Public Computing & Linux in the News

Linux Watch - Why is anyone still using Internet Explorer? (03/30/06)
"OK, how many times must Internet Explorer be ripped open like a hot 16-year old in a summer slasher movie before people finally get it: IE is not safe. Period. End of Statement. If you run IE, you're just asking to me slammed by worms, bots, adware, and every other kind of malware on the planet. No, it doesn't matter that you're using XP SP2 and you've downloaded all the patches. The only version that appears to be immune is IE7 beta-2 ..."

Builder AU - Linux growth 'to outstrip Windows by a factor of 3' (03/30/06)
"Over the next five years, Oracle is predicting annual growth of 12 percent for the open source OS Linux adoptions are to grow in the next three to five years at nearly triple the rate of Windows, according to Oracle. ..."

University of Washington PACP - Collected Reports on the Value of Providing Public Access Computers (Misc. Dates)
"The University of Washington's Public Access Computing Project has produced several reports on the value of providing public computer access in libraries. Many libraries identified as at risk in these studies will shortly be receiving some of the 10.9 million dollars the Gates Foundation is providing in this, the second round of Gates funding. See also the University of Florida study compiled by the Information Use Management & Policy Institute, which supports the conclusions made in the Washington studies: http://www.ii.fsu.edu/projectFiles/plinternet/2004.plinternet.study.pdf ..."

Desktop Linux - Top 10 Reasons Linux pwns your OS (03/21/06)
"You've probably heard the talk on how Linux can run rings around Windows. This article compiles all the key reasons including: Security and stability, Ratio of money spent versus quality of software, Security and stability, and seven others. ..."

The Chronicle of Higher Education - FBI Agents Back Down When Librarian Refuses to Let Them Seize 30 Computers Without a Warrant (01/31/06)
"A librarian at Brandeis University forced the FBI to obtain a warrant to seize computers used to send threats. From the article: 'Federal Bureau of Investigation agents tried to seize 30 of the library's computers without a warrant, saying someone had used the library's Internet connection to send the threat to Brandeis. But the library director, Kathy Glick-Weil, told the agents they could not take the machines unless they got a warrant first. Newton's mayor, David Cohen, backed Ms. Glick-Weil up. After a brief standoff, FBI officials relented and sought a warrant from a judge ..."

Bellevue Linux - 25 Reasons to Convert to Linux (01/16/06)
""25 Reasons to Convert to Linux," is a concisely written listing of claimed advantages of the open source operating system over Windows and other proprietary software. For IT managers working to convince their companies to make the switch, the list may serve as a valuable reference point. Some key points from the list include: * Linux is free software * It is able to be freely modified * High quality support for Linux is available for free on the Internet * There is little possibility that support for Linux will be discontinued at some future date due to planned obsolescence or for any other reason. * There are no forced upgrades for Linux users ..."

MarketWatch.com - The software police and your company (10/20/05)
"Article discussing the high cost of ensuring software license compliance and the value proposition of open source. "it costs $150 a seat to run a full audit using his firm's services and most audits fail because of nothing more than not having the right paperwork for the software. This can even mean that the wrong name is on the receipt. A fine for one unaccounted copy of Microsoft Office can be $2,000 according to Scott.... The BSA says there is no one fine for anything, it's all negotiated. "According to the law it can be as high as $150,000 per instance," said the BSA Senior Enforcement Attorney David Majors. But he mentioned that that is for a willful violation. Accidental violations can be as high as $30,000. That makes $2,000 look like such a deal! ..."

Information Week - Two research reports sponsored by IBM argue that Linux is less expensive to buy and operate than Windows or Unix. (09/01/05)
"A Robert Frances Group study, concluded: 'Linux is 40% less expensive than a comparable x86-based Windows server and 54% less than a comparable Sparc-based Solaris server. The Linux server's costs were $40,149, compared with $67,559 for Windows and $86,478 for Solaris.' The second, a Pund-IT report, titled 'Beyond TCO--The Unanticipated Second Stage Benefits Of Linux,' indicates that 'Linux is enormously popular among IT staff members, many of whom are at the beginning of their careers, as well as with IT educators in universities and technical institutions worldwide.' This has resulted in Linux playing a significant role in the recruitment and retention of IT staff and managers. ..."

ALA - Florida Librarian Suspended over Porn Incident (08/12/05)
"The head librarian of the Valparaiso Community Library in Florida was suspended after investigators found that users had viewed adult content on public computers. While the library has a policy against viewing adult material on library computers, the librarian is facing possible dismissal. Is the best enforcement policy to hold librarians personally responsible for the materials patrons' access? ..."

News.com - Soaring malware levels hint at criminal activity (07/05/05)
"Security company Sophos has seen a dramatic rise in the number of viruses, worms and Trojan horses this year as more organized criminals turn to cybercrime. ..."

Chicago Tribune - Library card? Check. Fingerprint? Really? (05/20/05)
"Three libraries in Naperville, IL, soon will start requiring patrons who use the library's PCs to provide a fingerprint scan. The article says, "Library officials say the added security is necessary to ensure people who are using the computers are who they say they are. Officials promise to protect the confidentiality of the fingerprint records." ..."

Times Educational Supplement - Ditching Microsoft can save millions (05/06/05)
"Primary schools could cut their computer costs by nearly half if they stopped buying, operating and supporting products from the world?s largest software company, government research has found. This article cites a report by the British Educational Communications and Technology Association telling primary and secondary schools in the UK to dump Microsoft Operating systems and products in order to save millions. In a report to be published next week, obtained by The TES, Becta will highlight schools which have turned to free software instead of the market leader's products. Becta does not name Microsoft in its analysis. But almost all schools use some of the company's products. Their conclusion? Schools running OSS are saving 24% on average per pc versus those running proprietary systems." ..."

News Factor - Phishers Using New Methods To Steal User Information (05/05/05)
"Websense reported 10 new keylogger variants as well as more than 100 new Web sites set up to infect computers with the malicious programs. That is an increase from last November and December, when Websense found only 2 new variants and about 15 new Web sites per week. Keystroke loggers are rapidly becoming the lure of choice for phishers. Their advantage is that they compromise information long before the information has a chance to be encrypted. ..."

eweek - Novell Seeks to Woo Windows Users with Linux-in-a-Box (03/10/05)
"In an effort to convince frustrated Windows users to adopt Linux, Novell has introduced a new version of SuSE Linux that bundles revamped applications and tools with the latest version of the operating system.

By bundling such a vast array of applications and tools, Novell hopes to woo Microsoft users who may be frustrated with Windows' security bugs and might be open to switching to Linux if the transition is smooth and easy. ..."

OSDL Linux Summit (Presentation by by Amy D. Wohl) - The Linux Desktop: An Achievement Report (02/25/05)
"Slides illustrating the opportunity for Desktop Linux. ..."

Eweek - Linux and Open Source: The 2005 Generation (01/04/05)
"Eweek article quoting IDC analyst Al Gillen saying "Linux is no longer a fringe player. Linux is now mainstream." He made that observation because IDC's research predicts that Linux's overall revenue for desktops, servers and packaged software running on Linux will exceed $35 billion by 2008. ..."

Globe and Mail - Experts Warn of New Windows Vulnerabilities (12/24/04)
"

Symantec's Security Response has issued a warning about three new "serious" vulnerabilities discovered in the Windows operating system.

"We believe these threats to be serious, especially given the time of year that they have been discovered," said Alfred Huger, senior director of Symantec Security Response. "Many consumers are shopping on-line and many businesses are short-staffed making these threats more worrisome. Two out of these three vulnerabilities could potentially be used to install malicious code such as spyware on an unsuspecting victim's computer, and take complete control of their computer."

..."

Desktop Linux - Linux to Top $35B by 2008 (12/15/04)
"The Open Source Development Labs (OSDL) unveiled key findings from a newly completed IDC market study today, projecting that the overall revenue for desktops, servers, and packaged software running on Linux will exceed $35 billion by 2008. ..."

The Age - TCO study: Linux wins again (12/13/04)
"An updated Linux vs Windows TCO study has found that a 250-seat company can end up saving 36 percent if it were to equip its users with the open source operating system and applications that run on it. This is before factoring the Userful's ten to one desktop advantage. ..."

Slashdot.org - Every Fifth Call at Dell is Spyware-Related (10/18/04)
""Financial Express quotes a Dell executive saying that spyware is installed on roughly 90% computers out there. Right now 20% of all Dell phone support calls are spyware-related. University of Washington research this March published a moderate estimate of 5.1% PCs running spyware." ..."

Security Focus - Kinko's Keystroke Caper (10/15/04)
""For more than a year, unbeknownst to people who used Internet terminals at Kinko's stores in New York, Juju Jiang was recording what they typed, paying particular attention to their passwords." ..."

Redmond Magazine - Time to Dump IE? (October 2004)
"Internet Explorer is a hacker's dream. Can you (and should you) drop it right now? Internet Explorer is the Swiss Cheese of software - it's full of holes. Holes in software are never good, but when the browser is so integrated with the OS as to be as one - you've got problems. Add to that the sheer ubiquity of the Microsoft browser, and it's no wonder IE has become the hackers' No. 1 playground. The downside is a real downer. With a regular Web browser, a security vulnerability might let someone crash the browser. With an integrated Web browser they can crash the whole operating system. The tight ties to Windows means that the slightest IE security issue becomes an OS-wide panic. The open-source code base of the Netscape browser, Mozilla offers a couple of browsers. Mozilla 1.7 is its base product (1.8 is in beta as of this writing); Firefox (currently at 0.9) is the next-generation browser. Both are available from www.mozilla.org. Netscape also offers 7.1 of its venerable browser based on Mozilla code. It's available from www.netscape.com, but you'd better hurry: It'll be the last Netscape-branded browser AOL produces. ..."

Ziff Davis - Migrating Linux to the Enterprise Desktop (09/16/04)
"A growing number of industry organizations and Linux vendors are driving the consideration of Linux as the preferred desktop operating system for personal and business computers. Whether in search of a lower-cost alternative to licensing fees charged by popular desktop application providers, or to leverage the inherent security, reliability and manageability of Linux, more companies are starting to consider desktop Linux strategies and implementation. The move to Linux on the desktop is being led in part by the growing acceptance of thin client computing. Indeed, thin Linux combines Linux's strengths in security, manageability, reliability and affordability with similar strengths of thin client computing. Flexible and powerful, thin Linux merits consideration by every organization looking to lower costs, reduce complexity and fulfill open-source mandates. To discover the advantages that thin clients bring to Linux-based business computing over traditional desktop PCs, and to learn which factors to consider when choosing a Linux-based thin client platform, download our Executive Brief, "Migrating Linux to the Enterprise Desktop." ..."

Ziff Davis - Linux Makes Its Desktop Move at LinuxWorld (09/16/04)
"The timing couldn't be better for the Linux desktop in some ways, as Windows seems increasing besieged by security concerns and the Longhorn ship date slips farther into the future. Dan Kusnetzky, IDC vice president for system software research, in a recent report predicted that the Linux desktop would grow from a 2002 market share of 2.7 percent to a 6 percent share with more than 10 million shipments in 2007 in part because of former Windows users seeking a more secure desktop. ..."

ZDNet - Longhorn to put squeeze on gadgets (09/09/04)
""Much has been made of the security risks posed by portable storage devices known as USB keys, or flash drives, music players like the iPod, and other small gadgets that can store vast amounts of data. Some fear that such tiny devices can be used to quickly copy sensitive data off business PC hard drives, or to introduce malicious software..." ..."

DesktopLinux.com - Free whitepaper helps enterprises migrate to Linux desktops (08/25/04)
"Consulting security engineer and Linux strategist Mark Lachniet has released a comprehensive feasibility study aimed at enterprises contemplating a move to Linux desktops. Lachniet is making the study available as a free download from DesktopLinux.com in order to promote understanding and dialogue on the pros and cons of migrating to the Linux desktop, and to provide a full scope and understanding of the issues. ..."

Browse Happy - Browse Happy (08/24/04)
"BrowseHappy not only tells us why IE is unsafe, but also provides "switcher" stories of people that stopped using IE and switched to a safer browser. This campaign is not so much against IE, but for the use of safer and more user-friendly browsers ..."

IT World - Is it time to dump Internet Explorer and Outlook? (07/19/04)
"IE has proven to be a serious chink in an organization's armor over the last few years, and Outlook has similar weaknesses because it uses the IE engine for much of its underpinnings. A simple search of a few attacker web sites shows numerous methods and tools for taking advantage of these holes, and attackers are regularly researching and releasing more ways to compromise these platforms. The problem will continue and probably worsen as we go along. With such a large amount of risk associated with the use of these programs, it might be time to consider dumping them completely from your organization's deployments. ..."

e-week - Isn't Now the Time to Try a Linux Desktop? (07/09/04)
"The crackers currently have the whip hand over Windows, and Microsoft's assertion that Internet Explorer is now part of the operating system shows its flawed reasoning. Worried sick about the latest rash of Internet Explorer security problems? I have the perfect solution for you, one that's even better than switching to Mozilla, Firefox or Opera. Switch operating systems: Go to Linux. ..."

Globe and Mail - Using virus-prone IE ?like playing the lottery' (07/01/04)
"Switching browsers may cause problems, but less so than following Microsoft's temporary prescription of cranking up security settings, which may cripple the ability to access multimedia content or fill out Web forms. ..."

News.com - Pop-up program reads keystrokes, steals passwords (06/29/04)
"A flaw in Internet Explorer is currently exposing computer users to keystroke logging and password theft. A malicious program installs itself through a pop up then logs a user's key strokes when he or she visits banking sites. This threat, along with a series of recent problems related to IE vulnerabilities, is leading some security experts to suggest users cease using Internet Explorer, at least temporarily. ..."

eWeek - Desktop Linux: Sun Shines (06/21/04)
"Desktop Linux is good enough to supplant Windows in a number of enterprise desktop roles, and it has been for some time now. ..."

News.com - StarOffice scores Canadian win (06/07/04)
"In one of its largest deployments in North America to date, Star Office (Sun Microsystems' brand of OpenOffice, the Office Suite) is going to be deployed on all school owned PC's in Ontario. Visit the article for more on how the Ontario Ministry of Education has opted to better spend public money. ..."

SlashDot.org - New Spyware Virus (06/04/04)
"A new virus is on the prowl that can infect your Windows XP/2K system and record every key you hit on your keyboard. The keys are then sent back to the virus creator where he/she can steal your passwords and credit card information. The virus named, Korgo, started showing up in the last week of May but it now has at least six different variants. It does not arrive by email, but simply by being connected to a network or to the Internet without having a patched machine or a properly configured firewall ..."

Wired News - Browser Hijackers Ruining Lives (05/11/04)
"Hijacked browsers can not only annoy you with a never-ending string of pop-ups, they leave a less-than-virtuous browser history behind on your computer. This guy claims that some piece of malware hijacked his home page, opened an unstoppable chain of pop-ups, and filled his cache with porn. He now has to register as a sex offender, even though he denies that he did anything his computer says he did. ..."

Wired News - Sick of Spam? Prepare for Adware (05/07/04)
"Spyware Becoming Worst Tech Support Problem. 'The fast-growing phenomenon is already responsible for more than 12 percent of all technical support calls in Dell's consumer hardware division, the biggest category of complaints this year, company representatives said.' ..."

KBSt - Linux Migration Guide (07/01/03)
"A guide to migrating the basic components on server and workstation computers ..."

CBS News - Internet Porn Gets 'Checked Out' (06/26/03)
"The ongoing debate over filtering in libraries. ..."

There are additional press items in the archives.