The misuse of computer knowledge at work?

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2,400 FIRMS, GOVT AGENCIES HIT BY HACKERS

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SAN FRANCISCO - Coordinated cyber attacks launched from Europe and China breached computers at firms and government agencies worldwide in the past 18 months, The Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday.

The Journal quoted computer security firm NetWitness as saying the attacks made mountains of data vulnerable to mining by hackers, although the damage had yet to be fully assessed.

Information bared to hackers ranged from credit card transactions to intellectual property of slightly more than 2,400 victims, including 10 US government agencies, according to the Journal.

The hacking operation began in late 2008 in Germany and has yet to be stopped, NetWitness said.

Workers at companies were tricked into visiting websites or opening email attachments that promised to clean viruses from computers but instead infected machines.

Malicious code used in the attacks allowed hackers to seize control of computers remotely. Evidence cited by NetWitness indicated the culprits may be Eastern European gangsters.

The report came in the wake of Google revealing it was targeted by a sophisticated cyber attack aimed at the US firm's source code and Gmail accounts of Chinese human rights activists around the world. Computer industry specialists subsequently said more than 30 companies were hit by those attackers.

The apparent online espionage prompted Google to vow it would stop bowing to Chinese censors and shut down its China search service if it cannot operate unfettered. Google continues to filter searches in accordance with Chinese law while trying to negotiate a compromise with officials there. AFP

From TODAY, Friday, 19-Feb-2010

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On Windows 7

I’ve put my hand on Windows 7, and I was fortunate to be able to install the 32-bit version in my old desktop machine, purchased last 2003. Then, with my newer (1 1/2 yr or so) laptop, I was able to test the 64-bit version. These are both Windows 7 Ultimate OSes.

So with those 2 versions come problems that are uniquely their own, specific to the 64-bit OS: though basically breaking the 3GB RAM barrier, I immediately faced the problem of Zonealarm firewall not being able to install, so I searched, and sure enough, we have PC Tools Firewall Plus free edition to take its place. AVG 9 has a free version for Win 7.

The rest, they work. The main precaution when thinking of installing 64b Win7 is antivirus and firewall softwares. The rest of the softwares, they usually work – I was able to install back my old softwares (Harmony Assistant, Noteworthy Composer, CCleaner, Defraggler, etc) without a single issue being encountered.

So I’m now on Windows 7.

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Gamers, rejoice! Intel releases Core i7 mobile processors

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by Trevor Tan

Mobile professionals or gamers who lust for the most powerful laptops now have their wish granted - Intel has unveiled the fastest laptop chips ever, the Core i7 mobile processors.

Ported from its powerful desktop cousins, the new Intel Core i7 Mobile Processor, Intel Core i7 Mobile Processor Extreme Edition as well as Intel PM55 Express Chipset allow a speed boost of up to 75%, thanks to Intel Turbo Boost and better utilisation of multi-threaded applications with the power of Intel Hyper-Threading technology.

The quad-core processors in these chips and the support of up to 8MB smart cache make running of multiple applications a breeze, saving you time and increasing productivity.

The new chips offer two-channel DDR3 1333MHz memory support and full 1 x16 or 2 x 8 PCI Express 2.0 graphics support, giving gamers faster frame rates and smoother performance.

Hardcore gamers can use Intel Extreme Memory Profiles and Intel Extreme Tuning Utility to finetune and overclock their laptops blessed with the Core i7 Mobile Processor Extreme Edition.

According to Intel, top computer manufacturers like Dell, Toshiba and HP will begin shipping laptops based on the Intel Core i7 mobile processors today. Other manufacturers are expected to follow suit soon.

We hope the Core i7 mobile processors will find their way into all-in-one desktop systems as well, like Apple's iMac or Lenovo IdeaCentre, so that more users can enjoy the speed and benefits they bring.

From TODAY, Tech – Thursday, 24-Sep-2009

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