Networking equipment maker Cisco Systems Inc. is warning customers about a security hole in two products used to manage wireless LANs and e-business services in corporate data centers.

The company said on Wednesday that a user name and password coded into some versions of its Wireless LAN Solution Engine and Hosting Solution Engine software could give attackers complete control of the devices. Attackers could use the default logins to hide rogue wireless access points on wireless LANs, create and modify user privileges or change configuration settings, Cisco said. The vulnerability affects versions 2.0, 2.0.2 and 2.5 of the Wireless LAN Solution Engine (WLSE) and versions 1.7, 1.7.1, 1.7.2 and 1.7.3 of the Hosting Solution Engine (HSE). The San Jose, California, posted software patches on its Web site for both products.

This article by Mark Verber that appeared in UNIX Review several years ago addresses the question of how many sysadmins a site needs. It considers factors like site size, platform homogeneity, range of duties assigned to sysadmins, and more. It concludes with two approximate rules of thumb for reaching a number.

Let us know if you have any alternative suggestions, or pointers to other guidelines?

Dear Valued Customer,


Currently there is an email virus propagating rapidly across the Internet which you should be aware of.  This virus sends out bogus email messages claiming to be from our organization as such; "Important notify about your e-mail account from our the TelE-Publish team...", and it may include text regarding your email account or other support services and claiming you to click on an attachment to keep your computer safe, and/or that your service will be terminated or suspended. 

Delete it Immediately.. 

Just when you thought it was safe to open email again, the first serious computer virus outbreak of 2004 is ripping through the Internet at record pace.

The new worm is called both MyDoom and Novarg. It's a variant of a familiar foe, the Mimail worm that wreaked havoc in 2003.