Nmap, Insecure.org's much-praised open source network auditing tool, has received a major set of updates. So many updates, in fact, that it was deemed worthy of a new version number.

Just when Windows administration was starting to get boring, there's a new worm on the run with more than its share of variations and names. According to a Microsoft security advisory dated January 30, a Mywife variant is in the wild that will be triggered on the third day of each month. That means this Friday could lead to a long weekend for many a technician.

An ill wind is blowing near Microsoft right now. It's come and passed before, but this time seems different. I'm starting to get a lot of clients asking about this "Linux stuff." And I'm not even talking about the corporations trying to save money on software; I'm talking about individuals trying to save their home computers.

So far, Microsoft hasn't released a patch to the much-hyped WMF vulnerability and isn't expected to for at least another week. Fortunately, there is a third-party workaround available.

If you get an email from the FBI claiming you are visiting "illegal websites," don't open the file attached. Rather than going with tried and true promise of a nude celebrity, the latest computer nasty is going the more official-looking route.

Both consumers and administrators alike are furious over Sony's CDs installing rootkits on Windows workstations and Sony has listened to their cries. But has Sony learned their lesson? Even though they have halted production of the CDs in question, doubts remain.

According to eWeek, Microsoft is "concerned" about Sony's DRM rootkit. You may be asking yourself, what exactly does that mean? Good question.

Have you noticed an icon in your system tray lately giving a subtle hint at a Flash update? If you planned on just waiting for the next feature-rich update to Flash before taking the time to click that icon, you may want to go ahead and do it. This isn't your average Flash update but rather the fix for a flaw that even Macromedia has labeled "critical."

Like so many financial institutions of late, the University of Connecticut has had a server storing personal data breached. Also like those financial institutions, they report nothing bad happened. Right.

Is it possible that someone went to all the trouble of placing a rootkit on this server but didn't even look around? The university appears armed with plenty of explainations why nothing could possibly happen.

The current climate in the tech universe seems saturated with news of legislation, court rulings, and corporate mistakes that do nothing but threaten privacy. It's refreshing to see that at least one company is paying attention and working on a solution.

IBM has unveiled its DB2 Anonymous Resolution software, a package aimed at providing a collaborative framework for various entities without disclosing private information to all involved. This would be useful in collaborations involving different companies and government agencies, such as merger negotiations or checking airline passenger lists.