Effective spam-blocking can save $$ millions

14 March 2007

Effective spam-blocking can save $$ millionsARNnet, Australia - By David Frost, CEO PR Deadlines Pty Ltd

Image spam, botnets, attacks by fast-evolving Trojans that are followed so closely by waves of spam that these elude Web defences before the anti-virus vendors have time to issue fixes for the Trojans… These are all current news items.

Stories about spam-borne threats to email users have a common thread – malware eludes the filters used by almost all data security vendors.

Stonewalled by spamITWorld Canada, Canada – March 13, 2007

For a long time now it's been a tough slog for anti-spam software companies, whose offerings never seem to have the impact they should.

Some low-technology workaround is developed that soon enough licks whatever protective shield vendors try to put in place – and spam continues unimpeded until the next "dream" product is announced and the cycle starts all over again.

China To Tighten Internet ControlAll Headline News – March 13, 2007
State press reports that China will be drafting new regulations to impose stricter control on Internet blogs and webcasts that allow users to bypass government censorship.
"Advanced network technologies such as blogging and webcasting have been mounting new challenges to the government's ability to supervise the Internet," Press and Publication Administration head Long Xinmin said, according to Xinhua news agency.

Chinese Government to tighten control on blogsiTWire, Australia – March 13, 2007

The Chinese Government is to regulate blogs more tightly, a move foreshadowed over six months ago.
The Peoples Daily quotes Long Xinmin, deputy of the Beijing delegation to the National People's Congress and director of the Administration of Press and Publication saying that at present, the Administration of Press and Publication is working with other departments to formulate regulations for the internet. Once decided, these regulations will help monitor online publishing such as web books and newspapers.


Microsoft fixes OneCare, but it's too late for some usersComputerworld, MA – March 13, 2007

Microsoft Corp. quietly deployed a patch to its Windows Live OneCare security suite earlier than expected to fix a bug that has erased some users' e-mail.

"On Sunday, March 11, the Windows Live OneCare team released a new antimalware engine that will fix the issue of OneCare erroneously quarantining certain Outlook .pst or Outlook Express .dbx files when infected files were detected within them," a Microsoft representative confirmed today. "Windows Live OneCare customers whose PCs are connected to the Internet will automatically get this fix."


Microsoft: Sorry for OneCare fiascoZDNet.com.au, Australia – March 14, 2007

Microsoft Australia has apologised to users who have lost their entire Outlook and Outlook Express e-mail archives due to a flaw in Windows Live OneCare.

The product is Microsoft's antivirus and security application for consumers and small businesses which was released locally over a month ago and last June in the US. According to recent postings on Microsoft's OneCare forum, users were complaining that the security suite had been accidently deleting their e-mails.


Dual Mode Handsets for VoIP & PSTN UsersTMCnet – March 13, 2007

Voice over IP (VoIP) is becoming increasingly popular, both with business customers as well as consumers. With each passing day, more and more people are realizing the benefits of VoIP — the cost savings, the features, the flexibility… but mostly the cost savings, at least in the consumer market.