Stories about: ISS

In an unusual move, a security company owned by IBM has publicly blasted a rival for not patching reported bugs in its enterprise-grade, server-side antivirus software.

The global financial crisis so visible this past month is beginning to take its toll on information-technology spending, though IT security spending is expected to be spared in what many think will be a dismal coming year.

Microsoft on Tuesday patched 20 vulnerabilities, more than half of them rated critical, in 11 separate security updates for Windows, Office, Internet Explorer (IE), Active Directory and the Host Integration Server.

The Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council, the organization that sets technical requirements for processing credit- and debit-cards, Wednesday issued revised security rules, while also indicating next year it will focus on new guidelines for end-to-end encryption, payment machines and virtualization.

IBM is targeting retail security with a package of software and services designed to prevent physical loss of merchandise, protect against electronic threats and comply with credit card industry regulations.

Network-based intrusion-prevention systems are in-line devices intended to detect and block a wide variety of attacks, but the equipment still is often used more like an intrusion-detection system to passively monitor traffic, new research shows.

Users need to warily embrace virtualization was the message put forth by speakers at Interop New York, where attendees tried to sort out how to proceed with technology investments in the face of possible IT budget cuts prompted by the Wall St. financial crisis unfolding just blocks away.

While VMware this week is holding its own VMworld party in Las Vegas, attendees at Interop New York were told about the potential security risks of virtual environments, not the least of which are people.

A major VMware security initiative announced more than six months ago has still not resulted in any new products, but VMware and partners this week are demonstrating several prototypes of technology that will better secure virtual machines.

Proctor & Gamble, the global manufacturer of household products, Friday said it has selected IBM ISS to provide managed security services.

Apple has taken the place of Microsoft for disclosing more vulnerabilities than any other vendor, according to an IBM security report.