Network Security Spotlight

Microsoft Stepping Up Privacy Efforts Redmond wants to become a leader in a newly competitive space: your privacy. Microsoft said it's expanding encryption across all of its services to guard against snooping by governments.   NSA Said To Collect 5 Billion Phone Location Reports Daily A new report suggests the National Security Agency may be collecting 5 billion records of cellphone location data each day. The report suggests hundreds of millions of phones are being tracked.   Database Hack Puts Social Media, Webmail Users at Risk A massive hack has served up the user names and passwords of nearly 2 million Facebook, Twitter, Google and Yahoo accounts. The database breach was made possible by the Pony Botnet Controller.

Enterprise Hardware Spotlight

Cisco, HP Among Winners in Slowing Server Market Although the PC market is declining, the server industry is still posting gains, albeit slight ones. In the third quarter of 2013 worldwide server shipments grew 1.9 percent year-over-year, according to Gartner.   Here Comes the New USB Plug Time to get ready for a new USB plug. The new connector for USB 3.1 will be reversible, so a user can insert it with either side on the top, and it may be the only connector needed for many devices.   Google Targets Amazon with Price Cuts for Compute Engine The cloud wars continue. Google has opened up its cloud-based Compute Engine, added greater performance, and dropped pricing to better compete with Amazon, IBM, Microsoft and others.