Malware grows four times faster

New malware is proliferating at an eye-watering rate, according to security vendor McAfee. It is spotting 60 000 new pieces a day - nearly four times the amount that was being generated three years ago, notes Computing.

According to McAfee's latest threat report, there have been more than 14 million unique pieces of malware released so far in 2010 - one million more than at the same time last year.

The plague of infected computers known as botnets continues to represent a significant threat to corporate networks. According to McAfee, botnets based on the Cutwail malware unleashed more than 300 denial-of-service attacks against high-profile targets, including law-enforcement agencies such as the US Central Intelligence Agency and the FBI.

Ofcom's chief executive Ed Richards has laid out the timetable which will pave the way for next-generation mobile services in the UK, reports the BBC.

The airwaves that will enable 4G networks will be auctioned off in the first half of 2012, Richards said.

It means the spectrum will become available from 2013. The auction was originally earmarked for 2009 but was delayed because of legal action by mobile firms.

Microsoft has officially unveiled Lync, the latest release of its converged communications platform, adding conferencing capabilities, support for high-definition voice, better federation and options for cloud delivery, says V3.

Lync is the new brand name for Microsoft's converged communications products, with Office Communications Server becoming Lync Server 2010, while the client is now simply Lync 2010.

The software is due for general availability from 1 December, but MSDN and TechNet subscribers can now download the software, Microsoft said.

The US government may require cars to include scrambling tech that would disable mobile phone use by drivers, and perhaps passengers, according to The Register.

"I think it will be done," said US secretary of transportation Ray LaHood, according to The Daily Caller (TDC). "I think the technology is there and I think you're going to see the technology become adaptable in automobiles to disable these cellphones."

LaHood is on a self-described “rampage” against distracted driving, and if making it impossible to use a mobile phone while in a car can save lives, he's all for it - although, according to TDC, LaHood also emphasised the role of “personal responsibility”.