Symantec Critical of Windows Vista Security
by Alex Woodie

Microsoft has taken solid steps to improve Windows security with the upcoming new version, but in some ways it has not gone far enough, and it is still possible to hack through the defenses. These were the conclusions that Symantec came to in three detailed reports it has published over the last five weeks. Microsoft says not to worry because Symantec's conclusions were based a pre-release versions of Vista, and that some of the vulnerabilities have already been addressed. READ MORE >

Worms Exploiting Windows Server Service Vulnerability
by Alex Woodie

New worms are making the rounds of the Internet, infecting Windows computers, and launching denial of service attacks following last week's release of security patches by Microsoft. While Windows users who have applied the patch for the critical vulnerability in question--MS06-040--are protected, the patch has yet to be downloaded and installed on millions of PCs around the world, providing a lucrative window of opportunity for malware writers and hackers. READ MORE >

AMD Unveils Rev F Opterons, Prepares for Quad Cores in Mid-2007
by Timothy Prickett Morgan

The much-awaited and overdue "Santa Rosa" Rev F edition of the Opteron processors are being launched by Advanced Micro Devices today, and the company is clearly hoping to demonstrate to server makers and server buyers that the Opteron has plenty of technical and economic leverage against a revitalized server chip lineup from rival Intel. While AMD is launching the Rev F chips today, it is doing so somewhat quietly and in a manner that is reminiscent of the launch of the "Montecito" dual-core Itanium chip by Intel.READ MORE >

Sun Adds Two Entry Servers to the Galaxy Lineup
by Timothy Prickett Morgan

The "Santa Rosa" Rev F Opteron processors were announced yesterday by Advanced Micro Devices, and Sun Microsystems continued to build out its "Galaxy" server line with two new entry servers. One employs the Opteron 1000 series processors, which use the AM2 socket. The AM2 socket is really not a Rev F socket at all, but a twist on the 940-pin socket used with Rev E Opterons. The Opteron 1000 series chips do, however, have the DDR2 main memory and AMD-V virtualization technologies of the proper Rev F Opterons. The other machine does in fact use a real Rev F Opteron. READ MORE >