Cloud Computing Spunje » Google

Googler criticized for disclosing Windows-related flaw

Cloud Computing Spunje — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 17:12:59 +0000

Microsoft and outside security researchers accused a Google engineer of failing to follow the responsible disclosure etiquette his own company promotes by disclosing a Windows XP-related flaw on Thursday, publishing code to exploit it and giving Microsoft only five days to fix it.Tavis Ormandy informed Microsoft about the vulnerability–located in the online Windows Help and Support Center feature that offers customers technical support–on Saturday. He then announced details of the hole and offered proof-of-concept attack code in a post to the Full Disclosure security e-mail list on Thursda

http://news.cnet.com/8301-27080_3-20007421-245.html

Gordon “Fyodor” Lyon, a network security expert and a former president of Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility, praised Ormandy’s research but did not address whether his releasing the exploit was a good thing or not.

Googler criticized for disclosing Windows-related flaw

Cloud Computing Spunje — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 19:45:50 +0000

Tavis Ormandy informed Microsoft about the vulnerability–located in the online Windows Help and Support Center feature that offers customers technical support–on Saturday. He then announced details of the hole and offered proof-of-concept attack code in a post to the Full Disclosure security e-mail list on Thursda

http://news.cnet.com/8301-27080_3-20007421-245.html

Gordon “Fyodor” Lyon, a network security expert and a former president of Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility, praised Ormandy’s research but did not address whether his releasing the exploit was a good thing or not.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-27080_3-20007421-245.html

Juggling Risk in the Cloud Security Circus

Cloud Computing Spunje — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 19:43:49 +0000

Today’s headlines point to more sophisticated and large-scale and malicious online activities. For some folks, therefore, the consensus seems to be that the cloud computing model and vision are not up to the task when it comes to security.

But at the RSA Conference earlier this year, a panel came together to talk about security and cloud computing, to examine the intersection of cloud computing, security, Internet services, and Internet-based security practices to uncover differences between perceptions and reality.

http://www.ecommercetimes.com/story/70195.html?wlc=1276540188

For reasons just and unjust alike, cloud computing has developed a reputation that makes some IT pros cringe when they think about security. What’s the difference between perception and reality in this field? It comes down to determining acceptable and comfortable risk. In the cloud, you can’t hide behind the usual firewalls and encryption systems; what matters is the application itself.

Google touts benefits of cloud computing

Cloud Computing Spunje — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 09:34:40 +0000

Google has launched a new campaign designed to tempt more enterprises onto its cloud computing applications.
The Go Google cloud calculator offers insights into the capabilities of cloud applications in an effort to allay some common concerns.

“Sometimes it’s hard to imagine what working in the cloud would really mean, and frequently people ask us how they can better understand the benefits of Google Apps specifically for their business,” said Vivian Leung, from the Google Enterprise team, in a blog post

http://www.v3.co.uk/v3/news/2263998/google-offers-cloud-trial

Firm launches Go Google cloud calculator

Gov 2.0: Google Readies Government Cloud

Cloud Computing Spunje — Fri, 28 May 2010 20:13:01 +0000

Google has submitted final materials to get its cloud computing services certified for use by federal agencies, and is nearing release of its government-specific cloud, a top Google executive said Wednesday.While Google Enterprise president Dave Girouard admitted in an interview after his keynote at the Gov 2.0 Expo in Washington, D.C., that the process had taken longer than some may have anticipated — Google announced its government cloud computing plans last September — he said that conversations with potential customers are already underway.

http://www.informationweek.com/news/government/cloud-saas/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=225200270

Google has already been approved as a FedRAMP launch vendor, and now has submitted its final materials to certify its government-specific cloud.

Six misconceptions about cloud apps

Cloud Computing Spunje — Fri, 28 May 2010 19:53:15 +0000

Cloud computing is all the rage in the IT industry these days, but there’s still plenty of confusion about how cloud applications work and what kind of long-term impact they will have on business technology.

Google Apps vs. Microsoft Office

In this article we’ll take a look at six common misconceptions IT pros and users have about cloud apps, related to performance, security, management, cost and the long-term effect on IT staffing.

http://www.networkworld.com/news/2010/05251-cloud-apps-misconceptions.html

Cloud apps are free, will put you out of work, and other misconceptions

Google unveils its cloud computing platform for the enterprise

Cloud Computing Spunje — Thu, 20 May 2010 19:50:15 +0000

Lately, I’ve been talking about Google trying to snuggle up to the enterprise. On Wednesday, Google coughed and threw its arm around the enterprise’s shoulder.

On the first day of the Google I/O conference in San Francisco, the company unveiled Google App Engine for Business. In the official announcement, Sean Lynch of the Google App Engine team stated:

http://blogs.techrepublic.com.com/hiner/?p=4496

My take is that traditional companies with a lot of legacy applications and stronger security and privacy concerns will be more drawn to the private cloud

Cybersecurity importance picks up

Cloud Computing Spunje — Mon, 10 May 2010 20:58:07 +0000

As corporations across the country have come to understand the nature of today’s fast-evolving cyber-threat landscape, many of them are asking themselves the same question: What kind of security team does an organization need?

The modest recoveries in the economy and the painful security lessons of last year – such as the theft of millions of credit card details or valuable intellectual property in single, calculated heists – have prompted companies of all sizes and in every sector to rethink their hiring priorities and step up their recruiting in cybersecurity.

http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20100509/BIZ/305099948

Google, others look to fill jobs to protect e-resources

Amazon quietly pursues federal cloud-computing work

Cloud Computing Spunje — Mon, 03 May 2010 20:05:19 +0000

As Google, Microsoft and other technology companies talk up their ability to provide cloud computing services to federal agencies, another tech giant, Amazon.com Inc., is quietly positioning itself to be a major government cloud provider as well.The Seattle-based online retailer has been characteristically secretive about its efforts in Washington, D.C. But the company — which is still better known for its e-commerce website than its cloud offerings — is making some progress engaging with federal agencies.

http://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/stories/2010/05/03/story8.html?b=1272859200^3282471

In a sign of Amazon’s interest in the federal cloud market, the company last year teamed with Apptis, the Chantilly, Va.-based government IT services company, to respond to a request for quotes (RFQ) put out by the General Services Administration.

Significant “Cloud” Improvement: Nested Labels in Gmail

Cloud Computing Spunje — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 19:33:19 +0000

I’ve meant for several weeks to close the circle on the biggest change in my own computing life in many years. This is my shift to virtually all-cloud operation, as prefigured here. Full chronicling some other time. Symptoms of the shift are: I haven’t loaded Outlook in nearly two months, after moving my old PST files into Gmail*; and I haven’t thought about which of my computers had the “current” version of a file, or copied files from one to another, in about as long.

The two indispensable enablers of this change have been:

http://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2010/04/significant/38760/

The nested, or hierarchical, label system is one more step toward Gmail’s being a main base of one’s computing life, a la Outlook of yesteryear for me. More later, but that’s the news for now.