Stories by Julian Bajkowski

Computer Associates warns on new worms for Windows

At least three new worm variants targeting a vulnerability in Microsoft's plug and play service have been spotted in the wild by enterprise software house Computer Associates' (CA) antivirus labs in Melbourne, with the vendor warning there is more to come over the next week.

Daleks sound warning on military technology brain drain

A showcase of Australia's latest and greatest military technology has been eclipsed by new warnings that the nation's defence capabilities could soon be seriously undermined unless a growing technological brain drain is arrested.

Coaltion alleges Telstra bullying

Australia's telecommunications bridesmaids have levelled another tirade at Telstra, accusing the incumbent telco of "bullying and threats" after new CEO Sol Trujillo called on the investment community to reject any further regulation.

Ruddock warns on offshoring data

The office of Attorney General Philip Ruddock has warned companies operating in Australia to take the Privacy Act and its penalties seriously, regardless of where their offshore call centre or IT operations are handled.

Tax taps apps for real time-returns

Enterprises submitting Business Activity Statements (BAS) to the Australian Taxation Office will now be able to lodge returns directly from mainstream accounting applications, with the taxman exposing a new Web service directly to software vendors.

Trujillo to punish IT over billing bungles

Telstra's battle-scarred IT shop is again bracing for the broom of change, with new CEO Sol Trujillo singling out the telco's near-moribund billing infrastructure as a key strategic failing.

Results see key Telstra staff jettisoned as Trujillo fronts PM

On what must be the busiest day on record for Telstra's management, the telco has posted a bumper profit, appointed a new chief operations officer, jettisoned its technology chief and presented its new CEO, Sol Trujillo, to the Prime Minister for a verbal beating over his anti-rural outbursts.

India dominates IT visa numbers

After a month-long campaign to find out from the Immigration Department the source of temporary IT workers coming into Australia Computerworld has finally obtained the figures for the countries of origin.

Coonan launches Telstra dial-a-quote freecall number

Possibly overwhelmed by media interest in the government's campaign to privatize Telstra, federal communications minister Senator Helen Coonan has launched an automated "voice grab" service to disseminate her views to the fourth estate, or anyone else prepared to listen.

IT tops migration list as job prospects ease

Computing professionals permanently migrating to Australia are the nation's single largest source of skilled migration, again raising serious questions about how the Department of Immigration Multiculturalism and Indigenous Affairs (DIMIA) calculates its permanent migration targets and temporary skilled visa numbers.

ATO's data dragnet targets bank IT shops

Tax Commissioner Michael Carmody has issued a blunt warning to the IT frontline of Australian banks that he expects their full cooperation in data-matching customer bank records with tax declarations as part of a massive crackdown on tax evasion.

Technologists face ethical and legal bind

CIOs and IT managers are increasingly being asked to commit illegal and unethical acts, with ruthless bosses hoping the technology department will assist them in carrying out their dirty deeds, according to ethics and legal experts.

Contracting rates spike in ACS survey

Technology costs for enterprises are on the march upward again, with 44.5 percent of independent contractors upping their rates over the last 12 months, rocketing from 29 percent in 2004, to according to the Australian Computer Society's annual remuneration survey.

[]