Byron Acohido

Google on Saturday again revised privacy settings of Buzz, the new social network it has piggybacked onto tens of millions of existing Gmail accounts.

The Department of Homeland Security and several tech giants teamed to launch a nationwide volunteer program that will put tech pros in K-12 classrooms to make the younger generation aware of dangers on the Internet.

Cybercriminals are spreading invisible infections far and wide across the Internet by hammering hundreds of thousands of websites each day with so-called SQL injection attacks. The trend started last summer and has continued to accelerate.

The White House has engaged a hard-charging consultant for an unprecedented review of U.S. cybersecurity policy to determine whether the government needs to be more pro-active in slowing cybercrime attacks on individuals and businesses.

Cybercriminals have launched a massive new wave of Internet-based schemes to steal personal data and carry out financial scams in an effort to take advantage of the fear and confusion created by tumbling financial markets, security specialists say.

Next week, Intel, Apple, eBay and Google will lead the parade of tech companies reporting financial results for the quarter ended Sept. 30. The tech giants also will issue their near-term forecasts.

How will Silicon Valley make out if the economy slides into recession? Tech suppliers expect to be hit hard. But big winners could quickly start to emerge from the chaos, say tech industry analysts.

Those "sponsored-link" advertisements that appear near Internet search results and on many blogs are emerging as a factor in the race for the White House. Google has seen "exponential growth" in sales of sponsored-link ads to the major presidential campaigns in 2008 vs.

Thousands of Russian supporters are volunteering their PCs to be used in cyberattacks against websites supporting the rival state of Georgia. This new style of cyberwarfare — in which ordinary citizens instantly enlist their PCs to help bedevil the enemy — has caused little damage of substance, security experts say.