Focus On: Email

A network penetration expert claims that, even after years of development, the email client is still a favorite attack vector for criminals. Email clients often have everything attackers like: they're installed on highly complex systems operated by people with little knowledge of security. Few attackers are deterred by the current breed of flimsy personal firewalls. Nevertheless, some relatively simple solutions can pay big dividends.

Among other things, Enron prided itself on hiring the best and the brightest. A peak inside its email records provides a contrary view. The sample collected by Email Battles exposes sexual humorists, bathroom jokers, and outright perverts. All in all, a rogues' gallery of sophomoric comedic wannabees. The lesson: Your email (and IM) history lives forever. Hopefully, it won't come back to haunt you like it has the employees of Enron.

Email Battles lists thirty ports most likely to be exploited as unwitting open proxies by phishers, spammers, pay-per-click scammers, illicit file sharers, porn junkies, cheapskates, and industrial spies then tells you what to do about them... Especially the top five.

While Internet Explorer usage shows relatively modest drops among consumers, it is in freefall with a critical constituency: SMB network managers. More administrators are running alternative browsers than ever. And when they pull the trigger, they're taking their users with them.

Competitors feeling the heat as Microsoft overwhelms their markets just don't get it. Microsoft is fleeing a much bigger, implacable horde. There is no escape. Resistance is futile.