Week in tech: unexpected purchases, old security flaws, and Bulldozer

Why Intel bought McAfee: Theories abound for why Intel bought McAfee, but the reality is more prosaic than most imagine. The Aurora attacks on Google and others were a wakeup call for Intel, and the company got serious about developing vPro's security potential. But to do that, they had to be able to offer products and services directly to the consumer.

Windows DLL-loading security flaw puts Microsoft in a bind: The rediscovery of an old attack method based on the way that Windows loads DLLs places Microsoft in a tricky position: a change to Windows will fix the problem once and for all, but could break third-party software that relies on the operating system working the way it has worked for 20 years. Ars explains the situation.

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Week in tech: net neutrality, Azure, and the ceaseless droning of vuvuzelas

Study: net neutrality could lead to "devastating" job losses: "Devastating," "destabilizing," and "apocalypse now" are just some of the words and phrases used in a new report assessing the impact that the FCC's proposed net neutrality rules could have on the US broadband economy. Plus the study calls the Commission "selfish."

A Microsoft Windows Azure primer: the basics: In part one of an in-depth look at Microsoft's Windows Azure platform, we survey the cloud computing landscape, and then take the first steps toward developing a cloud application of our very own.

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Internet Fraud Alert: one-stop service to report stolen data

Internet Fraud Alert, a new global cybersecurity project, aims to fast track the reporting of stolen consumer data, including username and password login information for online services, credit card numbers, and other miscellany researchers find online. The service also alerts banks and online services when accounts they oversee are compromised. Microsoft developed the technology behind the website and donated it to the National Cyber-Forensics and Training Alliance (NCFTA), a nonprofit organization that trains law enforcement agents, academics, and other groups to combat cybercrime. The new project is also supported by Accuity, the American Bankers Association, Anti-Phishing Working Group, Citizens Bank, eBay, the Federal Trade Commission, National Consumers League, and PayPal.

It is often difficult for people who discover vast amounts of stolen credentials stashed on servers and sites such as Pastebin.com to bring it to the attention of the proper authorities. Many organizations don't bother to make reporting stolen data easy, and even then, it can be difficult to convince a bank or law enforcement that the information found is legitimate. This wasted time could mean the difference between someone's identity being used for fraud and stopping that before it occurs.

Internet Fraud Alert is a single secure location where researchers can systematically report stolen account credentials and personal information. The service can then match large caches of pilfered passwords and payment card numbers with the organizations responsible for the compromised accounts and alert proper service providers, retailers, financial institutions, and law enforcement.

One weakness of Microsoft's program is that anonymous submissions are not allowed: it's possible that corporate whistleblowers will not come forward if they are worried they will get fired, or worse. The overall success of the new service, however, will likely depend on how quickly affected institutions and consumers are notified.

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Pot, kettle, black? Microsoft voices concerns over Google

You say you've heard it all? Maybe not—the company that controls over 92 percent of the worldwide operating system market is all but accusing Google of being a monopoly. In assessing the diversity of the media landscape, the Federal Communications Commission should pay particular attention to the impact of online search engines, says the Microsoft Corporation. Especially the biggest one.

"If a single search engine serves as the dominant gateway between consumers and content—there is a greater risk that economic forces will not exert sufficient discipline to prevent the dominant search engine from altering search results to favor its own interests or viewpoint," Microsoft warned the FCC last week. "Also, because consumers will lack competitive options, it may be impossible for them as a practical matter to determine whether the results reflect hidden biases or whether there is other speech that is not being conveyed."

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