One-time Telstra CEO Ziggy Switkowski has been tipped this week to take a high-ranking role at NBN Co, following the Coalition’s win at the federal election. [ + ]

The ACCC and consumer protection agencies from 53 other countries will hunt global app stores for applications that mislead or manipulate children into making unauthorised in-app purchases. [ + ]

Cybersecurity breaches are keeping more IT leaders awake than ever before - but what if you could predict where and when they’ll occur? Almost every cybersecurity threat - including malware, DDoS and cyberespionage - is preceded by early warning signs that any IT manager can look out for. [ + ]

Last month Senator Stephen Conroy launched the government’s update to its National Digital Economy Strategy - Advancing Australia as a Digital Economy. The strategy is critical, not just to the ICT sector but to every other sector that stands to benefit from the transformational nature of 21st-century digital technology. [ + ]

NBN Co has denied claims that up to 21,000 of the 163,500 premises passed in the NBN rollout - 12.8% of them - have defects in network construction. [ + ]

Hugh Rogers argues that we should worry less about the theoretical discussions about what is big data and focus more on the practicalities of how it can deliver value to an organisation. [ + ]

Yahoo! gave the Australian government data on at least 305 of its users in the first half of 2013. [ + ]

The administrators for Australia's latest telecom reseller casualty ispONE have sold all its core assets to CONEC2, a Melbourne-based ICT group. [ + ]

The Coalition government has released and almost immediately denied a policy requiring filters to be installed by default on mobile phones and modems sold in Australia. [ + ]

About every five years, attackers launch new types of threats - and a new wave is upon us. These steps can help to avoid being compromised by this new wave. [ + ]

Verizon Communications has bought Vodafone's portion of the two companies' joint venture, US mobile network operator Verizon Wireless, for US$130 billion (AU$142 billion), in what is reportedly the third-largest announced corporate deal in history. [ + ]

Australian telecom pro Vic McClelland will take on the role of managing director of Optus Networks from 4 November. [ + ]

Huawei and the ACT government have negotiated for two ACT students to visit Huawei R&D facilities every year for a three-week work experience program. [ + ]

Imposing an IT-driven corporate mobile device standard increases the risk of the CIO being forced into defending the decision against disgruntled end users, some of whom may have considerable influence. To avoid this, follow the four golden rules of mobility and ensure mobile device selection has business buy-in. [ + ]

Microsoft has announced a $7.9bn deal to buy Nokia's devices and services business and license its patents, but it may be too late to build Windows Phone into a true smartphone contender. [ + ]