New International Exec Charged in U.K. Scandal: Former News International chief executive Rebekah Brooks and her husband will be charged with conspiring to obstruct justice over a police investigation into phone hacking at the company's newspapers, according to a report from the BBC. Brooks is the first person charged after the 18-month inquiry into the hacking of voicemails by the News International tabloids the Sun and the News of the World. News International is a subsidiary of News Corp.; Brooks was head of the British newspaper unit and a protege of News Corp. chairman and CEO Rupert Murdoch. News Corp. also owns the Wall Street Journal and Fox network, among other media interests in the U.S. Critics have accused him of being unfit to hold a broadcaster's license as a result of the investigation's findings. Study Finds Software Piracy is Rampant: A new study from the Business Software Alliance found over half (57 percent) of the world's personal computer users admitted they acquire pirated software, fueling a global piracy rate of 42 percent last year. Unsurprisingly, the survey found piracy much worse in emerging markets. Software companies have praised the Obama administration for cracking down on online piracy and have pushed Congress to pass tough laws expanding the government's ability to go after violators. But two of those bills, SOPA and PIPA, were scuttled earlier this year after massive online protests by the tech industry and broader Internet community. Citizenship Agency Can't Keep Track of Laptops: Citizenship and Immigration Services is having trouble keeping track of its laptop computers, according to a report from CQ Homeland Security. The Homeland Security inspector general recently found USCIS doesn't keep an accurate inventory of its laptops or provide adequate security for them. In some cases, the devices weren't assigned to a specific user or updated with the latest encryption software. The issue of stolen laptops has plagued the federal government in recent years, as government computers can store a large amount of highly sensitive data including classified information and the personal information of U.S. residents. The Department of Veterans Affairs experienced significant political fallout after the loss of a laptop resulted in thousands of veterans having their personal data breached.

The lack of updated security on the devices is not uncommon in the government, especially since the law that governs how agencies secure their systems (FISMA) is considered badly out of date and in need of an update. The House recently passed a bill (HR 4257) to update FISMA with bipartisan support, but the White House has indicated it is not interested in tackling cybersecurity in piecemeal fashion. FISMA reform is also part of both comprehensive bills in the Senate. For more on the cybersecurity debate, check out this updated report on the topic (PDF) from the Congressional Research Service.

All Eyes on Facebook This Week: The New York Times has a look at Facebook's future prospects ahead of the largest initial public offering in recent memory and highlights how far the social networking giant still must go to justify a valuation in the neighborhood of $100 billion. Facebook has amassed the largest directory of information on Web users in history, but turning that data into revenue without upsetting its users or regulators remains a huge challenge. As we've mentioned, the company's filing repeatedly warns about the risk that new privacy laws or regulatory scrutiny pose to the bottom line. That risk cannot be overstated, since even the threat of an antitrust probe is often enough to send a company's shares tumbling.

While new privacy laws don't appear to be on the horizon in the near future, the Federal Trade Commission has made it a mission to ensure Facebook and other social networking sites live up to their pledges on privacy. The risk of an antitrust suit is also very real, especially in the long term as Facebook continues to add users at a terrific pace. The easiest way for CEO Mark Zuckerberg to avoid scrutiny on the Hill is to ensure rivals and developers on the Facebook platform have no reason to accuse Facebook of anti-competitive conduct. Sounds easy, but lawmakers and regulators will be paying close attention as Facebook extends its reach into almost every facet of the Web.

New FCC Commissioners on Hill Wednesday: Jessica Rosenworcel and Ajit Pai were finally sworn in on Monday as members of the Federal Communications Commission by chairman Julius Genachowski. The pair will make their debut on the Hill tomorrow at an FCC oversight hearing in front of the Senate Commerce Committee that will feature the full commission. Expect lawmakers to grill Pai and Rosenworcel to find out where they stand on key issues such as net neutrality, spectrum allocation, and the Verizon-cable spectrum deal. Rosenworcel has spent her career working for Democrats, while Pai is believed to favor Republicans.