And the winner is:
StandGuard Anti-Virus!

Bytware's native anti-virus solution for the iSeries named 'Product of the Year' in the Security Products category of the Search400.com 'Products of the Year' awards

RENO, NV -- Search400.com, part of the TechTarget network of websites for enterprise IT professionals, has selected Bytware’s StandGuard Anti-Virus as the 'Product of the Year' in the Security Products category of the Search400.com Products of the Year awards for 2003. This Gold award recognition acknowledges StandGuard Anti-Virus’s innovation and role in meeting the evolving needs of today’s marketplace.

The awards are presented by the editors of Search400.com and were judged by a panel of industry experts, including the editors of Search400.com, a select group of users, and independent industry analysts, with input from Search400.com members. Judges selected the Products of the Year from among products announced and shipped between September 30, 2002 and October 1, 2003. StandGuard Anti-Virus was announced by Bytware on June 22, 2003, at the IBM Technical Conference in Las Vegas.

"There is no other vendor for anti-virus natively on AS/400, so for innovation, they score very high," one judge remarked. "And because all other ways of accomplishing anti-virus for an iSeries require 'time over the wire,' so to speak, [Bytware] gets high marks for performance."

An IBM ServerProven application, StandGuard Anti-Virus is the first and only AV solution to run natively on the iSeries OS/400. Powered by McAfee's industry leading scanning engine—named the top engine by the University of Hamburg Virus Test Center for three consecutive years—StandGuard Anti-Virus provides protection from viruses stored on the iSeries that can be passed on to servers and client PCs, as well as to other companies with which data is shared. StandGuard Anti-Virus’s mail scanning capabilities also provide the first ever protection for OS/400 mail. Designed to meet the demands of and risks to an evolving business world, StandGuard Anti-Virus brings a much needed tool to the iSeries.

StandGuard Anti-Virus is quick to install, comes preconfigured to run right out of the box, and includes both green screens and an iSeries Navigator plug-in. Those familiar with PC-based scanning solutions will be able to immediately work with the GUI, and those preferring green screens can get quick results with the intuitive menus and commands. Virus definition updates are automatically downloaded directly from McAfee Security. And because StandGuard Anti-Virus runs natively on OS/400 there is no more transferring data across the wire, in the clear, to a scanning PC allowing for increased security and unparalleled performance.

StandGuard Anti-Virus is supported by Bytware's 24/7/365 technical support through phone and Web.

Mydoom Hits the iSeries

RENO, NV -- As the original Mydoom worm 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. While the payload of this worm does not directly affect OS/400, a lack of anti-virus protection on the iSeries allows the worm to enter through OS/400 mail and reside in files stored on the iSeries.

StandGuard Anti-Virus, the award-winning anti-virus solution that runs natively on OS/400, has been detecting and removing copies of Mydoom found on the iSeries, according to Bytware customers. StandGuard Anti-Virus is powered by the McAfee scanning engine from Network Associates, rated the top scanning engine by the University of Hamburg Virus Test Center for three consecutive years.

Mydoom can enter the iSeries either through mail that passes through OS/400 or by copying itself to the iSeries from a client PC without the user’s knowledge. Only active scanning of the iSeries can detect the worm once it finds its way onto the system. Leaving the worm undetected can spread the infection to client PCs on your network as well as to other companies and networks with which you exchange information.

Experts say that the best way to fight Mydoom is through the use of standard anti-virus solutions. “Companies that are following recommended practices relating to secure e-mail use should be largely protected against the Mydoom virus and its variants,” explain experts in a new article on Computerworld’s Security website. These practices include vigilantly maintaining up-to-date virus definitions. iSeries security experts, including Carol Woodbury and Patrick Botz, recommend that administrators apply the same virus prevention procedures to their iSeries systems that they apply to their other platforms as a general security best practice.

More about Mydoom
The Mydoom worm has been labeled the most prolific worm ever by some security experts, according to an article at SearchSecurity.com. It has shattered the records set in 2003 by the Sobig.F virus, and a new CNN article cites infection rates as high as one in three e-mails. Sobig.F peaked at an infection rate of 1 in 17 e-mails. British security firm MessageLabs reports that they have caught 1.8 million copies of Mydoom in more than 168 countries as of Wednesday, January 28. StandGuard Anti-Virus users are also reporting infections appearing on the iSeries.

The worm is particularly difficult to manage as it utilizes new techniques called “social engineering.” Using these techniques, virus writers attach their work to mail that appears to be a machine-generated error message. The idea is that users trust messages that they believe were generated by a computer as they are accustomed to receiving such messages from administrators and mail servers, especially in corporate settings.

Mydoom arrives as an attachment that can carry one of a number of different file extensions, some of which are routinely allowed by companies including the ZIP format. Many report an attachment that appears to be a text document, but has 60 spaces between the .txt and .exe extensions, preventing users from seeing the true file type. Many users view text documents as innocuous. Security experts say that these techniques are convincing many users who are normally very cautious to open and execute the worm.

Automatic Picture Shaker a Godsend for Polaroid Fans

NEW YORK, NY --
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.

A new company has even grown out of the hit song, "Hey Ya!". The company, Buffalo, NY-based Shake It Industries, whose slogan is "We shake it everyday, how about you?" has announced the first ever automatic Polaroid picture shaker. Camera users are ecstatic.

The small desktop device utilizes a robotic arm to help along the development process of the instant photo. A small four-pronged hand gently grips the undeveloped photo and then shakes it up and down until fully processed. The user can control variable shaking speeds and a "ding" sounds when the photo is ready.

"I'm absolutely delighted that this machine is available," exclaimed amatuer photographer Susan Delanie. "For years I shook my Polaroid pictures vigorously, but when I developed a repetitive stress disorder in 1998 I had to stop. I've suffered through nearly six years of subpar photography."

Similar stories were heard from dozens of other Polaroid aficionados. There are also reports that a Los Angeles lawyer is considering a class action lawsuit against the film maker for inflicting muscular injuries on users who shake their photos.

Polaroid is not amused and is concerned that Outkast may be leading its customers down the road to poor photography. The company's website states:

"Shaking or waving a Polaroid picture to help the development process originated in the early days of peel-apart film. After peeling the negative, the image needed to dry before it could be handled, so waving the photo helped it to dry more quickly."

The site goes on to explain that with modern instant or "integral" films the image develops and dries behind a clear plastic window. Since the image never comes in contact with air, shaking the photo has no effect on the development process.

"In fact, shaking or waving can actually damage the image. Rapid movement during development can cause portions of the film to separate prematurely, or can cause 'blobs' in the picture," warns Polaroid.

Nevertheless, the photo shaking craze is likely to continue as Andre 3000 and Outkast continue to dominate the Billboard charts.

"I like to listen to 'Hey Ya!' while I take snapshots around the house with my Polaroid OneStep," explained Lisa Turner, a college student considering a career in photography. "When I don't have access to a radio, I just sing the song out loud. Shaking it really makes that 5 - 10 minute development time fly by. Of course, I have to play the song twice to enjoy rich color."

When asked if she would buy one of the new robotic shaking machines, Lisa said no. "It's the shaking that's fun. I could care less about the photo," said Lisa, before adding an afterthought: "Perhaps I should rethink my career plans."

But overall reception of the news has been joyous within the community of instant photo users. Shake It Industries expects to ship 50,000 units initially with the first shakers slated to hit store shelves by summer.

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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
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IBM's New eServer i5 Achieves Leading Result on SAP(R) Benchmark
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