Earlier this week, you may have noticed your (Hotmail) account was not working for a while. Microsoft said there was a problem with the identification program, and users were unable to access their accounts and other services.

The bug affected most customers all over the world. It has now been fixed, says Microsoft, and no data was lost or compromised. The company did not say what caused the problem. Once restored, service appeared to be slow and quirky for a while, but should be fine by now.

While on the subject of Microsoft, the European Union (EU) has fined the company a record (and whopping) $1.3 billion for overcharging software developers for software information. The developers need the data to make their products compatible with Windows.

Microsoft says the fine is for past issues; it has since mended its ways and is now working according to new, more open guidelines. However, the EU alleges that the company delayed complying with its rulings for three years, only reaching compliance last October.

Microsoft has adjusted its royalty rates in Europe, but not in the rest of the world. No word yet on whether the company will appeal the fine, or just cough up the dough.

PayPal is warning users not to use the Apple Safari browser, because it lacks two important anti-phishing features. and parent are favorite targets of scammers and phishing attacks. PayPal recommends Internet Explorer 7, Firefox 2 or Opera 9.26. Whichever one you use, make sure it is up to date.

Syd Tash is a noted computer security consultant and author of How to Protect Your Computer Online. He has been keeping Internet surfers safe and secure since the last century. Find out how he does it; protect your own computer with five layers of protection right here:
= > http://MyPCSecuritySite.com

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