed, they're in trouble."
Early plans for Longhorn call for graphics of a quality typically reserved for video games, plus a unified file storage system aimed at making it easier to find files scattered all over a computer. A search engine that quickly scans your entire system -- and the Internet as well if you like -- would locate pertinent data regardless of whether it was housed in an e-mail, spreadsheet or word-processing document.
Longhorn may also have a "sidebar" on the screen that would include information crucial to individual users -- such as time, instant-messaging buddy lists, a display for photos and news feeds.
But the real promise of Longhorn is as a powerful new platform for developers to write "Web services" -- applications that leverage Internet connectivity to automate such tasks as, say, setting up a dentist appointment. Or notifying someone via cell phone when a particular stock price drops.
That vision represents a shift from Microsoft's approach to most of its past Windows upgrades, said Brent Williams, an analyst with McDonald Investments Inc.
The company has generally played it safe, giving its upgrades mostly incremental improvements that didn't push users too far out of their technological comfort zone.
But now, Microsoft is trying to persuade its users to relate to their computers in a vastly different way.
"Microsoft's changing the equation and saying ... our idea is to have stuff that's way better (but) we can't make it pain-free to convert," Williams said.
Microsoft is, however, well known for its difficulty meeting deadlines. The new version may not be done until 2006 or even 2007, some predict. Microsoft says only that the beta version of Longhorn will be available in the second half of 2004.
That long lead time could benefit competitors and the open-source community, especially if they've got a detailed idea of where Microsoft is heading.
And if Microsoft can't keep to a timeline, it risks losing developers to other platforms, such as Linux, said Richard Doherty, director of Seaford, N.Y.-based research firm Envisioneering Group. Budgets are tight, and software developers are trying to decide when and how much staff and investment to devote to writing applications for Longhorn, Doherty said.
For now, Microsoft is running high on optimism.
Chairman Bill Gates and other executives showed off elements of Longhorn to more than 7,000 developers in Los Angeles recently, netting enthusiastic feedback. At the time, Microsoft's group vice president for Windows, Jim Allchin, told The Associated Press that the event proved that "we are bold in our dreams,"
Many developers shared Allchin's enthusiasm.
"Everything we've seen so far is so amazing," said Igor Odnovorov of Boston-based Phase Forward Inc., which provides data-management programs for pharmaceutical companies and other firms that conduct clinical trials. He liked that the developers' tools and unified file system would provide more freedom in presenting and storing data
doma, yep, that's where
I found the italicized part..........
Tallan Technology Predictions 2004: Another Up Year?
GLASTONBURY, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 1, 2003--It's shaping up to be a great 2004 for those in the technology sector. But don't expect the free-spending days of the late 90s. Companies are looking to fund technology projects that will affect the bottom line and have a long-term payoff. Three developers with Tallan, Inc., one of the country's leading development firms, sat down and talked about what they see in their crystal ball.
Changes in Offshore Development: "One of the big things that will affect developers in 2004 is a gravitation towards the offshore development hybrid model, which uses trusted U.S. development firms as intermediaries in the offshore development process," says Robert Northrop, a design and development director with Tallan. "Offshore development is here to stay, but the hybrid model helps mitigate the risk."
William Moher, director of design and development sees this as leading to the involvement of labor unions in the technology field. "With offshore coding becoming more and more popular, the time is ripe for labor to make efforts to stop the flow of jobs overseas," he says.
Web Services: "The need for centralized services is over and this means Web Services will continue to grow in 2003," says Ron Petty, a consultant with Tallan. "We'll see a gravitation towards offering Web Services for large data set query and retrieval in 2004. This opens the door for analytic use and will lead to toolsets being created that will allow for federated data inquires among multiple Web Services."
Languages/Programming: "J2EE, Unix, and Windows will dominate in business in 2004," says Petty. "XML will also be the language of choice for 2004 and the foreseeable future as companies demand open platform development."
Additionally, Moher says Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) will become the primary architectural model for all J2EE application server providers in 2004 and common SOA framework components will become standardized.
Excerpt from prior Tallan PR: The EMBASSY Trust System now supports multiple currencies, languages and countries for the individual user devices; a core component of Wave's international expansion plans. The systems designed and implemented by Tallán provide Wave Systems with a competitive advantage. As stated by the President and CEO of Wave Systems, Steven Sprague, "We believe the power of our offerings to the marketplace is in our complete global capabilities, including trust infrastructure, back office and services, which sets us apart from any competitor." Additionally, the implementation of a J2EE-compliant architecture allows Wave Systems to scale to handle large volumes of transactions at low cost without tying Wave to a particular hardware or database solution. This gives Wave the flexibility to choose their own migration path as their business expands.)
Harnessing of Network Power: "I think the distributed computing model will catch on in more places," says Northrop. "More companies will begin to utilize idle employee desktops for high powered computing. Uses such as simulation, optimization problems, forecasting, and report generation that were previously only available with significant hardware investments will now be distributed across lower-cost machines."
Bullish on HP/Bear on SCO: "On the heels of the success of the integration of HP and Compaq, I think we'll see HP begin to target complimentary acquisitions in the software space," says Moher. "Potential targets will include Novell, BEA, or Borland."
On the flip side, Moher predicts the SCO Group will lose its legal efforts to enjoin IBM and others in their Linux lawsuit. "But if the courts do not rule unilaterally against SCO, the Federal Trade Commission, under mounting pressure from commercial and governmental interests in Linux, will step in," he says.
Lifting of the Veil: "In 2004 major software vendors will begin to open-source certain under-performing or end-of-line commercial software products," says Moher. "These open-source contributions will re-ignite interest in these older or non-best-of-breed applications and present significant challenges to commercial software vendors."
All three agree that unless the economy takes a stumble, 2004 could be very successful for technology professionals.
greg_s
Intel has not "designed another board with TPM in mind"
But they will? From the Inquirer:
By this time next year, the trusted platform module will be in place for most Intel-related desktop motherboards. And by then, the infrastructure will quite probably be in place to support it. While this technology doesn't have much appeal for individuals, it's something large business likes.
http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=9393
ps: I hope you don't have doma on iggy. I really learn from your exchanges on this board. tnx
Comodo Announces Production Plans
For SIDEN TC4000 Range Of Security ASICs
Comodo announced production plans for their SIDEN TC4000 range of security ASICs (Application Specific Integrated Circuit). Addressing a broad range of hardware security requirements, and incorporating leading-edge cryptographic techniques optimized by Comodo's renowned Research and Development labs, the TC4000 range will be available in mid-2004.
The growth of the Internet, electronic communication and e-commerce has resulted in a greater and wider use of hardware security solutions which now need to touch each and every element of system architecture. As enterprises become increasingly reliant on electronic communication methods, security becomes the critical factor for any successful implementation. Solutions for access control, authentication, confidentiality, privacy and data integrity are now driven not only by need, but by legislation. For example, compliance to HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) and CSBIA (Californian Security Breach Information Act) themselves demonstrate the growing legislative pressure that is focusing IT spending towards security solutions.
"The interest we have had from OEMs and Partners for this device has been astounding, even considering the fact that we knew that we were addressing many customer requirements within a single device. The enthusiasm of the whole industry to provide trusted computing solutions grows every day, and TC4000 will help to provide OEMs with immediate hardware compliance to trusted computing principles." says Steve Roylance, Technical Marketing Director, Comodo.
NGSCB (Next Generation Secure Computing Base) is Microsoft's answer to the issue of security. One of the four mandatory requirements necessary to create a complete NGSCB compatible solution is to provide a method for establishing Trusted Input. The SIDEN TC4000 not only meets Trusted Input requirements but goes well beyond them, ensuring that OEMs designing the devices into their products are able to address a broad range of needs with a consistent architecture. This results in maximum ROI for the OEM realized through minimum incremental development costs for new products and services.
Provided within the 64 pin LQFP (low profile quad flat pack), the feature set of SIDEN TC4000 allows use as a USB smartcard (key fob), an NGSCB compliant keyboard controller with smartcard interface or USB hub, or as a standalone smartcard reader.
Comodo is a member of the Trusted Computing Group, developing and promoting open industry standard specifications for trusted computing hardware building blocks and software interfaces across multiple platforms, including PCs, servers, PDAs, and digital phones.
bonnie,
actually, ihub wouldn't let us have our own private club. As a result, we've had to resort to our behind-the-scenes, ultra-private, super-secret e-mail list!! It is really nice and quiet. (Heck, barge doesn't even use bold, upper-case letters!!) That, and some private meals with sks!!
ks5
awk.......there's nothing better...........
than well laid-out, thoughtful analysis. This is exactly what separates the wheat from the chaff(s my azz) BS regularly posted by the "well-knowns". Thanks, like weby's and DooWop's, yours was one of those posts I like to ponder; very calming.
barge's, on the other hand, are GREAT to read if there's a line in front of Starbucks!!!
I love 'em both!
kevin
barge
regular hours tomorrow, 10:00 PST on Friday.
OT: A few articles
Trusted Transaction Roaming
http://www.silicon-trust.com/pdf/secure_7/09_application_focus_1.pdf
Who's listening on your WLAN?
http://www.silicon-trust.com/pdf/secure_7/10_application_focus_2.pdf
Smart ID For the Man on the Street
http://www.silicon-trust.com/pdf/secure_7/12_application_focus_4.pdf
Smart Proof of Citizenship
http://www.silicon-trust.com/pdf/secure_7/13_application_focus_5.pdf
The (Health)Card That Cares
http://www.silicon-trust.com/pdf/secure_7/14_application_focus_6.pdf
New, from Silicon Trust Report
http://www.silicon-trust.com/pdf/secure_7/21_withinthetrust_5.pdf
bonnie, uhhh, 'cuz it's illegal? e/
Wildman, yep, but it is going to be so interesting
to see what kind of spin the bashers will put on this.
They're very clever; I can hardly wait!!
k5
Wildman, open mkt purchase! nice e/
New Films To Be Shown On Web By 2005
http://www.fox23news.com/entertainment/story.aspx?content_id=8CBB1CB5-F4D3-4CFC-A535-C70C233605FA
Hollywood bosses say newly released films look set to be available on the internet by 2005.
The Motion Picture Association of America chief Jack Valenti says issues of secure delivery via the world-wide web are almost resolved. He says, "Films should go straight from the big screen to the internet well before rental release on DVD and video."
According to Mr Valenti, film industry insiders are currently working with a number of companies, including Microsoft and Hewlett-Packard to develop a secure system for delivering films to the internet: "I really do believe that maybe by this time next year we'll be able to have the beginnings of some really sturdy, protective clothing to put about these movies."
It is hoped by the industry that if people can legally watch films over the internet the need for piracy will be taken away.
OT: Gartner Identifies New Technology Platform to Support
Business Process Fusion
STAMFORD, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 24, 2003--Business process fusion will create demand for cross-functional, end-to-end process applications, however, vendors are trying to figure out how to compete in this new technology platform, according to Gartner, Inc.
Gartner has identified business process fusion as a set of trends impacting business applications, software infrastructure and their role in supporting business processes. Business process fusion is the transformation of business activities achieved by integrating previously autonomous business processes, to create a new scope of management capabilities. It will drive stronger alignment of IT with core business processes and provide linkage of operational and management processes with a true end-to-end scope. Business process fusion is not just another IT integration project. The objective is to integrate business processes to create value, regardless of how, or even whether, the underlying technology is integrated.
"The movement toward business process fusion is not just a matter of vendors extending their application products," said Simon Hayward, vice president and research fellow at Gartner. "Business process fusion takes business applications vendors into a new field of competition, the application platform. This field brings new challenges, such as competitors that traditionally have delivered components of this technology platform, such as Tibco Software and Vitria Technology, as well as competitors with comprehensive platform offerings, such as BEA Systems and IBM."
The technology platform for fusion applications will combine the infrastructure of application servers and integration brokers with portal, content management and collaboration support technology. Gartner analysts identified three key capabilities required from IT systems to achieve business process fusion:
-- Systems integration achieves the requisite scope for
end-to-end processes
-- Application mutability provides flexibility to accommodate
process changes
-- Information unification supports all types of decision making
within a single framework
Although application vendors that have a vision for fusion, including SAP, PeopleSoft and Oracle, now provide the basic technology components required, most components are relatively immature and primarily are optimized for that vendors' application environment.
"Enterprises must make strategic decisions regarding how far to consolidate IT purchases with a single vendor, as opposed to maintaining vendor independence between application categories, and between applications and infrastructure," Hayward said. "They also need to view the extended enterprise as a network of interdependent business processes, rather than a collection of independent functions. This is a major cultural challenge, more than a technology problem."
Another SKS followup post:
Steven responded just before 10:00 pm EST on Friday. Sheesh, I know I wasn't working then!
Kevin,
Some of my comments have been posted so let me just ad.
We are in this to build a big company and I was just pointing out that success
might require further investment in developing the market. This was a
clarification to a simplistic question of when does wave become cashflow
positive. I was just pointing out that this is not a simple question to answer.
If you could guarantee 80% market share by investing 50 million Would you?? well
it depends. What is the value of the revenue of 80% of the market ?? if 10
billion yes if 100K no.
I really was just pointing out this concept. There is no change in our revenue
projections and we will be more specific when they are predictable from proven
third party forecasts.
We are in a really good position and are very focused.
steven
Larry,
A few were. According to the last deal, they had a first right of refusal. But I don't know what their number, or their number of shares, was.
Zeev, nothing to show for it???????
You GOT to be kidding. Otherwise, maybe a good starting point would be the first post on the first board on the first day.
Kinda like evolution..........
DWG, as usual, a legacy post! tnx e/
trustco, you're right!
and you'd think that a cpa would "get it". What cpa doesn't get is that once the market gets a whiff of increasing revenue, the stock takes off, regardless of the bottom line (for awhile at least). It's that whole "sees substantially increasing volume over the next four quarters"-thingey.
Poor cpa, I think Steven stole cpa's girlfriend, and he had a membership to the club. I think cpa could hear the train, but I could be wrong.
Larry,
I remember your post about your Intel contacts at IDF saying there would be delays on the new MB, and I remember Doma challenging you. What I don't remember is what the outcome was.
As far as my attack, you're right, it is. cpa is a marginal poster that adds absolutely nothing to this board. And, to paraphrase barge's description of alea, he, too, probably has scrawny legs and an eggshell head! lol
Your posts, however, I read and respect.
cpa, you're attacking awk?
For me, this is really the last straw. I'd rather listen to my PC signing on than to your horsesh!t. AWK has given these boards more information than you'll ever hope to. You're nothing more than an anal-retentive cubicle-ized bean-counter with a vendetta against the Spragues. You'll never get it because, unlike the pages and pages of IRS regulations, not everything is CONCRETE and IN BLACK AND WHITE.
Tell us about Attestation, cpa. Tell us something key transfer,
tell us about third-party trust. You can't, cpa, but that is what all of us are trying to understand. And if you were serious about your investment in Wave, that's exactly what you should be trying to understand instead of attempting to make Steven look like the failure HE IS NOT.
How much did you charge your client for your "free look"?
No need to respond, because the bore is on ignore!
im01, just a couple of quick questions:
In making your decision to participate in the placement,
did you have a chance to analyze any marketing material, or did someone at Carey just call you with the deal?
And, if you did read the Offering Memorandum, were you required to sign an NDA or confidentiality agreement? (the next logical question is, if not, can you share anything with the board?
thanks,
kevin
nice to meet you, btw!
D&O,
It isn't too difficult. Wave cannot solicit investments from current shareholders, but could forward your name to their bankers. These private placements (as opposed to underwritings) are available only to accredited investors. The standards vary from state to state, but one generally needs a million dollar net worth, a $250,000 annual income, and experience with this type of investment or a representative that can attest to your ability to withstand a loss of your investment.
If you've met the investor criteria, then you have to consider the size of the minimum investment which can range from $25,000 and up.
internet,
I spoke with Feeny this week about the financing. It seemed like an odd amount to me. I asked if this was all Wave needed or if it was all they could raise. The response was it was all they needed (read cash flow?) and I got the impression the deal may have been over-subscribed.
fwiw,
kevin
toro,
Thanks for the update. Also, thanks for the PM; that was very kind of you. Just saw it this morning while you were at the SHM.
kevin
MTD, there is a difference between cash flow breakeven and operational breakeven. SKS said this ninety days ago:
We think the long term scope in that business is tremendous. And on a short term basis we think we can reach the point where the company gets to cash flow breakeven sometime in 2004. We fundamentally believe that the trusted computing market has got a very strong future. That there's very strong backing for it. And that the medium and long term growth potential is quite tremendous.
Hi wavxmaster,
I believe you will absolutely see some surprises before
the end of the year. I remember being told in early July
that there was a huge disconnect between the stock price and what was going on behind the scenes. I believe it is the same
now, too. That's why I believe SKS when he says:
"We can now clearly see the growing momentum for trusted computing in the marketplace, and we expect substantial growth in volumes over the course of the next four quarters."
greg, we got your point. e/
Sun buys Waveset
The identity management leader.
Sun's planned acquisition of Waveset aims to inject the Java Enterprise System with superior network identity capabilities.
18.Nov.03--It's no wonder that today's most sought-after technology is identity management. Identity management is the foundation for network computing and how secure services are enabled, provisioned, managed, and delivered. It's recognized for:
Streamlining business operations
Enabling people to work more efficiently
Increasing security
Assisting companies with regulatory compliance
Delivering a significant return on investment (ROI)
With the acquisition of Waveset Technologies, Inc.'s leading technology and expertise, Sun Microsystems aims to strengthen its position in the identity management space. The acquisition of Waveset is expected to expand Sun's Java Enterprise System capabilities by centralizing and automating the management of any entity ranging from employee, customer, and partner identities to devices and radio frequency identification (RFID) tags, across and between enterprises. Waveset's software is designed to automate the processes that govern access to enterprise systems and data, while greatly reducing the cost and complexity of identity management.
"Security, access and automation are critical enablers of a shared services world," said Jonathan Schwartz, executive vice president, software, Sun Microsystems Inc. "This acquisition adds another compelling advantage to the Java Enterprise System, and raises the bar for competitors that lack the breadth and excellence to deliver an operating system and leading network services across Intel, Opteron and SPARC architectures. The addition of Waveset and its proven management team will be key enablers to expanding Sun's leadership."
A Good Match
As a founding member of the Liberty Alliance, Sun has been a leader in the field of identity management, helping create standards and technologies that enable compatibility between products from different vendors and facilitate the deployment of secure Web services. With the acquisition of Waveset, Sun will continue to provide extraordinary value to enterprise customers with an end-to-end network identity solution that is capable of managing the entire life cycle of user identity, from initial setup and granting of access rights, through promotions and organizational changes, to termination of IT services. Sun's goal is to lower the cost and complexity of managing network identities, and Waveset's innovative identity management software will help to deliver cutting-edge functionality in an integrated solution set.
Waveset offers comprehensive identity management solutions including:
Provisioning Manager: An automated provisioning solution
Password Manager: A self-service password management solution
Identity Broker: A breakthrough identity profile management solution
Directory Master: A comprehensive directory management solution
Importance of Provisioning
User provisioning is an extremely important development in identity management technology. At a high level, provisioning is the process an enterprise uses to supply IT services and designate access rights to employees, customers, and suppliers. Deciding how to open up your organization, and to whom, is critical to enabling the necessary and appropriate flow of information between people of different ranks and job functions.
With the development of new technologies in this space, user provisioning promises to significantly improve how companies manage user accounts and access rights and protect their sensitive business data--providing fast, secure, and efficient access to applications and data across a network or the Internet.
Waveset offers software that manages user identities based on roles and profiles and provides workflow capabilities for setting up user accounts. These capabilities promise to streamline account activation and deactivation processes, improve security, reduce time to deployment, and improve operational efficiencies. The result: enterprise customers will be able to get IT services to end users quickly, cost-effectively, and securely--and raise the productivity of their human resources, from day one.
A Solid Foundation
Sun is recognized as a leader in the network identity space, with more than 2 billion entries of its Sun Java System Directory Server sold to date. But Sun is not just offering the number one Directory Server. Sun's portfolio of network identity products span from the desktop to the heart of the data center, and can be extended to include mobile devices, such as cell phones and PDAs.
Sun technologies, including its directory, identity, and meta-directory servers, enable its customers to perform infrastructure repository and access management functions. In a nutshell, Sun offers the enterprise infrastructure software you need to deploy a network identity system.
These products include:
Sun Java System Directory Server, a general-purpose LDAP-based directory server
Sun Java System Identity Server, with support for the Liberty 1.1 specification and leading application servers
Sun Java System Meta-Directory Server can consolidate identity information in a single profile and synchronize with other applications
Sun products support industry standards to enable open, interoperable IT solutions. For identity management, these standards include LDAP, SPML, SAML, and Liberty Alliance. To help speed and simplify the implementation of a new network identity solution, Sun has assembled a solution of hardware, software, and services that provide everything you need to deploy a network identity system securely and cost-effectively. Visit the Sun Infrastructure Solution for Network Identity site to learn more.
The Waveset Advantage
Waveset software works today with Sun's Solaris Operating System and Sun server software, as well as with a variety of other UNIX operating systems. Sun and Waveset currently have many joint customer implementations in production, delivering the benefits of identity management on a solid, stable Sun platform. When the two companies combine operations, Sun and its customers will benefit from the deep expertise of Waveset's engineers and management team, and gain insight from customers who are on the cutting edge of implementing world-class identity management solutions.
Customers of Sun's network identity solutions can choose to add Waveset technologies to an existing implementation to realize the following business benefits:
Accelerated user provisioning processes for enhanced productivity
Reduced IT complexity through streamlined management of user accounts, profiles, and directories
Improved service levels with the ability to respond quickly to personnel promotions or business reorganization with changes to user roles and access privileges
Improved security with fine-grained control of application access
Lower IT operational costs with self-service and delegated administration capabilities offering a rapid ROI
Release Notes
Over time, Sun will further integrate Waveset identity management capabilities into its product lineup. Sun also has plans to make Waveset software available as a component of its Java Enterprise System, which is designed to speed and simplify the purchase and delivery of new software and upgrades through a regular, timed release schedule. Network identity is a core part of Sun's strategy for delivering open, integrated, and integratable IT solutions to enterprises, today and far into the future. That's why Sun designs network identity capabilities into all its products. As Sun customers deploy identity management solutions, they will be able to better realize the business benefits of a network computing architecture: secure Web services, mobility, and network security--all running on a flexible, scalable, and reliable platform of Sun technologies.
wildman262, I must have missed something!
When did Intel say they'd be bundling the EMBASSY Trust Suite on one of their motherboards? That's huge!
Smart cards break out of traditional roles as chips advance
By Junko Yoshida
EE Times
18 November 2003 (9:59 a.m. GMT)
PARIS -- The curtain will go up on the second act for smart cards and related chips at the Cartes 2003 conference here this week. Technologies will be shown that go beyond the traditional roles in credit cards and European GSM phone security cards in a bid to take the technology global for a raft of everyday items.
Emerging applications include mass-transit cards in China, tiny consumer mass-storage devices for music and video downloads in Japan and South Korea, national ID cards, driver's licenses valid across the European Union and next- generation passports and visas that store biometric data. The U.S. government is pressuring 26 visa-waiver nations to embed biometric data in their passports.
The mobile-communications sector remains the largest market for smart-card chips today, with SIM secure ID cards-mandatory for GSM mobile phones in Europe but not used in the United States-taking a large share of the controllers. But that market isn't growing, and controller prices there are falling, said Derrick Robinson, senior analyst at IMS Research (Wellingborough, U.K.).
Consequently, many smart-card chip companies, including Atmel Corp., Hitachi Ltd., Infineon Technologies, Philips Semiconductors, Samsung Electronics and STMicroelectronics, are ready to jump on any new opportunity in government or industry, while continuing to pitch their higher-spec products to the mobile-communications sector.
At the Cartes show, Philips Semiconductors, a key player in the contactless and dual-interface smart-card market, will announce a public transportation project in China at will require a massive deployment of Philips' MiFare-based contactless smart-card chips.
Infineon Technologies will roll out the newest member of its 32-bit security controller family. The SLE88CFX4000P, built on Infineon's proprietary 32-bit core, features flexible on-chip memory of up to 400 kbytes of configurable E2PROM. It will be pitched as a highly integrated secure platform for high-end mobile SIM cards, national ID cards and payment cards, according to Juergen Kuttruff, vice president and general manager for the Secure Mobile Solutions business group at Infineon.
Sun Microsystems will use the show to unveil Java initiatives to push worldwide adoption of Java Card technology-based smart cards, including low-cost cards for fixed, single applications.
Smart cards continue to be almost invisible to most U.S. consumers, largely because CDMA-based mobile phones do not require SIM cards and because the on-line verification process established by U.S. credit card companies and banks is far more efficient and fraud-resistant than the European infrastructure.
But the cards may soon become more commonplace stateside, according to Christoph Duverne, Philips Semiconductor's global marketing segment director responsible for identification. As dual- or triple-mode mobile phones spread, SIM cards get added on. Further, a U.S. government mandate to equip electronic visas and passports for carrying biometric data by October, 2004, is fueling demand for smart-card chips, Duverne said.
Infineon's Kuttruff said the development of higher-density consumer mass-storage devices that pack smart-card-enabled security features is a hot prospect for smart-card chips. "A couple of projects are emerging both in Japan and Korea," he said. Such projects push secure consumer devices featuring mass storage to store multimedia applications, such as gaming, along with transaction functions. A prerequisite to success with such combo products is consensus among all parties involved, including network operators, banking- and credit-card companies and content owners.
IMS Research's Robinson cited "nation-scale projects" on secure identification-including work permits, health cards, national ID programs, passports and military secure access, involving cards with high security and multiple biometrics capabilities-as "the most encouraging driver for the smart-card market." But he also cautioned that many nationwide projects are long-term, often facing political barriers that could delay standardization, technology agreements and deployment.
Philips' Duverne cited trends toward smart-card controllers that are integrated with more memory and bigger processing power, that are focused more on security with a crypto engine and that feature a contactless interface for high user throughput.
A number of emerging smart-card applications, although not yet fully implemented, appear at last to be catching up to chip technology advancements introduced a few years ago.
For example, several smart-card chips companies are reporting an interest in smart-card chips based on 32-bit processors cores for mobile telecom. Although many chip companies have had 32-bit processor-based products for several years, most operators showed no appetite for the devices during the telecom slump. Today, new services being pondered by mobile operators are finally raising the demand for more powerful cores.
More important is the issue of security. As more transactions are made on handsets, mobile operators no longer blindly trust the security claims of smart-card vendors. "They have begun asking for documentation and test results of smart-card security," said Bernd Meier, director of 32-bit smart-card controllers at Infineon. Thus chip companies are investigating how to integrate crypto functions and implement secure layout on their devices.
Security looms even larger when smart-card chips go into national ID cards or international travel documents. "Storing a digitally signed photographic image along with other biometric data will require a 64-kbyte memory, or more, on the smart-card chip," said Kevin Kissell, principal architect responsible for smart-card projects at MIPS Technologies. "Further, it's pushing the requirement of a processor core in terms of the memory addressing and computational bandwidth necessary to verify the digital signature on the smart-card chip itself."
Many in the smart-card industry, hampered by the market saturation of prepaid telephone cards and by serious delays in Europe's third-generation mobile phone rollout, agree that the global contactless smart-card market is one bright spot for the industry. IMS Research forecasts 15 percent per year growth to 2007. Robinson estimates around 205 million contactless and dual-interface cards will have been sold in 2003. This is about 10 percent of the total volume of memory and microcontroller cards. In 2007, he predicts, the market will grow to 350 million cards, or 13 percent of all cards.
Infineon Technologies' big push at Cartes 2003 is the new addition to its 32-bit security controller family. At a time when many new high-end smart-card chips on the market incorporate 300 kbytes of ROM and 128 kbytes of E2PROM, Infineon has embarked on a ROM-less approach that uses 400 kbytes of E2PROM.
Skipping the ROM metal-mask process, Meier said, "allows us to complete the production of smart-card chips to the last process so that we can keep generic products in stock. When customers need our smart-card chips, we can quickly customize them with the addition of programming code and data into the E2PROM. We can deliver the smart-card chips to our customers in one to two weeks," while typical security controllers, involving a ROM mask-programming step, take about six weeks to turn around.
Meier claimed that Infineon, by leveraging its new "one-transistor" cell technology, can offer entirely E2PROM-based chips at a cost and a size similar to those using ROM. He acknowledged a "small overhead" in cost but said it is "no more than 10 percent" higher than competitors' ROM-based products.
Sun Microsystems, meanwhile, is launching initiatives to accelerate worldwide adoption of Java Card-based smart cards. Claiming that "every smart-card application I've seen has been already written in Java," Peter Cattaneo, director of Java Card business at Sun, stressed that Java Card technology "that is stable, well-understood and works" is well-established in the smart-card industry.
IMS Research estimates that around 370 million (or just under a half) of the microcontroller smart cards that will have been sold in 2003 have 32 kbytes or more E2PROM memory and thus can support multiple-application use, usually employing Java.
Sun has rolled out an initiative, called the Java Card S program, that it hopes will extend Java Card's reach beyond its current market in dynamic multi-application smart cards. Sun will allow Java Card licensees to incorporate the technology in a broad range of smart-card products, including traditional proprietary cards based on "static, fixed-use applications," said Cattaneo. "There are, for example, many banking cards that run a single EMV [credit payment] applet but nothing else."
By easing requirements, Sun aims to enable service providers to reuse the same Java Card applets in much lower-cost, single-function smart cards and to reduce the complexity of applications development, functional testing and security evaluation.
Security is also a critical issue for Sun, since the company pushes its Java Card technology for various national ID card projects. Java Card technology has been used in identity cards by the Defense Department, the Bureau of National Health Insurance of Taiwan and the Government of Belgium. Now, according to Sun, the Java Card Protection Profile has received final certification from La Direction Centrale de la Securite des Systemes d'Information (DCSSI), which Sun called one of the most widely respected Common Criteria Evaluation Centers.
Such certification is essential to Java Card technology's acceptance by some governments, especially if Java-based national ID cards are to be used as digital signature cards, said Cattaneo.
Horseman,
If you already own Wave in a brokerage account, give your broker written instructions to issue 100 share lots in the names of the giftees. You'll need their names, adresses, and social security numbers. If they're minor children, an adult must be on the cert as custodian. There may be a fee to certificate the shares.
ks5
(WOW!)Cisco, others plan to ban insecure PCs
By Robert Lemos
CNET News.com
November 18, 2003, 3:05 PM PT
Cisco Systems has teamed up with three top antivirus companies in a security initiative intended to ban insecure mobile devices from corporate networks.
The initiative, dubbed the Network Admission Control program, would allow companies to set their network devices to refuse connections from any mobile PCs or devices that fail to meet corporate security policies, such as not having the latest software patches and antivirus updates. Antivirus companies Network Associates, Symantec and Trend Micro joined Cisco in making the announcement Tuesday.
The plan is meant to combat one of the common weaknesses of company networks: workers who log on from outside a company using insecure PCs or who bring those computers inside the company and connect to the network.
"Currently, no check is made to see if the PC is compliant with corporate security policies," Charlie Giancarlo, senior vice president of product development for Cisco, said on a conference call Tuesday. "The user might become infected at home or through a hotel Internet connection...(and) immediately spread a worm throughout a corporate networks."
The move by the companies is a reaction to recent computer worms and virus epidemics that have managed to spread into businesses due in large part to the insecure PCs mobile workers use. Both the Slammer worm in January and the MSBlast worm in August were able to get past corporate defenses by hitching rides on the laptops of mobile workers who were lax with security.
"The explosion of wireless, mobile devices and pagers has made the corporation much more vulnerable to attack through the devices," said George Samenuk, CEO of Network Associates.
Other companies have reacted to the problems the worms have highlighted. Microsoft announced in October that it would augment its focus on securing its software through patching, because the earlier system of updates hasn't been able to stem the epidemics. Other companies, including Internet service providers, have blocked certain types of traffic for weeks at a time to stop threats.
Putting agents in place
Cisco's Network Admission Control program would enable companies to install on every PC and mobile device a client, called the Cisco Trust Agent, which could attest to certain levels of security, such as whether the device has been recently patched or has the latest virus recognition files. Antivirus software makers would modify their products to provide information to the software that could be used by companies to determine how secure the PC might be.
Giancarlo stressed that completely locking out mobile users is not an answer. "Clearly, the solution is not to eliminate one of the most important aspects of these devices: their mobility," he said.
The secure connections that allow employees to connect to the internal corporate network from home, virtual private networks, are also seen as a major threat to businesses' security.
Cisco has already focused on delivering such connectivity in its products. Earlier this month, the company announced an upgrade to the Cisco VPN 3000 Concentrator to add secure network functionality, dubbed WebVPN, based on the Secure Sockets Layer protocol browsers widely use.
Cisco's concentrators are network devices that act as central connection points for virtual private networks and, as such, are an ideal place to put in additional network defenses.
However, the technology won't work unless security software can tell the Trusted Agent application the current state of security on the computer or mobile device.
"This important problem can't be addressed individually," said John Thompson, CEO of Symantec. "Collaboration is a must."
The technology might also spur sales of PCs and devices that use trusted-computing hardware--controversial technology that uses encryption, special memory and security software to lock away secrets on a PC from prying eyes. Adding further protections to the system that attests to the security of a computer owned by a company is a reasonable use of the system, said Bob Gleichauf, chief technology officer for the Network Admission Control program at Cisco.
"We need a trust boundary between the network and these devices, and the system needs hardware and software to do that," he said.
Cisco plans to introduce the technology in the middle of 2004.
OT: MasterCard Records Sharp Increase In Smart Card Programs Worldwide; Fincl Institutions Working With MasterCard To Manage More Than 400 Chip Implementations - Double Last Year's
400 Chip Implementations - Double Last Year's MasterCard Records Sharp Increase in Smart Card Programs Worldwide; Financial Institutions Working With MasterCard to Manage More than 400 Chip Implementations - Double Last Year's
PURCHASE, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 18, 2003-- Registering a sharp rise in global demand for smart card services, MasterCard International today announced that it is now working with its customers on more than 400 individual chip implementations around the world. This figure represents more than double the number of projects active in the fourth quarter of 2002.
Smart card adoption continues to gather force in most regions of the world. Smart card activity has been particularly strong in the Asia/Pacific region, where the number of EMV smart cards has continued to double each year - to 14.5 million cards today. The same basic trend holds true in Latin America/Caribbean, South Asia and Middle East Africa and especially Europe, which continues to lead the world with more than 200 chip migration programs now underway.
This widespread technology shift has helped to guide recent decisions by MasterCard's regional boards in Asia/Pacific, Europe, Latin America/Caribbean, and South Asia and Middle East Africa, who have all recently enacted intra-regional liability shift policies calling for the full-scale adoption of smart cards and chip terminals in the 2005 and 2006 time period. Migration incentives are already in place in most of these regions as well.
"MasterCard and its customers are launching some of the most exciting and innovative smart card programs in the payments industry," said Dr. Toni Merschen, senior vice president and head of MasterCard's Chip Center of Excellence. "By staying close to our customers, and providing the right technology solutions at the right time in the right markets, MasterCard is making the move to chip as smooth as possible."
One of MasterCard's key European customers, Credit Mutuel Centre-Est Europe, will be the first bank in the world to issue M/Chip 4 on MULTOS in a massive, country-wide roll out beginning in early 2004. M/Chip 4 on MULTOS is the first EMV payment application to receive EAL4+ certification, the highest Common Criteria certification accepted worldwide.
"Credit Mutuel Centre-Est Europe is pleased to be upgrading at least half of its entire card portfolio with chips carrying M/Chip 4," said Claude Brun, executive director at Credit Mutuel. "We have selected MasterCard's M/Chip 4 application based on our need to get to market quickly, our need for flexibility and our desire to offer our cardholders the highest security available."
To help ensure a steady stream of MasterCard chip products in the marketplace, MasterCard is working to equip the vendor community with the tools they need to support MasterCard smart card programs around the world. Card vendors including Austria Card, Gemplus, Giesecke & Devrient and Setec have committed to supporting M/Chip 4. MasterCard has also recently signed an agreement with Ingenico, making Ingenico a key supporter of MasterCard's M/Chip deployment program.
Global Support Programs
Last year, MasterCard announced OneSMART(TM) MasterCard(R), a comprehensive, global support program covering every aspect necessary to successfully launch smart cards. With OneSMART MasterCard, all of MasterCard's global smart card solutions, technical expertise, and marketing support were consolidated under a single banner.
Expanding on this, MasterCard is today unveiling a subset of OneSMART(TM) MasterCard(R), called the "M/Chip Deployment Program," which provides a complete solution for MasterCard's customers who are migrating their payment cards from the magnetic stripe platform to chip. The M/Chip Deployment Program focuses specifically on addressing all aspects of chip migration and consists of three components:
-- The M/Chip application and its enabling infrastructure
-- M/Chip Implementation Support Services provided by MasterCard
-- Industry products and services based on the M/Chip
specification
OneSMART Choice for Migration
To further enhance their smart card business case, MasterCard's customers can leverage MasterCard M/Chip 4 as the technical basis to deliver a range of additional applications, including:
-- M/Chip Pre-Authorized - Allows the cardholder to place an
amount of cash in a "pre-authorized" account, which is
regulated by the chip's "open-to-buy" counter. The cardholder
continues to use the card in an off-line mode until the amount
requested exceeds the card's "open-to-buy" counter, at which
point funds must be replenished. This new application extends
the Maestro value proposition by enabling debit cards to be
issued to new customer segments and accepted by new merchant
categories.
-- Chip Authentication Program -M/Chip 4 cards can be used in
conjunction with MasterCard(R) SecureCode(TM) to generate the
authentication data necessary to guarantee e-commerce
transactions. This program, called the Chip Authentication
Program, is a smart card-based authentication solution that
MasterCard is making available to its issuers as part of its
global MasterCard SecureCode solution. It can also be used for
Internet banking and other applications requiring positive
cardholder authorization. Three significant Chip
Authentication Program implementations were announced this
week by Barclaycard in the United Kingdom, Bundesverband der
Deutschen Volksbanken und Raiffeisenbanken in Germany and
Redecard in Brazil.
-- MasterCard PayPass(TM) - M/Chip 4 also supports emerging
solutions such as PayPass, MasterCard's contactless payment
program. As M/Chip is a highly flexible solution that can be
customized to meet the issuers needs, it can be offered with
the PayPass contactless capability either on a single,
integrated chip, or as a "hybrid," two-chip (contact and
contactless) card. Either way, PayPass enables cardholders to
pay with one simple touch of the card.
"By building on M/Chip 4, we are greatly boosting the value proposition for chip migration," said Merschen. "When our customers adopt M/Chip, they receive immediate access to a range of applications and related support services that can strengthen their business case for moving to chip."
The OneSMART MasterCard program was recently expanded with a range of pre-configured smart card packages that will help our customers get to market faster. These three distinct packages all include MasterCard M/Chip and range in functionality from a basic, single application payment card to a more robust, Web-savvy card optimized for Internet usage:
-- OneSMART MasterCard Payment - provides an enhanced payment
application
-- OneSMART MasterCard Authentication - ensures a higher level of
security for online shopping and remote banking
-- OneSMART MasterCard Web - allows cardholders to securely store
and manage a wide range of personal data (such as names,
addresses, URLs, log-on passwords) on the smart card chip
Microsoft gets serious about security
But concerns about more viruses may continue to hover over the stock for years to come.
November 18, 2003: 1:10 PM EST
By Paul R. La Monica, CNN/Money Senior Writer
NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - Security is a huge issue for Microsoft and the company, at least, finally seems to be getting it.
Chairman Bill Gates unveiled new anti-spam software technology called SmartScreen during his keynote address at the annual Comdex tech trade show in Las Vegas on Sunday night. Add-ons to several existing Microsoft e-mail products with SmartScreen built in will be available early next year.
Thousands of miles away, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer told a group of college students at Tokyo's Waseda University Monday morning that security is the company's No. 1 priority.
Is this just lip service? Probably not. Microsoft, after all, has nearly $52 billion in cash. And the company spent $1.6 billion, nearly 20 percent of its revenue, on research and development in its most recent quarter. Based on Gates' comments at Comdex, it seems safe to say a fair chunk of that is going into security.
That's obviously a good thing, not just for Microsoft users but for investors as well. I don't think it's a coincidence that while most tech stocks are enjoying a late 90's-like surge this year, shares of Microsoft (MSFT: Research, Estimates) have flat-lined.
Concerns about Microsoft's continued vulnerabilities, which escalated after a series of viruses hit the Windows operating system last summer, seem to be taking their toll.
Need to fix problems before they become problems
Though Windows runs on about 90 percent of personal computers, competition is increasing, most notably from companies offering the open-source Linux operating system.
"It behooves Microsoft to make software more secure," said Drake Johnstone, an analyst with Davenport & Co. "Microsoft can't ignore the fact that there are stronger Linux alternatives taking shape."
Unfortunately for investors, though, Microsoft could be in for more short-term pain ahead. The company has been promising that its new operating system, Longhorn, will solve many security problems. But Longhorn isn't due out until 2006. So what happens if there are some nasty outbreaks, worse than this summer's Blaster and SoBig.F viruses, between now and then?
Microsoft can continue to offer software patches to combat viruses after the fact, but that won't solve the bigger problem, which could further dampen investor and customer confidence in the company. Microsoft, despite its best efforts, is still viewed as taking a reactive view to security lapses, rather than proactive.
"Microsoft is making moves in the right direction, but there is nothing the company could do that would ever be a silver bullet," said Mark Sunner, chief technology officer of MessageLabs, an e-mail security service firm. "It's good to catch things that are known, but it is the unknown that is the main problem."
Jury still out on latest security steps
At the same time, while Microsoft needs to step up security initiatives, it must also be careful not to appear as if it's profiting from its problems. It's one thing for independent companies like Symantec (SYMC: Research, Estimates) and Network Associates (NET: Research, Estimates) to sell consumer anti-virus software. But for Microsoft to enter the anti-virus market in a splashy way would be kind of like McDonald's deciding to market Weight Watchers products.
"The world wants Microsoft to build secure products. The world does not want Microsoft to become a security software vendor," said Michael Rasmussen, an analyst with Forrester Research. "Microsoft shouldn't be in a position to sell the fix
So Microsoft is stuck between that proverbial rock and a hard place. Virus writers love to pick on Microsoft due to its dominance, something unlikely to change. Going after Windows creates the most disruption. Where's the fun in creating a virus that will wreak havoc on Apple's iMacs or servers running on Linux?
To be sure, Microsoft is finally demonstrating to customers and investors that it really does care about security. In addition to this week's comments from Gates and Ballmer, Microsoft took the somewhat unusual step of setting up a bounty program for virus writers this month, offering reward money for information about the authors of some of this summer's worms.
But ultimately, investors won't really know if Microsoft's security efforts are a success until hackers get a chance to take a crack at finding Longhorn flaws. Even then, it's unlikely that individual consumers and corporations will update to Longhorn en masse, so any lapses in Windows XP or earlier versions will probably continue to be exposed.
And that means that Microsoft's security problems are likely to remain in the news until at least 2007, if not longer. Not an encouraging thought.
OH MY HEAVENS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Snackman, is it true? Is he back? From the window's-ledge? But for how long? For the first hour of trading next week? Until the meds wear-off? Monday's close?
Do I dare take DJtheVEX off IGGY???????
NO! NO! Not yet!!!!!!!!!! Not until I see you compliment dj again!!
BerthaB!! Thanks for the post. The belly-achers are good for the soul!!
Have a good week-end you three!
kevin_s5
ps: dj, I really do like you! but you're still on iggy!
Trusted Computing Won't Make The Internet Trustworthy
http://www.internetwk.com/breakingNews/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=16100712
By Robert Moskowitz, Network Computing
I'm hearing conversations out of the Beltway that we can make the Internet safe by requiring Trusted Computers. These computers would not allow any malicious code to run on them, and they could be set to accept mail only from other Trusted Computers, eliminating spam. It sounds nice, but those of us who have followed the Trusted Computing Platform Alliance (now the Trusted Computing Group, www.trustedcomputinggroup.org), as well as Microsoft's Next-Generation Secure Computing Base (NGSCB) TCG extension, know that a Trusted Computer will never meet these lofty goals--mostly because these initiatives had other goals.
Government researchers have been working on Trusted Computers for years, with some actual deployments. A special boot process ensures that only Trusted components are in the computer, and that only a Trusted operating system can load on it. This Trusted OS would then allow for only Trusted applications, keeping away unknown code. Problem is, Trusted applications--you know who authored them--will not keep the Internet safe, nor will they make everyone happy with their computing environment.
The TCG effort builds upon the early government work, adding features needed for commercial systems. This has resulted in an open specification that is already appearing in hardware from IBM and other vendors.
The key TCG hardware component is the Trusted Platform Module (TPM), which holds a unique public/private key pair signed by the manufacturer and an AES (Advanced Encryption Standard). It can create more keys that can be used to prove that any data coming from a Trusted Computer really came from it, and who can view it, even if the data is anonymous--all without revealing which Trusted Computer the data came from. This "attestation" feature is the one everyone is looking for in cooperative computing environments.
Microsoft's NGSCB is an example of the mixed mode of Trusted Computing operation, where some parts of the OS and some applications are Trusted and others are not. You can run the things you really care about in the Trusted environment. But there are too many new hardware and software requirements to expect a totally Trusted environment to be widely deployed as user platforms. Microsoft did not design NGSCB for the current TPM specification, but it's working so that the next version will meet TPM requirements, thus resulting in further delays for Trusted Computing.
TCG is not the only Trusted Computing effort. Although Microsoft's Xbox is not a Trusted Computing platform in the technical sense of the TCG--there is no TPM and no way for one Xbox to make a security claim to another--the Xbox does provide for a Trusted operating and application environment. All applications must be signed with certificates from Microsoft's special Xbox PKI, or they won't run.
Whatever the initiative, Trusted Computing won't solve the problem of mistrust in the Internet. Malicious code will still run in the untrusted parts of systems. There are just too many computers without TPMs, providing fertile fields for malicious code attacks. Even Trusted applications are not safe from attacks against bad coding like buffer overruns. If there were a fully Trusted OS from Microsoft with a buffer overrun that allowed DEL c:\ <ECHO Y to run, you still would lose your hard drive's contents! Since a Trusted Computer can send authenticated anonymous data, such as e-mails, there is still plenty of potential for spam.
Trusted Computing will find its home where there is critical data to protect and limited usage--for medical records, diaries, product marketing forecasts and, yes, music and movies. Microsoft is the most visible champion of the Trusted Computing environment, but there will be others. At least one Unix implementation, and special-purpose platforms not unlike the Xbox, will surely enrich our computing experience.
--Robert Moskowitz, rgm@htt-consult.com