IT for retail and logistics

Hack Friday: This Christmas, fight back against cyber criminals

It’s nearly Christmas, and cyber attacks and fraud attempts in the retail sector are ramping up. Is it time to panic? And is there anything we can do beyond hammering home the message around basic cyber security hygiene? Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Finnish tech firm aims to create scalable general-purpose quantum computer

University spin-off is attempting to take quantum computing capabilities to multiple business sectors Continue Reading

By

• Gerard O'Dwyer

The super-resilient IT function

IT functions don’t have to continue taking the blame for organisational failures, they can take the lead in transforming the business Continue Reading

By

• Ade McCormack, Auridian Consulting

Peer calls for clear-out of Post Office board after Court of Appeal confirms major court defeat

Conservative peer championing subpostmasters’ long-running battle with Post Office suggests management clear-out after Court of Appeal rejects appeal bid Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Why thousands of IT contractors face ‘life-changing’ tax bills

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we investigate HMRC’s loan charge policy, a retrospective tax grab that has left thousands of IT contractors facing financial ruin. We compare the cloud storage offerings from AWS, Microsoft and Google. And we find out how retailers are turning to tech to deal with a new generation of shoppers. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Court of Appeal dismisses Post Office application to appeal damning judgment

The Court of Appeal has rejected a Post Office application to appeal judgments made in the first trial of its multimillion-pound battle with subpostmasters over IT system failures. Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Some 29,000 UK web domains suspended for criminal activity

Domain suspensions for criminal activity over the past year has dropped for the first time since 2014 Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Labour pledges review of NCSC in UK security overhaul

The UK's National Cyber Security Centre may get expanded powers under a Labour government Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Fashion retailer AllSaints on using Google Cloud to handle online shopping traffic peaks

AllSaints shifts website workloads into Google Cloud to protect against website downtime, as well as embarking on microservices-led push to modernise its infrastructure Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

Mimecast blocked 99 billion suspicious emails in third quarter

Latest threat intelligence report reveals the scale of the threat posed by malicious emails, with the transport, legal and financial sectors hit hardest Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

John Lewis Partnership taps Google Cloud for AI expertise to bolster customer experience

The John Lewis Partnership is building on its earlier forays into the Google Cloud by tapping into its artificial intelligence and machine learning expertise to deliver on its omnichannel business ambitions Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

Macy’s Magecart breach presages Christmas fraud spike

US retailer Macy’s admits some customer data was accessed by unknown actors during a week-long Magecart attack Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Foreign e-commerce giants threaten Nordic high streets

Surveys show up to 40% of high-street stores in Sweden and Finland could face closure by 2030 as retailers seek to combat e-commerce threat Continue Reading

By

• Gerard O'Dwyer

Loan charge under review: The 20-year retroactive tax policy pushing IT contractors to the brink

Thousands of IT contractors are at risk of financial ruin as HMRC pursues them for tax it claims they owe on work they did up to two decades ago and were reimbursed for via loan remuneration schemes. Computer Weekly investigates Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

Cyber criminals tool up for Christmas fraud season

Organised criminals are trying to cash in on the festive retail boom with both brand new and tried-and-tested techniques Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

The importance of digital accessibility

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we examine what retailers need to do to make their digital channels accessible for disabled people. We look at the rise of alternative desktop productivity tools to Microsoft Office. And our new buyer’s guide covers next-generation programming tools such as no-code/low-code development. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Morrisons in new appeal over data breach fine

The Supreme Court has heard an appeal from retailer Morrisons as it attempts to overturn prior judgments holding it liable for a 2014 leak of employee data Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

What’s new in UK retail’s online-to-offline movement?

US menswear retailer Untuckit used to be an online pureplay, but by the end of 2019 it will have 80-plus stores, including its two new UK shops, as the online-to-offline trend continues Continue Reading

By

• Ben Sillitoe

Marks & Spencer profits drop as digital push ramps up

Clothing, home and luxury food retailer Marks & Spencer has been pushing to make its business more digital, but its half-year profits have seen a hit Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

IR35 reforms: Concerns raised over private sector’s lack of preparedness for April 2020 start date

As the countdown towards the IR35 reforms coming into force in the private sector continues, research by recruitment firm Hays draws concerns over an apparent lack of awareness and preparation amongst enterprises Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

Reykjavik: An IT ecosystem beyond the ice

Iceland is a small island between Europe and the US, and that is one of several reasons why it is attracting tech startups to its capital Continue Reading

By

• Matthew Staff

Post Office IT trial judgement within days

The judgment in the second trial in a multimillion-pound legal battle over an allegedly faulty IT system at the Post Office is imminent Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

IR35 reforms – the difficult decisions facing IT contractors

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we examine the difficult choices facing UK IT contractors from the controversial IR35 tax reforms. Social engineering is a major source of cyber security attacks – we look at mitigation strategies. And the IT chief at Mercedes F1 explains what it takes to support a world championship team. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

How retailers are using social to reach Gen Z and beyond

The younger generation of shoppers are all using social media, so how are retailers using influencers to reach these potential customers and their spending power? Continue Reading

By

• Matthew Chapman

Huge rise in rogue banking apps driving fraud attacks

Fraud perpetrated through fake mobile apps purporting to be from legitimate banks has seen a statistically significant spike, says RSA Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Pitney Bowes ‘considering options’ after malware attack

Mailing and shipping services firm in recovery mode after key systems were encrypted by a malware attack Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

PCI DSS: Credit card data and what to expect from version 4.0

We preview October’s PCI Europe Community Meeting where attendees will discuss credit card payment data, with topics covered likely to include the cloud and point-to-point encryption Continue Reading

By

• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

Kroger drives data-driven customer experience

Scott Crawford, data science lead at 84.51°, the data business at US grocery retailer Kroger, discusses data projects and iterative programmes Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

DBS Bank touts digital logistics offering for SMEs

Singapore’s DBS Bank has launched a digital logistics solutions package for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the logistics sector that are looking to expand their regional footprint. ... Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

UKtech50 2019 – help us find the most influential people in UK technology

Computer Weekly’s annual search for the 50 most influential people in UK technology reaches its 10th anniversary – let us know who you would like to nominate for this year’s list Continue Reading

By

• Bryan Glick, Editor in chief

Disabled consumers left logged out of retail’s digital revolution

Retailers are being urged to make their digital assets more accessible to disabled consumers, not just for moral and social reasons, but because of the commercial opportunity Continue Reading

By

• Ben Sillitoe

John Lewis Partnership sells its automation to business

The John Lewis Partnership will expand its use of automation technology as its early projects bear fruit Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Five million DoorDash customers’ details lost in data breach

Takeaway delivery service was breached in May 2019, resulting in the data of millions of users and delivery drivers being stolen Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Podcast: The Computer Weekly Downtime Upload – Episode 31

In this week’s episode of the Computer Weekly Downtime Upload podcast, Caroline Donnelly and Clare McDonald are joined by Ryan Priest for an accidentally transport-heavy chat about the week in tech Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor
• Ryan Priest
• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

Enterprises can hire software robots at the push of a button

IPsoft is beta testing a marketplace where businesses can look at what software robots are available and interview them about their suitability to take roles Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

The five software testing techniques every software developer should know about

Five simple testing techniques that will help developers test their software systematically, thoroughly and quickly Continue Reading

By

• Brian Hambling

Ecuador citizens’ data breach holds lessons for enterprises

What caused the mass breach of Ecuadorian citizens’ data, and what can businesses learn from it? Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

US lawmakers demand internal Facebook, Google, Apple and Amazon documents in antitrust probe

US lawmakers have given big tech companies a deadline to disclose a wide range of documents as the House Judiciary Committee’s bipartisan investigation into competition gathers pace Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Gartner Catalyst: Prepare for web giants crushing your industry

Companies like Amazon and Alibaba are taking a bigger chunk of the customer journey, but they are also spreading across industry sectors Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Ditch hoodies and hackers to encourage diverse security recruitment

The cyber security industry needs to address a systemic image problem if it is to succeed in recruiting more diverse teams Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

When AIs go to war: Autonomous cyber weapons ‘inevitable’

CISOs must start thinking about how to engage with intelligent, adaptive, non-human attackers, says Trend Micro’s Rik Ferguson Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Industry opposition to no-deal Brexit hardens, says TechUK

A survey of TechUK members has found that 71% believe a no-deal Brexit at the end of October will negatively affect them in spite of their preparations Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Mirai descendants dominate IoT threat environment

Attacks leveraging compromised IoT devices are growing in size, scale and frequency, report security experts at F-Secure and Trend Micro, with Mirai-related botnets a major source of trouble Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

The emergence of the shopping centre-as-a-service model

Shopping centres have been morphing into wider entertainment, leisure and hospitality venues for some time, but their role is set to evolve yet further Continue Reading

By

• Ben Sillitoe

GDPR non-compliance worse than feared

Over half of UK businesses do not yet appear to be fully GDPR-compliant, and many have de-prioritised their compliance efforts Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

BT gears up to take on rogue drones

BT’s Enterprise unit is offering customers an anti-drone security solution to protect their physical sites from intrusion Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Social engineering a factor in virtually all cyber attacks, report claims

Almost every single cyber attack will, at some stage, require a human to be tricked into doing something, according to research by Proofpoint Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

IT leaders need to speak up about the voice channel

Voice assistants represent the next frontier, and a range of new skills will be needed to move beyond pilot projects to a true voice channel Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Loyal Dutch IT professionals not being rewarded enough, survey shows

Companies warned they could lose loyal IT staff because salary rises do not match those on offer from rival employers Continue Reading

By

• Kim Loohuis

Executive interview: How Figleaves uncovers a data Eden

Online lingerie business that started out at the height of the dot com boom is now focused on using advanced analytics to reveal new data insights Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Businesses need to keep investing in tech and hope to avoid a no-deal Brexit

A no-deal Brexit could have serious consequences for the UK tech sector and skills base, making it more difficult to recruit technology specialists and hire freelancers Continue Reading

By

• Albert Ellis, Harvey Nash Group

TrickBot Trojan switches to stealthy Ostap downloader

Operators of the TrickBot banking Trojan have switched to a new downloader to evade detection and analysis for a high-volume malicious spam campaign targeting business, researchers warn Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

CISOs think cloud safer, but security fears remain

The majority of information security leaders think cloud is now safer than on-premise, but security fears remain, with recently breached and highly regulated organisations most concerned, poll reveals Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Samsung KX gives consumers and retailers a glimpse of the future

Samsung puts its Galaxy range, the internet of things and community events at the heart of its new central London consumer space – but don’t call it a store... Continue Reading

By

• Ben Sillitoe

Post Office changes IT leadership reshuffle decision

The Post Office has changed its IT leadership reshuffle weeks after announcing its original plan Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Security Think Tank: Risk mitigation is key to blockchain becoming mainstream

What are the best and most effective ways information security professionals can use blockchain technology? Continue Reading

By

• Mike Yeomans, Information Security Forum

Security Think Tank: Blockchain – balance risk and opportunity for smart security

What are the best and most effective ways information security professionals can use blockchain technology? Continue Reading

By

• RV Raghu, ISACA

Location analysis expands Nordic telco’s range of services

Nordic telecoms company works with startup to offer services to businesses through location data analysis Continue Reading

By

• Alex Cruickshank

How to mitigate IoT security risks to tap business benefits

Security concerns are preventing many businesses from adopting IoT-based technologies, but with a bit of planning, the business benefits can be realised by mitigating the risk Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Building a 5G city: Bristol’s valuable lessons for the UK’s digital future

West of England Combined Authority is taking part in DCMS’s 5G Testbeds and Trials programme, exploring applications for tourism and entertainment. We find out how it is applying its learnings to life in Bristol and Bath Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Ransomware has evolved into a serious enterprise threat

Ransomware has seen a resurgence since the start of 2019, with cyber criminals changing code and tactics to target enterprises and local authorities for higher ransom payments, McAfee researchers warn Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Employees, MSPs and developers top third-party risks

Employees, managed service providers and developers are the top sources of third-party risks in terms of data security, a survey reveals, highlighting the value of workplace monitoring Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

IR35 reforms: HMRC defends off-payroll rules guidance against "woeful" IPSE jibes

HMRC promises there are more preparatory materials in the pipeline to help the private sector prepare for the April 2020 IR35 rules, after IPSE brands its current guidance "woeful" Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

A helping hand from the Nordics in the eye of the GDPR storm

Nordic IT companies are well suited to supporting enterprises in their data protection projects, even though openness is more natural to them Continue Reading

By

• Matthew Staff

Podcast: The Computer Weekly Downtime Upload – Episode 29

In this week’s episode of the Computer Weekly Downtime Upload podcast, Brian McKenna, Caroline Donnelly and Clare McDonald take a look back at the last 28 podcasts ahead of the summer podcast pause Continue Reading

By

• Brian McKenna, Senior Analyst, Business Applications
• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK
• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

Buyers think SD-WAN is too expensive and complicated

Building and maintaining an SD-WAN is perceived as a complicated endeavour, and the industry’s messages are not getting through, says a new report Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Private 5G networks: Are they the right choice for you?

The concept of dedicated private mobile networks for large enterprises is not a new one, but with the advent of ultrafast 5G networks, they are starting to attract more interest Continue Reading

By

• Rene Millman

Latest Post Office Horizon problems fixed with software update to blame

The Post Office has fixed the latest problems with its Horizon system, affecting hundreds of branches Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Formjacking dominates web-related data breaches

Formjacking has become one of the most popular data stealing methods, say researchers, who urge commercial websites to review all third-party coding practices without delay Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

What 5G applications will transform your business?

The UK’s mobile network operators have started work on their 5G roll-outs, but what applications are most likely to gain enterprise traction for the new standard? Continue Reading

By

• Rene Millman

Over 40% of UK shoppers want store-specific stock information

Shoppers want to use mobile or the web to see availability of items in stores near them in a growing trend towards convenience shopping Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

Hundreds of Post Office branches hit by new Horizon problem

Subpostmasters suffering slow running and frozen terminals while Post Office searches for a fix to issues apparently caused by a software update Continue Reading

By

• Nick Wallis

Cyber criminals hijacking legitimate website comms

Criminals are exploiting firms’ use of online feedback methods to distribute spam and phishing emails, security researchers warn Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

7 ways to improve your retail sales

Retailers, especially traditional brick-and-mortar retailers, need to throw caution to the wind and follow these seven tips to spur sales and provide remarkable retail. Continue Reading

By

• Jesse Scardina, News Writer

Nordic banks move into wearable payment technology

Payment by watch or watch strap is now an option for customers of two banks in Sweden Continue Reading

By

• Alex Cruickshank

How Singapore’s NTUC Enterprise is embracing digital transformation

NTUC Enterprise is starting to look more like a technology company, employing DevOps to speed up software development and developing new digital business models even as cultural barriers to transformation remain Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Middle East businesses welcome Amazon Web Services region launch

Bahrain AWS region, with three datacentres, links Middle East to AWS's global network and will help to accelerate digital transformation Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Data breach costs on the rise, IBM study shows

Data breach costs have risen in the past decade, and the financial impact can be felt for years. Breaches posing a growing risk for small businesses, a study shows, underlining the importance of incident response Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

How Apollo 11 influenced modern computing

In this week’s Computer Weekly, on the 50th anniversary of the Moon landings we look at the influence Apollo 11 had on modern hardware and software. Our latest buyer’s guide examines data protection. And we find out how retailers with physical stores are using technology to respond to the rise of online shopping. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Warzone bulletproof hosts protecting Magecart group

Security researchers have discovered a Magecart group operating with impunity using bulletproof hosting services, including one in battle-scarred Ukraine Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

CIO interview: Kieran Delaney, director of IT, Innserve

After 13 years at the drinks dispensing firm, Delaney moved into the top IT leadership role and has set out about using technology to empower workers across the company Continue Reading

By

• Mark Samuels

European Commission launches antitrust investigation into Amazon

Amazon is being officially investigated by the European Commission to assess whether its use of data from independent retailers is anti-competitive Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

Most security pros still concerned about public cloud security

Despite accelerated adoption of public cloud services by companies keen to benefit from increased efficiency, scalability and agility, most security professionals have reservations Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Podcast: The Computer Weekly Downtime Upload – Episode 24

In this week’s episode of the Computer Weekly Downtime Upload podcast, Brian McKenna, Caroline Donnelly and Clare McDonald talk about using Alexa to search for medical advice, how a good cup of tea can solve most problems and whether more should be done to provide childcare at tech events Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

Organisations turn to AI in race against cyber attackers

Businesses are racing to automate their defences as hackers and nation states launch increasingly sophisticated cyber attacks Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

SD-WAN in play: How software-defined solves core business challenges

For foodservice business HMSHost International and chemical products firm Element Solutions, both customers of networking supplier Aryaka, software-defined wide area networking technology is proving its mettle when it comes to solving core business challenges. Find out how. Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Draft finance bill dims hopes of private sector reprieve on April 2020 roll-out of IR35 reforms

Publication of the draft IR35 private sector reform legislation dims hopes the government might announce a delay to rolling out the changes in April 2020 Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

Securing your mobile estate – best practice for CIOs

The prevalence of mobile devices in every part of daily life is shaping how enterprises make choices about software and network infrastructure, but how do businesses go about securing these vast new endpoint estates? Continue Reading

By

• Christian Annesley

RiskIQ uncovers new Magecart campaign

A fresh Magecart campaign is breaching websites on a massive scale using indiscriminate attacks exploiting misconfigured Amazon S3 buckets, say researchers Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Retailers engineer new ways to recruit and retain IT talent

Senior leaders at Holland & Barrett, Feelunique and BrandAlley offer tips on finding and keeping sought-after engineering and developer talent Continue Reading

By

• Ben Sillitoe

ICO issues warning about using facial recognition technology

The UK privacy watchdog has ruled that any police force or private organisation using live facial recognition technology is processing personal data and needs to pay attention to data protection laws Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Data protection: How privacy can be a benefit, not a burden

With the growing number of data breaches, consumers are becoming increasingly concerned about how their data is used. Organisations can take advantage of this trend by treating data protection and user privacy as product features Continue Reading

By

• Peter Ray Allison

Post Office fixes technical problem causing accounting errors in Horizon

Problem revealed during High Court trial left subpostmaster with £18,000 surplus after IT system failed to register full amount of cash scanned in Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Eventful second Post Office Horizon trial ends

The latest High Court trial in the long-running dispute between the Post Office and subpostmasters has concluded, with part three set for March 2020 Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

The Trending Store, a data-led retail popup

A new popup store has opened in Westfield London to use data collected from social media to sell only products that are trending in real time. By partnering with tech firm Nextatlas, the store will ... Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

Autonomous delivery van drives at Goodwood Festival of Speed

Kar-go aims to revolutionise online deliveries by cutting the cost of the final mile Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Security and privacy key to smart buildings and cities

Security and privacy capabilities are essential for stakeholders if they are to realise the benefits of smart buildings and cities, says expert whitepaper Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Nordic payments tie-up as Nets and Swish collaborate

Payments provider and app developer work together to test out mobile phone-based in-store payments system Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Implementing IoT – overcoming barriers to commercial adoption

Tim Wright from the Institute of Telecoms Professionals reports from a recent seminar exploring questions around the barriers to commercial, at-scale adoption of the internet of things, and how to overcome them Continue Reading

By

• Tim Wright, Institute of Telecommunications Professionals

FireEye ties Microsoft Outlook exploit to Iranian hackers

US Cyber Command has issued a warning that a patched Microsoft Outlook vulnerability is being exploited by unnamed threat actors, and recommended immediate patching Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst