Microsoft has said that its OneCare security suite has “a problem” with the underlying antivirus code, and admitted that security is just “a little part of Microsoft”.

Speaking to ZDNet UK exclusively at the CeBIT show in Hanover, a senior manager for the software giant said that its consumer security product is far from perfect and that pieces are actually “missing”.

OneCare has been dogged by controversy since its launch last May. Signs that the software was not up to scratch came earlier this month when OneCare failed to achieve certification in an independent test of security products. Shortly before that, it emerged that the product did not sufficiently protect users of Microsoft’s Vista operating system against malware.

Microsoft has failed to create a reliable product; it is irresponsible for it to market the result as the safer, more trustworthy package promised…

But the latest and most serious problems arose in March this year after the product mistakenly quarantined and even deleted Outlook and Outlook Express files for the second time.

Microsoft apologised for the problems and has issued an update that has now been automatically pushed out to OneCare customers, to halt the false positive identification as malware of Outlook .pst and Outlook Express .dbx files.

Asked about these problems, Arno Edelmann, Microsoft’s European business security product manager, told ZDNet UK on Thursday that the code itself has pieces missing.

Intel Corporation announced today that it has released a new implementation guide, developed in conjunction with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), that helps PC manufacturers and system integrators deliver ENERGY STAR-qualified PCs based on Intel microprocessors and other system components.

The new implementation guide provides large and small system integrators with key understandings on how to specify and test desktop PC, notebook PC, workstation computer and desktop derived server configurations that can best meet the required power levels of the new specification.

ENERGY STAR is a joint program of the EPA and the U.S. Department of Energy that is designed to save businesses and consumers money while protecting the environment through the design and promotion of energy-efficient products and practices.

Intel has a long history of working closely with the EPA on ENERGY STAR, dating back to 1992 when it was introduced as a voluntary labeling program designed to identify and promote energy-efficient products. Intel received an ENERGY STAR award in 2001 for developing Instantly Available PC technology that reduced PC energy consumption by 71 percent, and was honored again in 2004 for significantly improving power supply efficiency.

Intel recently announced its support for the newest ENERGY STAR computer specifications, which will go into effect in phases beginning in July. The new version replaces a previous specification that has been in effect since 2000, and is intended to continue to differentiate the market for energy-efficient computers while also accelerating the adoption of energy-efficient technologies.

Identity thieves are offering a person’s credit-card number, date of birth, and other sensitive information for as little as $14 over the Internet, said a new report on online threats released Monday.

The data is sold on so-called “underground economy servers,” used by criminal organizations to hawk information they’ve captured through hacking, Symantec said in its Internet Security Threat Report, which tracked online trends from June to December 2006. The information can then be used for identity scams such as opening a bank account in a false name.

“U.S.-based credit cards with a card verification number were available for between $1 to $6, while an identity — including a U.S. bank account, credit card, date of birth, and government-issued identification number — was available for between $14 to $18,” the report said.

Deutsche Telekom’s Musicload, one of the largest online music stores in Europe, has come out strongly against DRM on account of its effects on the marketplace and its customers.

Musicload said in a letter distributed last week that customers are having consistent problems with DRM, so much so that 3 out of 4 customer service calls are ultimately the result of the frustrations that come with DRM. In a business where the major music labels expect to be paid well for their source material, the costs of supporting DRM are borne entirely by the music retailers. If the labels’ love affair with DRM is hurting the companies trying to make a go at selling music online, something is horribly wrong.

Brace yourself, Oscar. Step aside, MTV. Next week, the online video-sharing Web site YouTube will present awards for best user-generated videos of 2006.

Starting Monday, YouTube members can browse through videos in seven genres at http://www.youtube.com/YTAwards/ and rank their favorite short-form videos. Polling closes on Friday. Trophies will be handed out on March 26.