Direct-to-cloud enables remote users access from anywhere and from any device, while guarding against threats and enforcing user policies. [ + ]

The government has finally established a $128.4m grants program to co-fund the implementation of the data retention scheme, but the industry has complained of delays and underfunding. [ + ]

Internet Australia has called on the ACCC to use its telecom sector market study to rethink the direction of the NBN and other efforts to meet Australia's future communications needs. [ + ]

New research from Intuit indicates that 74% of Australian small business owners are using cloud- and mobile-based apps to manage their operations. [ + ]

Migrating to a co-location data centre can deliver significant benefits, but it can also be a high-risk and challenging project if not planned effectively. [ + ]

The ninth annual Best Place to Work survey has named Salesforce, Atlassian and Adobe among the top five large companies in Australia for employees and Rackspace Australia as the best smaller company. [ + ]

Apple ordered to pay Ireland $19bn that it doesn't want, malware strikes ATMs in Asia, and ESET spots malware that's remotely commanded via Twitter. [ + ]

Online profiling blurs the boundary of our public and private lives. [ + ]

Victoria has allocated $6.5m to 18 projects designed to stimulate the state's start-up ecosystem, as the first round of funding for the $60m LaunchVic initiative. [ + ]

The major ransomware operators have expanded into APAC, developing localised versions of their tools to help better extort payments from the region's internet users. [ + ]

The owners of the Ashley Madison dating site have made enforceable undertakings to take steps to better protect its customers' private information, following an OAIC probe into last year's data breach. [ + ]

Apple has issued a patch to address three critical iOS vulnerabilities used in malware developed for purposes including spying on political dissidents, as reports circulate of iPhone 6 devices facing 'touch disease'. [ + ]

Cybercriminals are recruiting rogue insiders or seeking to blackmail employees to help them carry out attacks against fixed and mobile telecom service providers, research from Kaspersky Lab shows. [ + ]

Shopping centres to get free Optus Wi-Fi, Powershell released for Linux, and Cisco will slash its workforce. [ + ]

The right combination of customer relationship and marketing automation software can help businesses retain valuable customers. [ + ]