AP Technology NewsBrief at 12:13 p.m. EST

(Associated Press Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) General says detection deters major cyberattacksWASHINGTON (AP) _ Foreign leaders are deterred from launching a major electronic attack on vital infrastructure in the United States because they know such a strike could be traced to its source and would generate a robust response, the military's top cyber warrior said during congressional testimony Tuesday. But Army Gen. Keith Alexander, head of U.S. Cyber Command, told the Senate Armed Services Committee Tuesday the country is not preventing what he called low-level harassment of private and public web sites, property and information by other states. He did not mention any specific countries, even though the Obama administration is escalating its criticism of cyber thefts by China that have become intolerable to the international community.

China willing to talk with US over cyberattacksBEIJING (AP) _ China says it is willing to cooperate with the United States in cybersecurity after the U.S. called on it to take "serious steps" to stop cyberattacks. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying repeated China's assertion that it is firmly opposed to cyberattacks and one of the countries that has suffered most from them. She says the country cracks down on such hackers according to the law.

Official: Production stopped on new cyber medalWASHINGTON (AP) _ The military has stopped production of a new medal for remote warfare troops _ drone operators and cyber warfighters _ as it considers complaints from veterans and lawmakers over the award, a government official said Tuesday. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel has ordered a review of the Distinguished Warfare Medal, which was to be awarded to troops who operate drones and use other technological skills to fight America's wars from afar. Announcement of the review is expected at a Pentagon news conference later Tuesday.

Report: Iran blocks VPN access to Gmail, YahooTEHRAN, Iran (AP) _ Iranian authorities have blocked many foreign-based virtual private networks, or VPNs, severely restricting access to many websites. The VPNs are illegal in Iran but offered a path for Iranians to freely use the Internet, access banned opposition websites as well as popular sites such as Facebook.

Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba names new CEOBEIJING (AP) _ Alibaba Group, one of the world's biggest e-commerce companies, said Monday its executive vice president will succeed founder Jack Ma as chief executive. Ma, 48, announced in January he was stepping down as CEO to make way for younger leaders. He stayed on as chairman.

Sheryl Sandberg: On a mission to elevate womenSheryl Sandberg is not backing down. The Facebook chief operating officer's book "Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead" goes on sale Monday amid criticism that she's too successful and rich to lead a movement. But Sandberg says her focus remains on spurring action and progress among women.

What you 'like' on Facebook can be revealingLONDON (AP) _ Clicking those friendly blue "like" buttons strewn across the Web may be doing more than marking you as a fan of Coca-Cola or Lady Gaga. It could out you as gay.

Icahn signs confidentiality agreement with DellBillionaire investor Carl Icahn, who is fighting Dell Inc. founder Michael Dell's plan to take the struggling company private, has entered a confidentiality agreement that would give him access to the computer maker's financial records. Michael Dell, who is also Dell's CEO, is planning a $24.4 billion buyout that would make the Round Rock, Texas, company a privately owned business. But Icahn and other investors say the price of $13.65 per share is too low.

HP's Autonomy allegations trigger another inquiryPALO ALTO, Calif. (AP) _ British authorities have opened an investigation into Hewlett-Packard's allegations that the personal computer maker was duped when it bought business software maker Autonomy, according to regulatory documents filed Monday. The inquiry by the U.K. Serious Fraud Office is the latest legal fallout from a deal that has saddled Hewlett-Packard Co. with massive losses and depressed its stock price. The U.S. Justice Department started looking into the matter late last year, shortly after HP accused Autonomy employees of fabricating sales in a ruse that drove up the company's sale price.

Financial info on celebs, officials leaked onlineLOS ANGELES (AP) _ Authorities and celebrities were grappling with how to respond to a website that posted what appears to be private financial information about top government officials and stars such as Jay-Z and Mel Gibson. The Justice Department said Monday the FBI was investigating how the Social Security number, address and a credit report of FBI Director Robert Mueller ended up on the site. The site also posted the same information about Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck, and the department said it was investigating the matter.

(c) 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

[ Back To Technology News's Homepage ]