Archive for March 17, 2014

Is iOS7 Less Secure Than iOS6?

Posted in Commentary with tags , , on March 17, 2014 by itnerd

When iOS 7 first hit the streets, one of the goals was to make it more secure than iOS 6. Now it turns out that one of those changes to make it more secure actually weakened it. Tarjei Mandt discovered the flaw and presented his findings last week at CanSecWest. Now if you read his blog post, it’s extremely technical. So I will make it as simple as I can for you. For a variety of security related reasons, iOS calculates randomly generated numbers and uses those. Now if the numbers can be guessed, their randomness is irrelevant, and the kernel which is key to the control of the the iOS phone or tablet can be hacked. The problem with the way iOS 7 does this is that it uses a linear recursion algorithm. This paper explains what this type of algorithm is. But if you’ve ever sung “99 bottles of beer on the wall” then you’ve experienced a linear recursion algorithm. It also highlights the weakness with this algorithm. It’s easy to guess if you figure out what should be coming next. Now Apple was at CanSecWest so it’s a safe bet that they’re aware of this. The question is, how long will it take them to fix it?

 

 

 

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#FAIL: Apple Drops Windows 7 Boot Camp Support In Mac Pro

Posted in Commentary with tags on March 17, 2014 by itnerd

I’m not sure what Apple was thinking, but a customer of mine pointed me towards this support note on Apple’s website that says that Apple is only supporting Windows 8 on the current Mac Pro. For this customer, that’s an issue as he wants to run Windows 7 and wants nothing to do with Windows 8. What makes this even more strange is the fact that Windows 7 is supported (at least in 64-bit form) on many other Macs that are currently shipping. Thus it begs the question. With Windows 8 adoption rates being as low as they are, why would Apple think that not having Windows 7 support is a good idea? I’d ask Apple, but they’ve never responded to my requests for comment. Thus I will not bother. But they may find themselves with some unhappy Mac Pro customers if they don’t have a good explanation for this.

 

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Firefox For Windows 8 Nixed

Posted in Commentary with tags , on March 17, 2014 by itnerd

From the “you know Windows 8 isn’t resonating” file comes this announcement from Mozilla that Firefox for Windows 8 is never going to see the light of day. The reason, the lack of adoption of the Metro interface. It just wasn’t worth it for Mozilla.

My thoughts? I’m not shocked by this. Microsoft likely needs to figure out how to fix the mess that is Windows 8 first before developers really start developing for it. Or they may just throw in the towel and move on to Windows 9 and let developers work on apps for that. Either way, you might see more announcements like this pop up.

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Citrix Announces New XenMobile For High-Security Enterprise Mobility

Posted in Commentary with tags on March 17, 2014 by itnerd

Citrix this past week announced XenMobile 8.7 which empowers organizations in highly regulated industries, such as governments at all levels, with device choice; speedy access to more productivity apps, like one click access to Microsoft Lync; and support for existing technology environments without sacrificing security, control, and most importantly, end user experience. Citrix also enables agencies that are planning to phase out BlackBerry devices to transition smoothly, knowing their data and existing apps are secure, integrated and supported. Companies and organizations that have highly sensitive information in these industries need to factor security measures into an MDM strategy, and Citrix is pleased to announce that XenMobile 8.7 is enhancing enterprise mobility options for these organizations by providing security measures that are held to international standards.

Key features of XenMobile 8.7 include:

  • FIPS 140-2 compliant encryption for mobile apps, including secure email, browser and content collaboration. XenMobile creates a secure encrypted vault for application data on mobile devices so that government and enterprise workers can access critical documents and applications securely.
  • Better-than-native secure mobile email, calendar and contacts through the WorxMail™ app with FIPS compliant encryption for data at rest and data in motion. New enhancements include one-click access to leading communication and collaboration apps, such as Microsoft Lync, the FaceTime app, and SMS messaging directly from WorxMail calendar and contacts.
  • Support for a variety of email and collaboration solutions, such as existing systems like the IBM Lotus Notes client. Government workers also have secure mobile intranet access with single sign-on (SSO) to portals and SharePoint sites using the WorxWeb™ app, a containerized browser with full policy control.
  • Support for newly launched Apple iOS 7.1 and Microsoft Windows 8.1 operating systems, allowing devices with these new operating systems to be managed and controlled with XenMobile. XenMobile also adds VPN support for Amazon Kindle devices, enabling them to connect to corporate environments.

Citrix XenMobile 8.7 will be available for download for current customers this month.

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Miles Ahead Marketing Announces Facebook Fan Page Makeover For Non-Profits

Posted in Commentary with tags , on March 17, 2014 by itnerd

Are you a non-profit that’s looking to raise your profile with the public? Miles Ahead Marketing announced this week that they can help you with that. They announced a contest this week where they are awarding one lucky non-profit organization with a strategic Facebook Fan Page Makeover which is a $995 value.

To enter the ‘Facebook Facelift’ Contest that can help win a $995 value Facebook Fan Page Makeover, non-profit organizations simply have to “Like” the Miles Ahead Facebook fan page and comment “Enter me for the Miles Ahead ‘Facelift’ Contest.” They can share the post with friends to qualify for the contest. The winner will be selected at random. There are no purchases to be made and there are no hidden fees or other terms and conditions. The contest ends on March 31, 2014.

Through the contest, Miles Ahead Marketing aims to help one lucky winner expand their social media reach. The winner will be a proud owner of a strong, creatively designed, Facebook Fan Page that can increase visibility, attract new donors and sponsors, and help in building an extremely loyal fan base.

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