Google on Friday announced that it has rolled out a new privacy and security option for users to run encrypted searches. The new service, available at https://www.google.com, utilizes https encryption, commonly used to protect banking and e-commerce sites, to create a secure connection between a user's browser and Google throughout their entire search session. The secure channel will help protect search terms and results pages from being intercepted by a third party, Google said. The service, currently in beta, includes a modified Google logo to indicateSSL encryption is being used. — AM

Much like Google has done with Gmail, Microsoft is set to improve the security of Hotmail with full-session SSL encryption and a number of other enhancements.

Wal-Mart is reportedly about to institute smartcard-based payment at all its U.S.-based stores. A company spokesman revealed this week, according to reports, that payment terminals capable of recognizing chip-and-PIN technology could soon replace signature-based credit card transactions. The move by the world's largest retailer could force other merchants, card issuers and processors to migrate to chip-and-PIN technology, said experts. The system, which uses an embedded chip to verify the card is legitimate, is thought to be significantly safer than traditional magnetic stripe cards, but the cost of adopting the system, widely used in Europe and other countries, has delayed implementation. - GM

Researchers at anti-virus firm F-Secure on Thursday discovered a new malware campaign on Twitter. A large number of fake accounts were tweeting messages containing a bit.ly shortened link that when clicked, attempted to use a Java exploit to install a combination keylogger and banking trojan. The tweets contained the text "haha this is the funniest video ive ever seen" along with popular hashtags and celebrity names. After discovering the campaign, F-secure researchers reported the shortened link to bit.ly staff, who promptly shut it down. The malicious site is still running, but users are no longer being redirected to it via Twitter. — AM

Alberta has become the first province to add a data breach notification requirement into its legislation.

Heartland Payment Systems and MasterCard have settled for $41.4 million over the payment processor's record-breaking data breach, disclosed in January 2009. Under the settlement, MasterCard issuing banks will be eligible to recoup costs related to reissuing cards and any incidents of fraud consumers may have experienced. For the settlement to be official, banks representing 80 percent of the affected accounts must agree to it by June 25. Heartland and Visa settled for $60 million in January. — DK

Database giant Oracle announced Thursday it plans to acquire U.K.-based Secerno, maker of database firewall solutions. The deal, expected to close in June, will enhance Oracle's portfolio of security solutions, which includes Advanced Security, Database Vault and Audit Vault, to further protect against threats and ensure compliance. "Secerno's database firewall product acts as a first line of defense against external threats and unauthorized internal access with a protective perimeter around Oracle and non-Oracle databases," said Andrew Mendelsohn, senior VP of Oracle Database Server Technologies. Terms of the buy were not disclosed. In November, IBM acquired database security vendor Guardium. — DK

All IP-enabled devices are at risk to devastating attacks that can result in the theft of intellectual property, or worse.

A U.S. District Court judge has ordered the shuttering of a rogue internet service provider accused of participating in the distribution of spam, spyware and child pornography and the recruitment of bot herders, the Federal Trade Commission announced Thursday.