Security

by Paul F Roberts

I'm an experienced writer with a decade of work as a reporter and industry analyst covering IT security, cyber security and hacking. Prior to donning the reporter's cap, I spent close to a decade in the technology field, providing technical communications, product training and marketing and communications services to firms including Cisco Systems, Logica and SteelPoint Technologies (now part of Autonomy Corp. PLC). More recently, I served as editor of the computer security blog Threatpost.com. My writing has appeared in The Boston Globe, Salon.com, Fortune Small Business, as well as ZDNet, Computerworld, InfoWorld, eWeek, CIO , CSO , ITworld as well as long format analysis for The 451 Group. I have provided expert commentary on cyber security and emerging threats for leading news outlets including NPR's Marketplace TechReport. Finally 'yes,' I was a guest on The Oprah Show — but it’s a long story.

Cyber's Strangelovian moment?

Posted Feb 25, 2013 - 10:03 pm

A steady drumbeat of news about sophisticated cyber attacks against our government and leading institutions has attendees at this year's RSA conference in a fever. And that may be bad for security.
Security, apt, cybersecurity
Antivirus's star fades, letting new technologies shine

Posted Feb 25, 2013 - 02:54 pm

As if you didn't know it already: antivirus software isn't doing its job, even though it sucks up around 30% of IT security budgets. But where can companies turn next? Two firms think they have an answer.
Security
Security stories to watch: Security firm Bit9 hacked. Also: Microsoft megapatch and identity management

Posted Feb 11, 2013 - 04:20 pm

The hack of security firm Bit9 reminds us that application whitelists work great at stopping malware ... until they don't. And: Microsoft prepares a mystery 'double patch' of the Internet Explorer web browser, fueling speculation.
Security
The security week ahead: Hacking the media, Plus: more encryption woes

Posted Feb 04, 2013 - 01:25 pm

Last week's revelations about hacks of prominent media outlets continues. Plus: new questions about the security of encrypted communications will dominate the news this week.
Security
The security week ahead: Let the Cyber Cold War begin!

Posted Jan 28, 2013 - 01:43 pm

D.C. wonks warm up to a new Cold War: this one fought with computers. Plus: Death of Aaron Swartz inspires Anonymous back to action.
Security
The security week ahead: Mega's mind, and when stuff attacks!

Posted Jan 21, 2013 - 01:58 pm

Plan on hearing a lot more about the world's most famous (and audacious) Internet tycoon: Kim Dotcom this week, following the launch of his new cloud-based storage service: Mega. And: more stories about the computer security threat posed by things you didn't even know were computers.
Security
Holes in common component could leave office printers open to attack

Posted Jan 21, 2013 - 12:55 pm

Forget "PC LOAD LETTER," a vulnerability in a standard component of modern office printers may make hardware from a wide range of vendors vulnerable to denial of service attacks and data theft, according to a researcher for security firm ViaForensics.
Security
Security stories to watch: Patches for Java, IE, and SCADA-pocalypse!

Posted Jan 15, 2013 - 11:55 am

The patches are out for both Java and Internet Explorer, but this is hardly the end of the story - or the hand wringing. Also: a SCADA-pocalypse!
Security, Internet Explorer, java
Five ways the cool stuff at CES will ruin your life

Posted Jan 14, 2013 - 02:24 pm

There are a lot of reasons to be skeptical of a future in which smart devices of every shape and size do our thinking for us. Here are five good reasons the Internet of Things might just make our lives worse.
Consumerization of IT
Speaking HIPAA: Researchers develop new language to automate compliance

Posted Jan 11, 2013 - 04:40 pm

Privacy regulations like HIPAA and GLB are mind boggling in their complexity, and that makes complying with them difficult. But what if you could automate compliance audits, harnessing heavy compute power to measure compliance with privacy laws and spot violations? Researchers from CMU may have found a way to do so.
IT Management

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Microsoft's Security Essentials isn't the best antivirus program, according to Microsoft

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AMD pushes forward with new video cards and a few surprises

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Change Microsoft Office 2013's default search engine from Bing to Google

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See - and hear - what it was like to surf the web 20 years ago

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Valve completes its trifecta of announcements with the Steam Controller

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