Its a nightmare scenario: A hacker accesses e-mails in U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission computers and splashes them across the Internet, revealing an inquiry into a company that shakes investor confidence before the probe is complete.

Such an attack has never happened at the SEC, but computer experts say it could if the agency fails to tighten security.

The SEC, an investor protection agency that demands tight internal controls from the companies it oversees, was recently criticized by congressional investigators for not having its own house in order when it comes to cyber security.

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) said last month the SEC had failed to limit remote access to its servers establish controls over passwords, securely configure all network devices, and adopt security monitoring procedures.

A successful hacker could use nonpublic information to make trouble for a targeted company or rival.

The record antitrust fine levied against Microsoft Corp. by the European Commission should be tossed out, or at least greatly reduced, because the punishment outweighed the infraction, company lawyers said Friday.

Commission lawyers said that to throw out the fine, or even reduce it, would impede regulators ability to keep a level playing field in the world of business.

What is left to provide deterrents commission lawyer Fernando Castillo de la Torre said, adding the amount of the fine was proportionate to the gravity of the infringement.

In 2004, the commission ruled that the worlds largest software company had to pay a 497 million euro ($613 million) fine, share information with rivals and produce a version of its Windows operating system without Media Player software.

Internet telephony provider Skype announced Friday it now has more than 100 million registered users worldwide.

Luxembourg-based Skype had 54 million members when it was bought last September for $2.6 billion by online auctioneer eBay Inc.

Founded by the creators of Kazaa, the free file-sharing program that riled the music business, Skype gives away software that lets people talk for free from computer to computer, or pay a small fee to place and receive calls from regular phones.

The number of people who use Skype regularly may be far less than the number of registered users - on Friday morning, the Skype application reported that 5.9 million people were logged in.

Big media companies must keep finding ways to reach on-the-go users and make money doing it to stay relevant in an online marketplace that values convenience and novelty, the leaders of three of the largest U.S. media and tech companies said on Wednesday.

In a wide-ranging discussion on tech trends at the Milken Institutes 9th Annual Global Conference, Walt Disney Co. Chief Executive Robert Iger, News Corp Inc. President and Chief Operating Officer Peter Chernin and AOL Chairman and Chief Executive Jonathan Miller agreed; standing still while users find ways — legal or not to obtain the content they want is not an option.

I think anyone who loses is anyone who tries to protect their traditional business. I think you have got a bad 10-15 years ahead of you if you try to do that, Chernin told conference-goers.

The U.S. online population has hit an all-time high: 73 percent of adults, or 147 million, now use the Internet.

The figures represent an increase from 66 percent, or 133 million adults, in January 2005, according to the Pew Internet and American Life Project.

But only 42 percent of all adults, or 84 million, have the home high-speed connections important for viewing video and treating the Internet as an always-on reference. Looking only at home Internet users, 62 percent have broadband.

In a report Wednesday, Pew noted that Internet use still varies with age and income