Slash Again in Evans Spotlight

HOUSTON -- Famed hacker and virus author "Slash," who was once a prime suspect in the Evans Business Solutions data theft case, is again under close scrutiny by Houston police. Although Slash was recently cleared of any involvement, new finds indicate that he may in fact be responsible.

"We had previously ruled out a break-in and were focusing on an inside job," explained Sgt. Raymond Edwards, who has been heading up the investigation. "But as we have performed audits over the past few months, we have uncovered some very suspicious activity."

Edwards went on to explain that a number of the incidents of suspicious activity carried what he called the "fingerprint" of Slash. "In previous cases involving Slash there have been some unique properties to audit trails that have always led back to him," expanded Edwards, "although these have unfortunately not been enough to bring a case against him. But we are seeing [these properties] here."

An outside perpetrator could be just what Evans needs as it struggles to keep its stock value afloat while playing catch-up to Extar and fending off stockholder doubts about the integrity of corporate management.

"I am confident that no one on our staff stole this data," reassured Tina Evans in a rare statement to the press, "these individuals—Peter, Diane, Kate—have all been extremeley loyal to our company over the years. They all have a vested interest in the success of our business. I am certain that when all of the evidence is gathered, Slash or some other outsider will be found guilty of this theft."

Sgt. Edwards agrees, if not cautiously. "It certainly looks like the pieces are coming together here for us to finally nab Slash," said Edwards. "But we've been close before and have failed. Plus, there's plenty of evidence pointing to an inside job, too. If this were a clear-cut case we would have solved it months ago."

A clear-cut case this certainly is not; and whether or not Slash is behind the whole thing, only time will tell.

StandGuard Anti-Virus 5.31 Upgrade Provides New McAfee Scanning Engine

RENO, NV -- In keeping up with the increasingly rapid proliferation of new viruses, McAfee has recently enhanced protection by moving to daily DAT updates. Accompanying this move is a newly enhanced scanning engine that is required for handling these larger DAT files; and a free upgrade to StandGuard Anti-Virus 5.31 is required to ensure that the user’s iSeries system can handle these new DATs.





As viruses continue to proliferate at an ever hastening pace, McAfee is moving to daily updates to maximize protection. iSeries users can take advantage of this protection through the free StandGuard Anti-Virus 5.31 upgrade.



Why are daily DAT updates important? As McAfee’s AVERT explains on its website: “In 2004, we had an unprecedented rise in the number, propagation rate and prevalence of new malware. Through the year, AVERT saw a ten-fold increase in the number of virus submissions (from both virus-generated and from actual customers), a 250% increase in the rate of new malware development, and a 75+% increase in the number of emergency DAT releases. 25 or more new Gaobot/Spybot/SDBot variants were received each DAY in 2004. In addition, the growing amount of adware and Spyware requires more consistent and available detection and removal.” Additional information on daily DATs is available at http://vil.nai.com/vil/daily-dat-faq.asp.

A free upgrade to StandGuard Anti-Virus version 5.31 is available to Bytware customers with valid support contracts at www.bytware.com. The upgrade includes the new 4441 engine. Users should visit the StandGuard Anti-Virus section of Support Central for instructions.

For more information on StandGuard Anti-Virus, visit
www.bytware.com/products/sgav.html or contact Bytware Sales at 775.851.2900.











Bytware Officially Launches Object Integrity Scanning for the IBM iSeries i5/OS

RENO, NV -- Bytware, Inc., developer of the award-winning StandGuard Anti-Virus solution for OS/400 and i5/OS, announced today that the application has moved to version 5.31. This move officially marks the launch of the Object Integrity Scanning feature that the company announced last November. StandGuard Anti-Virus 5.31 with OIS is available immediately.

Object Integrity Scanning (OIS) gives StandGuard Anti-Virus the ability to alert iSeries managers to changes made to IBM's digital signatures by patched programs. Many applications modify the operating system in order to achieve functionality not available on a given release of the OS. Regardless of whether a "patched" program does something good or something bad, such programs can create potential problems for the integrity of the operating system.

Building upon object integrity and digital signature APIs that IBM has included in OS/400 since V5R1, OIS provides an easy way to identify patched programs and modifications to the operating system, allowing managers to decide what action—if any—should be take. In addition to being key to a healthy iSeries, awareness of modifications to the system is an important aspect of compliance with new regulations such as Sarbanes-Oxley.





The new Object Integrity Scanning feature puts power into the hands of iSeries managers by alerting them to digital signature changes and then letting them choose what to do.



Version 5.31 also incorporates various enhancements that have been made to StandGuard Anti-Virus since the release of version 5.30 in June of 2004.

StandGuard Anti-Virus is the award-winning native virus scanner for OS/400 and i5/OS. Designed specifically for the iSeries and powered by McAfee’s industry leading scanning engine, StandGuard Anti-Virus provides the power to ensure total coverage of computer networks to protect against viruses, Trojans, and malicious code and programs, even finding viruses that PC-based solutions simply cannot.

For more information on StandGuard Anti-Virus and OIS, visit
www.bytware.com/products/sgav.html or contact Bytware Sales at 775.851.2900.

Other Technology Stories

Be sure to uncover all the clues...

Issue 1

Competition Fierce in Online Commerce Management Technology
With online commerce growing by more than 20% year over year, the market for management software allowing companies to maximize their online efforts is hot. The recent scandal involving local tech company Evans Business Solutions and their rival, Extar Systems, is a prime example. :: View full story.

Wireless LAN Hot, But Not Without Its Risks
It seems like the perfect technology: wireless networking. Access your data and the Internet from anywhere in your home or office. Like wireless keyboards and mice, it spells technological liberation for a culture that puts convenience above all else. There's no doubt it's convenient; but is it safe? :: View full story.

Bytware's StandGuard Solutions for iSeries ServerProven by IBM
Bytware, Inc., the leading provider of iSeries security and anti-virus solutions, announces that its StandGuard security and anti-virus solutions have been granted the "ServerProven" certification by IBM. :: View full story.

Issue 2

And the winner is: StandGuard Anti-Virus!
Bytware's native anti-virus solution for the iSeries has been named 'Product of the Year' in the Security Products category of the Search400.com 'Products of the Year' Awards.
View full story.

Mydoom Hits iSeries
As the original Mydoom worm (W32/Mydoom@MM) continues to spread at blazing speeds around the world, a second variant has been unleashed and is adding to the already overwhelming bandwidth consumption worldwide. In another twist that may have been unexpected by many IT administrators, Mydoom has also hit the iSeries.
View full story.

Automatic Picture Shaker a Godsend for Polaroid Fans
For decades users of Polaroid's instant camera technology have been shaking their snapshots. Common belief holds that this action helps the photo develop. Now that the popular musical group Outkast has encouraged millions to "shake it like a Polaroid picture," the activity has become the latest craze. :: View full story.

Issue 3

Mydoom.F Strikes iSeries Shops
A new variant of the Mydoom worm recently made its way around the Internet, and this particularly nasty worm caused a great deal of damage to users—including iSeries shops—thanks to its ability to delete files. :: View full story.

Japanese Scientists Create Robot Stand-up Comic
Long known for their technological prowess and creativity, scientists in Japan have created the world's first robot capable of telling jokes. :: View full story.

Martian Methane: What Does it All Mean?
The continuing odyssey that is the Mars missions has handed scientists yet another surprise: the discovery of methane in the Martian atmosphere. :: View full story.

Issue 4

Bytware and IBM Ink Anti-Virus Distribution Agreement
Bytware, Inc. and IBM signed an agreement this week allowing Bytware's StandGuard Anti-Virus for iSeries to be shipped with all distributions of IBM's eServer iSeries new operating system, i5/OS V5R3 (OS/400 Version 5 Release 3). :: View full story.

Alarm Clock Maker Unveils Shocking New Product
There's one morning routine that is a worldwide constant: snooze slapping. It's that action of beating the alarm clock silly for an extra 15 minutes of sack time that has one Japanese tech company aiming to turn a constant action into a constant revenue stream. :: View full story.

IBM's New eServer i5 Achieves Leading Result on SAP(R) Benchmark
IBM has announced that the new IBM eServer i5 Model 520 has achieved the record result in the important two-tier SAP® Sales and Distribution (SD) Standard Application Benchmark on a 2-way POWER5 processor-based system. :: View full story.