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PA e-Comm News MARCH 28

ADVERTISERS OF THE WEEK

*FREE Search Engine Optimization Consultation and Search Engine Ranking Report on 10 Keywords *20% off streaming media encoding and hosting (RealMedia and WindowsMedia) *20% off Live Webcasting

Microsoft has warned users that most versions of its Windows software have a "critical" flaw that, if exploited, can allow a hacker to usurp control of a system or network when a victim visits a Web site or uses an e-mail program. The company urged users of Windows 98 and all newer versions to download a patch. The software giant said it is not aware of any attacks that exploit the vulnerability. An attacker could construct a Web page that, when visited by a user, would execute code of the attacker's choice with the user's privileges. Experts noted that Microsoft often finds itself in the midst of security flaw hubbub because its software is so widely used and is based on code that is nearly two decades old. Recently, security experts reported the first "zero-day" attack -- one that occurs before a flaw or threat is even recognized -- in nearly three years. It took the form of a hack of a U.S. Army public Web page. Meanwhile, security companies in the United Kingdom said an e-mail-based worm that uses interest in war news to spread has been spotted.

Although hands-free telephony is not a new concept in office environments, attempts to change the work routines of offices have met with varying degrees of resistance. Many office workers have not embraced beltpacks and clumsy wired headphones in order to emancipate themselves from their desks. Mobility for the working masses usually still means using a cell phone even when tracking down coworkers who are just down the hall or in a nearby conference room. Headset advances and executive telephony products are targeted primarily toward stationary, service-oriented professionals: call center operators, sales agents, help desk administrators and receptionists. Many of these users have found headsets add greatly to their comfort levels and productivity. When it comes to wireless hands-free headsets, there are three primary obstacles: battery life, range and voice quality, according to a Gartner report. Newer equipment can provide a working range of up to 300 feet from the charging station, conferencing capabilities and eight hours of talk time. Some headsets weigh as little as an ounce and others provide team conferencing which can allow conference calls to occur just about anywhere, eliminating the need to assemble people around a table and deal with a speakerphone.

Israel's top government censor has warned Web sites in that country not to publish sensitive information about the war with Iraq and instructed editors to seek government permission before publishing information about "materials that could pose a threat to the security of the State of Israel and its residents." Rotter.net and Fresh.co.il were warned not to publish the locations of any missile strikes, information about Israeli Cabinet deliberations or information about Israeli wartime cooperation with other governments such as that of the United States. It is believed to be the first time that the government has warned Web sites.

A Tulsa e-business firm, SkyBiz, has agreed to pay back $20 million to settle charges it ran an illegal pyramid scheme that took in millions of consumers across the globe by recruiting sales associates who paid a fee to market its Internet tutorials, according to the Federal Trade Commission. SkyBiz owners did not admit or deny guilt as part of the settlement but agreed to pay back a total of $20 million in proceeds and stay away from "multilevel marketing schemes'' for periods up to 22 years. The company also operated as World Service, WorldWide Service, and Nanci International, the FTC said. The company told its 1.5 million recruits that they were likely to make substantial income, when in fact 96% never made back the $125 they paid to join, alleged the FTC.

Internet traffic to online news sites and U.S. government pages surged as the war with Iraq got under way, with some sites experiencing a 50% increase in visitors. The surge came without any reports of disruptions or widespread slowdowns, even though many of the leading news sites have only recently begun to offer bandwidth-intensive streaming video and audio downloads. According to Neilson/NetRatings, most major online news outlets saw double-digit traffic growth on the day the bombing began in Iraq with CNN.com drawing 3.7 million unique visitors, a 30% increase over the week before. These online news sources have a distinct advantage during the workday due to the eight-hour time difference between the U.S. East Coast and Iraq. MSNBC.com saw a 38% jump in traffic. Every time a major event like this happens, the Internet gets another test, another chance to prove itself because people are motivated to try the Web, to try new areas of the Internet they didn't before. Some analysts believe broadband adoption could spike as at-work Web surfers see the benefits of having faster connections at home as well. Traffic to U.S. government sites, already heavy because of the approaching tax-filing deadline and recent alerts about homeland security, continued to climb.

A federal appeals court has ruled that a law restricting junk faxes is constitutional, a ruling that anti-spam experts are hailing because it may create a legal precedent that could help create similar legislation banning junk e-mail. The ruling concerns a federal law known as the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, enacted in 1991, which expressly prohibits using "any telephone facsimile machine, computer or other device to send an unsolicited advertisement to a telephone facsimile machine." The Eighth Circuit panel found that restricting unsolicited fax advertisements is reasonable and that banning unsolicited fax advertising does not violate the First Amendment's protection of freedom of speech. Despite the hope the ruling offers to groups advocating anti-spam legislation, some analysts noted that the battle against junk e-mail remains tough. Many groups fighting spam argue that junk e-mail puts a burden on recipients due to the hours that employees spend handling such e-mail or investing in anti-spam software. There are currently no federal laws regulating spam, although some states have passed anti-spam legislation.

Here are five simple questions you can ask yourself and apply to your e-commerce business. Can you answer all of these questions? Are you up to date on the newest security happenings? Take this quick test and see how many you can get correct!

5 Simple Security Questions

1. What is a firewall? 
2. How do I know if I have a virus? 
3. How can I monitor my employees web usage? 
4. How often should I update my virus scanner? 
5. Are my current security policies up to date? 

If you have any questions about these, or on any security topic, Go to our website to get the answers: Internet Systems Defense

Internet Systems Defense  Phone: 717-364-1094  Toll Free: 1-866-541-0800  info@isdweb.biz

PROCUREMENT OPPORTUNITIES

The following is a listing of recently published technology procurement or Federally funded opportunities with various governmental entities. We hope our readers take the opportunity to investigate these postings and increase their business:

USAF - Air Force Material Command
38 EIG/PK
D -- Local Exchange services for ANDREWS AFB MD 20762
Synopsis, Solicitation 01 http://www.eps.gov/spg/USAF/AFMC/38EIGPK/F34608%2D03%2DR%2D5020/listing.html

USAF - Air Education and Training Command
Maxwell AFB Contracting Squadron
D -- Software Maintenance for IBM Equipment
Synopsis http://www.eps.gov/spg/USAF/AETC/MaxAFBCS/F73SAF30781300/listing.html

USAF - Air Force Materiel Command
Hill AFB OO-ALC
D--TECHNICAL SERVICES
Solicitation 01 http://www.eps.gov/spg/USAF/AFMC/OOALC/F42630%2D03%2DQ%2D3254/listing.html

DOI - Bureau of Reclamation
Bureau of Reclamation
70--Wide feed Color Scanner
Solicitation 01, Synopsis http://www.eps.gov/spg/DOI/BR/BR/03SQ1U5230/listing.html

DOJ - Federal Bureau of Investigation
Property Procurement and Management Section
70 -- Sigma Scanner
Combine Synopsis/Solicitation http://www.eps.gov/spg/DOJ/FBI/PPMS1/065628/listing.html

ODA - Defense Finance and Accounting Service
Acquisition Services, Arlington
D -- DFAS Defense Cash Accountability System (DCAS) Security Certification and Accreditation 
Amendment 03 http://www.eps.gov/spg/ODA/DFAS/Arlington/MDA220%2D03%2DT%2D0016/listing.html

DON - Naval Sea Systems Command
NUWC Division Newport
70 -- Single Board Processor & Computer Cards
Solicitation 01 http://www.eps.gov/spg/DON/NAVSEA/N66604/N66604%2D03%2DQ%2D2980/listing.html

DON - Naval Sea Systems Command
NUWC Keyport Division
70--Isolation Input, LED Driver
Solicitation 01 http://www.eps.gov/spg/DON/NAVSEA/N00253/N0025303Q0116/listing.html

DOT - Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) Headquarters FMCSA D -- Software Enhancements and Maintenance Synopsis http://www.eps.gov/spg/DOT/DTMC75/00075/DTMC75%2D03%2DR%2D00004/listing.html

DON - NATO, HQ Supreme Allied Commander, Atlantic
Purchasing & Contracting
D -- Contractor Support - HQ SACLANT, Communications Engineering Section Combine Synopsis/Solicitation http://www.eps.gov/spg/DON/SACLANT/SACLANTHQ/RFP04%2D03/listing.html

DLA - Logistics Operations
Defense Supply Center Philadelphia - General & Industrial
70 -- Video Signal Mixer Kaiser P/N 200-1728 & P/N 200-1729 
Synopsis http://www.eps.gov/spg/DLA/J3/DSCP%2DI/YPI03079001030/listing.html

DISA - Acquisition Directorate
DITCO-Scott
D--INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SERVICES, INCLUDING COMMUNICATIONS SERVICES Synopsis http://www.eps.gov/spg/DISA/D4AD/DITCO/VARIOUS%2D26%2DMar%2D2003/listing.html

USA - U. S. Army Materiel Command
TACOM - Picatinny, Center for Contracting and Commerce A--Broad Agency Announcement for Fuze Technology Modification 02 http://www.eps.gov/spg/USA/USAMC/DAAE30/DAAE30%2D01%2DBAA%2D0500/listing.html

*FREE Search Engine Optimization Consultation and Search Engine Ranking Report on 10 Keywords
Contact: Joe Tertel, e-Marketing Specialist, 717-901-4138

With our SEO expertise, JPL can drive traffic to your site by earning high rankings in search engines for keyword phrases that are likely to be used by qualified prospects. JPL will do the following: 

1. Identify 10 high-opportunity keyword phrases with large numbers of searches per month and relatively few competing pages. 
2. Provide a free Search Engine Ranking on 10 keywords which details keyword rankings for targeted search engines. Specific keywords are scored against each of the 10 major search engines. Ranking reports measure the success of your SEO program.

*20% off streaming media encoding and hosting (RealMedia and WindowsMedia)
Contact: Luke Kempski, Executive Vice President, 717-901-4198

JPL can put audio and video resources on your web site. With the click of an electronic button, your web site visitors can view: 
• corporate videos • commercials • product demonstrations • employee, distributor and customer training programs. 

We can encode existing programs for streaming on your web server or host it on our video server. We handle all of the technical details. 

Simply tell us you want audio or video on your web site, and we'll do the rest.


*20% off Live Webcasting
Contact: Luke Kempski, Executive Vice President, 717-901-4198

JPL's team of videographers and streaming media technicians can make your live event viewable almost anywhere on earth. All your audience needs is an Internet connection and they can tune in live and watch the event. 
Use webcasts to promote: 
• New product announcements • Annual meetings and conferences • Investor messages • Special events • Graduations and sporting events 

Webcasts attract publicity, communicate to a remote audience and portray a high-tech image.

For more information on JPL Productions, contact Amy J. Mountain, 3901 Derry Street, Harrisburg, PA 17111 or call 717-901-4160. Visit JPL at www.jplprod.com.

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