Edupage, September 17, 2003

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Edupage is a service of EDUCAUSE, a nonprofit association
whose mission is to advance higher education by promoting
the intelligent use of information technology.
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TOP STORIES FOR WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2003
  Legal Decision Against Microsoft Could Spell Changes for Web
  Sun to Offer Alternative to Windows Operating System
  Hackers Readying Next Attack
AND
  Consortium Announces Fiber-Optic Research Network
  Network Monitoring at UNR
  Report Says $4.6 Billion Available as Grant Money


LEGAL DECISION AGAINST MICROSOFT COULD SPELL CHANGES FOR WEB
A federal court decision last month that Microsoft had infringed on a
patent could lead to changes in software throughout the Web. Microsoft
was found guilty of incorporating patented technology into its Internet
Explorer (IE) browser that allows the browser to automatically call
certain applications, such as those that play audio or video. The $521
million judgment, which Microsoft has said it will appeal, stipulates
that until Microsoft changes the way IE works, the company remains in
violation and is subject to further damages. The implications for a
change in IE to comply with the court ruling are significant not only
because 90 percent of computers use IE but also because the technology
has been incorporated into HTML coding and ratified by the World Wide
Web Consortium. Representatives from Microsoft and the consortium said
they are working on a solution that will be the least disruptive to end
users.
New York Times, 17 September 2003 (registration req'd)
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/09/17/technology/17SOFT.html

SUN TO OFFER ALTERNATIVE TO WINDOWS OPERATING SYSTEM
In its latest challenge to Microsoft, Sun Microsystems has released a
Linux-based software package designed to offer a viable alternative to
Windows desktop operating systems. The Sun Java Desktop system includes
a Web browser, productivity suite, and other applications and will run
on any computer that is Windows compatible. Sun's system is also
designed to work with Microsoft applications such as Exchange and
Office. Officials from Sun claim their offering can cost as little as
$50 per user per year, potentially saving users significant amounts
over comparable systems from Microsoft.
Wired News, 16 September 2003
http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,1282,60462,00.html

HACKERS READYING NEXT ATTACK
Computer hackers have begun distributing tools to take advantage of
recently announced vulnerabilities in Microsoft operating systems,
according to security researchers. The new vulnerabilities are similar
to those that led to the Blaster virus last month. According to
officials at iDefense Inc., the new attack tools are being distributed
from a Chinese Web site and have already been used in some attacks. The
Department of Homeland Security has warned computer users about the new
threats. Security experts and representatives from Microsoft continue
to urge users to download patches for the vulnerabilities, and
Microsoft said it is studying the newly available hacking tools.
San Jose Mercury News, 16 September 2003
http://www.siliconvalley.com/mld/siliconvalley/6787298.htm

AND
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CONSORTIUM ANNOUNCES FIBER-OPTIC RESEARCH NETWORK
Plans were released this week for an initiative to build a national
fiber-optic network to support future science, engineering, and medical
research projects. National LambdaRail Inc. will use existing
fiber-optic cables and will spend several months installing the
necessary optical equipment, switches, and routers to form a viable
network. Initial members of the National LambdaRail consortium include
Internet2, the Corporation for Education Network Initiatives, the
Georgia Institute of Technology, and the Pittsburgh Supercomputing
Center. The network is expected to be capable of speeds of 40 gigabits
per second, four times faster than Abilene, the high-speed network
operated by Internet2. Unlike Abilene, which is owned by Qwest
Communications International and leased to Internet2 members, the
National LambdaRail network will be entirely owned by members of the
LambdaRail consortium.
Chronicle of Higher Education, 17 September 2003 (sub. req'd)
http://chronicle.com/prm/daily/2003/09/2003091701t.htm

NETWORK MONITORING AT UNR
The University of Nevada, Reno (UNR) has been fairly unaffected by
recent legal battles between the recording industry and users accused
of illegally sharing copyrighted material. Officials at the university
credit their having avoided trouble to a five-year-old policy of
monitoring all traffic across the school's network. The university
uses packet shaping and other technologies to keep close tabs on the
volume and destination of traffic from computers on the campus network.
Students at UNR are generally accepting of the monitoring. Richard
Siegel, a political science professor at UNR and president of the
American Civil Liberties Union of Nevada, helped negotiate the policy.
He said that because the policy requires users of the university's
network to comply with local, state, and federal laws, the university
has an obligation to monitor network traffic to ensure compliance and
limit its own liability.
Reno Gazette Journal, 13 September 2003
http://www.rgj.com/news/stories/html/2003/09/13/51606.php

REPORT SAYS $4.6 BILLION AVAILABLE AS GRANT MONEY
A report from research company Input estimates that $4.6 billion of
technology funding is available to U.S. colleges and universities in
the form of federal grants. Agencies including NASA, the Energy
Department, the Agriculture Department, the National Science
Foundation, and the Department of Health and Human Services offer
numerous grant programs, many for purchases of hardware and software.
Input's Meredith Luttner noted that many of the grants are not
directly IT related but could be, for example, for a health-related
project that requires computer technology to support medical research.
According to the report, $2.84 billion in federal grants has already
been awarded to colleges and universities, including Carnegie Mellon
University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and the
University of California at Berkeley, while another $4.6 billion
remains available.
Federal Computer Week, 15 September 2003
http://www.fcw.com/geb/articles/2003/0915/web-input-09-15-03.asp

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