Monthly Archives: November 2005

Last week when I was testing the latest version of RootkitRevealer (RKR) I ran a scan on one of my systems and was shocked to see evidence of a rootkit.

Rootkits are cloaking technologies that hide files, Registry keys, and other system objects from diagnostic and security software, and they are usually employed by malware attempting to keep their implementation hidden. The RKR results window reported a hidden directory, several hidden device drivers, and a hidden application.

…At that point I knew conclusively that the rootkit and its associated files were related to the First 4 Internet DRM software Sony ships on its CDs. Not happy having underhanded and sloppily written software on my system I looked for a way to uninstall it. However, I didn’t find any reference to it in the Control Panel’s Add or Remove Programs list, nor did I find any uninstall utility or directions on the CD or on First 4 Internet’s site. I checked the EULA and saw no mention of the fact that I was agreeing to have software put on my system that I couldn’t uninstall. Now I was mad.

Website: www.sysinternals.com

Update: Spyware Sony lijkt auteursrecht te schenden

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The growing trend is that software-as-a-product may be reaching the conclusion of its dominance. Sure they’ll still be around decades hence, but the majority of their use won’t be in packageware as they have been since the heydays of the computer revolution. Rather, the growing relentless trend toward the concept of software as a service will be the rage instead.

The idea isn’t to let customers buy packaged software, then install and wait for it to configure itself — or in the case of businesses, with the help of consultants (paid separately, of course) whose interest it is to keep things sophisticated and difficult lest they go out of business– but rather to just lease applications with a monthly or regular fee rather than pay licensing fees up-front and deal with the many costs and headaches after. This frees a company from the many costs involved in purchases, installation, maintenance, upgrades and everything else they call the “total cost of ownership.”

Read full article: Software-On-Demand to Play Vital Role for Businesses

Related: The general-purpose CMS does not exist

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Newsflash:

The United States has won its fight to retain control over the internet, at least for the foreseeable future.

The world’s governments in Tunisia finally reached agreement at 10.30pm last night, just hours before the official opening of the World Summit this morning. In the end, with absolutely no time remaining, a deal was cut.

(…) The plus point of all this great theatre however is that the world, and its governments, are now infinitely more aware of how this internet thing really works.

Article: register.

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