InformationWeek: The Business Value of Technology

Top 10 Software Stories Of 2010

In any year, there are winners and losers, those that successfully rode--or shaped--the tide, and those smashed by the waves of change. As virtual battles raged on Xboxes, Kinects, and other platforms, software developers waged war over market share and steadily loosening budget dollars. Eagerly awaited new products and beta versions made their debuts, jockeying for position and sales. The past year was, of course, no exception. In the rapid-paced world of social media, granddaddy MySpace all-but conceded defeat, rolling over into a partnership with longtime rival Facebook. Software developers of all ilk incorporated social media capabilities into their solutions, looking to partner or integrate with Facebook, Twitter, and location-based sites. Here are 10 of the top software stories of 2010.

Top 10 Security Stories Of 2010

As smartphones and tablets complement and battle with notebooks and PCs as routes to the connected world, as corporate users and consumers turn to both traditional Web sites and newer social networking sites to communicate, share ideas, trade business concepts, and shop, corporate IT professionals and the government organizations overseeing the nation's cybersecurity are all-too aware they must do more. And they must do it fast. Recognizing this, the federal government hopes to create a new wave of cybersecurity educational and certification programs in order to form the next, much-needed workforce. And law enforcement agencies around the world are becoming more adept at working cooperatively to combat the growing number, complexity, and sophistication of cyber criminals that pursue money and power through their creation of malware and network destruction. This teamwork already has brought down some botnet gangs in different nations.

Top 10 Government Stories Of 2010

In 2010, the government turned to technology as a way to cut costs and improve efficiencies, an approach that worked in some cases but backfired in others. Like their associates in the public sector, government executives and IT professionals saw some big wins -- and headaches -- over the past 12 months. In some cases, cities or agencies were able to save money and boost productivity by adopting technologies such as cloud computing, by centralizing contracts, and reducing energy consumption through consolidated data centers. In other cases, contracts-run-amok or a malfunctioning component led to headlines, hand wringing, and late night scrambling to recover data and operations.

40 Tech Gifts For The Holiday Season

When it seems like the techie in your life already has every next-generation gadget and gizmo on earth, just the thought of finding them a good gift can make you wince with expectant agony. But no one actually has everything, and there's bound to be something out there that will tickle their tech fancy. From TVs to smartphones, green gadgets to slightly goofy gadgets, jaw-dropping sound to peaceful wake-up calls, here are 40 ideas for the holidays or any other gift-giving occasion. Prices are rounded to nearest whole dollar and are suggested retail unless otherwise noted. In some cases, there's no wiggle on the price tag; in others, it pays to shop around for the best deal.

5 Airport Body Scanner Patents Stripped Down

Here's a deep dive on five patents applying X-ray backscatter technology to airport contraband detection. These screening machines have been much in the news recently, amid controversy regarding both their effectiveness and the amount of radiation exposure to which travelers are subjected. The patents we'll look at are from prime players in the airport body scanner field. This list is led by Rapiscan Systems Inc. , of Torrance, Calif., which in 2009 won the TSA contract to supply whole-body imaging scanners to U.S. airports. Also included is Martin Annis, a pioneer in body scanning who founded American Science and Engineering Inc. (ASAE) of Billerica, Mass. in 1958. In 1980, Annis was awarded one of the first personnel scanner patents. Finally, L-3 Communications Security and Detection Systems Inc., of Woburn, Mass., has sold numerous explosives detection devices to the military and vied for the TSA contract. Selected diagrams from five patents are included to illustrate inventors' efforts at enhanced privacy, through which explicit body part imagery is replaced by a mannequin-like view, as well as to show attempts to reduce traveler exposure to x-rays through more sophisticated radiation source arrays.

How Firesheep Can Hijack Web Sessions

Firesheep is a Firefox extension used to hijack web sessions, usually used over WiFi networks. Firesheep doesn't steal usernames and passwords, instead it copies session cookies used on authenticated websites. These are then used to impersonate the hijacked connection. Session hijacking, or sidejacking is a well known problem, ranking 3rd on OWASP's (Open Web Application Security Project) Top 10 Application Security Risk list. Attackers using Firesheep just need access to network traffic -- such as on an unencrypted WiFi network, or with a man-in-the-middle attack. Here's how it's done.

Inside DHS' Classified Cyber Coordination Headquarters

The Department of Homeland Security recently brought its classified National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center down to an unclassified level for one day only, and InformationWeek Government was there to take photos. The facility looks and functions like a state-of-the-art network operations center and much more. The NCCIC, as it's called, is the locus of DHS-led inter-agency cybersecurity work in the federal government. That includes providing an integrated response to cyber threats against government networks, monitoring network sensors across the government and coordinating any requested government aid and response to cyber attacks against private industry networks like power plants or communications networks.

15 Budget Busting Technology Projects

Large-scale information technology projects can balloon to inconceivable figures very quickly with endless revisions, change orders and delays pushing budgets into the stratosphere. Sometimes the cost of an IT project can be measured simply in dollars, but just as often these projects costly in other ways -- in reputation, for example. With government projects, it's easy to look at the budget and see how much it costs -- or at least how much it's supposed to cost. In the private sector, it's not as clear cut: often the people working on a specific project are employees of the company anyway, so you can't really measure the cost of the project in just dollars and cents. Many of the projects and products here the $100 million barrier; others are harder to put a figure on yet have to be considered "expensive" by any measure. Regardless of how you quantify it, these 15 projects cost their organizations a bundle.

12 Most Disruptive Enterprise IT Vendors

These vendors, large and small, are shaking up the status quo with their new products, approaches and models.

IT Hall Of Shame, Part 2

Welcome back to our rogue's gallery of computer industry flops, frauds and foibles. In this installment, we're pleased to present ten more exhibits, from Y2K to the Pentium Bug, that prove the best laid plans of mice and men don't just go awry -- they lead straight to the IT Hall of Shame.

Top 10 Most Hated Tech Mascots Ever

Mascots are marketing personified. When they're good, they're grrreat, as Tony the Tiger, one of the world's more successful mascots might say. When they're lame, uninspired, annoying or perplexing, they might end up on a list like this. Mascots are particularly important in the technology industry, because so many tech products and services are intangible and would benefit from an evocative symbolic representative. It's hard to imagine Linux without thinking about penguins. As for the mascots that follow, some would be better forgotten.

Strategic Security Survey: Global Threat, Local Pain

Highlights of exclusive InformationWeek Analytics research as it appears in "Global Threat, Local Pain," our report assessing whether the high-profile infiltration of corporate networks worldwide (Google China leaps to mind) is forcing execs to reconsider their security strategies and pony up related resources.

Who Should Hewlett-Packard Buy?

HP can't afford to buy every one of our Desirable Dozen, but in the post-Mark Hurd era, the world's largest computer maker needs to consider acquiring more than a few of these companies. Here's who -- and why.

Slideshow: Top 10 Tech Newsmakers Of 2010

These individuals and companies involved in the most significant news stories so far this year. Here's of list of the people and businesses who are making waves in the tech pool.

Slideshow: 12 CIOs' 'Career Killer' Pet Peeves

Don't derail your career by making these missteps with your boss. Get the inside scoop on what not to say in these excerpts from our CIO Profiles.

Slideshow: Cloud Security Pros And Cons

Securing your business in the cloud can offer substantial savings and resources balanced by large and unexpected risks. In this review of cloud security silver linings and storms warnings, we look at some of the brightest and darkest security clouds.

Slideshow: Amazon's Case For Enterprise Cloud Computing

Amazon CTO Werner Vogels takes on 'false cloud' wannabes, challenges common myths and critiques private-cloud alternatives as boiling down to buying, deploying and maintaining servers.

Slideshow: 7 Biggest Microsoft Flops Ever

Despite challenges by a resurgent Apple, upstart Google, and other new rivals, Microsoft remains the world's biggest software company with more than 90% of the desktop. But for all its dominance, Redmond rolls big clunkers from time to time -- and when it flops, it flops big. Here are seven Microsoft disasters that live in infamy.