Days after The New York Times revealed that it has been fighting off highly orchestrated cyberattacks by Chinese hackers, the Obama administration is reportedly considering hasher measures to deter such efforts. “Two former U.S. officials said the administration is preparing a new National Intelligence Estimate that … is expected to detail the cyberthreat … as a growing economic problem,” AP reports. “One official said it also will cite more directly a role by the Chinese government in such espionage.”

The Federal Trade Commission is strongly suggesting that mobile platform and app developers make users more aware of what personal information is being collected, and how it's being used. In a new report, as The Verge reports, the FTC notes that mobile devices: “‘facilitate unprecedented amounts of data collection,” since they're virtually always turned on and carried with a single user.’”

Though contrary to other findings, Strategy Analytics reports that Apple has surpassed Samsung as the top domestic mobile-phone maker. In the U.S., Apple sold 17.7 million mobile phones during the fourth quarter -- a 38% increase year-over-year, according to the research firm. “That gave it 34% of the market, topping Samsung, which sold 16.8 million handsets for a 32% market share,” Bloomberg writes, citing SA’s data. 

Path has reached a settlement with the Federal Trade Commission, which, while pending judicial approval, could give the social services provider a new lease on life. Early last year, it was alleged that Path had violated the Children’s Online Privacy Protections Act (COPPA) for allowing minors to use its services. As part of the settlement, Path will pay a fine of $800,000 “and has purged about 3,000 accounts from the network,” GigaOm reports.