Microsoft bought anti-spyware technology last week to protect its Internet Explorer browser from surging rivals like Mozilla's Firefox, Gartner analysts in the US have said.

Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2) has 10 unpatched vulnerabilities, a US security firm said this week. Microsoft, however, ardently disputed the claims and said that they were "potentially misleading and possibly erroneous."

Microsoft this week rolled out 10 security bulletins for 12 vulnerabilities and used its revamped update services and tools in the monthly patch batch.

This year's rampage of phishing scams is "just the tip of the iceberg," according to a message security firm's analysis of 2004 and its predictions for 2005, both released this week.

A security firm named the top 10 spyware threats this week, saying that the secretly installed software poses an "insidious" threat to consumers and corporations alike.

Symantec this week introduced versions of its consumer and small business security software with updates that protect against network-scanning worms such as Sasser, and keep phishing attacks at bay.

The lifespan of a poorly protected PC connected to the internet is a mere four minutes, research released this week claims. After that, it's owned by a hacker.

A North Carolina man was sentenced this week to a nine year jail term for spamming millions of America Online users, America's first felony conviction for spewing junk mail.

A coordinated attack against the internet, dubbed an 'electronic jihad' may take place this week, one security firm warned yesterday. Other experts, however, were dubious.