Week in review: Washington wrangling

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to line up Web sites to use it, banks and credit card companies to support it and consumers to buy in. So says Kim Cameron, the Microsoft identity architect who's leading the InfoCard effort.

Cisco Systems Chief Executive John Chambers told the RSA crowd that he's taking a "holistic" approach to security and that corporations should view the network as an integrated system.

The network has evolved from using "pinpoint" security technology to one that integrates a broad range of tools that communicate with each other, he said. That means that security can be coordinated across the entire network, from the worker at a desk to the guts of the system.

Meanwhile, Sun Microsystems CEO Scott McNealy said the digital divide won't get any smaller until technology companies clean up their security act. And not surprisingly, he offered a remedy that involved some of Sun's pet initiatives. McNealy also rattled off the top 10 security nightmares that could occur.

In other RSA news, FBI Director Robert Mueller said his agency needs more help from private businesses to stay ahead of the curve in the fight on cybercrime. The advent of the information age has made the world smaller and smarter, but the threats have become equally more diverse and dangerous, Mueller said. "We need your help, and we continue to ask for your cooperation," he said.

A panel of security titans and bankers added that privately held companies in the business of protecting information from espionage are attractive to potential buyers.

The panel discussion, held before a standing room-only crowd, addressed the current merger and acquisition environment for security companies, as well as what it takes for them to gain interest from potential buyout candidates.

Symantec and VeriSign executives on Wednesday urged business leaders to protect the digital economy, warning that if online commerce doesn't become more trustworthy, consumers might fall back on old-fashioned purchasing methods.

In other security news this week, a U.K. security expert who devised an application that can "pod slurp," or fill an iPod with business-critical data in a matter of minutes, is urging companies to address the potential for data theft using the application.

Microsoft confirmed the existence of a flaw in its USB 2.0 drivers for Windows XP Service Pack 2 that can cause a notebook to consume power at a faster-than-expected rate when using a peripheral device.

Also, the Electronic Privacy Foundation urged consumers to boycott Google Desktop 3 software, warning that Google could be forced to turn over the data to the government if subpoenaed, even if the data is stored on Google servers only temporarily.

Several large banks and credit unions have replaced about 200,000 debit cards in the wake of a security breach at an unidentified retail chain and at Sam's Stores, owned by Wal-Mart Stores. Multiple law enforcement and banking sources have told CNET News.com that unauthorized charges have shown up on the accounts of many OfficeMax customers, but the company has denied suffering any security breach.

Opening to open source
It was a busy week in open-source news beginning on Tuesday, when Oracle announced at the Open Source Business Conference in San Francisco that it had acquired open-source database company Sleepycat Software for an undisclosed sum.

The database giant said Sleepycat's open-source Berkeley DB database will complement Oracle's existing line of closed-source databases for embedding within applications. The products differ from Oracle's flagship enterprise database software used for general business systems.

Oracle also tried to acquire open-source database maker MySQL, another indication of the profound changes the software giant is willing to make as it adapts to the increasingly significant collaborative programming philosophy.

Also at the conference, an SAP executive said a wave of consolidation is sweeping the information technology industry and that many open-source business applications will be left behind when customers pare down their suppliers.

In other open-source news, Daniel Robbins, the founder and former chief architect of the Gentoo Linux project, has quit his job at Microsoft after only eight months, the software giant has confirmed. He worked under Bill Hilf, who runs Microsoft's Linux and Open Source Software Lab and had an "educational" role within the company.

Microsoft and open-source enterprise applications vendor SugarCRM unveiled a technical collaboration Tuesday, under which Sugar CRM will release its next customer relationship management suite under the Microsoft Community License.

And Integrated Computer Solutions this week announced that it will release to the public what was once secret source code through the Project.net management software it bought Jan. 1.

In other news

The toy industry showcased its newest techie items at the American International Toy Fair...Graduate students at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology will try to get the flying car aloft...A surprising number of people have found their long-term Valentines in online games...Apple Computer released an update to the Mac operating system that it hopes will alleviate video problems with the first Intel-based Macs...A mad scramble may ensue when the first high-definition DVDs finally hit shelves this spring...Microsoft offered further details on the next version of Office... Advanced Micro Devices cut prices on several Opteron processors as the company prepares to introduce new technology for its server chips...Microsoft launched an attack on the European Commission, accusing it of disregarding evidence and denying due process.

[MaxBuff]

Censorship

I fail to see any difference between China's plan to censor Google and the other search engines and the US Government's recent subpoena of Google, MSN and Yahoo utilization records. US citizens have been betrayed as much as have Chinese citizens.

What is the difference between China wanting to stop people from searching for "democracy" and the US wanting to stop people from searching photographs or porn? After porn what?

I'm afraid that when Google, MSN and Yahoo cave-in to the Chinese government that they will no longer have a basis for fighting the US government.

[jmaestro26]

Excellent point

Excellent Point. I'd prefer to see the tech companies not give in to anyone.

[btljooz]

HYPOCRISY @ it's FINEST!!!!!

THIS comes from the very same 'gov' that surreptitiously spies on it's own constituency through any means possible flying directly in the face of the United States of America Constitution!!!!!:|

<a class="jive-link-external" href="http://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/contstitution.billofrights.html" target="_newWindow">http://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/contstitution.billofrights.html</a>

Pay special attention to I. &#38; IV. of the Bill of Rights at the page above;)

For an overview of the WHOLE Constitution:

<a class="jive-link-external" href="http://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/contstitution.preamble.html" target="_newWindow">http://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/contstitution.preamble.html</a>

Our Founding Fathers are spinning in their graves due to the abusive destruction of the Country they founded by it's own 'new' government!:(

[btljooz]

Attempt @ repairing previouly provided links

Bill of Rights:

<a class="jive-link-external" href="http://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/constitution.billofrights.html" target="_newWindow">http://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/constitution.billofrights.html</a>

Full overview of Constitution:

<a class="jive-link-external" href="http://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/constitution.preamble.html" target="_newWindow">http://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/constitution.preamble.html</a>

[wbenton]

Filtering vs Censorship

The option to filter is one thing... but total censorship is entirely another. The internet is borderless... those countries that don't want to fall by it's borderless rules can create their own mini-version entirely controlled by their brainwashing agencies.

I say pull out all of our equipment if they continue to want to force us to comply and then see how they like it!

It might loose us a few sales... but it will definately be an eye-opener for those who try to force our high-tech companies into censorship!

Walt

[btljooz]

AMEN to THAT!

But it shouldn't only end with 'our equipment'. We should pull out ANYTHING that is industry related in ANY fashion! ALL of it!!!

THAT $hould $end an extremely $uccinct me$$age to them as well as boo$t our OWN economy back up again.;)