Fahmida Y. Rashid

A Microsoft study bears out what environmentally-conscious companies have hoped for all along: cloud computing has the potential to reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions by 30 percent or more. Large data centers, like those run by tech giants Microsoft and Google, benefit from economies of scale and operational efficiencies, according to the study. Small […]

Kaspersky Lab bundled eight security products into an Anti-Malware Protection System to provide seamless security from endpoint and mobile devices all the way to the gateway. A mix of new and enhanced software, the Anti-Malware Protection System was announced on Nov. 2. The new Kaspersky products include the Kaspersky Security for Internet Gateway to scan […]

PayPal patched a security hole in its iPhone application that could let hackers steal user passwords and access their financial accounts, according to the Wall Street Journal. The vulnerability, where the app wasn’t confirming the authenticity of the PayPal Web site, was uncovered by digital forensics and security research firm viaForensics. Not validating the site’s […]

Hosted VOIP provider M5 Networks announced on Nov. 3 that it has acquired Chicago-based Geckotech for $8 million. The combined companies will handle what company officials describe as the “exploding demand” for business-grade hosted VOIP services. Geckotech’s CEO, Josh Robbins, will join M5 Networks as vice president of business development. Kerrin Parker, M5 Networks’ current […]

Oracle announced on Nov. 3 an application programming interface to manage private clouds and to address cloud interoperability. As more companies shift applications to the cloud and private clouds become increasingly popular, interoperability becomes critical. Organizations need to ensure the clouds can talk to one another and workloads can be easily moved among clouds. Currently, […]

Sophos will be offering a free version of its antivirus software for Macintosh home users, the company said on Nov. 2. Mac OS users can no longer afford to be complacent about viruses and other Web threats as hackers are adopting new tactics to reach non-PC users, according to Sophos officials. Security experts have warned […]

Attackers are targeting people searching for last-minute ideas on Halloween costumes, said CyberDefender on Oct. 29. The Internet security vendor joined several other security firms, including Blue Coat and BitDefender, to warn users searching online for Halloween-related topics. “Popular search terms have always been a target for cyber-criminals,” said Achal Khetarpal, director of CyberDefender Research […]

McAfee’s chief executive said the company’s “outstanding” third quarter results were proof customers, partners and employees supported the pending acquisition by Intel. There were lower discounts, longer contracts, a higher percentage of new customer business and lower attrition among employees during the third quarter from July to September, said David DeWalt, Intel’s chief, on a […]

Endgame Systems launched iPTrust, a cloud-based botnet and malware detection service that collects and distills security data into a reputation engine, the company said on Oct. 28. The ipTrust service provides useful information that identifies which system on an organization’s network has been compromised by a botnet, the company said. An enterprise is often the […]

New data security guidelines for processing credit card payments clarifies the virtualization questions that have stymied organizations trying to move ahead with their cloud strategy, said HyTrust on Oct. 29. The first major change to the PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard) since July 2009, the new rules are more explicit about protecting […]