IT for consulting and business services
Companies in the consulting and business services industries often have specialist needs that require effective use of IT. Law firms, consultancies, accountants, recruitment firms and other advisory services use innovative technology to deliver business benefits, and you can read our news and analysis of the key trends and what they mean to you
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News
03 Jan 2024
Artificial intelligence to the front in Sweden’s National Technology Strategy
Sweden focuses in on artificial intelligence in its latest far-reaching national IT strategy Continue Reading
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Feature
07 Sep 2023
Interview: Ashish Gupta, head of EMEA, HCLTech
It’s not just enterprises that changed their operating models during and after Covid, but also the suppliers that took them on the journey, HCLTech Europe’s head explains Continue Reading
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News
09 Jun 2014
Turing Test 2014 marks historic milestone in artificial intelligence
A computer program has made history by passing the artificial intelligence test set by computer science pioneer Alan Turing Continue Reading
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News
06 Jun 2014
Microsoft retaliates to China’s Windows 8 spying claims
Microsoft has launched a social media campaign against China’s claims that Windows 8 is being used for US spying Continue Reading
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News
05 Jun 2014
CIOs should 'leave innovation to marketing'
CIOs should focus on managing the technical infrastructure and leave innovation to other parts of the business – conclusion of a major study. Continue Reading
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News
02 Jun 2014
Cyber threats hiding in plain sight, says Palo Alto Networks
Cyber attackers exploit commonly used business applications to bypass security controls, research shows Continue Reading
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News
30 May 2014
UK shoe retailer Office hit by data breach
Data breach at UK shoe retailer Office prompts calls for online firms to beef up security around customer details Continue Reading
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News
30 May 2014
IT supplier insolvencies fall for first time as economy recovers
Technology companies have reached a turning point as insolvencies fall for the first time in 2014 Continue Reading
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News
30 May 2014
Google launches right-to-be-forgotten application form
Google has introduced an online application form for Europeans who want personal data to be removed from online search results Continue Reading
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News
27 May 2014
Android Outlook app has privacy issues, warn researchers
Microsoft’s Outlook.com app for Android is exposing users' data, warn security researchers Continue Reading
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News
23 May 2014
eBay under fire over handling of data breach
eBay is coming under increasing criticism over its handling of the data breach that exposed millions of user records Continue Reading
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News
20 May 2014
US cyber criminal jailed for 20 years
US authorities have jailed a cyber criminal for 20 years, for trading in stolen credit cards and identities Continue Reading
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News
19 May 2014
Public sector dominates UK outsourcing so far this year
Public-sector outsourcing accounted for three-quarters of spending in the first three months of this year, according to analyst NelsonHall Continue Reading
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News
16 May 2014
Internet of things security is relevant to business, says researcher
Internet of things is relevant to enterprise information security professionals, says researcher Continue Reading
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News
16 May 2014
Minnesota passes mobile kill switch law to stop theft
Minnesota has become the first US state to introduce legislation aimed at reducing the theft of smartphones Continue Reading
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News
16 May 2014
Net neutrality under threat from US plan
The US telecoms regulator has approved proposals that opponents believe will quash the principle of net neutrality Continue Reading
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News
09 May 2014
Orange data breach underlines need for encryption, say experts
The theft of 1.3 million customer records from Orange, France underlines the need for encryption, say experts Continue Reading
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News
08 May 2014
Internet privacy could thwart data security, warns expert
Steps to improve online privacy could thwart data security, warns security expert Hugh Thompson Continue Reading
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News
30 Apr 2014
Infosec 2014: Threat knowledge is key to cyber security, say experts
Business should improve awareness of cyber risks to stay ahead of criminals, say experts Continue Reading
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News
30 Apr 2014
Software developers suffer as IT companies endure rising insolvencies
Increase in the number of IT insolvencies expected as the economy improves Continue Reading
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News
29 Apr 2014
UK and Ireland cyber attacks up 300% in 2013, says FireEye
UK and Ireland enterprises were hit by an average of more than 70 new infections a day in 2013, a report shows Continue Reading
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News
25 Apr 2014
Cyber threat detection paramount, says SANS fellow
Cyber threat prevention is ideal, but detection is a must, says Eric Cole, SANS Institute fellow Continue Reading
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News
25 Apr 2014
Heartbleed prompts tech firms to pledge open-source support
Top tech firms have joined forces to support open-source software to help prevent future bugs like Heartbleed Continue Reading
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News
11 Apr 2014
Microsoft halts Windows 8.1 update for businesses due to bug
Microsoft has suspended the Windows 8.1 update for business users because of a bug. Continue Reading
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News
10 Apr 2014
TCG releases TPM 2 specification for improved security
The Trusted Computing Group has published an updated specification for the Trusted Platform Module Continue Reading
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News
08 Apr 2014
Workday sees opportunity for cloud financial management in Europe
Workday plans to push cloud finance and accounting services to enterprise in Europe, but observers say its background in HR technology may prove an obstacle Continue Reading
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News
02 Apr 2014
Study alleges deeper NSA influence on RSA
RSA adopted a second NSA-developed encryption tool, increasing the agency's spying capabilities, a study claims Continue Reading
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News
01 Apr 2014
UK update to copyright law imminent
The UK is to update its 1988 copyright law for the digital age in line with a nearly three-year-old review Continue Reading
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News
28 Mar 2014
Google says government data requests are up 120% since 2009
Government requests for information about Google customers, have increased by 120% since 2009 Continue Reading
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News
27 Mar 2014
Security an unnecessary expense, say one in six techies
One in six IT professionals see security as an unnecessary expense, a study has revealed Continue Reading
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Feature
25 Mar 2014
Target data breach: Why UK business needs to pay attention
Late last year, US retailer Target was hit by one of the biggest data breaches in the industry's history. So what happened and why is it relevant to UK businesses? Continue Reading
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News
24 Mar 2014
Grant Thornton spends £3m in move to cloud HR services
Financial advisory firm invests in cloud talent management as it gears up to expand its operations in the UK Continue Reading
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News
21 Mar 2014
Customer privacy an ongoing challenge, says Unilever
Unilever has set up a programme to address the continually evolving challenge of privacy issues relating to customer data Continue Reading
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News
20 Mar 2014
Application support and maintenance costs increase 29%
The cost of supporting and maintaining applications is increasing every year for Global 2000 companies in the US and UK, according to a study of 300 CIOs Continue Reading
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News
19 Mar 2014
Pirated software malware to cost business $491bn in 2014, study shows
Malware deliberately loaded into pirated or counterfeit software is expected cost enterprises $491bn in 2014 Continue Reading
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News
19 Mar 2014
Firms urged to take tough action on Unix-based cyber attack
Security researchers have urged businesses to take action on a cyber criminal campaign that has seized control of 25,000+ Unix servers worldwide Continue Reading
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News
17 Mar 2014
SMEs believes they are immune to cyber attack
Most SMEs believe they are not at real risk of cyber attack, a survey has revealed Continue Reading
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Feature
14 Mar 2014
Hacktivism: good or evil?
IT lawyer Dai Davis looks at the rise of hacktivism and its impact on business and international politics Continue Reading
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News
12 Mar 2014
More than 162,000 WordPress sites used in DDoS attack
Security researchers have uncovered a DDoS attack that used more than 162,000 legitimate and unwitting WordPress websites Continue Reading
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News
12 Mar 2014
Tim Berners-Lee calls for internet users’ "bill of rights"
World Wide Web creator marks its 25th anniversary by calling for a “free, open and truly global internet” enshrined in a "bill of rights" Continue Reading
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News
10 Mar 2014
Dark web key enabler for cyber criminals, say McAfee researchers
The dark web is a key conduit for the malware industry to refine and distribute its products and services, say security researchers Continue Reading
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News
28 Feb 2014
Liverpool council to end BT IT joint venture
Liverpool City Council is to cancel a £70m-a-year IT joint venture deal with BT and bring services back in-house Continue Reading
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News
27 Feb 2014
Microsoft takes aim at passwords
Microsoft says it is determined to solve the problem of ineffective authentication that relies on usernames and passwords Continue Reading
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News
21 Feb 2014
Employee mobiles expose firms to attack, says Webroot
Employees mobile devices expose companies to malicious applications and attacks, according to the latest mobile threat report from Webroot Continue Reading
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News
19 Feb 2014
UK firms see 1,000+ internal data breaches a day, study finds
Internal threats are not a high priority for UK firms despite more than 1,000 internal data breaches a day Continue Reading
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News
19 Feb 2014
NHS England puts patient database on hold
NHS England is to delay by six months the roll-out of its controversial Care.data scheme for sharing patient records through a central database Continue Reading
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News
18 Feb 2014
Indian suppliers face recruitment challenges as visa rejections increase
US clampdowns on Indian IT firms bringing staff to its shores is forcing Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) to increase local hires Continue Reading
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News
18 Feb 2014
Cut Microsoft admin rights to mitigate 92% of threats, study shows
Removing Microsoft admin rights from employees mitigates 92% of critical vulnerabilities reported in 2013 Continue Reading
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News
11 Feb 2014
Why IT outsourcing is increasingly blamed for IT failures at banks
Are the IT problems at UK banks caused by outsourcing or the use of decades-old mainframe technology – or is it a combination of the two? Continue Reading
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News
11 Feb 2014
Rights groups call on White House to open privacy review
A coalition of 25 rights groups is calling for a 90-day US government review of big data and the future of privacy to be opened up to the public Continue Reading
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News
11 Feb 2014
UK among targets of 'Mask' advanced cyber espionage campaign
The UK has been hit more than 100 times in an advanced global cyber espionage campaign that has gone undetected for more than five years Continue Reading
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News
10 Feb 2014
Barclays bank leaks thousands of customer records
Regulators investigate Barclays after a whistleblower claims the bank leaked 27,000 customer records Continue Reading
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News
06 Feb 2014
UK critical infrastructure at risk of cyber attack, says IET report
UK critical national infrastructure is at risk of cyber attack, says a report by consultancy Atkins for the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) Continue Reading
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News
04 Feb 2014
NHS site malicious redirects are a warning to developers
A coding error that redirected NHS website visitors to malicious content should be a warning to developers, say security experts Continue Reading
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News
31 Jan 2014
Hackers access Yahoo Mail with stolen passwords
Yahoo has revealed that hackers have tried to access some Yahoo Mail accounts with stolen passwords Continue Reading
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News
30 Jan 2014
Lenovo buys Google’s Motorola Mobility in $3bn deal
Google has announced the sale of its Motorola Mobility unit to Chinese computer maker Lenovo in a $3bn deal Continue Reading
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News
29 Jan 2014
Cyber security quest strong in UK, says Isaca
There is a strong interest in cyber security in the UK, says Rob Stroud, international president-elect for Isaca Continue Reading
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News
23 Jan 2014
New Snapchat security measure easily by-passed, says researcher
A new Snapchat security measure to verify users are human is easily by-passed, says researcher Continue Reading
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News
23 Jan 2014
US startup aims to turn tables on hackers
US startup Shape Security is turning the tables against hackers by using one of their own techniques against them Continue Reading
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News
22 Jan 2014
CERT-UK to drive international cyber security collaboration
The UK’s new national computer emergency response team (CERT-UK) is set to drive international cyber security collaboration once it becomes operational Continue Reading
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News
16 Jan 2014
HCL and CSC partner to modernise applications
Indian IT services firm HCL and US competitor CSC are working together to win business in the application modernisation and cloud migration segments of the application outsourcing sector Continue Reading
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News
14 Jan 2014
Post Office seeks contractors for network and back-office work
The Post Office is looking for IT services firms to provide back-office IT applications and networking technologies in contracts worth hundreds of millions of pounds Continue Reading
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News
14 Jan 2014
Top European IT initiative to support business in 2014?
Expanding IT to support business growth is one of the biggest areas of focus for IT departments in 2014, so what does this mean? Continue Reading
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News
07 Jan 2014
Security Think Tank: Information security strategy should support the business
How should Edward Snowden's revelations about the NSA and GCHQ influence future information security strategies in the UK? Continue Reading
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News
06 Jan 2014
Infosec Skills, BCS announce winners of Cyber Security Challenge
Stuart Pringle, Simon Robinson and Robert Wyllie have won over £2,000 of training and a place in the semi-final of the current UK Cyber Security Challenge Continue Reading
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News
06 Jan 2014
Yahoo claims malicious ads under control
Yahoo says the situation is under control after its advertising network served up malware to thousands of visitors last week Continue Reading
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News
03 Jan 2014
FireEye acquires Mandiant in $1bn deal
Security firm FireEye has bought Mandiant in a deal worth just over $1bn Continue Reading
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News
03 Jan 2014
Facebook faces lawsuit over monitoring private messages
Facebook is facing a lawsuit that claims it scans the contents of private messages to profile the user’s online activity Continue Reading
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News
24 Dec 2013
Top 10 IT privacy stories of 2013
Stories related to whistleblower Edward Snowden’s revelations about internet mass surveillance programmes by the US and the UK have dominated this year Continue Reading
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Opinion
19 Dec 2013
User acceptance testing needs real training, not just a short course
In spite of its importance, user acceptance testing (UAT) is often chaotic, problematic and ineffective Continue Reading
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News
11 Dec 2013
Research reveals widespread mobile app hacking
The top 100 paid Android apps and 56% of the top 100 paid Apple iOS apps have been hacked, research has revealed Continue Reading
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News
11 Dec 2013
Thirteen plead guilty to Anonymous DDoS attack on Paypal
Thirteen people have pleaded guilty to taking part in DDoS attacks on eBay’s Paypal, organised by the Anonymous hacker group in 2010 Continue Reading
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News
11 Dec 2013
Ransomware looks set to increase, warns Sophos
Cyber criminals are planning to produce new forms of ransomware on an unprecedented scale, according to IT security firm Sophos Continue Reading
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News
09 Dec 2013
Computer system failure delays hundreds of UK flights
Hundreds of flights at several UK airports were delayed or cancelled at the weekend because of a computer failure at National Air Traffic Services (NATS) Continue Reading
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News
05 Dec 2013
Automation key to balancing agility and security, says AlgoSec
Automated critical business application management enables a more agile business and enhances security, says security policy management firm AlgoSec Continue Reading
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News
04 Dec 2013
Proof-of-concept malware jumps air gap with sound card
Researchers demonstrate proof-of-concept malware exfiltrating data using high-frequency transmissions inaudible to humans Continue Reading
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News
04 Dec 2013
The Guardian denies Snowden stories damaged national security
Guardian editor Alan Rusbridger defends decision to publish stories on documents leaked by whistleblower Edward Snowden Continue Reading
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News
04 Dec 2013
UK proposes formal talks on cyber security with China
Prime minister David Cameron has called on China to be more open about cyber security Continue Reading
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News
28 Nov 2013
EU calls on US to rebuild trust in post-Snowden era
The EC has called on the US to provide guarantees to restore trust in the wake of spying revelations Continue Reading
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News
26 Nov 2013
NCA changed UK cyber crime fighting, says NCCU head
The NCA has changed the UK law enforcement landscape, says Andy Archibald, head of the NCA’s National Cyber Crime Unit Continue Reading
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News
26 Nov 2013
Government lays out 2014 cyber security agenda
The UK government has reiterated its commitment to addressing cyber security and laid out some plans for 2014 at the Cyber Security Summit 2013 Continue Reading
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News
26 Nov 2013
IT suppliers relaxed about contract visibility
IT and BPO suppliers Atos and Capita say they are relaxed about being more open about the often obscured details of large government contracts, as outsourcing giants are put under pressure by MPs to open up to public scrutiny Continue Reading
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News
26 Nov 2013
The state of agile software development in the UK
Lately it is more surprising to hear that businesses are developing using a methodology other than agile, such is its widespread use Continue Reading
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News
26 Nov 2013
White hat Wi-Fi hacking shows vulnerability of business data
Whitehat hackers have shown that senstitive data can be sniffed easily from public Wi-Fi hotspots Continue Reading
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News
26 Nov 2013
FTSE 350 firms complete cyber risk assessment
Most FTSE 350 companies put cyber risk on the board agenda, but many need to improve how they manage that risk Continue Reading
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News
21 Nov 2013
CSA appoints Microsoft’s Adrienne Hall to board
The CSA has appointed Adrienne Hall, from Trustworthy Computing at Microsoft, to its board of directors Continue Reading
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News
20 Nov 2013
Report highlights poor UK attitudes to mobile security
Businesses should note that many UK mobile users do not take security precautions and do not know how to guard against data theft Continue Reading
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News
19 Nov 2013
Google reaches $17m multi-state settlement over Safari snooping
Google has reached a $17m settlement agreement with 10 US states for bypassing Apple Safari privacy settings Continue Reading
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News
18 Nov 2013
Google and Microsoft to block searches for child porn
Google and Microsoft have announced measures to make it more difficult to find child abuse images online Continue Reading
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News
15 Nov 2013
Cyber collateral damage a concern for all, says Lancope
All organisations could be affected by cyber attack collateral damage, says network security firm Lancope Continue Reading
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News
14 Nov 2013
Shell delivers global SAP upgrade
Shell has simplified and standardised business processes in its business focused on refining and marketing activities for oil products and chemicals, through a global SAP upgrade Continue Reading
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News
14 Nov 2013
Europe to follow US clearance of mobile devices on flights
The European aviation regulator is to follow the US lead in easing restrictions on the use of mobile electronic devices during flights Continue Reading
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News
12 Nov 2013
Mass surveillance a bad idea, says Information Commissioner Christopher Graham
Information Commissioner Christopher Graham says issues of national security must not overshadow concerns of legitimate public interest Continue Reading
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News
12 Nov 2013
Web surveillance not a good idea, says Info Commissioner
Information Commissioner Christopher Graham says issues of national security cannot be allowed to overshadow concerns of legitimate public interest Continue Reading
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News
08 Nov 2013
NSA and GCHQ mass surveillance violates EU law, study finds
Mass internet surveillance by US and UK intelligence agencies violates European law, according to a study by two academics Continue Reading
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News
07 Nov 2013
UK intelligence heads defend mass surveillance operations
Heads of the UK’s intelligence services insist all they do in term of mass surveillance is strictly within the confines of UK law Continue Reading
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News
29 Oct 2013
Analysis: RSA says security needs to change, but what does that mean?
RSA executive chairman Art Coviello has issued a call to action to the security industry to improve technology and collaboration Continue Reading
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News
29 Oct 2013
Most businesses need to transform IT security, says RSA
No modern network or IT system can withstand the onslaught of a skilled adversary, given focus and time, says Amit Yoran, general manager of RSA Continue Reading
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News
28 Oct 2013
CIO Interview: Ann-Marie Rafferty, head of IT, Access, on partnership models
Ann-Marie Rafferty, who heads up IT for the partnership between Serco and Glasgow council, discusses strategic frameworks Continue Reading
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News
28 Oct 2013
Cyber attack shuts down Israeli toll road tunnel
A cyber attack has shut down a major link in Israel's national road network, experts claim Continue Reading
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News
25 Oct 2013
Fulham football club address skills shortfall with cloud database
Fulham football club’s IT team moves its database infrastructure to the cloud with a database as a service implementation Continue Reading
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News
25 Oct 2013
Samsung reports record Q3 profits of £4.8bn
Samsung has reported record third quarter profits of £4.8bn driven mainly by revenues from memory chips Continue Reading