If you think that the latest security suites afford complete protection against malware attacks, think again. Today’s for-profit malware pushers use dedicated test labs and other increasingly professional techniques to improve their chances of infecting your computer. And the techniques they employ to outpace security software makers appear to be working.

Make no mistake–a good security program can go a long way toward keeping you in control of your system. But PC World’s recent tests of security suites found that new malware easily evaded the applications. In tests of how well security software blocks unknown malicious programs, the best performer detected only one in four new malware samples. In contrast, February 2007 results from similar heuristics testing showed that the best utilities caught about half of new samples.

With the aim to improve company performance and better meet customers’ needs, IBM said it was realigning its Systems and Technology group around types of clients.

Instead of product types, the newly aligned division will focus and develop products based on the needs of customers in different segments, said Tim Breuer, an IBM spokesman.

The restructured division will target four segments: large enterprises; small-and-medium businesses; verticals; and microelectronics, which includes customers buying IBM’s chips.

If you have created a remarkable Notes application, Teamstudio would love to hear about it. The Spotlight Awards have been created to bring to attention outstanding applications that demonstrate just what Notes can do. All winners will receive a write-up about their application in DominoPower during February, in addition to Teamstudio technology and great iPod gear.

With SAP’s acquisition of Business Objects set to close this quarter, the deal leaves a rarely-asked question regarding Business Objects’ long-standing relationship with IBM: What impact will the SAP buyout have on Business Objects’ relationship with IBM? IBM’s relationship with Business Objects spans more than a decade and has deepened over the past couple of years as IBM has taken a keen interest in two separate but intertwining areas: business intelligence and business applications.

mNotes5 is CommonTime’s latest innovation in mobilizing Lotus Notes software, offering an Enterprise strength solution for single users. It allows instant and secure access to your email and PIM applications including Calendar, Contacts, Journal, Tasks and SameTime messaging on your mobile device.

The CommonTime Switching Centre transfers your data directly to your device in real-time, ensuring you always have the most up-to-date information at your fingertips. Simple to install, configure and manage, mNotes5 offers highly secure and seamless data transfer. The switching center also means that you don’t need to involve your corporate IT department.

Packt Publishing has recently published a new book, titled, Lotus Notes Domino 8: Upgrader’s Guide to help its readers with the new and powerful feature of Lotus Notes-Domino 8. Written by some of the senior architects and specialists of IBM Software Services for Lotus, this book will provide you with an excellent guide to help you realize the value of your investment in Lotus Notes 8. You will learn how to leverage the full capabilities of Lotus Notes 8 and how to quickly move from your existing technology base to this new, feature-rich platform. The authors explore the enhanced productivity tools available with this release, integrating word processing, presentations, and spreadsheets into a seamless unit with your messaging and collaboration solution.

The book walks through the new features in the Lotus Notes/Domino 8 suite and documents these features in a technical, descriptive way, rather than presenting tutorials and examples. It also talks about likely problems that the user might face while upgrading, and shows how to get the most of the exciting new features.

If you use RealNetworks’ RealPlayer software, you might want to pay close attention to this demo from the folks at Gleg Ltd., a Russian vulnerability research and exploit creation outfit.

According to Gleg founder Evgeny Legerov, there is a zero-day vulnerability that allows code execution in RealPlayer 11, the most up-to-date version of the cross-platform media player. Legerov said the exploit was tested against RealPlayer 11 build 6.0.14.748.

U.S. manufacturing shrank by the largest margin in almost five years, despite news that the overall economy still grew in December, which marked the 74th straight month of expansion. The Institute for Supply Management’s factory index, published on Jan. 2, fell to 47.7, from 50.8 the prior month. Any number above 50 signifies growth; any number below reflects contraction.

While the December numbers fell far below economists’ expectations that the index would hold steady through the end of the year, they did not come completely out of the blue. According to the ISM, new orders, production and employment all fell below 50. Moreover, inflation–as measured by the Prices Paid index–grew despite the weakness in activity.

With IT budgets remaining essentially flat for 2008 and uncertain economic times ahead, it’s more important than ever to make sure you don’t overspend on IT. The situation is so uncertain, in fact, that Gartner recommends preparing two IT budgets for 2008. While the first would assume modest budget growth, the second would assume a business downturn, and should be about 10 percent less than the first budget.

Ray Wang, a principal analyst at Forrester Research, said economic uncertainty should change the way people think about IT budgets and projects. During economic upturns, for example, the business driver for projects tends to focus on top-line growth and strategic investments. But given the pending downturn and increasing regulatory pressure, Wang says companies should expect projects to focus on operational efficiency and compliance.

Does Rudy Giuliani know John McCain’s private campaign plans before McCain’s own staff? Can something as simple as an intercepted email message change the outcome of an election?

Our new book, Where Have AllThe Emails Gone?, by our own David Gewirtz, shows how something as seemingly benign as White House email can have freaky national security consequences — and possibly freaky election consequences.