Apple Plugs Vulnerabilities in Panther, Jaguar:
"The software updates a number of libraries, services and programs, including Personal File Sharing and QuickTime for Java. While described as the Security Update 2003-11-19 for Jaguar 10.2.8, the update is also recommended for Mac OS X 10.3, called Panther through Apple's automatic Software Update program. "
The update comes after Apple in October had been criticized for fixing some security problems in Mac OS X within its latest Panther release but not providing patches for earlier versions of the operating system. Later, the company indicated that it planned to offer patches for Jaguar.
http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,4149,1393307,00.asp?kc=EWNWS112103DTX1K0000599
Friday, November 21, 2003
AeANET : 11/19/2003 - U.S. High-Tech Industry Sheds More than One-Half Million Jobs in 2002, AeA Report Says:
"However, Decline in 2003 Has Slowed Dramatically"
A study released today by AeA shows that in 2002 the U.S. high-tech industry lost 540,000 jobs, dropping from 6.5 million to 6.0 million. A preliminary look at data for 2003 shows that the decline in high-tech employment slowed considerably in 2003. The report, AeA’s annual Cyberstates 2003: A State-by-State Overview of the High-Technology Industry, details national and state trends in high-tech employment, wages, exports, and other economic indicators.
The sector with the largest decrease in jobs was electronics manufacturing, accounting for more than half of all tech jobs lost between 2001 and 2002. For the first time in the seven years of publishing Cyberstates, the software sector recorded a loss of nearly 150,000 jobs last year. Indeed, the once-thriving software sector posted large increases in employment in all previous editions of Cyberstates. The communications services sector posted a similar loss of jobs. The engineering and tech services sector lost 15,000 jobs in 2002. The one bright spot was in R&D and testing labs, where employment increased by 7,000 in 2002.
"While high-tech employment fell by eight percent last year, preliminary 2003 data show a significant slowdown in high-tech job losses, with a decline of four percent," said AeA’s President and CEO William T. Archey. "We project that the 2003 high-tech job losses will total 234,000--down 57 percent from the 540,000 decline in 2002."
Archey further stated, "However, these declines have caused us to pause about two important issues. We are aware of current budget constraints, but now is not the time to cut back on education, particularly in math and science. We need a world class workforce to deal with world class challenges. Our second concern is the decline in basic research, particularly in technology, by the federal government. We worry that we have eaten the seed corn of federal research of 20 and 30 years ago that is not being replenished."
For the first time, Cyberstates 2003 is based on the newly implemented North American Industry Classification System (NAICS). AeA selected 49 NAICS codes to define the high-tech industry. They fall into four broad categories: electronics manufacturing, communications services, software, and engineering and tech services. This more current and comprehensive system allows us to capture several sectors which we could not with the previous system. These include fiber optic cable manufacturers, semiconductor machinery manufacturers, and web search portals.
This new industry classification system is fundamentally different from the old Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) system. Every sector of the economy has been restructured and redefined by the NAICS. Consequently, the data presented in this report are not comparable in any way to previous editions of Cyberstates. In this edition, however, 2001, 2002, and 2003 data use the NAICS system and are therefore comparable.
Cyberstates 2003 found that all but three states lost high-tech jobs in 2002. California lost the greatest number of tech jobs, shedding some 123,000 jobs. Texas was second with tech jobs down by 61,000 jobs. Interestingly, the District of Columbia, Wyoming, and Montana were the only three cyberstates to add technology jobs between 2001 and 2002.
http://www.aeanet.org/PressRoom/idmk_cs2003_US.asp
"However, Decline in 2003 Has Slowed Dramatically"
A study released today by AeA shows that in 2002 the U.S. high-tech industry lost 540,000 jobs, dropping from 6.5 million to 6.0 million. A preliminary look at data for 2003 shows that the decline in high-tech employment slowed considerably in 2003. The report, AeA’s annual Cyberstates 2003: A State-by-State Overview of the High-Technology Industry, details national and state trends in high-tech employment, wages, exports, and other economic indicators.
The sector with the largest decrease in jobs was electronics manufacturing, accounting for more than half of all tech jobs lost between 2001 and 2002. For the first time in the seven years of publishing Cyberstates, the software sector recorded a loss of nearly 150,000 jobs last year. Indeed, the once-thriving software sector posted large increases in employment in all previous editions of Cyberstates. The communications services sector posted a similar loss of jobs. The engineering and tech services sector lost 15,000 jobs in 2002. The one bright spot was in R&D and testing labs, where employment increased by 7,000 in 2002.
"While high-tech employment fell by eight percent last year, preliminary 2003 data show a significant slowdown in high-tech job losses, with a decline of four percent," said AeA’s President and CEO William T. Archey. "We project that the 2003 high-tech job losses will total 234,000--down 57 percent from the 540,000 decline in 2002."
Archey further stated, "However, these declines have caused us to pause about two important issues. We are aware of current budget constraints, but now is not the time to cut back on education, particularly in math and science. We need a world class workforce to deal with world class challenges. Our second concern is the decline in basic research, particularly in technology, by the federal government. We worry that we have eaten the seed corn of federal research of 20 and 30 years ago that is not being replenished."
For the first time, Cyberstates 2003 is based on the newly implemented North American Industry Classification System (NAICS). AeA selected 49 NAICS codes to define the high-tech industry. They fall into four broad categories: electronics manufacturing, communications services, software, and engineering and tech services. This more current and comprehensive system allows us to capture several sectors which we could not with the previous system. These include fiber optic cable manufacturers, semiconductor machinery manufacturers, and web search portals.
This new industry classification system is fundamentally different from the old Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) system. Every sector of the economy has been restructured and redefined by the NAICS. Consequently, the data presented in this report are not comparable in any way to previous editions of Cyberstates. In this edition, however, 2001, 2002, and 2003 data use the NAICS system and are therefore comparable.
Cyberstates 2003 found that all but three states lost high-tech jobs in 2002. California lost the greatest number of tech jobs, shedding some 123,000 jobs. Texas was second with tech jobs down by 61,000 jobs. Interestingly, the District of Columbia, Wyoming, and Montana were the only three cyberstates to add technology jobs between 2001 and 2002.
http://www.aeanet.org/PressRoom/idmk_cs2003_US.asp
Customers rage at Google tweak | CNET News.com:
"In a rare sign of trouble for the booming search marketing business, Google is fending off complaints from angry customers who say recent changes to the company's advertising program are costing them sales.
The search engine giant tweaked its AdWords service in late October, saying it was making the move to better identify successful ads--those that get clicks--and to increase their visibility. It also took steps to reduce the number of unsuccessful ads that show up on its search results pages. A company representative said overall ad response rates have improved since the changes took effect. "
As keyword marketing grows in popularity, providers will likely face a tough balancing act to satisfy advertisers intent on bidding up prices and fighting for visibility on increasingly crowded lists.
But the new system hasn't improved results for everyone, leading to an outcry from those on the losing end. Disgruntled customers say the new system pits smaller companies against bigger ones, ultimately favoring deep-pocketed advertisers that can afford to outbid rivals for coveted keywords. In addition, some customers say the changes may be responsible for decreased conversion rates--the crucial sales that come after someone clicks on a Web advertisement.
"We would love to spend more with Google, but we're not going to overpay on (search) terms, when the surfer will click on terms and be frustrated and go elsewhere," said Daniel Mardorf, the Webmaster at Cellphonecarriers.com, who said he's seen response rates and sales from his Google ads drop since last month's changes took effect
http://news.com.com/2102-1024_3-5107406.html?tag=st_util_print
"In a rare sign of trouble for the booming search marketing business, Google is fending off complaints from angry customers who say recent changes to the company's advertising program are costing them sales.
The search engine giant tweaked its AdWords service in late October, saying it was making the move to better identify successful ads--those that get clicks--and to increase their visibility. It also took steps to reduce the number of unsuccessful ads that show up on its search results pages. A company representative said overall ad response rates have improved since the changes took effect. "
As keyword marketing grows in popularity, providers will likely face a tough balancing act to satisfy advertisers intent on bidding up prices and fighting for visibility on increasingly crowded lists.
But the new system hasn't improved results for everyone, leading to an outcry from those on the losing end. Disgruntled customers say the new system pits smaller companies against bigger ones, ultimately favoring deep-pocketed advertisers that can afford to outbid rivals for coveted keywords. In addition, some customers say the changes may be responsible for decreased conversion rates--the crucial sales that come after someone clicks on a Web advertisement.
"We would love to spend more with Google, but we're not going to overpay on (search) terms, when the surfer will click on terms and be frustrated and go elsewhere," said Daniel Mardorf, the Webmaster at Cellphonecarriers.com, who said he's seen response rates and sales from his Google ads drop since last month's changes took effect
http://news.com.com/2102-1024_3-5107406.html?tag=st_util_print
Thursday, November 20, 2003
ZDNet AnchorDesk: It wasn't me, it was the Trojan horse:
"Remember the Twinkie defense? Well, now there's the Trojan horse defense. That's right: In three recent court cases in the United Kingdom, defendants pleaded not guilty on the basis that someone else put code on their computer (via a Trojan horse) that caused their machines to break the law. "
While these cases have no direct bearing on U.S. court cases, they could lead to creative defenses for computer-related crimes in this country as well.
THE FIRST TWO cases involved the downloading of child pornography, while the third concerned a denial-of-service attack that caused real-world economic damage. All three defendants were acquitted.
In one of the child pornography cases, Karl Schofield of Whitley, England was cleared of processing 14 images of child pornography on his home PC. In the other, Julian Green of Devon, England, who was acquitted of storing 172 images of child pornography on his system.
In both cases, computer forensics experts found evidence of Trojan horses on the suspects' hard drives. The rogue code was allegedly deposited there via pop-up advertisements, banner ads, or Internet worms.
The third case involved a U.K. teenager named Aaron Caffrey. U.S. police discovered that his computer was responsible for the denial-of-service attack that crashed servers at the Port of Houston in October. However, Caffrey claimed that someone else put a Trojan horse on his PC that allowed his system to be controlled remotely. When investigators were unable to find evidence of such a remote-control Trojan, Caffrey claimed the Trojan had automatically erased itself.
THIS SEEMS suspicious to me, if only because Microsoft Windows (the operating system on Caffrey's computer) is notorious for creating duplicates or logs of all data. So either Caffrey was lying, or the authorities who investigated him were inept, as evidence of a Trojan horse should be relatively easy to find. Computer forensics tools, such as Guidance Software's EnCase, can quickly reveal hidden, partial, or even deleted files.…
http://reviews-zdnet.com.com/AnchorDesk/4520-7297_16-5107486.html?tag=adss
"Remember the Twinkie defense? Well, now there's the Trojan horse defense. That's right: In three recent court cases in the United Kingdom, defendants pleaded not guilty on the basis that someone else put code on their computer (via a Trojan horse) that caused their machines to break the law. "
While these cases have no direct bearing on U.S. court cases, they could lead to creative defenses for computer-related crimes in this country as well.
THE FIRST TWO cases involved the downloading of child pornography, while the third concerned a denial-of-service attack that caused real-world economic damage. All three defendants were acquitted.
In one of the child pornography cases, Karl Schofield of Whitley, England was cleared of processing 14 images of child pornography on his home PC. In the other, Julian Green of Devon, England, who was acquitted of storing 172 images of child pornography on his system.
In both cases, computer forensics experts found evidence of Trojan horses on the suspects' hard drives. The rogue code was allegedly deposited there via pop-up advertisements, banner ads, or Internet worms.
The third case involved a U.K. teenager named Aaron Caffrey. U.S. police discovered that his computer was responsible for the denial-of-service attack that crashed servers at the Port of Houston in October. However, Caffrey claimed that someone else put a Trojan horse on his PC that allowed his system to be controlled remotely. When investigators were unable to find evidence of such a remote-control Trojan, Caffrey claimed the Trojan had automatically erased itself.
THIS SEEMS suspicious to me, if only because Microsoft Windows (the operating system on Caffrey's computer) is notorious for creating duplicates or logs of all data. So either Caffrey was lying, or the authorities who investigated him were inept, as evidence of a Trojan horse should be relatively easy to find. Computer forensics tools, such as Guidance Software's EnCase, can quickly reveal hidden, partial, or even deleted files.…
http://reviews-zdnet.com.com/AnchorDesk/4520-7297_16-5107486.html?tag=adss
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