(Reuters) – Research In Motion Ltd said the UK agency responsible for setting standards for computer security has approved the BlackBerry 7 operating system for government use. This will allow the government employees to use six models of the smart phone including BlackBerry Bold 9900, BlackBerry Torch 9810 and BlackBerry Torch 9860, RIM said. Ministry of defence, central government employees and more than half of the country’s police force use BlackBerry smart phones, the company said.

Reuters – Symantec Corp, the top maker of computer security software, reported a higher quarterly profit and issued an outlook in line with Wall Street estimates.

Home ? Computer Security ? One in ten parents in the UK feels it’s appropriate for children as young as four years old to own a mobile phone, while one in ten kids under the age of ten already owns an iPhone, according to a survey by

Reuters – Symantec Corp, the top maker of computer security software, failed to match Wall Street’s high hopes for future sales growth even as the company benefits from a raised awareness of hackers.

Reuters – A study by Symantec Corp, the maker of Norton computer security software, estimates the cost of global cybercrimes at $114 billion annually.

AFP – US computer security authorities warned on Friday that online scammers may seek to exploit the earthquake in Japan.

AFP – Computer security expert Eugene Kaspersky predicted on Tuesday that Google’s Android smartphone operating system will come to dominate the market, reducing Apple and BlackBerry to niche players.

NewsFactor – The Win32.Worm.Downadup is raging across the Internet, using new tricks to spread undetected. The worm spreads by exploiting a vulnerability in the Windows RPC Server Service and has infected millions of Windows PCs in the last two weeks. Source:Downadup Worm Races Onto Millions of PCs (NewsFactor)

CNET – Google’s free code-hosting Web site for developers is being used to distribute malware, a security researcher said on Friday. Source:McAfee: Google developer site being used to distribute malware (CNET)

PC World – A new breed of terrorists are using online forums to recruit people who align themselves with the mission of Al Qaeda, creating global networks of would-be terrorists who pose a growing threat, a senior cyberterrorist researcher warned this week. Source:Social Networks Link Terrorists (PC World)

CNET – Antivirus provider AVG Technologies on Tuesday announced that it is acquiring Sana Security, which sells identity fraud prevention software. Source:AVG to acquire ID theft prevention specialist Sana (CNET)

AP – A British man accused of hacking into U.S. military computers is offering to plead guilty to a criminal charge in Britain to avoid extradition to the United States, his lawyer said Monday. Source:UK hacker offers guilty plea to avoid extradition (AP)

PC World – Still think that today’s computer viruses and other malware come from some maladjusted teen out to vandalize your PC to make a name for himself? Think again. The persistent myth is a holdover from days long gone, and it’s important to dispel it if you want to know what you’re up against [...]

PC Magazine – At CES on Friday CyberPatrol announced Threat Detector, a new free online assessment tool that will help parents check for any problems with their children’s surfing habits. Source:CyberPatrol Announces Free Scanner, ChatGuard Enhancement (PC Magazine)

PC Magazine – Just in time for Christmas, EMSI Software has released a-squared Free 4.0, a free tool designed to find and destroy viruses, Trojans, and spyware. But it’s better on a clean system than one that’s already infected. Source:EMSI Releases Free Antivirus/AntiSpyware Tool (PC Magazine)

AFP – Hackers in China could face up to seven years in jail according to a draft law, as the country moves to fight rampant computer data theft, state media said Tuesday. Source:Chinese hackers to face up to seven years in jail: report (AFP)

AFP – Microsoft will release an emergency patch on Wednesday to fix a perilous software flaw allowing hackers to hijack Internet Explorer browsers and take over computers. Source:Microsoft releasing emergency patch for perilous IE flaw (AFP)

PC World – At the request of the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, a U.S. district court has ordered two companies marketing supposed computer security products online to stop their efforts. Source:FTC, Court Halt 'scareware' Advertising Operations (PC World)