A revival in our product reviews is stirring, resulting in more and varied products and services tested, additional staff managing this well-read section of our magazine and a reaffirmation to our readers that our product tests remain the most objective, thorough and best in the industry.

All of our reviews are managed and coordinated out of the United States for the U.S. and U.K. editions, as well as for the electronic versions of the Australia and Asia-Pacific editions. To achieve this end, four new staffers have joined our ranks.

Each month, our new Technology Editor Peter Stephenson introduces the Product Section of SC Magazine. As many of our loyal readers likely are aware, Peter has worked with SC Magazine in some capacity for years. Indeed, his straight-talking opinions once filled our news pages in a long-standing monthly contribution that has been taken over by a rotation of experts.

Peter is the associate director of Norwich University's Master of Science in Information Assurance program, as well as associate director of Research and Information Assurance at the Center for Regional and National Security at Eastern Michigan University.

He started his 40-year career as a U.S. Navy cryptographer, then moved into the private sector where he operated his own information security consulting practice for some 20 years. Navigating the industry and his career with aplomb, he then became director of technology for the global security practice of Netigy Corporation and was, until July 2003, the director of technology and a research coordinator for QinetiQ Trusted Information Management, Inc., a large international information security professional and managed services company. In short, Peter knows a thing or two about IT security.

Along with him, three other folks are now working for SC Magazine Labs in the U.S. Mike Stephenson, lab manager, maintains the test facility, as well as make sure the integrity of SC's improved, test methodologies that use standards from the Common Criteria are upheld. John Aitken, director of lab operations, is on hand to handle product shipments, scheduling, etc., while Judy Traub, editorial assistant, focuses on managing relationships and lines of communications with vendors and services providers.

For more information, click on the links below. Cheers!