CIA to make sweeping changes, focus more on cyber ops: agency chief

By Mark Hosenball WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Central Intelligence Agency will make one of the biggest overhauls in its nearly 70-year history, aimed in part at sharpening its focus on cyber operations and incorporating digital innovations, CIA director John Brennan said. Brennan said he is creating new units within the CIA, called “mission centers,” intended to concentrate the agency's focus on specific challenges or geographic areas, such as weapons proliferation or Africa

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U.S. charges three in ring that stole one billion email addresses

By Lindsay Dunsmuir and Jim Finkle WASHINGTON/BOSTON (Reuters) – Two Vietnamese citizens and a Canadian have been charged with running a massive cyberfraud ring that stole 1 billion email addresses, then sent spam offering knockoff software products, the U.S. Department of Justice said on Friday. The Justice Department described the hacking spree as “one of the largest” data breaches uncovered in U.S.

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Microsoft warns Windows PCs also vulnerable to ‘Freak’ attacks

By Jim Finkle BOSTON (Reuters) – Hundreds of millions of Windows PC users are vulnerable to attacks exploiting the recently uncovered “Freak” security vulnerability, which was initially believed to only threaten mobile devices and Mac computers, Microsoft Corp warned. News of the vulnerability surfaced on Tuesday when a group of nine security experts disclosed that ubiquitous Internet encryption technology could make devices running Apple Inc's iOS and Mac operating systems, along with Google Inc's Android browser vulnerable to cyber attacks

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Computing, telecoms industries set on collision course

By Eric Auchard and Leila Abboud BARCELONA (Reuters) – Telecom network gear makers are on a collision course with Silicon Valley computing giants as software and cloud computing have begun to change the way operators from AT&T to China Mobile run their networks. As networks move to relatively standard hardware, formerly entrenched equipment groups must increasingly compete for contracts with the likes of Cisco, Hewlett-Packard and VMware, as well as a slew of startups.

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LightSquared preps for tough trial on latest bankruptcy plan

By Nick Brown NEW YORK (Reuters) – LightSquared gained momentum this week in its effort to end its three-year bankruptcy after a judge dealt a blow to its main creditor and adversary, Charles Ergen, ahead of a week-long trial on its latest debt restructuring plan. LightSquared, the would-be wireless provider owned by Phil Falcone’s Harbinger Capital Partners hedge fund, on Monday will begin seeking U.S. Bankruptcy Court approval for a plan to exit Chapter 11, repay lenders and transfer some equity to Fortress Investment Group and Centerbridge Partners.

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