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UK EMEA Lab Notes - March 2011 - Ian Hyndman

2011-04-11T17:31:00.000-07:00

The Wild List
The Wild List was invented in 1993 when computer viruses started to become a problem. Back then viruses were simple things and were relatively easy to contain.

The WildList is a compilation of sample viruses that have been submitted by security professionals from around the world. It is published each month to a select group of subscribers. Contributors can be any security professional, but the sample must be submitted by at least two respected sources before it will be included in the list.

As you might imagine, not everyone has the capacity to harvest and identify malware, so the majority of samples on the lists naturally come from anti-virus vendors. And it is undoubtedly a good thing that these vendors participate; they see far more new threats than anyone else.

In the industry, the timing of submissions to the WildList is an issue that causes heated discussion because many people believe that samples may be withheld from the list until the vendor has a solution in place. By submitting samples only after a solution has been prepared, a competitive advantage is created for the vendor.

My point, however, relates specifically to malware testing, and the broad impact of this delay on testing practices.

Because the samples are typically about a month old when published, the validity of conducting testing using the WildList as a basis of real-time or real-world scenario testing is flawed. The WildList is effectively a month out of date (by comparison with the real-world) and two or more of the participating vendors may already have fixes in place for the viruses listed.

An article by Trend Micro states that new threats are now emerging at the rate of one every 1.5 seconds, and as such, testing methodologies should be looking at change to keep up.

I’m not suggesting that the WIldList should be done away with. Many highly respected companies use it, and contribute to it in good ways, and it’s an effective industry tool, but I believe that it would be better used as a regression tool rather than a front line tool – for testing purposes.

Quality over Quantity
One method widely used for malware testing is to select a 50,000 sample repository and run it against the product under test. These results may give some really good marketing outcomes – think; “This product detected 49,995 out of 50k samples.” But, the real question that should be asked is, of those 50,000 samples how many are target specific?

If I am running a test on a Windows 7 64bit OS, are there samples in my list that are designed specifically to circumvent flaws in Windows 2000? If so, what benefit did that test hold in my scenario? One hundred samples that are known to target Windows 7 would give greater credibility to the results than 40,000 random samples.

The Wild
As the Trend Micro article (plus many others) shows, the rate of change for threats is always increasing. If the rate of threat increase is as bad as one every 1.5 seconds the industry needs to look at how they can protect the consumer in the smallest possible time. The consumer needs to know that the anti-malware vendors are looking at providing protection that is right now, rather than threats found a month ago.

Refreshingly, there has been a shift in emphasis from some vendors. They have started to look at the threats’ behaviour instead of the signatures. This is a great step forward because a Trojan (for example) will always be a Trojan and display certain characteristics as it tries to execute on the system - even if the vendor doesn’t have that particular sample on file.

(I accept that this does raise questions about some of the latest worms being able to change themselves to hide and avoid detection, but for this discussion I’m generalising about the majority of threats, not selected exceptions).

Malware testing
Regardless of the method used, any in malware test can only be considered a snapshot in time. A product only passes a specific test at a specific point in time. By the time the test report is generated, hundreds of new threats have found their way in to the wild.

The best way of truly gauging how a product copes in the wild is to keep it running. Continuous testing over a sustained period will give a much better indication of the product’s capabilities. No one product is going to come out on top every day. Different products have different strengths and these will depend on the threats that are targeting that particular machine at that particular time.

This is just one option from a host of possible methodologies. No single test can be the definitive for all scenarios, but I do feel that with the new breed of threats on the horizon we need to move away from using the WildList as the only testing benchmark.

What should the new benchmark be? Answers on a postcard please…

Australian Lab Notes - March 2011 - Steve Turvey

2011-04-11T05:24:00.000-07:00

2012 the year of the CME !

I caught one of my kids watching the disaster movie 2012 the other day. The professional in me considers this film to be scientifically the shonkiest movie since “The Core”, but it’s an awfully entertaining flick thanks to its over-the-top special effects. The disastrously rendered scenario for 2012 was that the Sun suddenly started spewing out “mutated” neutrinos (stop sniggering) that subsequently heated the Earth’s mantle, triggering bedlam.

At about the same time I noticed a little news item - that the year 2012 is actually forecast to be a particularly nasty year for solar flares and Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs). CMEs have been in the news quite a bit lately, but attract little interest from most of us. No doubt they are closely followed by the inevitable doomsdayers warning,” the end is nigh”. So what’s the truth? Is there any risk?

Actually yes! While suggesting CMEs will return us to the Iron Age may be a bit of an overstatement, it turns out that big CME’s are indeed the bane of modern technology.

A CME is, in effect, a large storm in space. This storm comprises radiation and fast-moving, charged particles that can disrupt the earth’s magnetosphere, which is effectively our protective force field against nasties such as cosmic radiation (of which a colourful side effect is the Aurora or Northern/Southern Lights caused by radiation crashing into the upper atmosphere).

Some of you might recall that in 1989, a large chunk of Canada was plunged into darkness when a strong, but by no means the largest that Earth has experienced, CME struck. This instantly overloaded Canada’s power grid, burning out transformers all over the place. What is perhaps less well known is that back in 1859, a much larger a CME than Canada’s, seriously interfered with the newly invented telegraph, shorting it out and starting many fires. That CME was so powerful that the Northern Lights (usually only seen in Canada and northern USA) were visible as far south as Cuba.

Had the 1859 event occurred today, it would have found more than a basic telegraph network to wreak havoc upon.

To put this in perspective, most electronic equipment is (hopefully) designed to withstand a typical or average CME (based on the last 100 years or so). However, the 1859 event was much larger than anything we’ve experienced in the last 100 years. And there are geological records that suggest the 1859 event is not a one off. Equivalent or larger events have occurred at quite regular intervals in the past.

So if we are hit by a large CME, what should we expect other than a pretty light show in the sky over Brisbane?

Assuming the CME doesn’t wipe out GPS satellites entirely, the old joke about your GPS guiding your car into a lake is highly likely. For quite a few days the signals from satellites will be incorrect and positioning on your GPS will be very inaccurate. Of course, if the event is powerful enough, your car’s own GPS unit could be fried too, along with your car’s engine-computer and any other electronic gizmos on board. You probably wouldn’t be driving anywhere. So add to that list, cell phones - forget them, landlines - ditto, TV - probably fried as well.

A CME, if it’s large enough, can punch right through our magnetosphere and will fry any electronics on the ground, not just the satellites outside our atmosphere. A large CME can also seriously deplete the Ozone layer. In extreme cases the solar wind, which is no longer impeded by our magnet field (a tangled mess until it reforms) can strip away part of the atmosphere.

There are probably a few of you thinking this could be a good thing, back to the good old days reading a book. But I think you would be in for a shock. With no electricity you no longer have your washing machine, so boiling water over a wood fire and scrubbing your smalls by hand is something you’d quickly grow to loath. No microwave, no electric kettle, no fridge and no electric cookers - the list of life’s true essentials goes on. It would potentially take quite some time to get the power grid up again because no-one has large stocks of transformers sitting around for this scenario.

Interestingly, our sun is one of the most well behaved stars observed by astronomers. Other stars in the same class as our sun have been observer to produce CME events millions of times more powerful than our gentle star. CMEs of this magnitude would mean extinction events, forget cell phones, it’s us that would be fried.

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2011-04-08T03:23:00.000-07:00

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UK EMEA Lab Notes - January 2011 - Ian Hyndman

2011-03-20T15:41:00.000-07:00

The pitfalls of social networking

Social networking sites are big at the moment. Almost everyone I know has at least one account - whether it’s Facebook, MySpace, Twitter or any of the multitude of other options. Social Networking sites are a fantastic idea and offer something to all types of users.

This new craze has allowed old friends who live on different sides of the world to get back in touch. Friends who live next door are, of course, even using them to chat instead of using the phone (or getting off the settee to visit).

While these sites have been provided by reputable companies who are doing all they can to ensure online safety, there are still dangers that everyone should be aware of when using social networking sites.

A vast number of social site users are more than happy to enter all their information into the ‘about you’ information fields on these sites. “I had to log in - it’s safe isn’t it?” Well, the new friend you made using that chat application last night can now see everything about you - name, address, date of birth, next of kin, etc. Incidentally, this is all the information needed to open a bank account; do other people really need to know all this about you?

A big problem that appeared a couple of years ago was that people were putting all this personal information on their profiles, then broadcasting upcoming family holidays through their status updates and were returning home to find they’d been burgled.
Identity theft is not the only pitfall. Malware has been specifically designed to exploit social networking sites. How many times have you had an email from your friends’ social network account asking if it really is you in the office party video?

Or perhaps a video link tells you that you require a Flash upgrade, but instead of installing any upgrade it installs the Koobface worm. The fun part about the Koobface worm is that it sends messages to all your contacts (making you very popular) as it tries to infect their systems as well.

It is not only individuals that can fall prey to the pitfalls of social networking, businesses have seen the problems too.

As people become more obsessed with social networking sites, gaming with their friends on Mafia Wars or Zombie applications, businesses have started to feel the strain. Employee productivity plummeted and the increased usage often strangled corporate bandwidth. Most companies have now banned these sites.

Social networking sites are not bad for companies per-se, they can be used as a great promotion and engagement tool.

Social networks have also caused their share of curly management issues; such as employees ringing in sick, and then update their Facebook status claiming to have the mother of all hangovers. Awkward if you’ve forgotten you added your boss as a friend.

All in all, social networking is a good thing – a great thing. It has opened up the internet and communication in a whole new way. The thing to remember is to always be mindful of what information you put out there for the world to see. While most people are mostly nice, there are others that will have ulterior motives and the internet offers enormous reach for those that are hunting.

Australian Lab Notes - February 2011 - Steve Turvey

2011-03-20T15:37:00.000-07:00

Grumpy old Men and the “Good old days”

I’m sure it’s a law of nature that the older generation always laments the good old days. I’m sure we inevitably view the up-and-coming younger generations to be in some way inferior and spoilt when compared to ourselves.

Monty Python summed it up perfectly in their Four Yorkshiremen comedy sketch when, explaining how they once had it tough, one man “lived for three months in a paper bag in a septic tank,” you can see the full transcript.

In some ways, sadly, I have to agree - but, and it’s a big BUT, the blame lies squarely at our own feet!

I look around at kids today, especially those in early primary school with mobile phones - in 99 percent of these cases I’ll argue it’s a load of tosh that these kids have a phone for their “own security”. These children have phones because somewhere along the line, one kid that really needed brought one to school, and it quickly became a “must have” status symbol with the other kids.

One of my own kids - at the grand old age of 8 was complaining that everyone else had one. He was called “lame” and other less kind words because he didn’t have one yet.

The list goes on, of course. If you don’t have a PS3 or Wii, you’re lame. If you have Target-brand runners rather than Nikes, you’re lame. If you don’t have customised handle bars on your scooter and some sort of branded hat, you’re lame as well.

I constantly come back to the fact that these kids would have no impetus, and would not even ask for any of this stuff, if no parents bought their kids this stuff.

And the problems that go with this new technology driven stuff has become a lot more complicated. Bullying is no longer just physical bullying, but now it’s via TXT, Twitter and Facebook. It goes outside the school yard now and reaches right into the home, 24 hours a day. It’s well documented how much teenagers struggle to manage their digital persona, let alone an 8 or 10 year old who is far more emotionally immature.

I’m concerned that in a bizarre way, we are actually dumbing down our kids. Sure they will be wizards with computers and electronic gizmos, but I’m suspicious they might not have an opportunity to develop simple patience and imagination. How often have you heard a kid say “I’m bored”, and your suggestion that they read a book or go outside to play is met with “you’ve got to be kidding”.

I know how this sounds, but I’m adamant that reading a book or playing outside with imaginary space aliens does in fact fire up and develop a child’s imagination, creativity and flexibility. It’s something I feel is lacking in many children. A great example is the average car trip made without an iPod or a DVD player. So many kids today are bored out of their brains. What happened to the skill of just looking out the window and imagining?

Personally, I make an effort to spend time with my kids and try to manage the time they spend in front of the TV, PC, Wii and other gadgets. Thankfully, it has now reached the point where they can self-regulate and choose to play outside on their own. They also now read and can happily sit in a car on a long trip, enjoying the scenery and their own musings.

I know this all sounds like a case of “when I was young”, but the point is that amongst the vast benefits of technology are many less obvious drawbacks. When the impact of technology is social, and when it affects our children during such formative years, the cause for care and careful parenting just has to be greater.

Australian Lab Notes - January 2011 - Steve Turvey

2011-03-20T15:35:00.000-07:00

As I await the paperless office, a prediction that was made decades ago, my desk remains stacked high with paper documents. Another similar prediction also rings in my mind - print is dead. It’s not, but the evolution of consumer computing from devices such as the iPad and Kindle has made inarguable steps towards this end.

Now I love reading, and I do have a respectable library at home. But it is finite, it is full to overflowing and certainly has no Tardis-esque capability. I won’t be able to fit any more books on its shelves, so I’ve joined the movement and purchased the latest Kindle.

I love reading a physical book. If its good I will re-read it several times over the years, but the Kindle is smaller, lighter and can hold up to 3500 books. That’s quite an impressive library right there in the palm of your hand.

I’ve also been playing around with an iPad (more on that later) but it is the size, weight and display that favours the Kindle. The display is really the clincher; the electronic ink display is wonderful and, quite frankly, it does look like a printed page. My only criticism, and it’s a small one, is that the background is not as white as paper, so contrast is not as good. Then again, many of my older novels are yellowing so much that they are far worse than the Kindle’s display – perhaps it’s just a preference.

In bright light the Kindle’s display is perfectly readable, providing you don’t hold the screen so as to actually reflect the light. iPads are great indoors but in strong light or outdoors, its readability is quite poor. Of course, the iPad is much more than a simple book reader.

While the Kindle might save trees, the iPad has the potential to save forests given its enormous potential.

Both the Kindle and iPad can be used pretty much anywhere, the Kindle in particular, has great battery life (you could take it on a camping holiday for a couple of weeks and not need to charge it). If it’s a book, PDF or other document, the Kindle has you covered and, I would argue, it is just as easy to use as a sheet of paper. The iPad, while not as simple and convenient as the Kindle, covers more bases. The iPad gives you the majority of PC and Internet resources in an eminently usable form factor.

Why do we really print documents when we are simply going to read them? Probably because paper is always available, always reliable, light, and can be taken anywhere. Certainly there are still many reasons to print, but the Kindle and iPad are chipping away at them.

I have found, of late, that I’m constantly using the iPad - what’s on TV next? Look it up on the iPad. Need to read a proposal document? Straight to the iPad (no need to print). Wondering where Olympic Dam is? Forget the atlas, the iPad is faster and not only tells you where in SA you would find Olympic Dam, but all the background detail and how to get there.

With the increasing usefulness of portable devices such the iPad and Kindle, maybe some of our forests will get a stay of execution, but I have no doubt that as sales of these devices grow, another part of our environment will be impacted.

UK EMEA Lab Notes - February 2011 - Ian Hyndman

2011-03-20T15:23:00.000-07:00

PCI Compliance In The UK

Hands up any who still uses cash for most of their purchases? Hmm, very few.

Nowadays the majority of people pay for everything by debit or credit card. Paying by card is so easy that you can walk in to a corner shop, pick up a couple of chocolate bars and use your card. The ability to walk around without having to worry about cash or change is a great feeling. As anyone will testify, when you don’t need a cash machine they’re everywhere, but when you do need a cash machine…

With all this new found freedom and everybody willing to swipe my card, are my details safe?

The banks and card providers have been asking the same question and, as a result, have come up with PCI Compliance. PCI stands for Payment Card Industry, and every single business that takes payment by card will have to become compliant. That’s right, not just the Amazons and PayPals, but your local take away and corner shop as well. Everyone will have to be compliant.

Why?

The banks and card providers are fully aware of problems such as customer’s card details being sold or stolen. For this key reason (and many others) PCI regulations have been brought in to ensure that any company holding card data has proven - through audits - that the data they hold is secure. As it currently stands, we consumers don’t know if a company has a secure server behind a firewall or whether the data is simply held on the store owner’s home computer - with a weak password. The banks and card providers are hoping that these measures will mean consumers have the confidence to use their cards. This is a problem that these organisations are taking very seriously. If consumers don’t have faith in using their cards safely, they just won’t use them.

When?

The original deadline set for all businesses to become compliant in the UK was September 30th 2010. The aim was to ensure Level 1 businesses were compliant first, and then all other level businesses meet compliance thereafter.

A level 1 business refers to Amazon-type companies with over 6 million transactions annually. At the other end of the scale are level 4 businesses, local shop less than 20,000 transactions annually.

In September 2010, Tripwire published a white paper that revealed the readiness of UK businesses for compliance. Below are the key findings from that report.

KEY FINDINGS

• Only 12% of United Kingdom (UK) organisations processing credit and debit cardholder data are currently certified as being PCI compliant.

• 58% of Level 1 merchants have been audited and certified as compliant. This falls to 6%, 8% and 4% for Level 2, 3 and 4 organisations.

• Over half (57%) of retail organisations admit to not fully understanding the requirements of the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS).

• Brand awareness and fear of reputation damage is a significant driver for achieving PCI compliance.

• Over three quarters (77%) of organisations have had no difficulty in securing funding and resources to ensure PCI DSS requirements are met.

• 88% of organisations have senior management on the PCI DSS team or working group — a figure that is 100% for Level 1 organizations.

Whilst currently, there is a short fall in compliant businesses, the vast majority of these see PCI compliance as an improvement and have gained the necessary funding to implement it. They have seen what can happen to large corporations such as RBS WorldPay and TJX who both lost vast amounts of card data through breaches, and understand how PCI compliance can improve their security.
This can only be good news for us as consumers as we need to trust our data is being stored securely.

Australian Lab Notes - December 2010 - Steve Turvey

2011-03-20T14:49:00.000-07:00

Ever since watching the children’s cartoon, The Jetsons as a child, I have always wanted a video phone. (Truth be told, I have always wanted my own robot and flying car that folded into a suitcase too.) We have been living and working with video phones for quite a while now in the form of video conferencing units and, of course, 3G video capable mobile phone.

As much as spin doctors at Apple Inc. would like us to believe otherwise, we have had the option of video calls on our mobile phones way before the iPhone 4. While the iPhone video call is undoubtedly better quality than a 3G video call, the iPhone actually cheats and places the call over any available local wireless access point and the internet. Essentially the iPhone is a hand held video conferencing unit.

We were recently testing dedicated video conferencing units at the TestLab. The reason we spend large sums of money on such technology is that there are sound business reasons for doing so. We would not go to the great trouble of face to face meetings if there was not such value in the relationship, in the expression and in the nuances that face to face conversations convey.

There is simply no way most of us would negotiate a pay rise, undertake a job interview or purchase a new house over the phone. Why? Simple because we are at a great disadvantage if we cannot be there to read the relationship we carry out with the other party.

Coincidentally, while musing over such drivers of video phone calls, there was quite a stir in the media regarding the wearing of religious garments in public, in particular the Burqa. The French were discussing the possibility of banning the garment and a similar debate emerged Australia concerning the moral, religious and security issues of the veil. I was fascinated by the arguments for and against the Burqa. They range, of course, across religious, cultural, sexual and individual grounds, but the one most relevant to this particular discussion was about its impact on a security-minded world. The argument follows that if you have to remove a motor cycle helmet in the bank or airport (it is a form of disguise concealing the identity) the Burqa, religious ramifications aside, also plainly hides the wearer’s identity in much the same way.

It’s not my place to decide on what is appropriate. But it does amuse me somewhat that my dream of a The Jetsons-esque science fiction future, one that is becoming a fantastic reality through high quality video conferencing technology, is still impacted by thousand-year old culture and tradition. Even so, I’m confident that video communication with, or without a Burqa, is still a science fiction milestone.

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2011-01-31T23:28:00.000-08:00

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UK EMEA Lab Notes - December 2010 - Ian Hyndman

2011-01-31T23:24:00.000-08:00

Even More Reason to Get Protection

Most modern day cyber attacks tend to target organisations and governments with the explicit purpose of stealing information and causing disruption. As a consequence, governments have had to reassess their stance on cyber crime, and many are attempting to tackle the problem directly.

In the latest budget, the UK government announced an estimated £500 million will be made available to help fight the war on cyber crime. This is a substantial allocation, suggesting that cyber crime is a bigger problem than the average person might be aware of. It is refreshing to see that the threat is being taken seriously.

Recently, Symantec and Websense (among many others) have announced they expect an increase in attacks in during 2011. This has been backed up with the UK’s intelligence centre (CESG) saying that it has seen a massive rise in the number of attempts made to infiltrate UK government and industrial targets over the past year.

The types of attacks occurring are very advanced, with viruses/worms such as Zeus, Aurora and Stuxnet deliberately targeted at infiltrating businesses and key infrastructure.

These malware are specifically designed to hide from detection devices and software, making them significantly harder to manage. They also mutate into different strains, allowing them to survive far longer in the wild. The Stuxnet worm is said to be one of the most advanced pieces of malware seen to date. Iit is a sophisticated worm that has the ability to actually change its code and hide these changes afterwards. Currently, this type of technology infects thousands of computers worldwide. It is the sort of cyber-attacks seen in sci-fi films through the 80’s and 90’s, they really may be becoming a reality.

Last month (November 2010) the UK Intellectual Property Office was hit by a cyber attack which took down its website and services for several days. It was almost certainly a targeted attack due to the ferocity and damage it caused. And this is but one of the many attacks that take place worldwide on a daily basis.

Most of the current targets are generally big business and government - organisations that hold information worth a lot of money. But, as this kind of malicious technology spread, my fear is that it will begin to be used against any company holding useful data – big or small. Even a list of email addresses can be valuable to the right customer.

To combat such attacks, all businesses have to enforce strict security policies. That isn’t to say they need to have expensive equipment, but they do need to ensure that all employees are being vigilant. A good security policy should contain instructions on acceptable internet use along with guidance on the correct use of memory sticks and personal equipment brought in to the work place. Nothing should be plugged in to a PC that hasn’t been virus checked.

One of the most important defences against attack is to ensure that all PCs, workstations and servers are fully patched with the latest security updates (operating system and anti-malware solutions). Usually, it is vulnerabilities in operating systems and security that most attackers look to exploit.

Even though malware is becoming more advanced, the best ways to combat it continues to be much the same. It is probably true that the Stuxnet worm outbreak was cause by unchecked laptops and memory sticks being used on the corporate network.

If a user is vigilant (scan all files before opening, don’t open email attachments from unknown senders, and keep your anti-malware solution up to date) you are about as safe as you can be whilst still being connected to the internet.

Just like anything in the world of IT, malware is evolving. It is always up to users to ensure they take the precautions necessary to safe guard themselves until anti-malware vendors catch up with what’s being found in the wild.

Australian Lab Notes - November 2010 - Steve Turvey

2011-01-31T23:19:00.000-08:00

In my last Lab Notes we discussed testing of 50-ton cranes and electric buses. This time I’m reporting on another batch of testing that falls beyond traditional IT categories - car stereos.

In this month’s example, our customer, a large car accessory store, was investigating opportunities to purchase a new line of car stereos from China to rebrand and sell through their local stores. While many of the respected industry brand names already hale from Chinese production lines, the units on this particular shortlist were completely unknown in the West.

The questions the Lab was tasked to solve were simply: “Is the audio quality up to scratch?” Are these units going to be reliable on Australian roads”?

Testing of the audio quality is not complicated, although the units required DVD video, SD cards, USB thumb drives and MP3 CD media options to be tested.

In the past, we’ve evaluated players that are capable of playing MP3s from various media, but at times the navigation ranged from poor to “the unit completely ignores any music that is not sitting in the root of the device or disc”. Happily all these stereos were very capable, both in terms of audio quality and the ability to correctly read different media formats.

Testing for reliability, including how these devices behave on rough roads, including corrugated, outback dirt roads was not such a simple task. We considered purchasing an off–the-shelf vibration table - but what fun is that? We also really preferred to test vibrations in all three axes to truly simulate a car jolting around - I had some truly terrible stretches of road in mind.

Fearlessly, or perhaps recklessly, we therefore embarked on constructing our own test custom vibration test rig. This rig consisted of several large concrete blocks (foundations) a sub-woofer amplifier, a Jaycar Response Power Bass Rocker (PBR) and other ancillary bits and pieces. If you’re not familiar with the PBR, it’s an interesting device which began as an early, but unsuccessful, gaming accessory. The PBR was originally an integral part of a shock vest, worn when playing a video game. Each contact or shot that hit a player triggers a thump in the chest from the vest.

In effect, the PBR is a heavy duty speaker, but instead of the beefy voice coil being connected to a paper cone to produce sound, it is instead connected to a large slug of metal that produces substantial vibrations as it is driven back and forth.

Jaycar, the distributors of the technology, suggest you attach a couple of the units to the underside of your lounge chair, hook them up to your cinema sound system so that any sound produced by your sub-woofer is also translated as a vibration through your chair.

In our custom made, fully controllable, measurable, triple-axis vibration rig, we mounted the car stereos into a cradle connected directly to the PBR. The PBR was hooked up to a 150W sub-woofer amplifier which, in turn, was linked to a programmable audio frequency generator. This enabled us to simulate a vast range of vibration frequencies.

I have to admit we thought the rig would destroy the car stereos, particularly when playing back CDs. To our amazement, all-but-one of the units performed perfectly - without a single glitch or stutter. Only one unit experience any problems at all, skipping just three times. The vibrations it was managing were the most violent we could produce.

We shook the living daylights out of those stereos. It is, when you think about it, a touch ironic - we shook them all night long.

Australian Lab Notes - August 2010 - Steve Turvey

2011-01-31T23:13:00.000-08:00

If I was asked when I first began the Lab way back in 1989 what we do, my answer would have been very simple, I could have rattled off an explanation of what we do and test in well under 30 seconds. We tested PC’s, portable PC’s (some as big as sewing machines and a lot heavier), servers, laser printers (expensive and as yet no inkjet printers) and various peripherals such as hard drives and 2400 baud modems.

It was easy to manage a Lab and a small team of techies back in those days but more than 21 years later is it anything but easy. Don’t get me wrong I’m certainly not complaining, the work is certainly far more interesting, it would have to be as I’m still here, oh and I also wanted to see the fledgling Lab “grow up”.

Even if we look under just the IT banner there is such a wide range of technology that we now test with the likes of Smartphones, Tablet PCs, MP3 players, VoIP phones, Video Conferencing, Broadband, 3D TV, Video Games, Blue Ray, Alarm Systems and the list goes on. Not only has our range of IT testing expanded it has been accompanied by an increase in the range of test categories here at the Lab.

To be fair some of the categories we have plucked out of the general buzz of IT so we can concentrate expertise and resources to these niches such as Security and Penetration testing, Software testing, Usability and Accessibility testing to name just three. However we have also headed into new territories with our Gaming, Wagering, Lotteries and Casino testing, arguably this has to some extent grown out of the IT sector but I have left the best for last.

Physical and materials testing, and boy does this category cover a lot of ground. We have built test rigs to measure the brittleness and drawing life of Crayons, a Passport wear testing rig, Vibration rigs to test Alarm sensor and car radio susceptibility to vibration, we have tested 50 ton mobile cranes in China for a client in the Middle East but one of my favourites, I have to admit, is testing buses in China.

Not just any old bus of course, no diesel engines in these vehicles, instead an obviously grunty electric motor and a large bank of batteries. The aim is to determine if the eBus really does meet the needs of a typical diesel bus fleet and when you stop to think about it there is more to it than reaching acceptable speed and passenger loads.

With any electric vehicle there is the general concern – where do we charge it? Although this is a lot easier for a suburban bus company as their buses plie known routes and return back to base at the end of each day where a dedicated charger at the Depot can feed them over night.

But what about a tour bus? It can be called upon to go just about anywhere and you can be quite certain that at the end of each day it will probably be a long way from the Depot. So at the end of a Tour bus’s day it must at least be able to plug into a conventional electrical outlet and charge fully in eight hours or less. A plainly impossible task as any back of a dinner napkin quick calc shows that on a 15Amp feed it would take around 6 full days to charge. So I guess a tour bus role is out of the question until dedicated charging stations are available country wide – a long way off.

You might think the role as a suburban route bus is right up the alley of an eBus, at least the bus returns to the Depot for the high powered charger. But did you realise that many route buses are out for 19 to 20 hours a day before they return to the Depot, it’s a big ask for a battery powered bus to last this long on a charge and then it may only have 4 hours to recharge at the depot.

A Tender Farewell to 2010

2011-01-08T20:51:00.000-08:00

Welcome to 2011, and it’s already looking frenetic. Enex TestLab finished 2010 with a flurry of tenders and 2011 has started much the same. Governments and Commercials are ramping up contracts and Enex TestLab is right in the thick of them all. “The end of the year has been all about tenders, tenders and more tenders,” says Matt Tett, Director, Enex TestLab. Of particular note has been a contract signed between Enex TestLab and the Department from Broadband, Communcations and the Digital Economy (DBCDE) establishing a standing agreement for Enex TestLab to provide technical advice and support to the department. This is a critical alignment, Enex TestLab’s vast technical experience and independent perspective will provide continued valuable support for the department’s decision making process.

2011 also welcomes the prospect of the first major project for Enex TestLab to be undertaken with its China-based affiliate. Digital broadcasting is an exciting emerging area for us to be working in – more news will follow.

In a string of announcements, we are also proud to confirm our affiliation in Australia with well known vendors Compuware and MicroFocus. In the UK, Enex TestLab and MicroFocus already has a strong ongoing relationship. In future we expect to extend these agreements into other regions such as China.

Enex TestLab Gaming, Wagering, Lotteries and Casino Testing Division has been a major source of activity through 2010. We have recently completed our ISO 17025 gaming accreditation, meaning that Enex TestLab can now be an Accredited Test Facility (ATF) for the UK Gambling Commission, adding this jurisdiction to an already impressive list of licences held by Enex TestLab including all of Australia, New Zealand and Macau. Enex TestLab had a significant presence at the AGE (Australian Gaming Expo) held in Sydney in Q4 2010, and marks our aggressive growth in this market. Enex TestLab is bringing a welcome increase in choice, value and independence to this industry. You will see an ongoing ramping up of our presence and activity in this sector for 2011.

As we mentioned briefly last newsletter Matthew Hackling has joined Enex TestLab as General Manager of our Australian Security testing division. Matt is the first of what will be a number of management announcements for Enex TestLab. We look forward to revealing a number of new additions in 2011. With the expansion of our physical and materials testing division, and our ever growing work in media and communications, new additions to these will see Enex TestLab’s local senior headcount rise significantly.

Finally, a new year also marks the return of the Internet Industry Associations (IIA) annual Gala dinner. Enex TestLab is once again sponsoring the entertainment for the event and we look forward to seeing our clients and friends there again in February.

2010-10-18T23:48:00.000-07:00

Telling the Enex TestLab Value Story

Enex TestLab has always been prepared to walk the walk. We’re comfortable letting the value we deliver to customers, be the face of our business.

Nevertheless, Enex TestLab is a rapidly growing business – one of the fastest in Victoria and Australia. We’ve been growing year on year for some time now and reflecting this, as well as the increasing complexity and capacity of our services, Enex TestLab is refining its marketing and communications products. We’re working to ensure clear and relevant information is available to our customers, highlighting the value of Enex TestLab’s diverse portfolio of testing services and products.

In addition to a suite of engagement products, revised global websites will offer an increasing level of insight into our work, our value proposition and more detail about the innovative ways we’ve worked with customers. Enex TestLab delivers independent testing into so many different and exciting technologies and industry sectors that our website is becoming a major channel for customers to understand our business.

Our work for Q3 2010 certainly reflects a growing level of innovation and the application of testing by customers. We’ve recently completed an interesting project for an importer of car audio units. The results enabled the retailer to select the best value product to add to its range with confidence that the product had sufficient quality to add their own branding and reputation to; it would impact positively on its bottom line, and have confidence in the warranty and support they would offer.

Interestingly, during testing of the car audio devices, Enex TestLab was pleased to discover that the units achieved an impressive standard of audio quality and shock protection. You’ll hear them on streets around the country soon.

Our work for a number of government departments procurement continues, we’ve been busy evaluating desktops, notebooks, monitors, projectors and even smart tables and interactive whiteboards to ensure that product value is maximised. We’ve also completed WLAN load and performance testing for a government agency.

The AGE (Australian Gaming Expo) was held in Sydney during August. Enex TestLab hosted an exhibit, introducing a number of new clients to Enex TestLab’s range of services dedicated to the gaming and wagering sector. We’re an ATF in quite a number of global gaming jurisdictions seeing a lot of growth in our business in this sector.

As we continue to build our headcount, Enex TestLab is pleased to announce Matthew Hackling as our new Divisional Head of Security Testing in Australia. Matthew brings a wealth of security experience and will be a key part of our security market expansion.

The value story Enex TestLab has to tell has never been better, but the number of ways we need to tell it just keeps growing. With our revised website and marketing collateral, this becomes a far more integrated and well coordinated proposition. You’ll see how our activities relate right across our portfolio of services and how innovative companies across the globe are using Enex TestLab’s products and services in unique ways to reduce risk and make money.

Bigger is Better, Digital TV, Gaming, and an Electric Bus

2010-08-13T05:28:00.000-07:00

Bigger is Better: In recent newsletters Enex TestLab has made announcements about its growth; and this quarter is no different. We’re getting bigger and we’re getting better. Enex has been aggressively growing its headcount and expanding into new territories for over four years now. On the back of expansion in the UK and China, we’re delighted to be formalising our operations in Hong Kong. In June, Enex registered its business and offices in Fo Tan, and this is already providing useful support to operations throughout the region, including Macau and southern mainland China.

In Europe, Enex UK operations have finished an impressive year. Software testing and security testing were delivered for some high profile clients. The UK is a mature market in terms of testing services and many organisations engage Enex TestLab for highly strategic purposes - seeking assurance and value from vast investments in their applications and systems. As a result, we’ve been actively building out our operations in the UK to service this market. We have also conducted testing in several European countries this past quarter.

In Australia, for many of the same reasons as in the UK, we’ve continued to take on more staff, with particular focus on providing these highly integrated services. Many of our customers (for example) are seeking independent testing that evaluates their software applications and security infrastructure in a more seamless and holistic way. Industries such as financial services are quite enthusiastic about this kind of service. The market appetite for more sophisticated and cross category testing has enabled us to create a key sales role around this, in both Sydney and Melbourne.

Only Enex TestLab can deliver to this level of sophistication. Due to our experience, size and diversity we’re able to provide a far more integrated and cross-organisational evaluation. It’s a key part of Enex’s go-to-market offering, and a great competitive differentiator for our business - complete, professional, supported and managed testing services.

Digital TV: Enex has taken a proactive role in the growth of digital television services across Australia. In the past we’ve tested many TVs and digital tuners, and have written numerous media articles and reviews on the products available. It seems logical then that we support the Department of Broadband Communications and the Digital Economy by sitting on the supplier evaluation panel for digital TV products. Through this Enex TestLab provides independent assessments for the certification of products and services introduced to the Australian market. It will help regulate the industry and provide consumers with constancy and assurance when purchasing their digital TV products.

Gaming: Enex Gaming, Wagering, Lotteries and Casinos Testing division has had a huge year already. We’ve had an active presence in many of the global gaming hot spots, and as part of our commitment to the gaming industry Enex TestLab will host a stand at the Australasian Gaming Expo in August. This is a key event on the international gaming industry calendar, attracting the world’s leading machine and gaming system vendors.

The Enex TestLab stand will not only provide a detailed insight into our gaming systems testing, certification and security services, but also provide a welcome opportunity to showcase our seven other testing divisions and enjoy the razzle-dazzle of the more glamorous side of technology.

Electric Bus: The sheer diversity of how Enex TestLab services are being used is as eye opening to us, as it is to anyone else. It serves as a reminder that extra value can be found anywhere, if you are prepared to evaluate the product carefully. Last year it was cranes, millions of dollars worth, and Enex was able to save our client a bundle as part of the process.

This quarter Enex is testing and evaluating electric buses in China. You’d be impressed to know what can be discovered about a bus when you put some solid testing behind the purchasing decision. We expect to save our client another bundle on this occasion as well. We can only imagine what product we’ll strike next.

With processors, speed cameras, car stereos, and more broadband testing all scheduled for the next few months, the diversity of Enex TestLab services looks likely to continue. Our focus, as always, remains as clear as ever –independence, rigor, and a high-quality scientific process.

Enex Turns 21: Crayons, Cranes and The Big Kahuna

2010-04-02T19:39:00.000-07:00

A significant milestone was achieved in January, the TestLab turned 21! We think this is an impressive feat in such a cut-throat sector; we’ve outlasted some big names and helped some even bigger ones stay competitive. For over 21 years, Enex TestLab has independently and scientifically sifted through the hype, technicality, broken promises and complexity of the global ICT industry. Today, Enex is renowned for speaking the truth about technology – enabling our customers to make informed decisions, save money and deliver success.

Our founding member, Steve Turvey, is still with us as lab manager. For 21 years he’s been the cornerstone of the organisation (some say mascot as well). Back when Steve set up the lab it was the commercial testing arm of RMIT University, and there were just four staff. Today we have operations globally, cover 92 industry sectors with 8 separate specialist testing divisions. Enex has become one of the fastest growing businesses in Australia.

Over the years we have tested just about every conceivable technology and system, but it has been the more unconventional tests are the most memorable. For example;

· One of our Middle Eastern clients wished to purchase a number of 50 tonne cranes from a vendor in China. Enex was contracted to undertake testing to ensure they were in acceptable condition. Amazingly, Enex discovered that in most cases, the cranes were copies!

· Despite our suspicions that in the real world crayons would be eaten well before they ran out, one European manufacturer wanted to know absolutely, which of its colours would wear out first. So now it’s official, yellow is the most durable colour – but there is no accounting for taste.

· Recently, Enex tested a range of portable promotional bars. One of the criteria was to test its support for a 100kg person. Yep, a bar tested for dancing!

· In addition to testing their built-in security features, Enex batch tested passports for wear and tear. The test ran for over 12 months (exceeding 1 million page turns).

Considering all that’s happened so far, Enex is very excited about its next 21 years. And secretly, we’re all hoping we’ll get to test robots and jet packs sooner rather than later.

Back in the present, in addition to a huge birthday party, Q1 2010 was as busy as ever. Our eMetric products have been a major focus, with a number of broadband performance testing projects happening across metropolitan, regional and rural Australia. At the same time, Enex has been working closely with a group of network service providers and vendors to better develop the capabilities and functionality of the eMetric hardware device. We are also negotiating with a number of networking equipment vendors to embed eMetric code into their Customer Premises Equipment (CPE) enabling ubiquitous testing of broadband. The possibilities are looking very exciting.

Global expansion has also been a feature of the period. Enex is currently in the process of establishing Hong Kong operations in Fo Tan. This provides an ideal base to link with nearby geographies; Southern China, Macau, Singapore, and Southeast Asia. It will also support our existing operations in Shanghai.

European operations have had a great start to 2010. Increased local headcount will drive software testing for a number of large clients, as well as promoting broadband performance testing using eMetric.

Building on the last two years of gaining licences to operate as an Accredited Test Facility in key global jurisdictions. Enex has now been investing heavily in its domestic gaming, wagering, lotteries and casinos division human resources, with the core team now fully resourced. Enex is in a position to consolidate its place in the market, delivering experienced and cost effective services to this sector in a timely manner.

Enex media and communications is delighted to confirm the continuation of an 18 year relationship with CBS owned ZDNet (and its predecessors), and the consolidation of our 2009 relationship with Choice Magazine. A new publisher, IDG has also been added to our customer list. Our media business has come a long way over those 18 years. One of the most amusing anecdotes from our early years of publishing describes how Steve Turvey once announced the invention of the World Wide Worm in his monthly column. In fairness, that was many years ago – before the term Web had been coined.

Finally, and considering Enex has been celebrating, in February Enex TestLab sponsored the Internet Industry Associations (IIA) gala dinner entertainment, The Big Kahuna, whose members comprise Asia Pacific region executives from well known ICT enterprises such as Intel, Symantec, Verizon and Motorola. On this particular occasion, and perhaps for the best, Enex did not undertake any performance testing

The Internet Special: Media, Minister’s and Metrics.

2010-02-07T20:18:00.001-08:00

The Internet Special: Media, Minister’s and Metrics.

The Internet dominated Q4. Enex TestLab were right in the thick of it – testing as always.

In December Stephen Conroy, Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy announced that the Federal Government intends to pursue mandatory internet content filtering at the ISP level. The announcement quickly made headlines, not only in Australia, but across the UK and US – it seems considerable interest is taken in any Government exercising control over internet content.

Enex (in partnership with ISPs) conducted the content filtering technical trial for Department. Our wholly independent findings were considered in the Government’s assessment of feasibility for the program. Our report was detailed, scientific, and impartial. It provided a clear indication of the technical challenges and impacts such a policy would elicit.

Enex’s openly published results were subject to intense analysis and assessment by the world media – not to mention stakeholders, pundits, industry experts and analysts. Amid all of the controversy and the debate over the issue, Enex’s role, our report and results, our methodology, our transparency and our process were consistently recognised to be reliable and thorough. Whatever your views – Enex delivers facts! You can access the report at: http://www.dbcde.gov.au/.

The Internet Industry Association’s (IIA) Family Friendly Filter program continued on in the latter half of 09. Enex conducts all accreditation testing on behalf of the IIA. A good many Filters have now completed testing and amid all of the December Christmas parties, certificates were presented to successful filter vendors afloat on Sydney Harbour. For more information about getting your Filter accredited as Family Friendly, check our website.

December also was occasion for a new product (also highly relevant to the internet). For some time now Enex has been developing a tool known as eMetric – designed to measure and report on networking performance, and in particular broadband speeds. Through the latter half of 09, in partnership with the Department for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Enex has commenced an exciting pilot program to test a compact, hardware version of eMetric with 40 participating ISPs. This unit is the world’s first mass-producible, independent, broadband performance testing device, and it has been very positively received.

Enex is preparing to take eMetric further to market and has introduced the product to a number of organisations both locally and internationally. A number of major telecommunications companies in Korea, Japan and the UK have already expressed interest in the possibilities the units offer. As a result, eMetric is likely to be implemented in some interesting ways over the coming period. Stay tuned for more.

In the UK, despite more gloomy economic conditions, Enex has continued to grow a steady base of customers - adding IT security accreditation testing for the UK Government and penetration testing for a local authority. Also of note was ZDNet.uk publishing a review of SME malware/security products, which was very well received and highlighted another of Enex’s products - eThreatz. More fine articles can be expected out of our UK offices in 2010.

During Q4 ‘09 Enex UK has also been successful in gaining not one but two ISO accreditations: 17020 and 9001. This brings Enex UK in line with its sister lab in Australia and we are pleased to have gained both in such a short time since establishing operations in the UK.

Q1 ’10 is the start of an exciting phase for UK operations. As part of our growth in the UK, we are bringing on board a new manager who compliments our business with a strong focus on software and testing.

2010 is already looking busy and as we move through Q1, building our gaming/wagering team and expanding our software testing division remains a focus. Also worth noting is that by Q2 our long established media and communications division may also be making new noises, but more on that next time.

Tweeting through Windows, eThreatz and a Family Web.

2009-09-30T07:26:00.000-07:00

Did you know Enex TestLab is tweeting? You can also stay up-to-date with Enex's operations and testing, including all of its products and services via Facebook. If you've already been following, you might have heard about Enex's work with Microsoft to perform compatibility testing for Windows7.

Enex TestLab Microsoft Windows7 Compatibility Testing and Microsoft Windows Logo Certification Packages are new cost saving services offer by Enex for managing application compatibility with Microsoft's upcoming Operating System - Windows7.

Significant changes made to Windows7 (particularly to the way third-party code is handled) mean there is no guarantee an application will be fully compatible, even if it installs successfully on the Windows7 Beta version.

Enex TestLab Microsoft Windows7 Compatibility Testing is a low-cost service that has attracted a lot of interest from businesses keen to keep costs down as they prepare for the new OS. The rapid turn-around test is proving to be a popular way for organisations to minimise the potential need for patches after release, as well as keeping developer resources focused.

Other customers are seizing the opportunity to use Enex to manage their product successfully through Microsoft Windows Logo certification. See microsoft.testlab.com.au

Enex publishing has continued to push out a steady flow of reading material this quarter with integrated security devices returning to focus. tinyurl.com/enexutm and the Cisco ISR891 router tinyurl.com/enexcisco Continue checking zdnet.com.au for regular Enex reviews.

This quarter Enex is also proud to release a new flagship product eThreatz. eThreatz is the world’s first fully automated malware testing service. Developed to be the most accurate, flexible and cost effective service available, eThreatz addresses the complete range of malware, including: spyware, worms, trojans, viruses, rootkits, adware, crimeware, and botnets.

Enex TestLab eThreatz malware testing is designed to be repeatable - automatically. This means that the same batch of malware can be used repeatedly in order to regressively test for a specific requirement. Or, (for example) Enex TestLab can run live, constantly updating tests in real-time to determine how effectively a product can defend against malware in the real world, at any given moment in time.

Using real-time, real-world, malware and testing conditions, eThreatz delivers the most accurate and most useful security testing in the world. It can be fully customised, and because it is automated, it is extremely cost effective. Reporting is also fully customisable, and is delivered – automatically. It’s amazing no-one’s done anything like this before! See ethreatz.com

Q3 2009 also saw increased activity with a number of tests conducted by Enex for the Internet Industry Association's (IIA) Family Friendly Content Filter Scheme.

Each year, accredited filters are put through rigorous compliance testing by Enex TestLab to provide a benchmarked assessment of each content filter’s capability, including its effectiveness in relation to the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) blacklisted sites.
Accreditation through Enex offers formal certification that an Internet content filter complies with the Australian Internet Industry Association (IIA) codes for regulating online content. See testlab.com.au/web/guest/iia

Lastly for Q3, Enex capitalised on its membership on the Victorian Government eServices Panel. Enex has a long history of work with the Victorian Government. As a member of the panel, Enex can deliver testing, and performance and metrics consultancy services across the complete Government portfolio.

Ultimately, this means Enex will provide a really diverse range of services such as testing Government software development to minimise risk and contain costs; testing products during procurement evaluations; security testing; application performance testing; and even usability testing - ensuring applications or services are accessible to everyone who needs to use it. See testlab.com.au/web/guest/eservices

Lots more news to come in Q4 - or catch our musings and newsings as they happen with all the tweets, blogs and bleeps you could every wish for.

Introducing eThreatz

2009-08-31T05:57:00.000-07:00

eThreatz Automated Malware Testing

eThreatz, by Enex TestLab, is the world's first fully automated, independent, malware testing service.

Developed at Enex TestLab to be the most accurate, flexible and cost effective service available, eThreatz addresses the complete range of malware, including: spyware, worms, trojans, viruses, rootkits, adware, crimeware, and botnets.

Enex TestLab eThreatz automated malware testing services include;

> Stand alone (one-off) product testing
> Contracted monthly testing
> Contracted continuous testing of a product with real-time reporting
> Multiple product testing and comparison. (This can be either a one-off or on a continuous basis.)
> Full product life cycle continuous testing including zero-day.
> Bespoke testing

The benefits of using the Enex TestLab eThreatz automated malware testing services include;

> Highly cost effective, competitively priced
> Fast service
> Uses current malware threats (not material that is months out of date)
> Automated testing means it is reliable, cost effective, and repeatable
> Open methodologies
> Full and detailed reporting
> A unique service: not matched anywhere else in the world!

For more information contact malcolm.higgins@enextestlab.co.uk or visit http://www.enextestlab.co.uk/web/guest/56

Gaming, Enex and the Einstein Factor

2009-08-02T01:23:00.000-07:00

Quarter 2 2009 - Summary

In 1919, the Royal Astronomical Society (RAS) launched an expedition to observe a total solar eclipse in order to prove or disprove Einstein's theory of general relativity. Yes, even Einstein's theories needed independent testing.

This quarter, our biggest news is that following four years of dedication and effort, Enex is now an accredited and licensed test facility for gaming jurisdictions across all Australian States and Territories as well as New Zealand and Macau. This is a major coupe for Enex, and will support our growth locally as well as internationally.

Q2 2009 has seen Enex TestLab operating solidly out of its international offices. In Australia, Enex has been as busy as ever. The Federal Government’s controversial trial of ISP based internet content filters continues to run, with Enex providing technical consultation, test methodologies, as well as performing the testing and reporting services. Enex has been independently testing the participating providers chosen filters across a number of criteria including accuracy performance and cost. In a similar vein Enex TestLab also maintains a relationship with the Internet Industry Association (IIA) as its Accredited Test Facility (ATF) for the IIA Family Friendly Filter Scheme, testing all participating vendors products.

Enex media and publishing has also been productive this quarter. We have dusted off blade servers for a comparative review (available shortly at zdnet.com.au) as well as putting a range of workstations, virtualisation products and firewall security devices under the microscope.

China has also been a major mover for Enex globally this past quarter. The Enex TestLab (China) "TESTED" quality certification branding scheme has been established in the southern region (Guangdong province). Q2 2009 also saw the completion of negotiations to establish a facility in Hong Kong and a laboratory in Shenzhen. An MOU is being drafted and should be signed during Q3.

Enex is also performing an informal introductory and advisory role for Victorian businesses seeking to access China. In partnership with the Victorian Department for Innovation Industry and Regional Development (DIIRD) Enex helps to support Victorian businesses, providing introductions and assistance. Enex hopes to formalise this partnership during Q3 with the aim of delivering a Victorian Trade Mission to East Asia in October of this year (dubbed V-TEAM).

Lastly, Enex began trading from its UK TestLab on 1 May 2009. Located in the Technium Springboard building in Cwmbran, South Wales, the office began testing for a number of contracts with major corporations and government agencies, including: The National Archives, Messagelabs (Symantec), Becrypt Data and Mimecast. Enex is now a fully accredited test laboratory authorised for the UK Government CCT Mark scheme for claims testing and certification of security products under CESG's administration for Critical National Infrastructure and Government eSecurity. There has been a healthy interest in evaluations under this scheme.

In the coming quarter Enex UK will look towards additional accreditation under the UK CHECK Scheme for Security and Penetration testing. This will enable Enex to leverage its vast experience in IT Security and partner with HMG to perform evaluations.

Enex is still waiting for its chance to test Einstein's theory of general relativity. We have'nt yet been asked to write a methodology for something quite so groundbreaking, but we are often asked to test strange products. In the past we've done one-way encryption devices, crayons, international passports and construction cranes. And just like Einstein's theory, each of these products' credibility has been proven by independent scientific evaluation. Your business can benefit from the same rigor.

Testing Einstein !

2009-05-22T03:09:00.000-07:00

Celebrating a landmark experiment

http://tinyurl.com/qxm8bl14

"What was arguably the most important scientific experiment of the 20th Century, happened in a slave plantation on a remote African island."

"In 1919, the Royal Astronomical Society (RAS) launched an expedition to observe a total solar eclipse from Principe, to prove or disprove Einstein's theory of general relativity."

So even Einstein's theories needed independent testing.

While we have not yet been asked to write a methodology to test a claim as groundbreaking as the theory of general relativity we are often asked to test some strange products and concepts, from one-way encryption devices, to crayons, international passports and cranes.

The best projects we work on start with the query ; "this may sound like a strange request but do you test .... ?"

Matt Tett
Enex TestLab
http://www.enextestlab.com/

Court Ordered - Code Reviews

2009-05-18T20:56:00.000-07:00

Buggy breathalyzer code reflects importance of source review

http://tinyurl.com/raaklg

"Court-ordered source code reviews of the software that is used to power a breathalyzer found bugs and significant technical deficiencies. The results raise serious questions about the reliability of such devices and demonstrate the clear need for source code review."

"A court-ordered audit of the source code that powers a breathalyzer machine has uncovered serious bugs and technical deficiencies. The professional code reviewers contend that the software is far below industry standards for quality and that it contains programming errors. The results of this review have raised serious questions about the viability of such devices as a law enforcement tool."

Interesting to note that the plaintiff and defendent both commissioned seperate test labs to perform independent audits/review of the code used in this device and the results were quite varied. Apart from the individual labs being contracted by seperate sides in the case it appears that the brief/scope each was presented with differed. This demonstrates the importance of getting the product brief/scope correct via thorough requirements discovery. This is something Enex TestLab regularly runs across in many of our clients testing projects. Clients simply have not spent enough time or effort seeking the knowledge and capturing their requirements before proceeding to development. This causes confusion for their developers or integrators and ultimately angst for the client when it appears the project is going in the wrong direction.

At the end of the day the owner of the product under development needs to interact with their ultimate end-user of the technology, be it a website or a router!

Then to ensure that they are on track they need to have an independent party testing through each stage of the development lifecycle to ensure that the project is going down the right path and that the product will fit with the end-user when it goes to market.

The moral to this particular story is; If sufficient project planning and expenditure had been budgeted to allow for independent testing and code review prior to the device being released to market, and the advice contained in the test labs report heeded and acted upon, it would have saved to business significant future cost/expense in relation to the legal action which ultimately culminated in the need for the court to order this code review! Not to mention loss of goodwill and damage to the brand that inevitably resulted.

Matt Tett
Enex TestLab
http://www.enextestlab.com/

Enex TestLab opens base in Wales to target UK & European markets

2009-04-21T07:46:00.000-07:00

Enex TestLab opens UK Laboratory

International Business Wales worked closely with Enex in Australia to help facilitate their expansion plans which were supported by the Welsh Assembly Government through the Single Investment Fund.

The investment has been welcomed by Ieuan Wyn Jones, Minister for the Economy and Transport. He said;

"Enex is the leading company in its sector in Australia and has gained an international reputation for its expertise, working with national governments and global brand leaders in the private sector."

"The company’s decision to locate its only European facility in Cwmbran is excellent news that will help reinforce Wales’ position as an important centre for this sector. Their investment will create a number of highly skilled knowledge based jobs with the very real potential for further expansion."

For more information see ; http://tinyurl.com/cwu3oo

Microsoft focus' on users

2009-04-20T19:17:00.000-07:00

User Focused Testing

Something that Enex TestLab has been passionate about for over 20 years now is considering the products ultimate end user, who should be the beneficiary of the technology. Involving them early in the testing phase and therefore ensuring that all of the products requirements have been captured. In turn enabling the developer/vendor/manufacturer to benefit from the increased returns delivered by creating and producing a truely usable product suitable for a wide range of end-users. Also reducing the risk of that product failing once released to the market. And increasing the goodwill associated with a product brand that is synonymous with desirable end-user characteristics, design, functionality and usability.

Too many times over the years we have seen vendors rush a product to market only to see it flounder due to clumsy interface design or poor testing practices which focus on the technology itself and not the intended users. Enex TestLab is regularly involved in remediation testing for projects that have come off the rails, websites through to hardware, that have been developed and tested by programmers and engineers to suit what they personally see fit for production. Never considering the potential thousands, or even millions of users that they may be alienating through poor testing. Problem is, what started as a great concept to benefit people quickly comes down to a poor product through this narrow minded approach that damages the company through poor sales, higher customer disatisfaction, increased helpdesk/call centre costs, and ultimately brand reputation damage. We have heard too many times; "we already know exactly what our market wants"!

Anyway, enough of this ranting and raving, as they say you can lead a horse to water but you cant make it drink. Here is a report put out by AP relating to Microsoft's focus on end-users and their design modifications in an attempt to bring usability and increased functionality to mainstream computer users. It is a fine balance to try and be everything to everyone while maintining individual end-users nuances and expectations, Julie Larson-Green at Microsoft definately has a challenging role.

http://tinyurl.com/czwg78

Matt Tett
Managing Director
Enex TestLab

Enex TestLab - New year, New site

2009-04-09T19:16:00.000-07:00

Quarter 1 2009 - Summary

The last six months have been go, go, go for Enex TestLab. 2009, the year of the Ox (representing hard work) begun its charge at Enex. This year also represents a milestone in the Lab’s history; January marked the Lab’s 20th anniversary. And Steve Turvey, the founding Lab Manager, is still a fixture at the facility.

With the impact of the big bad GFC affecting both enterprises and Government, many organisations find tightening budgets and HR constraints are pressuring their projects. Many of these organisations have been using Enex’s testing capability to ensure software development or website project’s QA stays on budget and on track.

In response to the growing financial pressures, Enex has developed a range of attractive pricing discounts to help organisations maintain their development discipline. And our clients agree; “hiring Enex software testing staff is actually cheaper overall compared to the recruitment and HR administrative overheads encountered when seeking testing staff for software development projects.” In this climate, many of our customers are subject to staff-hiring freezes, but nevertheless, still require testing resources. Enex can provide this on-demand and ad-hoc, tailoring our testing resources and plans to suit the needs of our client’s project. This means your in-house resources are not sitting idle while developers are fixing defects.

If you are involved with any software development, implementation project, contact us for an obligation-free consultation. See how Enex TestLab can assist you to reduce your risk and improve your ROI.

Enex TestLab has recently launched new web sites;

www.testlab.com.au, www.enextestlab.co.uk, www.enextestlab.com, www.enextestlab.cn and www.testlab.mobi.

We encourage you to visit one and register for our quarterly electronic newsletter, and please don’t hesitate to refer any colleagues, relatives or acquaintances you may know who may be in need of Enex TestLab services.

Enex TestLab progresses to the next quarter with several high profile public testing projects underway, the most topical being the Department of Broadband, Communication and the Digital Economy (DBCDE). Enex has designed and is running the live internet service filtering trial for the Federal Government and providing input into the Government’s policy. Enex TestLab also continues with DBCDE’s Australian Broadband Guarantee (ABG) program, providing technical consultancy and ongoing monthly testing of registered providers under the scheme - using subsets of our eMetric network/broadband performance measurement application. The ABG program ensures broadband technologies are available to the most technology disadvantaged citizens.

All in all it has been another busy quarter for Enex TestLab. We’ve undertaken a diverse array of work, the communities and clients we partner with are seeing the benefit of our quality consultancy services and reliable scientific testing of technologies.

Matt Tett
Managing Director
Enex TestLab