Articles by Jack M. Germain

New-age warfare is here. Governments and Internet security firms are quietly gearing up for the potential onslaught. Don't think that cyber warfare is merely fuel for novel writers. Cyber attacks are being waged in increasing numbers Computer network attacks are often perpetrated by gangs of criminal hackers attempting to break into a system for fi...

For enterprises, the primary reason for adopting Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) phone service is money. Long-distance phone calls placed over the Internet typically cost a mere fraction of those placed under the business rate plans offered by traditional telephone companies As a result, the business world is embracing VoIP phone systems for th...

Japanese Linux computer firm Plat'Home in March released a palm-sized, full-featured Linux-based server dubbed "OpenBlockS." This tiny marvel is no lightweight wanna-be replacement for a real Linux server. It can run most server applications that you would expect to run on a "normal" full-sized Linux box Despite their tiny size, OpenBlockS servers ...

Having an interest in computers and the Internet is one thing, but can going overboard with it qualify you for a deviant behavior diagnosis from a clinical therapists? That may depend on how much time you sit at the keyboard and how much that impacts your job, your family and your other important interests Jennifer Hall Goodwin, president of busine...

OpenLogic, a provider of open source packages, kicked off the data-gathering second phase of a global project aiming to collect and share quantitative data on the use of open source software. The company on Wednesday announced an initial list of 10 survey sponsors and launched a census designed to survey the land of open source Companies and indivi...

Mid-market companies often have few choices when it comes to ensuring compliance with federal regulatory edicts for customer identity and financial records. Big companies use business process management (BPM) and enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems to track everything their employees do. Mid-size companies have to spend a small fortune or manage with manual spreadsheets and homegrown solutions...

One interpretation of the term "green computing" focuses on the machine's energy consumption. The less power a computer needs, the less harm to the environment it does -- and the less the owner has to spend on energy costs Are those energy savings enough of a reason to make major enterprise buying decisions based in part on how green a computer is?...

What does a systems engineer in charge of a computer network for a major medical facility do to trim expenses and administer much-needed performance medicine to mission-critical applications? In the case of Orlando's Florida Hospital, network administrators surgically removed failing proprietary software and hardware and implanted open source technology...

How green is your computer equipment? The answer could provide insight into how much electricity you aren't buying each month to run your computers and peripherals. It can also provide a clue to how much long-term harm your computing activity is having on the world around you The question of green computing becomes more intense as energy issues mov...

HP on Tuesday introduced a new line of imaging and printer services designed for the needs of the enterprise market. A major component of the company's new offerings is a business partner accreditation, certification and test program. The products help enterprises manage, secure and simplify their imaging and printing environments and improve workflows to reduce costs and enhance productivity, the company said...

Over the last three years, the number of developers of the Linux kernel has tripled, according to the Linux Foundation. A research team from the organization has reported that the growth of the open source operating system into new areas is attracting more hands-on code writing of the Linux engine The kernel forms the core of the Linux system and i...

The business use of e-mail worldwide has become so critical that the ever-increasing number of spam attacks containing malware are placing corporate and customer information at the highest levels of risk yet, according to an industry-wide survey Internet security firm Webroot conducted last month While companies are generating huge volumes of e-mai...

Symark International on Tuesday released PowerADvantage, an integrated authentication and configuration tool that extends features of Microsoft Windows' Active Directory to networks also running Unix and Linux systems PowerAdvantage adds centralized authentication, authorization and account access functionality to Unix and Linux systems. It's also ...

Computer technology in the workplace is all about hardware speed and connection bandwidth. To help IT managers augment their systems in both regards, vendors have been developing tweaking strategies to boost application speed beyond design limits. This process is called "application acceleration." However, this race has changed quite a bit over the...

Phishing is a tactic known to malicious hackers ever since the first one crawled out of a swamp and onto dry land. It's another variation on social engineering. The phisher's goal is to get people to open themselves up to technical vulnerabilities through nontechnical means. However, even though most e-mail users have become more savvy about obvious scams, phishing is evolving...

Can you recall the five worst phishing scams to grace your e-mail in-box? Can you spot a genuine e-mail from your financial institution or government agency? Don't feel too technologically challenged if your answer is no to either -- or both -- of these questions. Even security experts are hard-pressed to choose the worst phishing scams. Prize-winn...

WiFi features are as standard on today's portable computers as built-in modems used to be. Laptop users have become accustomed to the ability to connect to the Internet from practically anywhere to reach e-mail, Web sites and music download portals. Consumers even use wireless routers to connect to the Internet from anywhere in their homes The prob...

The Linux operating system is not immune to virus infections, although Linux-specific viruses are extremely rare. Linux servers face more risk of virus attack than Linux desktops That said, IT security and control firm Sophos recently issued a warning about potential virus infections targeting Linux servers that could pose risks to the Linux operat...

Web 2.0 technology is revolutionizing the way businesses display their wares on e-commerce sites. The service delivery model of Web 2.0 presents a pressing challenge to Web designers in small businesses and home-based businesses. Anyone with a community-based information and public comment Web site is often hard-pressed to offer the look and feel of a modern, interactive portal...

3Tera, based in Aliso Viejo, Calif., has made a sizable step forward in the on-demand or utility computing market. The company provides other enterprises, both large and small, with a new technology called "disposable infrastructure." This technology forms the foundation of its AppLogic product, a first-of-its kind grid operating system that runs and scales existing Web applications...