Google CEO Larry Page won't be testifying before Congress this week. In response to an invitation last week from Rep. Mary Bono Mack, R-Calif., who asked Page to appear and explain the company's user policy changes, two other Google executives will appear.

Lawmakers said Tuesday that they still have questions regarding Google’s privacy policies after receiving an explanatory letter from the company. Reps. Cliff Stearns (R-Fla.) and Ed Markey (D-Mass.) both said they had lingering questions about the policy, particularly about whether the company will allow its account holders to opt out of data collection and integration between its services.

In a letter sent to eight members of Congress, Google yesterday defended its move to consolidate its privacy policies and users' personal information. The 13-page letter explains Google's decision to alter its privacy policies and answers specific questions from the legislators. In sum, Google contended that its approach to privacy has not changed, that users still have control over how they use the company's various online services, and that private information remains private.

Takeaway: On one hand, new universal privacy policies do not apply Google Apps users; on the other hand it does, depending on where you look.

Richard Falkenrath, a principal at the Chertoff Group and a Bloomberg Television contributing editor, talks about the findings of a Bloomberg Government study on cybersecurity.

The rapid migration by U.S. government agencies to cloud-based architectures is producing radical, and potentially beneficial, changes to these agencies' management structures. Costs are coming down, and as some agencies are just now realizing, security and resiliency could be going up. But the very concept of cloud infrastructure is something that legislators have yet to become familiar with.

In a hosting scenario there are two new layers of complexity that offer interesting albeit not stronger security scenarios.

Mention cloud computing to true believers and you’ll likely hear all about speed and agility. They'll tell you that agencies can simply dial IT services up or down as needed to quickly support new mission plans or workload changes. As a bonus, agencies pay only for what they use instead of bankrolling the often idle, over-provisioned computing capacity common in most data centers.

Cloud computing will create significant employment opportunities worldwide, with the United States expected to invest the most in this area, according to new analysis.

Responding to an outcry over its new privacy policy, Google is now offering tips on how users can minimize the profiling of their personal information. But federal users still may be vulnerable to new risks under the policy, experts said.