11/01/2004
November 2004 - How This Man Saved $1 Million
Patrick Collins negotiated a sweet deal with Microsoft. Learn how you can, too, with our 7 Steps to a Better Bargain. Plus: Avoid the remote access gotchas; find out how drops of honey can lure bad guys into your trap; and seven tools that can help you automate patch management.
In-Depth
Remote access policies are at the heart of remote access--and at the root of most problems. Learn how they work and avoid the mistakes that can lock out your remote users.
Time is money and money is tight, but these five scripts can help any admin get
more done every day.
Early adopters laud GUI, VPN and administration features.
Keeping systems patched is time-consuming and laborious, but it's crucial. Here are seven tools that can help you automate the process.
Honey drops can help you detect attacks in progress--without sticking you with false positives.
Patrick Collins saved more than $1 million in his Microsoft negotiations. Learn how he did it and how to hammer out your own sweet Microsoft deal.
Product Reviews
Datakey Axis is a simple solution for smart card deployment.
AdminStudio supports better quality control for software
packaging and simplifies the overall packaging process.
Fastora's entry-level NAS unit is well-suited for small and
expanding workgroups.
Famatech's Remote Administrator version 2.2 provides a quick and easy remote access tool for your Windows clients.
Barney's Rubble
Doug Barney ponders apocalypse theories, the true definition of spyware and more.
Beta Man
NetPro's Directory Troubleshooter fills the Active Directory management void.
Letters to Redmond
Readers respond to the new Redmond name, about dumping IE and more.
Mr. Script
Mr. Script explains how you can edit the Registry with scripting to automate the creation of Data Source Names.
Security Advisor
Roberta Bragg looks at Sender ID, the new anti-spam technology being developed by Microsoft.
Ten
Bill Belichick, the Dalai Lama and George Lucas are among our favorites. Who would you like to see?
Tips and Tricks
Using password filters and longer passphrases will help keep your passwords from being cracked.
News
Do you plan to take the 70-301 in the next few weeks? Share your experiences with MCPmag.com readers.
A handy guide to some of Intel's recently released code-names.
An interview with Quest Software CEO Vinnie Smith.
Microsoft releases exam applicable to IT and developers tasked with major project deployments.
Microsoft extends "try before you buy" offer to its XP SP2 clinics and hands-on labs for deploying or developing in a Windows XP SP2 enviroment.
Incremental enhancements make for slower uptake.
From the business wires this week: HTTP compression solutions that enable faster Web browsing, server and workstation management software, and patch management programs.
From the business wires this week: blade servers, a 1U autoloader and security appliances.
From the business wires this week: a server load balancing solution, a network security system and more.
From the business wires this week: a solution to ease deployment of network devices, software that helps detect security risks in code, and a backup and recovery system.