Microsoft to erase some search data after six months

Microsoft has said it will cut the length of time it stores IP addresses of Web searchers using its Bing search engine from 18 months to six. Google cut the time it retains searchers’ IP addresses to nine months in August 2008. However, Microsoft say that their initiative goes much further than Google’s, because Microsoft will delete all parts of the IP address after six months, while Google still retains part of the address after its self-imposed nine-month cut-off point. Both companies are responding to pressure from European data protection officials, who are concerned about the privacy implications of retaining IP addresses. While such addresses cannot positively identify the person sitting at a computer or accessing the Net via their phone, they can identify the computer or phone being used, and the hardware can often be linked to a person.

Google's investigation of a cyberattack that rocked the company's infrastructure in mid-December includes a probe of its staff in China. The U.S. search giant last week said it had uncovered a highly sophisticated and targeted attack on its infrastructure that resulted in some of its intellectual property being stolen. Google said the attack came from China, and targeted the Gmail accounts of Chinese human rights activists. While Google is considering possible employee involvement in the attack, it does not consider it an inside job, as 20 other companies, including Juniper and Adobe, were affected by similar intrusions originating from China.