IT for financial services

Financial sector faces era of cyber mega heists

Banks and other financial institutions are threatened by a new breed of elite cyber criminals running professional operations that will use any means to achieve their goals, says Barclays security chief Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

PwC Australia uses gamification to teach cyber security lessons

With the number of cyber incidents identified by Australian organisations more than doubling in the past year, PwC is using an online game to give enterprises first-hand experience of what it means to face a cyber attack Continue Reading

By

• Beverley Head

RBS abandons IT project for hiving off 300+ bank branches

RBS has abandoned a project to create an IT platform to support the sell-off of more than 300 bank branches Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Banner Health cyber breach underlines need for faster intrusion detection

A data breach at Banner Health has highlighted the importance of intrusion detection and prompted calls for greater cyber security investment in the increasingly targeted healthcare industry Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Singapore’s DBS Bank signs up to Amazon cloud

The latest move in the cloud journey of DBS bank in Singapore is an agreement with Amazon Web Services Continue Reading

By

• Ai Lei Tao

One in five businesses hit by ransomware are forced to close, study shows

More than half of UK companies have been hit by ransomware in the past year, a study on the impacts of this popular attack method has revealed Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Barclays to use voice recognition for phone banking

Retail bank says technology will provide secure verification by recognising the unique characteristics of each person’s voice Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

German digital bank Fidor acquired by French banking giant

Fidor CEO says merger with BPCE will allow challenger to continue its international expansion Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Tel Aviv Stock Exchange centralises functions with ERP

The Tel Aviv Stock Exchange has installed first ever ERP system. CIO Eldad Hershtig explains his strategic choices and implementation path Continue Reading

By

• Brian McKenna, Senior Analyst, Business Applications

Security industry welcomes cyber crime’s inclusion in official stats

The security industry welcomes the inclusion of cyber crime statistic in official crime reports to highlight the size and nature of the threat Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

CW Middle East: July-September 2016

In this issue of CW Middle East, we look at how CIOs in the region are formulating their virtualisation strategies as organisations warm to the benefits of cloud computing. Today, virtualisation in the Middle East has gone beyond a shoddy virtual private network (VPN) installed on a desktop, to more sophisticated cloud-based technologies that are enabling a more mobile, more agile workforce. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Building big ideas in banking

In this issue, we visit JP Morgan’s European software development centre in Glasgow to see how the investment bank is working with local universities and collaborating in the open source community. Software chief Stephen Flaherty talks about how JP Morgan uses open source software and has now begun contributing to open source projects. The bank uses NoSQL and OpenStack technologies and is pushing the limits of Hadoop to power risk applications, enabling it to achieve near real-time risk analysis of a trade. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

IBM sets up security centre in Canberra

IBM leads the charge as large private businesses invest heavily in security resources across Australia in an attempt to close the security gap Continue Reading

By

• Beverley Head

Was that it? Business as usual for fintechs after Brexit vote

Following the Brexit vote, Fintech Times editor Bird Lovegod describes how financial services IT startups are getting on with business as usual Continue Reading

By

• Bird Lovegod

IBM’s Watson gets to work

In this issue we explore the many ways IBM’s Watson has evolved from the machine that bettered humans in US game show Jeopardy! to providing deep analytical insights to solve real-world crises. We also look at how Barclays bank is using DevOps to remain competitive and reveal new research that illustrates why cloud computing is at the heart of business innovation. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Standard Chartered takes global delivery network to next level

Bank to invest $3bn in global delivery network, with particular focus on scaling up Malaysian centre Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Visa’s Dubai innovation centre to focus on digital payments

Visa has opened a technology innovation centre in Dubai to focus on cashless payments Continue Reading

By

• Edward Banda

DWP trials blockchain technology for benefit payments

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) trials blockchain's distributed ledger technology, with benefit claimants using a mobile app to track welfare payments Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

CW@50: A history of IT outsourcing

Computer Weekly looks at where and when IT outsourcing was invented and considers the changes the sector has gone through since Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Overcoming the scale-up challenge of enterprise DevOps adoption

CIOs and IT leaders share their advice on what enterprises can do to accelerate the spread of DevOps within their organisations Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

Thailand’s TMB Bank modernises IT through the cloud

Bank used a move to Office 365 as a starting point for its transformation into a cloud-first organisation Continue Reading

By

• Ai Lei Tao

Barclays banks on agile and DevOps to tackle competitive threats in fintech

Barclays Bank opens up about how increasing competition in the financial services sector has fuelled its 18-month, company-wide campaign to increase its use of agile and DevOps methodologies Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

LizardStresser IoT botnet launches 400Gbps DDoS attack

Attack groups using the LizardStresser botnet are exploiting IoT devices to mount massive DDoS attacks without using amplification techniques, say researchers Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Finland’s prisons move to a cashless world

Inmates in Finland’s prisons will no longer need to use cash as a pre-paid card system is rolled out Continue Reading

By

• Eeva Haaramo

Banking IT community faces uncertain Brexit future

The financial services IT community faces a period of uncertainty as finance firms reassess plans following the EU referendum result Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Lower average cost of Australian data breaches is not a sign of comfort

The average cost of a data breach to Australian organisations dropped in 2015, according to research Continue Reading

By

• Beverley Head

Hays Recruitment service desk project is all gain and no pain

The firm was attracted by the many benefits of a cloud-based service desk, but chief among them was the low risk involved in implementation Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Tesco Bank partners with MasterCard to develop digital payments

Tesco’s retail bank has partnered with payment provider MasterCard to give customers more innovative digital payment methods Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

Singapore banks adopt voice biometrics for user authentication

Banks in Singapore are rolling out biometric technology to improve customer services by speeding up the authentication process Continue Reading

By

• Ai Lei Tao

Citrix expands in Middle East with first Saudi Arabia office

Citrix is increasing its presence in the Middle East, opening its first office in Saudi Arabia with plans to expand into Qatar and Egypt Continue Reading

By

• Triska Hamid

Unlicensed software rife among Asean computer users, says BSA

The Asean region has the highest levels of unlicensed software use, according to the 2016 Global Software Survey from the Business Software Alliance (BSA) Continue Reading

By

• Ai Lei Tao

Middle East CIO interview: V. Chandrasekar, Standard Chartered

The CIO of Standard Chartered bank in the Middle East tells Computer Weekly about the challenge of keeping customers happy through IT Continue Reading

By

• Alicia Buller

UK government details plans for National Cyber Security Centre

The objectives of the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre are to address systemic vulnerabilities, reduce risks, respond to serious incidents and nurture national cyber security capability Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

A new wave of cyber attacks targets the Middle East’s banks

Hot on the heels of the Qatar National Bank breach comes a campaign employing advanced social engineering techniques Continue Reading

By

• Tom Paye

Philippines expands tax payments with mobile system

The Philippines tax office is enabling people to access more services via their mobile phones Continue Reading

By

• Ai Lei Tao

ING Turkey uses digital technology to improve services and grow customer base

Turkish bank uses business process management technology to offer financial services through 1,500 grocery stores, technology outlets and post offices Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

HSBC cuts hundreds of UK IT jobs

HSBC is cutting its UK IT workforce and transferring jobs to lower-cost countries as part of its global delivery strategy Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Time to shift information security focus away from prevention, says Swiss bank CISO

Organisations need a new approach which recognises security is “breakable”, according to Michael Meli Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Swift reports another Bangladesh central bank-style cyber attack

Global financial messaging organisation Swift warns of a highly adaptive cyber criminal campaign targeting banks with user credentials to submit transfer requests Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

IAM central to Deutsche Bank’s digital transformation

Deutsche Bank is using a centralised identity and access management (IAM) system and an application program interface (API) architecture for digital transformation Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

CW Nordics: May 2016

The Nordics is seen as a pioneer of the latest IT. The populations of the region are keen to try out new IT services and it has a large population of IT startups creating them. In banking, for example, the region is pushing the tech boundaries. One of the most overt changes digital technology has brought to people’s lives is how they do their day-to-day banking. Most developed economies are seeing the same trends: bank branches closing; people using cashless payments; and mobile phones becoming the most popular banking tools. But the Nordics could be a pioneer. In this quarter’s issue of CW Nordics, we feature a debate about whether Sweden, the region’s biggest economy, could become the first country in the world to go cashless. Continue Reading

Singapore smart city chief delivers vision to the world

The Singapore government minister running the city state's smart nation project tells the world about the country’s smart nation vision Continue Reading

By

• Zafar Anjum

Swedbank boosts customer service with a virtual assistant

Nuance Nina will offer basic frontline support for online customers Continue Reading

By

• Eeva Haaramo

CW ANZ: May 2016

The Australian payments system is being transformed with mobile banking and programmable tap-to-pay terminals now ubiquitous and a major shake-up of the national payments system underway. It’s clear the country’s biggest banks aren’t afraid of innovation, with investments being made in the financial services digital development trend, known as fintech. But why are Australian banks afraid of Apple Pay, which has been mostly ignored by banks? Continue Reading

Ransomware emerges as a top cyber threat to business

Security researchers at Kasperky Lab and FireEye confirm that the upward trend of ransomware is continuing and has emerged as a top threat to business Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Gulf Air creates private cloud to support open-source big data engine

Airline is using a private cloud and open-source software to enable it to analyse social media and understand what consumers think about it Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Real-time data helps manage traffic in Philippines

OpenTraffic smart data platform provides free GPS information for better analysis of travel speeds and journey times in Metro Manila and Cebu City Continue Reading

By

• Ai Lei Tao

Shell the latest multinational to insource IT offshore

Oil giant Shell is the latest large business to announce plans to insource its IT operations at a delivery centre in Bangalore, India Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Tech-savvy Asean populations shake up enterprise IT, says AIA CTO

A young, urban and tech-savvy population in the Asean region has forced enterprises to rethink their IT strategies Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Cyber security in Belgium will gain prominence after terror attacks

Belgium’s physical security has been branded inadequate, so how does the country’s cyber security measure up? Continue Reading

By

• Stef Gyssels

Saudi Arabia could warm to cloud computing, so long as regulation and connectivity keep pace

One of the world’s biggest oil producers has responded to tumbling crude prices by announcing a $2tn war chest to fund an economic diversification strategy, with IT set to be a beneficiary Continue Reading

By

• Alicia Buller

Young people unaware of IT roles in financial services

Careers firm Investment 2020 claims young people have little awareness of the IT roles available in the financial services sector, or what routes to take to get there Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

Disrupting IT in the Nordics, from banks to taxis

IT is dramatically changing traditional industry sectors in the Nordic region. Computer Weekly examines the transformation Continue Reading

By

• Eeva Haaramo

Mobilising a workforce drives up performance and productivity

Mobile workers are also more creative, satisfied and loyal, says EIU study Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Singapore is second most cloud ready country in Asia-Pacific

Broadband quality, data privacy and pro-business regime makes Singapore the second most cloud ready country in the Apac region Continue Reading

By

• Ai Lei Tao

Lloyds Bank offshores more IT roles to India

Lloyds Banking Group is offshoring more IT jobs to India as part of its latest cost-cutting announcement Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

EE to onshore all customer service calls

Mobile operator EE attempts to improve customer services by bringing call handling onshore Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Indonesian internet users turn to smartphones to go online

Organisations with a cyber footprint in Indonesia must understand most internet users in the country access online content and services on smartphones Continue Reading

By

• Ai Lei Tao

France takes the lead in the global open data race

The appointment of a chief data officer (CDO) has already seen the nation create five different types of economic and social value Continue Reading

By

• Pat Brans, Pat Brans Associates/Grenoble Ecole de Management

Singapore online grocer RedMart uses cloud ERP to drive growth

Online retailer RedMart turned to cloud-based enterprise resource planning (ERP) when its existing system struggled to keep up with business growth Continue Reading

By

• Ai Lei Tao

Singapore SME makes HR analytics affordable for other small companies

A small supplier in Singapore is offering other SMEs a SAS-based HR software shared service Continue Reading

By

• Ai Lei Tao

CIO interview: Gerard Spans, Arcadis

The CIO of the Netherlands-based global design and consulting company tells Computer Weekly how he manages the three responsibilities which he sees as the future of his role Continue Reading

By

• Jenny Stadigs

Capgemini to build 100-strong team of blockchain specialists

The IT services firm is building a team of 100 blockchain experts as banks start to consider the technology as the future of financial services Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

E-commerce struggles for growth in Asean countries

Online retail market growth in the Asean nations remains slow but nonetheless significant, according to a survey of consumer habits in the region Continue Reading

By

• Ai Lei Tao

Australian universities increase IT spending well above global average

Australian universities are increasing their IT spending as they improve learning and operational efficiency Continue Reading

By

• Beverley Head

Social media could be used to identify refugees, says fintech founder

A panel at the Innovate Finance Summit 2016 discussed ways refugees could access funds, including digital identities, smartphones and peer-to-peer applications Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

Singapore’s Jurong Health Services: Transforming healthcare through data technologies

Ng Teng Fong General Hospital (NTFGH) is being recognised for its high standards of data use Continue Reading

By

• Ai Lei Tao

Digital Leaders Awards open for public vote

The Digital Leaders 100 is open for a public vote to decide the winners of this year’s awards, including Digital Leader and FinTech Innovation of the Year Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Panama Papers revealed by graph database visualisation software

The 11.5 million files leaked from Panama-based law firm Mossack Fonseca are being interrogated by journalists using a combination of Neo4j’s graph database and data visualisation software Linkurious Continue Reading

By

• Brian McKenna, Senior Analyst, Business Applications

IT services firm creates 500 jobs in Welsh local authority

IT services firm CGI creates 500 jobs in south Wales following a £3.2m investment from the Welsh government Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Adwind at centre of cyber attack on Singapore bank

Kaspersky Lab has revealed that the Adwind malware-as-a-service platform was at the centre of an attack on a Singapore bank Continue Reading

By

• Zafar Anjum

Hunters: a rare but essential breed of enterprise cyber defenders

They wait, they watch, they search the outer reaches of networks and the darkest corners of the web, setting traps, crafting tools, collecting evidence and going in pursuit: they are the hunters Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

DNB to close 59 branches in Norway as online banking dominates

Norwegian bank DNB is closing branches and cutting jobs as more customers move to digital channels Continue Reading

By

• David Nikel

The dawn of managed services in the Middle East

Managed services are on the up in the Middle East, with enterprises looking at ways to support critical infrastructures while they invest in new technologies Continue Reading

By

• Edward Banda

CIO interview: Martin Uudelepp, Fonus Group

The interim CIO of Swedish family law and funeral group Fonus tells Computer Weekly about his role as a “chaos pilot” Continue Reading

By

• Jenny Stadigs

Danish utility NRGi goes offshore for IT platform transformation

Danish utilty NRGi has outsourced its IT to Indian services supplier Wipro as it attempts to transform its operations amid increased competition Continue Reading

By

• Eeva Haaramo

Android Pay UK launch announced by Google

Google is entering the UK mobile phone payments market, with Android Pay expected to be available in months Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Norway’s Storebrand chooses Cognizant for digital transformation

Norwegian financial services firm becomes the latest Nordic-based organisation to sign a major IT outsourcing deal with an India-based supplier Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

National Cyber Security Centre to be UK authority on information security

The UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) is to be the UK's one-stop authority on infosec, based in London and led by GCHQ's Ciaran Martin Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

What does the IT sector think of the UK potentially leaving the EU?

The referendum on the UK’s membership of the European Union is fast approaching and the country’s IT sector is taking sides Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Australian girls believe online harassment is endemic

There are clear signals that online threats against women and attempts to invade their privacy are becoming societal norms in Australia Continue Reading

By

• Beverley Head

CIO interview: Charlotta Nyström, Kemira

Finnish chemical industry group CIO sees networking with other CIOs as an essential part of her job Continue Reading

By

• Jenny Stadigs

Which IT services suppliers are European businesses most satisfied with?

TCS has won top spot for European customer satisfaction for the third year running, according to Whitelane Research Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Fintechs want to take one-third of traditional banks’ business

Banks know they could lose large chunks of business to fintech firms, but if the challengers have their way, it will be more than expected Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Atom Bank to offer artificial intelligence-based customer support

Digital bank is integrating AI into its mobile banking app for customers to access support Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Nationwide unifies business and public Wi-Fi in 700 branches

Nationwide Building Society rolls out a unified Wi-Fi network across both its public and enterprise properties Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Robots at your service

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we find out how financial services firms are investing in artificial intelligence to create robo-advisors to help customers with financial advice online. We ask if virtual reality is ready for mainstream business adoption or is still just an over-hyped technology. And we examine the key steps needed to successfully build smart cities using internet of things and networking technologies. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Automated financial advice service causes RBS job losses

RBS announces job cuts as it invests in automated services designed to give online financial advice Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

Predictive maintenance brings efficiency to Trenitalia

New management system will help railway company reduce costs by applying predictive maintenance and data analytics to essential parts Continue Reading

By

• Piero Macri

Royal Mail becomes eighth accredited Gov.uk Verify provider

The Royal Mail is the latest provider to be accredited to support the government’s Gov.uk Verify identity assurance service Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

$1bn cyber bank heist thwarted by spelling error

Cyber thieves made 30 requests for the New York Federal Reserve to transfer nearly $1bn from the Bangladesh central bank’s account, but a typo and the volume of requests alerted banking officials Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Indian suppliers are mopping up Nordic business

Indian IT suppliers are blazing a trail in the Nordic region with large deals and major local investments Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Broadband will reach 40% of Vietnam households by 2020, claims government

The Vietnamese government announces plans to increase access to broadband networks for its citizens, proposing a figure of 40% in four years Continue Reading

By

• Ai Lei Tao

DHL Asia-Pacific Innovation Centre incubates future logistics technology

DHL's innovation centre in Singapore is trying out the future logistics technologies it plans to introduce across its Asian business Continue Reading

By

• Zafar Anjum

CIO interview: Anders Candell, Stora Enso

CIO at Finnish pulp and paper manufacturer shares advice for shouldering a new CIO position and guiding the business towards innovative technology Continue Reading

By

• Jenny Stadigs

Tech Nordic Advocates partners with Nordic Startup Conference

Tech Nordic Advocates, sister organisation of startup group Tech London Advocates, is partnering with the Nordic Startup Conference show in Copenhagen in March Continue Reading

By

• Eeva Haaramo

Payments regulator wants banks to sell stakes in Vocalink

The UK payments regulator wants banks to loosen their grip on the payments infrastructure by selling off some of their stake in it Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Cyber crime is fastest growing economic crime, says PwC report

More than half of UK organisations say they expect to be the victim of cyber crime in the next two years, suggesting it will become the UK’s largest economic crime, says a PwC report Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Mapping technology turning Depok in Indonesia into smart city

Depok in Indonesia is using mapping technology to support its smart city ambitions Continue Reading

By

• Ai Lei Tao

Dutch water wants to move beyond dipping its toes into big data pool

Dutch water company Brabant Water wants to use data to improve the service it provides to customers, as well as identify problems on its distribution network Continue Reading

By

• Kim Loohuis