Security experts have discovered vulnerabilities in OpenOffice.org that could allow attackers to remotely execute code on Linux, Windows or Apple Mac-based computers.

OpenOffice version 2.0.4 and earlier versions are vulnerable to maliciously crafted TIFF files, which can be delivered in an email attachment, published on a Web site or shared using peer-to-peer software. The next version of OpenOffice (version 2.3) arrived on September 17 and is not affected by the flaw. The vulnerability was discovered by researchers at iDefense, who claim that the OpenOffice TIFF parsing code is flawed.

Adobe Systems announced Adobe Technical Communication Suite software, a first-of-a-kind, integrated solution for authoring, managing, and publishing technical information and training content across multiple formats and languages. Using the Adobe Technical Communication Suite, technical communicators and instructional designers can create powerful documentation, eLearning courses and user assistance programs containing both traditional text and graphics along with rich media, including Adobe Flash Player compatible video and 3D.

The suite includes Adobe RoboHelp 7, a major upgrade to Adobe’s help system and knowledge base authoring tool, as well as Adobe FrameMaker 8, Adobe Captivate 3, and Adobe Acrobat 3D Version 8 software. Product and workflow integration and support for rich media formats–including Adobe Flash Player compatible video, SWF, MP3 and AVI files as well as industry standards, such as Adobe PDF, XML, and Darwin Information Typing Architecture–empower authors to deliver compelling information, save time and reduce discrepancies in content.

As if getting laid off weren’t dehumanizing enough, 10 percent of U.S. employees say that their company has used email to fire or lay off employees.

In the workplace equivalent of getting dumped over the phone, 17 percent said their bosses had used email to avoid difficult face-to-face interactions.

These were the findings of a survey of 752 workers conducted by Harris Interactive for the Marlin Company, a North Haven, Conn., employee communications company.

A new webinar hosted by Objectivity will examine how businesses can use the power of Grid computing to drive competitive advantage. The webinar, Unleashing the Power of Grid, will focus on the challenges faced by organizations using constrained technology to manage ever-increasing amounts of complex information. Presenters will discuss how Grid’s distributed architecture and scalability can resolve these challenges.

When it comes to planning and implementing malicious online attacks, Symantec says, Internet criminals are increasingly adopting a professional, business-like attitude. In particular, the software company noted that an underground economy is developing around the latest sophisticated tools, strategies, and methods for launching an ever-widening array of online scams.

We rely so heavily on email to communicate that it’s only a matter of time before most of us goof. The potential for unintended consequences is almost infinite.

So we send the wrong message to the wrong person, send to a boss an unpolished email instead of saving it, or hit "reply all" instead of "reply." How do you fix it? Lisa Benenson, editor-in-chief of Hallmark Magazine, says there are a couple of ironclad rules. What you should do depends on the scenario. [Ed. note: And FYI… that little "so-and-so would like to retract the previous email" doesn’t cut the mustard. Own up to what you did.]]

Take $100 off your registration by securing your spot at THE VIEW’s Lotus Notes and Domino 8 Upgrade Seminar before the deadlines.

Don’t leave the most important Notes Domino upgrade in years to chance. Learn first-hand from three of the world’s most experienced administration experts, Rob Axelrod, Andy Pedisich, and Chris Miller, only at THE VIEW’s Lotus Notes and Domino 8 Upgrade Seminar.

You’ll delve into 12 in-depth sessions over 3 days to unveil the opportunities, risks, pitfalls, and gotchas associated with every aspect of the upgrade process. Come away with a comprehensive project plan to streamline your upgrade and ensure a fast and smooth implementation, from the first step to the last.

For one of the biggest healthcare data breaches in history, the lawsuits haven’t stopped yet. In December 2005, thieves broke into the parked van of an IT systems analyst for Providence Home Services, a Washington state health care company, stealing a computer bag with ten unencrypted tapes and disks holding information on what would turn out to be more than 365,000 hospice and home health care patients–everything from Social Security numbers and birth and death dates to diagnoses, prescriptions and insurance numbers. Data on doctors, including their Medicare and Medicaid and state license numbers, names, addresses and phone numbers were also missing.

Now, in a lawsuit filed Aug. 28 in Multnomah County Circuit Court, near Portland, former Providence Home Services IT systems analyst Steven Shields is seeking $1 million in damages from his former employer for allegedly violating Oregon’s whistleblower law. Steven Shields, the employee who left the records inside the van, alleges in the lawsuit that he was fired for reporting the December 2005 incident to police. Whistleblower laws prevent companies from firing employees who make a good-faith report of wrongdoing. If employees are worried about losing their jobs, the law reasons, they may not do the right thing when a dangerous situation occurs.

Adobe’s ever-present Acrobat/PDF Reader software is prone to a nasty code execution vulnerability that could expose Windows users to PC takeover attacks.

Details of the flaw, which affects Windows XP SP2 with IE7 and Adobe Reader 8.1, 8.0 and 7 are being kept under wraps until Adobe releases a fix.

Learn about IBM Lotus Expeditor restricted workbench and discover how to prevent users from accessing applications and functions without specific permission from the administrator.