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The FBI's advanced surveillance methods can even activate a computer's webcam to spy on computer users — without switching on the device's green light.

Eight major technology companies, including Google, Facebook and Twitter, are joining forces to call for tighter controls on government surveillance, according to The Associated Press. The companies say in an open letter to President Barack Obama that while they sympathize with national security concerns, recent revelations make it clear that laws should be carefully tailored to balance them against individual rights.

The U.S. Senate approved a 10-year extension of a federal law banning guns that can go undetected by metal detectors or X-ray machines.

The retail industry will lose an estimated $8.76 billion to return fraud this year, and $3.39 billion during the holiday season alone. Overall, 5.8 percent of holiday returns are fraudulent, up slightly from 4.6 percent last night.

In response to criticism that passengers were not kept informed after the Terminal 3 shooting in November, Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) will create a response team to assist travelers by passing out water, snacks, diapers and formula, as well as being available to answer customers' questions, during emergency operations, Daily Breeze reports.

It’s a busy week for the TSA, and not necessarily due to the holiday season. Tuesday, three bills were passed through the U.S. House of Representatives in regards to the Transportation Security Administration, all three receiving bipartisan support.

Protecting the United States from terrorism means more to Americans than promoting democracy abroad, a Pew Research Center study found. Since the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, Americans consider protecting U.S. shores from terrorism a top priority, according to a UPI report. The study, conducted every four years, found 83 percent of those questioned held that opinion in 2013, which is slightly down from its high of 86 percent in 2005.

Hackers have stolen usernames and passwords for nearly two million accounts at Facebook, Google, Twitter, Yahoo and others.

Kroll's annual Cyber Security Forecast highlights seven trends identified by Kroll and suggests that a changing tide in cyber standards, both social and legal, will require organizations to take stronger actions and safeguards to protect against reputational, financial and legal risks in 2014.

The U.S. House approved Tuesday a 10-year extension of an existing federal law banning guns that can go undetected by metal detectors and X-ray machines, such as plastic guns.