Profile of Gregg Keizer

News & Commentary Posts: 1659

Enterprises Should Ditch Skype: Gartner

5/31/2006
Because of the VoIP provider's recent security issues, Gartner is repeating its earlier advice that enterprises stay away from Skype entirely.
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Trend Micro Gives Away Windows Vista Security Pack

5/31/2006
A Vista edition of Trend's PC-cillin anti-virus program is immediately available for download.
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First OpenOffice Macro Virus Appears

5/31/2006
A virus that targets StarOffice and OpenOffice is out and about, multiple security companies said Wednesday.
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Microsoft's Security Rivals Talk Up OneCare Killers

5/30/2006
McAfee is planning a summer launch for a multi-edition set of security subscriptions, while Symantec says it will release a beta version of its contender this summer, with the final release slated for March 2007.
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Trojan ID Thieves Pose As Microsoft Patches

5/30/2006
A pair of Trojans posing as Microsoft patches or updates is on the loose, security firms said Tuesday.
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Symantec Patches Flaw In Five Days

5/30/2006
A stack overflow in several products, including its anti-virus family, was fully patched as of Sunday, according to an updated advisory on Symantec's Web site.
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Mozilla Launches Next Firefox 2.0 Alpha

5/30/2006
Additions include a built-in anti-phishing feature and suggestions for searches run in Google and Yahoo.
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Microsoft Names Vista Browser IE7+

5/30/2006
The new moniker will denote Vista-only features in that operating system's browser, including protected mode, parental controls, and better network diagnostics--all of which are missing from the Windows XP version.
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Symantec Says Its Own AV Product Has Zero-Day Vulnerability

5/26/2006
The security vendor says its enterprise anti-virus product line has an unpatched, "zero-day" vulnerability that can be used by attackers to hijack systems.
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VA Worker Took Data Home For Years Before Colossal Data Loss

5/26/2006
The agency admitted it doesn't know if that practice had been approved by the employee's superiors.
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Brief: Winamp 5.22 Update Crushes Bugs

5/26/2006
According to version 5.22's release notes posted to the Nullsoft site, the update fixes 26 flaws in the music player.
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Microsoft Adds 'Ultimate' Office To Lineup

5/26/2006
The new version will sell for $679 in retail channels and include all the applications scheduled to ship within Office Enterprise 2007, the top-end corporation version to be available only to volume license customers.
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Sacred Heart Latest University To Lose Identities

5/26/2006
The school was hit by hackers, and one local TV station reported that 135,000 notification letters had been sent to current students, prospective students, alumni, and staff members.
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UPDATE: Windows 2000 Bug Already Patched, Microsoft Says

5/25/2006
The vulnerability being warned about by Symantec is fixed by MS05-011, a security update released almost 16 months ago, Microsoft says.
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NY Teen Pair Charged In MySpace Extortion Plot

5/25/2006
The two hacked into MySpace.com and allegedly threatened to release new exploit code unless MySpace came up with $150,000.
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Vista Guidebook Back Online

5/25/2006
A 300-page product guide can be downloaded in either Word format or the original XML Paper Specification format, which Microsoft touts as a replacement for Adobe's popular PDF.
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Exploit Of Windows 2000 Zero-Day To Hit In June

5/25/2006
The exploit, which gives an attacker full access to a PC, leverages a flaw in the operating system's kernel that can be triggered through the Server Message Block protocol.
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Analyst: VA Data Loss No Surprise

5/24/2006
The government is at least a decade behind the private sector in data security, says a Gartner research VP.
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Data Security Could Be Potent November Election Issue

5/24/2006
Fewer than a fifth of adults surveyed believe existing laws can protect them from fraud, identity theft, and other crimes on the Internet, and over two-thirds want Congress to pass strong data protection legislation.
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Ballmer Hints Vista Might Slip Its Deadline--Again

5/24/2006
Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer said the company isn't really committed to a widespread January rollout for consumers, as other company executives said two months ago.
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Hundreds Collared In Global Net Scams

5/24/2006
Police arrested more than 560 people in the past 15 months in "Operation Global Con," charging them with bilking nearly 3 million people out of more than $1 billion in schemes including bogus investments, fake lotteries and sweepstakes, and phony credit cards.
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Search Service Warns Of Risky Google, MSN Sites

5/23/2006
Dubbed "Scandoo," the service lets users search using either Google's or MSN's engine. As results are displayed, Scandoo posts color-coded icons to note safe, questionable, and hazardous sites before they're clicked.
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Researcher Offers Unofficial Fix For Word Bug

5/23/2006
The unsanctioned script modifies the Windows registry so that Word runs in a restricted mode, making it immune to the current crop of exploits.
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Korea Rejects Microsoft's Antitrust Appeal

5/23/2006
Still on the table for Microsoft: a $34 million fine and a demand to build two new editions of Windows. Microsoft says it will keep fighting.
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More Than A Third Of All Software Is Counterfeit

5/23/2006
According to the Business Software Alliance, 35 percent of all software installed on PCs globally in 2005 was bogus.
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New E-Mail Software Lets You Send 1 Gbyte Attachments

5/23/2006
The hybrid e-mail and file-sharing app lets users send large files--up to 1 Gbyte's worth--that would otherwise be blocked by most ISPs' mail systems.
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Microsoft Working On Word Patch

5/22/2006
The Microsoft Word bug first surfaced last week, when numerous security companies said an active exploit was using an unpatched vulnerability in Word 2003 and Word XP to drop a backdoor Trojan onto a limited number of PCs.
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Yahoo IM Worm Hijacks Browsers, Plays Migraine Music

5/22/2006
A worm running through Yahoo's instant messaging network is installing a browser of its own--a first for IM malware. The browser leads users to adware and spyware sites, several security firms said Monday.
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Thief Steals 26.5 Million Veterans' Identities

5/22/2006
Identity data on more than 26 million U.S. veterans and spouses has been stolen, the Department of Veterans Affairs says.
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Microsoft Says Symantec Suit Won't Delay Vista

5/22/2006
Microsoft's chief executive said Monday that the lawsuit filed last week by Symantec won't delay Windows Vista from launching later this year and early in 2007.
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Windows System Hardware Requirements Since 1990: More Power, Less Bucks

5/19/2006
For some added perspective on Windows Vista's minimum hardware specs, here's a look at Microsoft's stated requirements, along with hardware prices, for each major Windows release since 1990's Windows 3.0.
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U.S. Consumers Taking Steps To Stymie ID Theft

5/19/2006
Almost three-quarters of U.S. adults monitor their bank and credit card accounts for suspicious activity, as well as shred mail that contains their account numbers.
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Skype Sick With Bad Bug, Must Be Patched

5/19/2006
Skype pushed out a patch for a vulnerability that can let attackers gain access to a target computer and its data.
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Microsoft Word Zero-Day Hack Under Way

5/19/2006
Hackers are exploiting a zero-day vulnerability in Word, hoping to hijack PCs.
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Microsoft Finally Spells Out Vista's Hardware Specs

5/18/2006
A new section of the Vista Web site, dubbed "Get Ready," outlines two programs that spell out what it will take to really run the new operating system.
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Microsoft Judge OKs Antitrust Extension

5/18/2006
The federal judge approved a two-year extension of the Microsoft antitrust agreement, but not before grilling government attorneys.
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Feds Indict Fugitive Online Betting Operators

5/18/2006
The Department of Justice has filed a dozen money-laundering charges against the fugitive owners of an online gambling Web site.
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Blue Security Gives Up, Spammer Wins

5/17/2006
The anti-spam venture embroiled in a denial-of-service attack that brought down millions of blogs two weeks ago has closed shop. One observer wonders why Blue Security wasn't better prepared.
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Apple Fixes Firmware, Leaves Users Confused

5/17/2006
Although Apple said the update was to System Management Control firmware, it was up to MacBook Pro users to figure out that SMC is the specialized controller that manages thermal and power conditions and is in charge of running the portable computer's fans.
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Symantec Warns Of Bot Sniffing For Veritas Vulnerability

5/17/2006
If possible, network shares should be disabled and the latest patches should be deployed, the company's alert says.
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Online Payments To Soon Replace Paper Checks

5/17/2006
Online payments are poised to replace paper checks as the main means Americans pay their bills, a survey released Wednesday said.
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Brief: Microsoft Patches Core Duo Battery Bug

5/17/2006
Microsoft has posted a Windows XP patch to fix a power drain problem for notebooks running Intel's Core Duo processor.
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Microsoft Seen Overtaking Consumer Security Software Market

5/16/2006
Microsoft may be as much as 18 to 24 months behind the major security companies in functionality, but analysts say its entry into the security space clearly has some of those vendors worried.
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Apple Dumps iBook, Unveils 13-Inch MacBook

5/16/2006
Apple introduces three MacBooks replacing the aged PowerPC-based iBook and completes the transition to Intel processors for its portables.
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Microsoft, FTC Kick Off 'Get Net Safe' Tour

5/16/2006
The campaign will tour a dozen U.S. cities to show consumers how to steer clear of spyware, phishing attacks, and other Web threats.
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Most Who Surf Porn At Work Say It Was Accidental: Poll

5/16/2006
Only 6% of at-work surfers who wind up at adult sites say it was intentional, a new Harris Interactive survey says.
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Mozilla Unveils New Firefox 2.0 Alpha

5/15/2006
Changes in the new version include close buttons on all tabs and a plug-in manager to more easily add and remove engines from the search box.
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Justice Clears Microsoft Of Vista Complaint

5/15/2006
Federal investigators have closed the case on a complaint filed earlier this year about Vista's "first boot" process, saying Microsoft allows OEMs to customize the operating system and to promote third-party middleware.
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Word 2007 Adds Blog Posting Tool

5/15/2006
The feature will be accessible from Word 2007's File/Publish menu and support direct posting of blog entries in Beta 2 to Microsoft's MSN Spaces and SharePoint 2007.
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U.S. Dismisses Google Complaint, Says IE7 Plays Fair

5/14/2006
A Justice Department report said that although IE7 may default to MSN's search service in some cases, the feature doesn't violate the terms of Microsoft's antitrust agreement with federal and state governments.
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Search Biz Makes $1.1 Billion Off Links To Security Risks

5/12/2006
Sites that pay for sponsored links are nearly three times more likely to harbor spyware or adware, or hassle visitors with spam, than URLs generated by the engine's algorithms, according to research.
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Apple Patches 43 Flaws In OS, QuickTime

5/12/2006
Many of the flaws could allow an attacker to execute code on a compromised Mac.
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More Than 200,000 Identities Exposed In Ohio University Data Breaches

5/12/2006
The university formed a security SWAT team to both inform potential victims and take "aggressive steps to improve the security of data and IT resources on all Ohio University campuses," the college said.
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Security Worries Slow Online Banking Growth

5/12/2006
An overwhelming majority of Americans want guarantees that banks won't sell their personal data online and assurances that their data will be protected from hackers.
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Video Games Add $18 Billion To U.S. GNP

5/11/2006
A new study counts direct sales' contribution to the gross national product, as well as ancillary services including a portion of high-definition television sets and part of broadband Internet revenues.
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Rootkit-Spreading Spyware Shop Shuts Down

5/11/2006
ContextPlus, which spread spyware and adware, including software that hijacked searches and programs that leveled systems with pop-up ads, has posted a message on its Web site saying it's out of the business.
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Exploit Out For Exchange Bug

5/11/2006
Symantec isn't sure if the Immunity exploit against the Exchange calendar targets the same vulnerability that Microsoft already patched, or if it's an attack against a new zero-day bug.
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Microsoft To Provide More Patches For Third-Party Apps

5/11/2006
Some observers wonder if Microsoft's patch of Adobe Flash Player augers the company's permanent move to be more accountable for the security of bundled, partnered products in Windows.
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Users Report Glitches With Microsoft's Flash Patch

5/10/2006
Microsoft's unusual step of feeding an updated edition of Flash Player to some Windows users has resulted in complaints on the Windows Update newsgroup.
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Hackers Expected To Target Exchange

5/10/2006
Security experts are warning users to brace themselves for the imminent arrival of a worm that could wreak havoc with Microsoft Exchange, thanks to a bug in the program.
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Hacker's Work Plagues PCs Two Years After Arrest

5/10/2006
Named the worst worm of 2004 by some anti-virus firms, the Netsky worm is still the No. 1 reported virus in the world, according to Sophos. Its 18-year-old creator, meanwhile, got off lightly with a suspended sentence and 30 hours of community service.
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Microsoft Updates Outlook, OneNote

5/10/2006
A pair of updates released Tuesday refreshes Outlook 2003's anti-spam filter and fixes a flaw in OneNote 2003.
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Microsoft Patches Windows, Exchange

5/9/2006
In the usual array of Tuesday patches was one for a third-party product, Adobe's Flash Player.
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Women, Girls Draw 25 Times More Malicious Chat Messages

5/9/2006
A university study found that female usernames received more attention, and the nature of the messages was often meaner.
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Botnet Herder Corralled, Sentenced To 57 Months

5/9/2006
The U.S. District Attorney in Los Angeles touted the sentence as "the longest-known sentence for a defendant who spread computer viruses."
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Microsoft Unveils Four Language-Localized IE7 Betas

5/9/2006
Microsoft released Arabic, Finnish, Japanese, and German versions of its still-under-development IE7 Beta 2 browser.
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Poll: Men Make Gaming Friends, Women Stay Solo

5/9/2006
Also, around 40% of those who call themselves gamers play at least three to four hours a week, a new survey says.
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Yahoo Hit With Second Spyware Click-Fraud Suit

5/5/2006
Metrodate, like a previous merchant, charges Yahoo and its partners with using spyware to distribute ads and forcing merchants to pay for it.
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Blue Security Denies It's At Fault In Blog Outage

5/5/2006
In another twist to this tale of denial-of-service attacks, spammers, and anti-spam security, the CEO of one security firm staunchly defends his company.
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P2P BearShare Pays $30 Million To RIAA, Shuts Down

5/5/2006
BearShare, one of seven file-sharing sites threatened last fall by the Recording Industry Association of America, agrees to pay $30 million to avoid piracy lawsuits and will cease its business operations.
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Microsoft Plans Three Patches Next Week

5/5/2006
Two of the trio affect Windows, while the third will resolve one or more issues in the Microsoft Exchange mail server software.
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McAfee Launches VirusScan For Mactel

5/5/2006
McAfee released a report claiming a huge increase in Apple vulnerabilities, and then followed that up with an anti-virus product for Intel-based Macs.
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Any Further Vista Delays Will Pressure Win2000 Users

5/4/2006
The problem, a Gartner analyst says, is the shrinking window between the time Vista is unveiled and Windows 2000 paid support ends.
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FTC Orders Wallace To Pay $4 Million For Spyware Scam

5/4/2006
Users were duped into thinking they needed software being sold by "Spam King" Sanford Wallace because he exploited an Internet Explorer vulnerability to install real spyware on their PCs.
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Billion-Dollar Love Bug Worm Marks Sixth Anniversary

5/4/2006
The worm, one of the first major malware attacks, caused an estimated $7 billion to $10 billion in damages worldwide.
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Massive DoS Attack Knocks TypePad, LiveJournal Blogs Offline

5/3/2006
This is the second 12-hour disruption for the blog hosting firm since December. Back then, Six Apart let customers pick the compensation for the outage, but there are no such plans this time around.
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Newsgroup Chatter: Windows Anti-Counterfeit Tool Requires Loosening PC Security

5/3/2006
One university administrator found that complying with Windows' new anti-counterfeit measures meant he had to open up the security reins on PCs in public places like campus computer labs.
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Microsoft To Replace Counterfeit Office

5/3/2006
Microsoft confirmed Wednesday that it will offer free replacement copies of its Office application suite for people whose versions were tagged as counterfeit--if they can prove they bought the bundle with the best intentions.
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Trojan Snags World Of Warcraft Passwords To Cash Out Accounts

5/2/2006
Attackers hope to take over users' accounts, then make money by selling the players' in-game goods, such as weapons.
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Ballmer: "Big, Bold Bet" Needed To Beat Google

5/2/2006
Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer tries to rally the company's employees in an email that defends the company's investment strategy -- and that mentions Google by name as the driving force behind projects such as its nascent online-advertising network.
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New IM Worm Operates Differently

5/2/2006
A new worm spreads via instant messaging, plants a bot on hijacked PCs--and does it all in a way that's difficult, if not impossible, to track.
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Apple Wins $.99 iTunes Tussle

5/2/2006
Apple Computer Inc. on Tuesday said it had renewed contracts with the four largest music labels, a move that will likely keep prices on its iTunes Music Store at $.99.
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Symantec Relaunches Phishing Info Sharing Network

5/1/2006
The Phish Report Network is being reactivated to provide a vetted, dynamically updated database of fraudulent Web sites. This time around, though, Microsoft isn't participating.
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Researcher: Oracle Needs To Patch 44 More Bugs

5/1/2006
The bugs range in age from 12 days to two-and-a-half years, says a German security researcher, adding that Oracle plans to fix them, but won't say when.
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World Of Warcraft Promises To Fix Performance Problems

5/1/2006
Blizzard Entertainment said it will fix its authentication servers to take care of availability problems and slowdowns.
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Smarter Spam Could Mimic Friends' Mail

5/1/2006
The next generation of spam-sending zombies would scan E-mail in the user's inbox, mine it for information and writing patterns, then crank out realistic-looking replies to real messages, researchers warn.
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