Linux/Unix Vulnerabilities Outnumber Microsoft Windows' 3 To 1
Linux and Unix, including the Mac, had 2,328 vulnerabilities last year, compared with 812 vulnerabilities for Microsoft Windows, according to the U.S. government's computer security group.

Unauthorized Patch For Microsoft WMF Bug Sparks Controversy
Sober worm may hit tomorrow, but businesses are more concerned about the WFM vulnerability and Microsoft's inability to produce a patch this week. Some are choosing an alternative that could lead to other problems.

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Linux Security: A Good Thing Keeps Getting Better
A tech expert explains why Linux has remained a bright spot in an increasingly grim IT security picture and how businesses can ensure effective, reliable security for their own Linux-based systems.

Antivirus Gets An Open-Source Boost
The open-source Clam Anti-Virus is a young product, lacking in key technical features. But users and developers say its performance is fast, it's updated quickly to respond to new attacks, and it provides a good alternative, or supplement, to proprietary antivirus products.

Opinion: Why Third-Party Patching Isn't A Good Solution For Current Windows Vulnerability
Columnist Rob Enderle discusses why a third-party patch isn't a good solution to the current WMF vulnerability and the need to boost law-enforcement efforts against virus writers and hackers.

3. Breaking News

Visual Tour: Windows Vista Begins To Get Real
The December pre-beta 2 release of Windows Vista offers the first true glimpse of the operating system but is missing key elements. Don't miss our image gallery for a complete walkthrough of the current look and feel, features, and functionality.

Google Kicks Off New Year On High Note
The new year finds lofty expectations for the company's stock price and speculation that Google will reveal a strategic initiative at the Consumer Electronics Show on Friday. Google denies reports that it'll sell low-priced PCs through Wal-Mart.

Job Market Tasted Really Good To Tech Workers Last Month, Study Says
IT and telecom pros felt more confident about their jobs, personal finances, and job security in December, a new survey shows.

Symantec Acquires IM Security Vendor
The two have a history of cooperation, ranging from Symantec's participation in IMlogic's IM Threat Center to already integrated products.

United Airlines Computer Snafu Being Investigated
Reservation and passenger-processing system outage left struggling airline unable to sell tickets for four hours.

MSN Phisher Pleads Guilty To Crimes
Jayson Harris, 23, duped MSN customers into providing credit-card numbers, claiming they needed to update their accounts. He netted about $57,000 from the scheme.

10 Ways To Juice Up Your Network
Is your network as slow and sluggish as rush-hour traffic? Experts offer their top tips for putting it in the fast lane--permanently.

TI Goes Straight To Gen 2 RFID
Texas Instruments has revealed that it's the first Wal-Mart supplier to ship the retailer cases and pallets affixed with Gen 2 RFID tags.

Unix Engineer Takes RFID Implant In Hand
A small, but apparently growing, group of hobbyists has voluntarily received RFID implants. One explains why.

Asset Management To Grow: Study
The trend toward asset management is being prompted by companies relying more on mobile wireless devices, with less budgeted money to manage it all, a new report says.

Internet Moves Drive M&A Among Media Companies
Mergers and acquisitions hit a five-year high last year.

European Wi-Fi Provider Plans To Unwire Nine U.K. Cities
The company, called The Cloud, plans to provide hundreds of wireless access points in cities including London, Liverpool, and Edinburgh.

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4. Grab Bag: News You Need From The Web

Copyleft Hits A Snag (MIT's Technology Review)
Incompatibilities among "copyleft" licenses meant to promote the sharing of creative work could end up preventing it, says cyberlaw expert Lawrence Lessig.

Hackers Rebel Against Spy Cams (Wirednews.com)
As video surveillance creeps into public spaces around the world, tech-savvy activists develop techniques to turn the cameras against their masters. A report from the Chaos Communication Congress in Berlin.

Inside Intel (BusinessWeek)
Paul Otellini's plan will send the chipmaker into uncharted territory. And founder Andy Grove applauds the shift.

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Win A Dell Flat-Screen 32-Inch LCD TV!
Play The Great Scavenger Hunt contest! Here's how it works: Every week in January, we'll post five tech-related questions. Answer at least two correctly, and you'll enter the drawing for an Apple 4-Gbyte iPod nano, as well as the grand-prize drawing for the Dell flat-screen 32-inch LCD TV! Don't miss out on the fun, the prizes, and the cheap laughs that come with The Great Scavenger Hunt!

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