Secret wars and cyber snooping: top tech stories you should read

Secrets. They’re everywhere — from the undercover digital battles sweeping the web to accusations around PRISM, the classified programme that surreptitiously collects user information from companies like Apple and Yahoo! in the name of security. Tumblr seems to have found the secret to a massive acquisition and quick payout, and there are lesser-known stories about how illegal pharmaceutical sites have benefited from Google’s ridiculously profitable advertising products.

These are just some of the things brought to light by our round up of some of the top tech stories on the web.

Documents: U.S. mining data from 9 leading internet firms; companies deny knowledge

Amid a flurry of denials from the tech elite, this Washington Post investigation details the alleged back door the US’s National Security Agency has into web companies like Google, Microsoft and Facebook, and how it reportedly gathers information on masses of users without warrants or their knowledge.

Silent war

With the spates of nuclear testing happening globally, it seems safe to worry about the next war. But what if there’s one going on already? Vanity Fair investigates the cyber attacks which countries are using to wage largely secret wars against each other and considers the battles which have been fought so far.

How a career con man pulled off a federal sting that cost Google $500 million

Facing a potential 65 years in jail for running dodgy online businesses, David Anthony Whitaker found a way he could knock a few years off his sentence — by showing the Feds how Google had helped him sell steroids online. With his help, authorities started a mission to prove that Google’s team was actively assisting blatantly illegal sites with purchasing keywords, targeting search users and even helping them circumvent the checks and balances in its own systems.

Why the Tumblr deal is a disaster for entrepreneurs

Selling your startup to an internet giant like Yahoo! for more than US$1-billion sounds like an amazing achievement — but what is it teaching young entrepreneurs about business? Is it good to just aim for fast growth and a quick exit without a solid revenue stream?