Symantec has announced a US$8bn deal to sell its Veritas unit, while Oracle and the UK's Export Control Organisation have come under fire from the security community. [ + ]

Software-defined storage can be a coveted solution in the right situation and within the right company, by reducing costs while increasing agility and flexibility... but only if careful planning has taken place. [ + ]

This week: Aussie tech aims for orbit, the web is killing you, stop worrying about hacks, back to the typewriter age, spider vans tackle potholes, and how car hackers do their stuff. [ + ]

Nearly 30,000 premises across Australia face losing their copper phone and internet connections by 24 August if they have not yet made the leap to the nbn.

The federal government has handed Microsoft two contracts worth a combined $14.4m covering custom support for the now-obsolete Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 operating systems. [ + ]

Researchers have discovered a serious vulnerability that could affect up to 95% of Android devices in use, while HP Fortify has tested 10 smartwatches and found them all to have vulnerabilities of their own. [ + ]

The eRx Script Exchange has now processed more than 1 billion medical prescriptions electronically and is in use by nearly 20,000 Australian GPs. [ + ]

BSA | The Software Alliance has settled seven cases involving use of pirated software by Australian businesses this year so far, raking in a total of $147,000. [ + ]

Cisco has prepared a detailed response to the Australian Government Cyber Security Review, suggesting wide-ranging reforms including ensuring that the new ACSC has a greater influence on the states. [ + ]

Nearly all Australian security professionals believe that there should be legal penalties for companies inadequately safeguarding customer data, a survey shows, with some even supporting jailing the CEO. [ + ]

This week: Where supercomputers go to die, Firefox barks at Windows, FBI "not ready" for cyberthreats, hackers take aim at rifles, and robots take over baseball and badminton. [ + ]

There are three golden rules to ensuring your business won't be left behind by fast-moving developments in IT and new business models. [ + ]

Fujitsu will spend $12.2 million upgrading its Western Sydney Data Centre, including a $7 million power infrastructure upgrade and a $5.2 million upgrade of internal infrastructure capacity. [ + ]

nbn plans to hire another 4500 workers to help accelerate rollout of the network, and is particularly targeting retired telco workers as well as school leavers and construction workers. [ + ]

Australian smart ticketing and payment technology vendor Vix Technology has picked up a $27m contract to supply components of Malaysia's planned unified public transport ticketing system. [ + ]