E-commerce technology

Authorised push payment fraud sees huge increase as criminals switch tactics

Criminals tricking people into making payments through channels such as fake emails and websites have stolen more money than payment card fraudsters Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Open banking objectives a decade away for over a third of UK finance firms

The completion of complex open banking initiatives could still be over a decade away for many companies in the finance sector Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

How Estonia’s country-as-a-service scheme has attracted tens of thousands of foreign entrepreneurs

Estonia has created a country-as-a-service offering which is attracting entrepreneurs and businesses from across the world Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

JP Morgan launch of UK digital bank expected next week

JP Morgan will launch its UK digital retain bank next week, and continental Europe will be next if it’s a success Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Digital retail: how to optimise success

GUEST BLOG: In this contributed blog post, Greg Ouillon, CTO, New Relic, talks about digital retail and how it has shifted during the pandemic. The last year has certainly changed the high street ... Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

Is 3D printing about to hit the mainstream?

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we find out about the emerging consumer services using 3D printing and ask if the technology is about to go mainstream. Our latest buyer’s guide looks at the importance of sustainable datacentres. And we analyse the risks of increasing contactless card spending limits and whether tech could help. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

ICO in bid to end cookie pop-ups

Outgoing information commissioner Elizabeth Denham will call on her equivalents across the G7 group of countries to collaborate on an overhaul of cookie consent pop-ups Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Banking anti-fraud scheme blocks 65% more fraud

Scheme designed to protect vulnerable people against banking fraud has been expanded to include online scams Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

How high can the contactless card limit go without two-factor authentication?

The spending limit for contactless cards has reached an eyebrow-raising triple-digit figure – £100 – raising questions about the need for user authentication Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Tech sector spends nearly €100m a year lobbying the EU

Study on technology firms’ lobbying efforts in the European Union shows the sector spends more than any other in trying to influence policies and legislation Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Boots leading drive for ‘professionalisation of IT’ in retail

Boots becomes member of the BCS, the Chartered Institute for IT, as CIO Rich Corbridge accelerates drive for the ‘professionalisation of IT’ Continue Reading

By

• Ben Sillitoe

CW Nordics: Klarna alumni energise Stockholm’s startup scene

Klarna, established in 2005, has not only grown into a well-known Swedish fintech brand, but former staff have gone on to create some of the Nordic region's new startup ventures that are currently riding a wave of growth. Find out more about the so-called ‘Klarna academy’. Also read in this issue why growing tech companies in Stockholm say the city's startup environment needs to diversify more. Continue Reading

Challenger banks make reputational gains in business banking

The business banking sector is a big target for digital challengers and some are already building good reputations in the market Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

What will be the bank branch balance in the digital age?

Will the traditional banks be permanently disadvantaged by the need to retain bank branches or could they turn it to their advantage? Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Global fintech investments reach new heights

The global financial technology industry is emerging from the pandemic-triggered slowdown with record levels of investment to fuel further growth Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Banks could be blocked from closing branches through FCA legislation

UK financial services regulator the Financial Conduct Authority considers legislation that could block some bank branch closures to ensure citizens have easy access to cash Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Around 75% of minority tech employees don’t feel a sense of belonging at work

Research by Capgemini found just over three-quarters of global tech employees who are women or ethnic minorities don’t feel a sense of belonging at work Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

M&S launches initiative to hire software engineers

Supermarket and department store M&S has launched an initiative designed to help it find software engineering talent Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

Gaming could reduce the gamble for users of online finance

Financial gaming platform designed to educate the increasing number of amateur traders Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

New thinking and systems required to tackle online fraud in retail

Online fraud is a growing problem for retail, but are merchants doing enough to update systems and how should they change their actions to address it? Continue Reading

By

• Ben Sillitoe

Nordic banks join forces to compete with fintechs

Collaboration will be key for traditional Nordic banks to retain business amid intense competition from tech companies Continue Reading

By

• Gerard O'Dwyer

Video commerce and livestreaming make waves in retail

The growth in e-commerce during the pandemic is well documented, but the fragmented retail environment has also helped video commerce and livestreaming rise to prominence Continue Reading

Fintech sector continues to attract investment as Revolut hits $33bn valuation

Revolut has become the most valuable financial technology firm in the UK after its latest round of investment, with plans for a ‘superapp’ Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

UK fintech investments recovering from lost year

Fintech investments have bounced back in the first half of this year after a Covid-19-hit 2020 Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Brands opt for headless e-commerce vs. traditional commerce

For large enterprises, headless commerce breaks down websites into user-friendly modules marketers can update. SMBs can also use it, paired with WordPress and other simple tools. Continue Reading

By

• Don Fluckinger, Senior News Writer

Tech and new experiences tackling trouble at t’mall

UK shopping centres are under pressure, but new concepts, tech-infused spaces, and fresh approaches to consumer engagement are revitalising the sector Continue Reading

By

• Ben Sillitoe

Why identity is the central problem for the future of the internet

As debate rages over who has the right to control user identities online, is the concept of decentralised identity about to have its day? Continue Reading

By

• Nick Lambert

Ocado sees 19.8% increase in retail business revenue

Online retailer’s half-year results show a significant increase in revenue for its retail business, with numbers reaching £1.2bn Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

Bank of England searches for new CIO amid once-in-a-generation project

The Bank of England is recruiting a head of IT during a period of major change in its core IT system Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Nordic fintech could lead the world

Will the Nordics become the fintech and open banking innovation capital of the world? Continue Reading

By

• Alex Cruickshank

Nordic mobile wallets to merge onto single tech platform

Plans underway to merge the mobile wallets of various Nordic banks into a single public cloud-based technology platform Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

E-commerce giant Shopify upgrades Liquid, dev tools

Buoyed by the pandemic e-commerce boom, Shopify rolls out upgrades for no-code, low-code and pro-code offerings for its web platform -- and rewrites APIs to make stores faster. Continue Reading

By

• Don Fluckinger, Senior News Writer

Bank branches will be a thing of the past in five years, say bankers

Traditional bank branches are likely to disappear from the high street in the next five years, but banking ecosystems will ensure customer service levels are high, say bankers Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Zopa Bank to make profit in its first year

Bank set up by peer-to-peer lending fintech firm expected to make a profit in its first year Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

CMA to probe Amazon and Google over fake reviews

The CMA has opened an investigation into Amazon and Google over possible breaches of consumer protection law Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Brighton tourists charged thousands of pounds for fairground ride after Worldpay glitch

Tourists at a Brighton attraction were overcharged by thousands of pounds due to a glitch at payment processor Worldpay Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Visa to acquire Swedish open banking fintech for €1.8bn

Payments giant Visa agrees to pay €1.8bn to acquire Tink, a specialist open banking fintech Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Google hands third-party cookies a stay of execution

Google’s proposed Privacy Sandbox initiative – which will see third-party cookies phased out in the Chrome web browser – has been pushed back to 2023 Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Lloyds Bank to close 44 more branches

Banking group has announced the closure of a further 44 branches as customers increasingly use other channels for banking Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Digital banks could dominate once baby boomers pass on their wealth

Traditional banks face challenges in the coming years due to an increasing number of millennials only using digital banks Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Video commerce and livestreaming make waves in retail

The growth in e-commerce during the pandemic is well documented, but the fragmented retail environment has also helped video commerce and livestreaming rise to prominence Continue Reading

By

• Ben Sillitoe

CMA secures commitments from Google on future of cookies

The Competition and Markets Authority is opening a consultation on commitments offered to it by Google to ensure its Privacy Sandbox proposals do not harm digital advertising markets Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

CW Europe: Amsterdam reins back datacentre developments over environmental concern

The construction of datacentres in the Netherlands’ Amsterdam region has accelerated at such a pace that their demands for electricity are causing concern, prompting city authorities and datacentre operators to open a dialogue about sustainable datacentre industry expansion. Also in this issue, find out the state of play in the adoption of open banking across Europe. Continue Reading

RSA spins out fraud and risk unit as Outseer

RSA Security is transitioning its fraud and risk intelligence work into a new business to be called Outseer Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

BBVA to cut 3,000 jobs in Spain as digital technology transforms industry

Spanish bank is the latest to announce swingeing branch and job cuts amid increased digital competition Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Klarna takes on UK credit card providers with feature that breaks up online payments

Fintech unicorn introduces feature to its app in the UK which will challenge traditional credit card providers Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Amazon launches apprenticeship fund for small businesses

The £2.5m Amazon Apprenticeship Fund will be aimed at helping small businesses use the government’s levy transfer scheme to access talent Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

MP-backed push to stop tech giants claiming super-deduction tax relief thwarted

Move to prevent the likes of Amazon using the government's new super-deduction policy to minimise their UK tax liabilities even further fails to win support in the House of Commons Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

Trust is key to keeping the digital customer happy

Consumers were forced into using digital channels during the coronavirus lockdowns, but some digital users now plan to return to the physical world Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Stockholm’s startup scene seeks more diversity

Swedish capital has created a world-leading tech startup environment, but it still lacks the diversity of people needed to move it to the next level Continue Reading

By

• Matthew Staff

Pandemic tech use heightens consumer privacy fears

Report on consumer attitudes to privacy finds evidence of a “heightened sense of fear” as digital footprints expand inexorably Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

UK government publishes Online Safety Bill draft

Bill builds on previous commitments by the government, which has added new measures to uphold democracy and freedom of speech while making tech giants more accountable Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

The Security Interviews: Why helpful bots could hurt vaccine roll-outs

Earlier this year, spikes in traffic to websites containing information about Covid-19 vaccines were attributed by Imperva to automated bots scraping data. Why is that a problem? Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Running a bees and spirits business on low-code

We look at how a small honey and gin producer has adapted and grown its business without requiring external software development expertise Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Government urged to add scam protections to Online Safety Bill

Group of organisations calls for the government to use the Online Safety Bill to protect people from cyber scams Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Scammers accidentally reveal fake Amazon review data

More than 13 million records relating to an organised fake review scam have been found on an unsecured ElasticSearch database, implicating hundreds of thousands of people in unethical behaviour Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

How KFC put digital on the menu

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we find out how fast-food chain KFC turned to digital to survive the pandemic. Our latest buyer’s guide looks at technologies to improve office productivity for home workers. And we assess the growing problem of electronic waste and how to tackle it. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

UK supermarkets to trial age estimation tech for alcohol purchases

Biometric age estimation technology developed by Yoti to be tested in UK supermarkets for alcohol purchases as part of government-led digital identities initiative Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

How AI and automation drive better customer service

Forrester analysts explore the benefits of combining artificial intelligence with automation Continue Reading

By

• Karine Cardona-Smits and Ian Jacobs

CW Middle East: Qatari regulator launches platform to help combat money laundering

The Qatar Financial Markets Authority is using a digital platform to enable financial services professionals to assess their knowledge of anti-money laundering and combating the financing of terrorism. Also in this issue, read how the Covid-19 pandemic has changed the IT spending patterns among enterprises in Saudi Arabia. Continue Reading

Covid-19 left people feeling vulnerable to cyber crime

Around 15 million people in the UK experienced cybercrime in the past 12 months, with a cumulative 64 million hours wasted dealing with the fallout Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Another 27 Danish banks get access to open banking APIs

Nordic banks gain access to open banking capabilities from Nordic API Gateway, with an agreement through their shared IT service provider Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

NCSC: Using your pet’s name as a password is very stupid

If your email password is still Rex, Rover or Mr Fluffles, it’s probably best to change it, the NCSC has said Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Digital Markets Unit starts work on codes of conduct for tech giants

Digital markets regulator officially launched to ensure tech giants such as Facebook and Google cannot exploit their market dominance to crowd out competition and stifle innovation online Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Asda bags ex-Marks and Spencer CIO

Carl Dawson, who has been CIO at department store M&S for six years, is leaving the retailer to become CIO at Asda Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

Big Tech eclipses telecoms and arms giants as biggest lobbying spenders

Facebook and Amazon are spending more on lobbying and campaign contributions than any other companies in the US, including those in the arms and telecommunications sectors that have traditionally been the highest political spenders Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

How far has open banking come in Europe?

Open banking is a relatively new concept, having come into effect in Europe only in the last couple of years. So what is the state of play? Continue Reading

By

• Alex Cruickshank

Amazon Go – is now the right time?

In the beginning of 2021, Amazon launched a physical store in London, but is it the right time to be investing in offline? Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Baldwin, Freelance editor and journalist

UK digital regulators set out plans to strengthen cooperation

Digital Regulation Cooperation Forum outlines plans for the coming year, marking a shift towards a more collaborative regulatory approach Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

UK's Starling Bank reaches unicorn status

UK app-based bank Starling reaches unicorn status following its latest round of funding Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Bank of Ireland to reduce branch network by almost half

Bank of Ireland is latest bank to pin its future on digital channels as customers change their banking habits Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

UK contactless payment limit more than doubled

UK increases the amount that can be spent in one go using a contactless payments card to £100 Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Pandemic brings good online sales growth for smaller retailers

IMRG data shows smaller retailers did ‘astronomically well’ in online sales growth after Covid-19 took hold last year Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

HSBC offers to help customers transitioning to digital banking as branch closures continue

HSBC is offering its customers training in how to bank digitally in a safe and effective way as it, like many banks, moves customers out of branches and towards using online services Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Nordic startups strive to fuel international e-commerce transformation

Nordic startups are developing technology for retailers that want to improve the customer experience when buying online Continue Reading

By

• Matthew Staff

MHRA and other agencies to offer new resources for scam victims

New landing page resources will replace .uk domains suspended for criminal activity to help members of the public access appropriate guidance Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

CW Nordics: Nordic startups aim to take the lead in pet tech advances

Nordic technology startups are looking to take pet tech mainstream following the acceleration of the industry during the coronavirus pandemic. Also in this issue, read how businesses can learn lessons from Nordic technology startups to prepare employees to return to the office after Covid-19 restrictions lift. Continue Reading

UK government set to offer fintech visa

The importance of immigrant workers to the UK's fintech sector highlighted by government planned fintech visa Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Swedish central bank extends digital currency project

Sweden's central bank has extended its pilot of a digital currency for at least another year Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Digital investments will add £232bn to UK economy by 2040

The UK economy could grow by £232bn over the next two decades if investments in digital technologies continue Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Dating app users warned to watch out for scammers

A vast amount of money was lost to romance scammers last year, and with millions of people isolated in lockdown the problem is getting worse, according to a report Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Data breaches are a ticking timebomb for consumers

Damage from data breaches goes far beyond the impact to the target organisation – an obvious fact that is too often overlooked, says F-Secure Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Audi fine-tunes its digital performance to boost online car sales

In this week’s Computer Weekly, the digital chief at Audi UK discusses how the carmaker is tackling the slump in new car sales. One of the largest global malware botnets has been taken down, but how much of a blow will it be for cyber criminals? And we hear how one county council made huge savings on its SAP installation. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Singapore tops cloud adoption in ASEAN

Nearly nine in 10 organisations in Singapore are using cloud services, but cost and security concerns remain Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Nordic countries dominate European online banking take-up

Nordics dominate online banking take-up in Europe, but the UK is not far behind Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Commerzbank announces big job cuts and branch closures

German bank is closing hundreds of branches and cutting thousands of jobs as it reshapes for the digital age Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

JP Morgan Chase hires for UK digital bank launch

US banking giant hires in the UK in preparation for digital consumer bank launch Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Contactless payment limit could rise to £100 as FCA seeks industry views

UK financial services regulator is considering raising the contactless card payment limit to £100 Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Customers turn to cash as IT issue hits card payments at major supermarkets

IT problem at payment processing company has forced shoppers to resort to cash in Morrisons and Co-op stores Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Cyber fraud a national security issue, says Rusi report

A report from the Rusi think tank calls for fresh approaches to how we think about fighting fraud Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Salad as a service: How tech could revolutionise farming

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we find out how new technologies are supporting the rise of vertical farming, and could revolutionise food supply chains. We examine one of the biggest trends in the cloud – serverless computing. And Brexit has not yet ended the debate about UK-EU data protection. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Nine out of 10 UK card payments in 2020 were contactless

Contactless cards payments accounted for around 90% of card payments in the UK in 2020 Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

ICO resumes adtech investigation

The UK Information Commissioner’s Office was criticised for ending its investigation into alleged malpractice in advertising technology, but has now resumed its probe Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

HSBC closing more branches as customers turn to digital channel

Bank announces branch closures as it reshapes its network for the digital age Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Click fraud levels reach new heights in pandemic

Small companies risk losing £10,000 a year, and enterprises as much as £520,000, to cyber criminals as click fraud volumes spike Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Competition and Markets Authority battles with cookies and privacy

CMA is looking at proposed privacy changes to Google’s Chrome browser that could be seen as anti-competitive Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Why Jack Ma might be too good a tech entrepreneur for China's leaders

Tech pioneer Jack Ma is facing new regulatory pressure from the Chinese authorities – is this some ideological spat, or simply that he's too good at what he does compared to the state-owned financial system? Continue Reading

By

• Tim Worstall, Adam Smith Institute

Banking trade body calls for increased contactless payment limit

UK Finance proposes an increase in the limit on spending using contactless cards Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Innovation at the shelf edge

It’s been a challenging year for stores due to Covid-19, but some retailers have found time to innovate at the shelf edge with noteworthy technology deployments Continue Reading

By

• Ben Sillitoe

Top 10 financial services stories of 2020

Here are Computer Weekly’s top 10 financial services IT stories of 2020 Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA