Google Code Search: potential for misuse The search company’s latest offering, a source-code search tool labelled Code Search, could well be misused by crackers. Although the tool aims to simplify life for developers, it could be used by attackers to search for bugs in software, password-related information, and proprietary code that shouldn’t have been up on the Internet in the first place. The source-code search engine was unveiled on October 6, 2006. Unlike the company’s ubiquitous Web search, the Google code-search analyses actual lines of code as and when it finds source-code on the Internet. This will help developers to search source-code listings directly, and, in the case of open-source code, build on existing code snippets to create new applications that might not have been created quite as easily if not for the existence of this search engine. With these benefits comes the drawback that the service can be used to search for code that is vulnerable, such as examining code for vulnerabilities in password mechanisms. Although skilled hackers may be able to do this kind of search with a conventional search engine, Code Search offers an easier way out. Another aspect of the matter is that organisations backing up their files should avoid using http to transfer them (basically they should avoid posting code onto even internal Web sites) for there’s always the off-chance that someone may accidentally upload code into a directory that outputs its contents, so before you know it Google Code Search might have indexed your enterprise’s crown jewels. Placing the archives out of the Web root and using Secure Copy (SCP) or a secure FTP client is a much better idea. Google, of course, defends itself. It claims that proper security procedures, if followed, will ensure that there are no problems.

As IE slides, Firefox gains ground Data released by Net Applications indicates that Microsoft’s Internet Explorer (IE) browser is losing ground, although slowly, to Mozilla Firefox and Apple Safari. Statistics for September 2006 reveal that although IE continued to be ranked number one by a wide margin with a share of 82.1 percent, it was its worst showing during the past two years. Firefox was in second place with 12.46 percent of the browser market followed by Safari with 3.53 percent. Netscape and Opera served less than 1 percent of the market. It is interesting to learn that Safari is emerging as a popular choice for Mac users, perhaps on account of Microsoft dropping support for IE for the Mac. A year back, Safari had less than 2 percent of the browser market. Firefox and Safari have been taking due advantage of the fact that Internet Explorer users have not seen a new browser from Microsoft after the release of Windows XP SP2. Internet Explorer is losing ground, although slowly, to Mozilla Firefox and Apple Safari Internet Explorer 7 is scheduled to be released later this month. It offers many of the features such as tabbed browsing that Firefox users have ecome used to. On the security front, IE7 sports features such as a phishing filter to protect users. It will offer enhancements including an ActiveX Opt-in and a Fix My Settings feature. Some believe that Firefox users will return to IE when version 7 is launched. Of course, Mozilla is gearing up to release Firefox 2.0, so the battle lines are being drawn.

Microsoft offers unlimited OS copies of Datacentre Edition As of October 1, users of Windows Server Datacentre Edition (WSDE) will have the right to run an unlimited number of virtualised Windows Server instances. This policy applies to licences covering new servers, and previous licences upgraded with new version rights. In plain terms it means that an enterprise will be paying as per the number of processors on top of which WSDE is running. Customers running server virtualisation software have always complained about licencing ambiguities while running multiple operating systems and applications on a single machine or pool of servers. Microsoft’s new model will make it simpler for companies to keep track of OS licencing when it comes to Datacentre edition because customers no longer need to track server slicing details. One must however note that the company is the underdog in the server virtualisation game at the moment, and is considered to be far behind VMware in terms of marketshare and behind all major rivals from a technology perspective. Being flexible with regard to licencing should give it a boost in catching up.

Software that diagnoses diabetes US-based healthcare firm Medtronic plans to launch a software in India that will help doctors monitor, track and diagnose diabetes. The software is targeted at doctors who will be in a position to analyse a patient’s blood-sugar levels. It will be able to find average fluctuations using a pump that works using radio-telemetry technology. The software can also suggest how much insulin has to be given—and at what time—to a particular patient. Medtronic plans to launch a software that will help doctors diagnose and monitor diabetes The Web-based software is called CareLink. It is being developed at the North American headquarters of the company in Los Angeles. Information can be uploaded by the patient from the device, which is a Continuous Glucose Monitoring System, to a computer, and this data can be transmitted to the concerned doctor over the Internet. The unit is small and portable. Doctors can log on to the company’s Web site and view graphical reports that are generated based on the information gathered from these devices. The Medtronic CareLink Network currently supports a range of Medtronic implanted cardiac devices. These include implantable cardioverter defibrillators such as Virtuoso, Intrinsic, EnTrust, Maximo DR/VR ICD, Marquis DR/VR, GEM III DR/VR, GEM II DR/VR and GEM DR/VR. The Cardiac Resynchronisation Therapy-Defibrillators also support Web interfaces such as Concerto, InSync Sentry, InSync Maximo and InSync ICD. The technology should help doctors and patients in India.