Blaster copycat set to pounce

iDefense, a US-based security firm, has warned of the likelihood of new worms or Trojans emerging in the next few days, designed to prey on computers that have not been updated with the latest Microsoft security patch.

"A new Blaster-like worm family could be created in a matter of hours or days, now that exploit source code has been posted in the underground," said iDefense analyst Ken Dunham, according to CNet. "The new attack tool makes it trivial for any malicious actor to gain unauthorised root access to an unpatched computer." The new vulnerability is similar to the one exploited by Blaster.

Intel has outlined plans for two new chips that will have two or more processors on a single piece of silicon, boosting the performance of corporate server computers.

Yahoo News reports that the chips are a 32-bit Xeon server processor MP variety, code-named "Tulsa", its first dual-core chip, and a new 64-bit Itanium server chip, code-named "Tanglewood".

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer has said the company is "humbled by the last few weeks` worth of security gaffes", and he promised to improve Windows operating systems to thwart threats, reports TechWeb.

"We are in many ways humbled by the developments of the last few weeks," Ballmer said on Monday in a speech in Silicon Valley. "Windows is the most popular platform in the world, so every security incident with it is just magnified and magnified and magnified across so many more systems than with any other platform."

The annual Apple Expo in Paris saw CEO Steve Jobs introducing a new 15-inch PowerBook, filling out a line of portables that already make up 42% of the company`s computer shipments - up from a third a year ago. Jobs declared 2003 as Apple`s year of the notebook, according to Yahoo News.

In the latest step toward utility computing, Veritas Software and Intel are joining forces to help companies manage servers better, reports CNet.

The companies are planning to announce today that Veritas` OpForce software will be bundled with new hardware shipping from Intel, including Intel Enterprise Blade Server Family and Itanium processor-based servers. The software, which will ship under the moniker "Intel Deployment Manager by Veritas OpForce", aims to help companies set up servers more easily.

Microsoft has updated its line of wireless-networking products, adding gear based on the latest WiFi standard, 802.11g, reports CNet.

Starting at the end of the month, retailers will begin selling the Microsoft Wireless Base Station, the Wireless Notebook Adapter, the Wireless PCI Adapter for desktop PCs, and the Wireless Notebook Kit, used to connect desktops and notebooks to a network. In October, retailers will begin selling the $139 Xbox Wireless Adapter, used to connect Xbox gaming consoles to a network.