Stories by Susan Perschke

Cisco edges F5 in VPN shootout

Connecting remotely to network servers is a fact of life for millions of end users. Whether working from a PC or a mobile device, users rely on secure, reliable remote connections to maintain their productivity.

Microsoft DirectAccess impresses

Available since Windows Server 2008 R2, Microsofts DirectAccess server role became fully integrated with the OS in Windows Server 2012. DirectAccess is designed to connect a VPN-type session automatically as soon as a compatible Windows client is connected to the Internet.

Java security questions answered

Most of the products tested (except Windows Server 2012), use Oracle's Java in one form or another, at least for client access and also in some cases within the management interface. With numerous vulnerabilities recently discovered in Java, leading to guidance from Department of Homeland Security and others to disable it entirely, this raised some questions about usability and possibly even security of the devices tested.

In Pictures: Six free/open source databases with commercial-quality features

Microsoft, Oracle offer impressive free versions of their commercial offerings, but MariaDB wins our test

Six free databases with commercial-quality features

Free or open source databases run hundreds of millions of public-facing and private applications worldwide, but how effective is this technology and how do these products compare? For answers, we reviewed six popular free or open source database products: Microsoft SQL Server Express, PostgreSQL, Oracle's MySQL, MariaDB, Apache Derby and Firebird SQL.

Review: 6 free email servers for small business

Even as social networking continues to gain in popularity, email remains the undisputed workhorse of messaging, far eclipsing all other forms of electronic communication. Email administration can be a costly function, especially for small to midsized organizations, and many administrators are looking for alternatives to enterprise-sized (and priced) commercial products.

How to Choose a Mail Server

Choosing a mail server is never an easy task. Email management itself is a complex endeavor, and this is reflected in the wide variety of tools we choose to create, edit, send, organize and reply to the vast numbers of email messages that crisscross the globe on a daily basis.

DLP tools deliver strong endpoint protection

With serious data breaches occurring on almost a daily basis, concerns about data protection have skyrocketed. While some experts believe endpoint breaches may no longer comprise the majority of data leaks, the intentional or unintentional release of sensitive data from endpoints within an organization, whether by employees, contractors or guests, remains a serious problem that data loss prevention (DLP) products seek to address.

Cisco Ironport delivers strong email protection

The Cisco Ironport is an appliance that is deployed into an existing mail infrastructure. All emails are sent to the IronPort and the IronPort is either the last point out (most common configuration) or it can process email and then send it back to the mail server where it is sent out.

How we tested DLP products

We tested multiple common endpoint scenarios, by trying to upload, print, email or otherwise transfer data that should be blocked, quarantined, warned about or simply monitored under the rules and policies we set up. The following specific types of endpoint tests were conducted:

How to avoid 5 common email management mistakes

Email managers have a lot at stake. After all, the volume of global electronic messages sent via email dwarfs all other forms of electronic communication, including social networking. Since the inception of electronic mail, which, according to some Internet historians, can be traced to a small mainframe app called 'MAILBOX' from the mid-1960s, human-to-human messages have been created, transmitted and stored in electronic format. But early email administrators could hardly have envisioned the complexity of current email infrastructure and the concomitant maze of technical, security, business and regulatory challenges.

WampServer delivers a smart, Windows-friendly platform for Apache, MySQL and PHP-based apps

While many popular website applications (WordPress, Drupal, Joomla, etc.) are open source and therefore freely available, running these PHP-based apps on a Windows IIS web server requires a bit of retrofitting.

Cisco's John Stewart on the latest security threats … and what enterprises can do to fight back

Freelance writer Susan Perschke recently sat down with Cisco Vice President and Chief Security Officer John N. Stewart for an in-depth discussion of the state of enterprise security.

Hackers target IPv6

If your IPv6 strategy is to delay implementation as long as you can, you still must address IPv6 security concerns right now.

Watch out for FOSS advertising

The appeal of free and open source software is undeniable - after all, who doesn't want to take advantage of OPM (other people's money) to develop a finished software product or platform that would otherwise require long lead times, dedicated programming resources and significant cost?