Here’s another freebie for you folks. An absolutely amazing 66-page security eBook named “Vulnerability Management for Dummies”.

Vulnerability Management for Dummies will arm you with the facts and show you how to implement a successful Vulnerability Management program in your environment. Whether your network consists of just a handful of computers or thousands of servers distributed around the world, this book will help:

• Explain the critical need for Vulnerability Management (VM)
• Detail the essential best-practice steps of a successful VM Program
• Outline the various VM Solutions – including the pros & cons of each
• Provide a 10-point checklist for removing vulnerabilities from your key resources

Please note that this comes directly from Qualys, one of the most respectable and well-known vulnerability management company in the world.

Vulnerability Management for Dummies (U.S. and Canada only!)

By Mark O’Neill

In the United States, the Freedom of Information Act has been around since the 1960’s but in Great Britain it has only been in force since 2000. Britain is quite a secretive country by nature with its Official Secrets Act and I think Brits are still finding it a novel concept to be able to just ask for something, instead of being quoted the rule book.

An interesting website called “What Do They Know?” has been set up to co-ordinate FOI requests in the UK. The idea is that if you want to make a FOI request – and you don’t mind that request being public – then you can make it through this website. The webmaster will make sure that your request reaches the proper government department and the request will also be posted to the site with a status on it such as “pending”, “successful”, “unsuccessful”, whatever.

Then when the information comes from the department in question, the response is also posted to the site, next to the original request. The idea is that if someone else is also looking for the same information, they can check the site. They can also get in touch with the requester and offer to team up on projects, lawsuits and much more.

It goes without saying that if you want to make private requests or if you don’t want your name publicised then this site is not suitable. But if you don’t mind your request being made public or if you’re looking for people who may share your cause then you can do it through “What Do They Know”. Not only will your request get to the right government bureaucrat but someone scanning the site may see your request and think “wow, they’re requesting the same stuff as me, let’s team up!”.

Is there an equivalent site to this in the United States for US Freedom of Information requests? It sounds like a really great idea to me.

By Mark O’Neill

All you lazy hungry geeks who can’t be bothered to tear yourselves away from the computer, despair no longer, because Pizza Hut has come to your aid! Yes, the Hut is the latest company to jump on the Adobe AIR bandwagon with their desktop ordering widget!

But as usual with these new-fangled techie things, it seems to be for the United States only so anyone outside the US of A is out of luck and will have to resort to the old fashioned method of ordering a pizza – picking up the telephone and calling.

Gasp. I know. That’s so 20th century!

After the PC Magazine offer (which is now expired, sorry for those who missed it), we now have another fantastic promotion involving a free subscription to the Website Magazine. I’m not sure how long this one will last, so if you’re running a website, you better hurry and subscribe to it before it expires.

Until now, there has not been a magazine that caters exclusively to the business of running a website. Website Magazine has tapped premier talent in the Internet industry for their content and each and every issue will contain practical advice and insights for website owners.

Subscribe for free here! (U.S. Only)