In the run-up to the next Cloud Expo, 7th Cloud Expo (November 1–4, 2010) being held at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Silicon Valley, it's time to give my earlier list a complete overhaul. Here, accordingly, is an expanded list of the most active players in the Cloud Ecosystem. I have increased it from the 'mere' 150 I identified back in January of this year, to 250, testimony – as if any were needed! – to the fierce and continuing growth of the "Elastic IT" paradigm throughout the world of enterprise computing. Editorial note: The words in quotation marks used to describe the various services and solutions in this round-up are in every case taken from the Web sites of the companies themselves. Omissions to this Top 250 list should be sent to me via Twitter (twitter.com/jg21) and I will endeavor to include them in any future revision of this newly expanded rou... (more)

New Java Card Enterprise Software Enhances Network Security with Smart Card Authentication

This week at JavaOne in San Francisco, Sun Microsystems announced early access to the new Sun Java Card Enterprise Software, an integrated smart-card solution for enhanced network security. By bringing together key elements necessary to quickly deploy a Java Card infrastructure, Sun is lowering the costs and decreasing the time required for smart card implementations. Underscoring its success in secure identity technologies, Sun also announced it has received the Frost & Sullivan Award for Market Leadership. With more than 600 million units deployed worldwide, Java Card technology is the platform of choice for ensuring privacy, trust and security on the network and is helping drive the expansion of the $120 billion Java economy. Java technology-based smart cards are increasingly being integrated into IT systems to improve physical and network security and to provide s... (more)

US CERT Issues Warning About Possible Security Risk With libpng

The US Computer Emergency Readiness Team (CERT) has issued a warning, of particular concern to systems using Linux, concerning security risks with libpng.   Libpng is a reference library that, though not exclusively, is often employed by Linux-run systems that support the Portable Network Graphics (PNG) image format.   Developers are being urged to apply appropriate vendor patches.  If version 1.2.6rc1 (release candidate 1) of libpng was downloaded  anonymously, CERT is urging users to download a patch off the Web at www.libpng.org.   The problem stems from a buffer overflow error which could allow for the execution of arbitrary code if a malicious PNG file were downloaded.  ... (more)

Cisco and Microsoft Join In Network Security

Microsoft and Cisco Systems have announced a cooperative initiative, designed to bring interoperability between their respective network security architectures. The move is designed to allay growing fears from clients and developers alike, concerning the integrity of the companies' security protocols. Cisco has already started a broad-based security initiative to bolster networks' defenses. Cisco's Self-Defending Network Initiative (SDNI) is considered a milestone in security. SDNI coordinates all servers, devices, and platforms, which are tied to enterprise networks. Cisco provides network administrators a way of enforcing admission privileges to "end-point" devices like PC's, servers, and PDA's. Known as Network Admission Control (NAC), it can check the status of the security policies of "end-point" devices, in order to see how they comply with a network's securi... (more)

Web Services Security: Atempo and Secure Science Take a Joint Approach

Working with the premise that data integrity is a fundamental requirement for any enterprise informant lifecycle management(ILM) strategy, Atempo and Secure Science have embarked on an initiative that will lead to enhanced security features of Atempo's data lifecycle management (DLM) tools. Atempo claims to be recognized in the industry as having the fastest data recovery product - Time Navigator; along with a host of security and management offerings, while Secure Science is a forward looking security provider that is channeling its efforts on technology that is dedicated to protecting Web-based assets. The company envisions the Internet as evolving far beyond its current data transfer and storage capabilities. Its security products are designed with an Internet in mind that provides a secure environment for conducting transactions, enabling online communication, and... (more)

Java Track - Web Services End-To-End Security On J2EE: Gaps And Proposed Solutions

Wednesday, February 16, 2005 10:00 A.M. - 9:50 A.M. Even though WS-* security standards (WS-Security, WS-Trust, WSSecureConversation, WS-Policy, etc.) are sufficiently prescriptive on specific security subjects like signing, SOAP message encryption, request/receive security tokens, they do not provide end-to-end security protocol that Web services can depend on to meet their security requirements. The most significant gap is identity propagation from a Web service into a J2EE container. Current JAX-RPC specification or JSR 109 does not cover this issue. This presentation identifies the gaps and discusses the approaches to plug these gaps. It also discusses implementation of a solution for identity propagation from client to Web service and from Web service to J2EE container. "WLDJ" Articles On This Subject Even though WS-* security standards (WS-Security, WS-Trust... (more)

Federated Logins: A security risk?

Now that Google and Facebook have launched their passport 2.0 systems for logging in with your google/facebook credentials on 3rd party sites, are we heading off a security cliff? I’m not talking about a potential for sniffing a cryptographic key enroute to a credential server man in the middle stolen token key attack or anything, I’m talking about the hardest security problem of all: bad user behavior. People are not machines and do not follow protocols like computer programs do: people give their bank details and sort code to the nice man from Uganda, people download that email attachment with the title “nude.girl.jpg.com”, and people don’t recognize that domains are read from right to left: paypal.com.secure-login.farm80085.kp/login/ might not really be where you think it is. So by encouraging people to get used to logging in with their credentials when they are... (more)

Modulo Launches Risk Manager Business Continuity Module at Information Security Conferences

NEW YORK, NY -- (MARKET WIRE) -- 09/07/07 -- Modulo, a market leader in the information security industry, announced today the impending availability of new feature enhancements for their IT governance, risk and compliance management software Modulo Risk Manager(TM). Modulo Risk Manager helps organizations streamline and automate processes required for in-depth risk assessment and compliance projects. The product's upgraded feature package, Business Continuity Module, will be introduced at the ISACA Network Security Conference being held September 10-12 in Las Vegas and at the Infosecurity New York Conference held September 11-12 in New York. "Our new Business Continuity Module was developed based on the needs of our clients who have cited two main challenges to their business processes: defining the most important business assets needed to maintain operations duri... (more)

Ricoh's New Card Authentication Package Delivers Cost Savings and Document Security

WEST CALDWELL, N.J., Dec. 4 /PRNewswire/ -- Ricoh Americas Corporation, the leading provider of digital office equipment, today announced the availability of a new Card Authentication Package compatible with various Ricoh multifunction products (MFPs). This convenient card-based software solution improves document security within environments that utilize centralized MFPs by protecting sensitive documents from unauthorized viewers, as well as preventing users from sending electronic files to inappropriate destinations. The Card Authentication Package software allows administrators to reduce operating costs and establish a secure environment for printing, copying, scanning, faxing and document distribution. Optimizing an organization's workflow is important to the continual success of any business, large or small. This software-based solution enables users to authen... (more)

Cloud Expo New York Call for Papers Now Open

Early Bird Savings Cloud Expo Cloud computing is a game changer. The cloud is disrupting traditional software and hardware business models by disrupting how IT service gets delivered. Entrepreneurial opportunities abound as this classic disruptive technology begins to proliferate, so it is no surprise that SYS-CON's industry-leading International Cloud Expo is going from strength to strength. The 5th International Cloud Expo, to be held April 19-21, 2010, at the Jacob Javits Convention Center in New York, NY, announces that its Call for Papers is fast approaching. Topics on which submission are welcome include all aspects of providing or using massively scalable IT-related capabilities as a service using Internet technologies (see suggested examples below). Help plant your flag in the fast-expanding business opportunity that is The Cloud: submit your speaking propos... (more)

Cloud Expo 2011 East To Attract 10,000 Delegates and 200 Exhibitors

SYS-CON Events announced today that the 8th International Cloud Expo will take place June 6-9, 2011, in New York City. The International Cloud Computing Conference & Expo series is the world's leading Cloud-focused event and is held three times a year, in New York, Silicon Valley and in Europe. Over 600 corporate sponsors and 10,000 industry professionals have participated in Cloud Computing Expo since its inception, more than all other Cloud-related events put together. Cloud Computing Expo 2011 East Call for Papers Deadline November 30, 2010 - SUBMIT YOUR SPEAKING PROPOSAL TODAY! The four-day event will offer a rich array of sessions led by exceptional speakers about the business and technical value of cloud computing with more than 150 sponsors and exhibitors and over 5,000 estimated delegates from well over 48 different countries. Explore Cloud Expo Sponsorship &... (more)