IT for small and medium-sized enterprises (SME)

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

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

IPv6 alone will not secure IoT, warns GE CISO

It is important for all users of the internet of things to understand what they are getting into with IPv6, and to be aware of the risks and myths, says GE CISO Hanns Proenen Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

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

Business failing to learn lessons of past cyber attacks, report shows

Organisations are still failing to address basic security issues and well-known attack methods, Verizon’s latest Data Breach Investigations Report reveals Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

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

Employees’ use of personal devices puts firms at risk of malware infection, says report

Downloaders care about their own security while grabbing pirated content, not that of their employers Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Hyperoptic launches FTTP services in Brighton

Hyperoptic rolls out its fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP) broadband service to housing developments in Brighton Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Interview: GDS CTO Liam Maxwell and deputy CTO Andy Beale

Government Digital Service’s Liam Maxwell and Andy Beale talk about the service’s future, its relationship with departments, tactical outsourcing extensions and lessons learned Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

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

CW@50: Fertile British breeding grounds for information security innovation

Computer Weekly is marking its 50th anniversary this year with a series of articles celebrating 50 years of British technology innovation. In this article, we look at the evolution of information security threats and some of the British innovation to counter those threats Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

HMRC reaches agreement with IT suppliers on Aspire contract exit

HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) plans on going to market next month for a number of smaller IT services contracts for a phased exit of its Aspire outsourcing deal Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Security should be driven by business, says Corvid’s Andrew Nanson

Information security should be business-driven and investments assessed for their effectiveness and business value, according to Corvid CTO Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Cyber criminals use Microsoft PowerShell in ransomware attacks

A newly discovered family of ransomware, dubbed PowerWare, uses Microsoft PowerShell to target organisations through macro-enabled documents Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Businesses urged to update Apple software to dodge zero-day attacks

Security experts are urging Apple Mac, iPhone and iPad users to update their operating systems to avoid data-stealing attacks that exploit a new zero-day vulnerability Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Canadian Elizabeth Denham set for the UK's next information commissioner

Canadian privacy commissioner Elizabeth Denham is to become the UK's next information commissioner as government pushes ahead with the snoopers' charter Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

US hospital claims to have fought off a ransomware attack

A hospital in Kentucky claims to have regained control of its IT systems five days after cyber criminals hit it with a ransomware attack Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Southend Council to connect key sites with dark fibre network

Southend-on-Sea Borough Council selects CityFibre to supply a 50km dark fibre network across 120 public sector sites in the town Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

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

NHS England injects £55m to boost e-Referrals uptake

NHS England will use £55m to reward GPs and hospitals using digital referrals by 2018 to increase uptake of its e-Referrals programme Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Lack of security knowledge limiting business initiatives, survey shows

Security concerns are limiting the adoption of cloud and mobility throughout organisations, according to the first Dell Data Security Survey Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Security Think Tank: Many breaches down to poor access controls

In the modern business environment, what are the most common access control mistakes – and how best are these corrected? Continue Reading

By

• Paul Yung

Security Think Tank: Top five access control mistakes

In the modern business environment, what are the most common access control mistakes and what is the best way to correct them? Continue Reading

By

• Tim Holman, 2-sec

GDS hindered delivery of rural payments programme, says PAC

The rural payments programme was a “Whitehall fiasco” with too much focus on the digital front end, says the public accounts committee (PAC) Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

RSAC16: US works on data access agreement with UK

The US is negotiating with the UK to establish a new framework that will permit UK authorities to access electronic communications directly from US companies Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

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

Social engineering confirmed as top information security threat

Cyber attackers shifted away from automated exploits in 2015 and instead tricked people into doing the dirty work, Proofpoint researchers found Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

HR technology heads to cloud in Finland

Computer Weekly talked to Finnish experts about Finnish enterprises moving to cloud-based HR IT systems Continue Reading

By

• Eeva Haaramo

CW Europe: February 2016

In Europe cloud is restricted and hybrid setups make use of local compute and storage. Continue Reading

HMRC shares details of IT transformation plans

HM Revenue & Customs has published its IT strategy outlining how it plans to transform its IT estate by taking a platform approach, moving to virtual infrastructure and cloud-based services Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

EU managers need to up cyber security collaboration, study finds

There is still much work to be done in the area of collaboration and sharing responsibility when it comes to preventing data breaches, a study has found Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

US IT professionals overconfident in cyber attack detection, study finds

Most US IT professionals are confident in key security controls to detect cyber attacks – but unsure how long it would take automated tools to discover a breach Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Social engineering is top hacking method, survey shows

Social engineering tops the list of popular hacking methods, underlining the need for continuous monitoring, according to security firm Balabit Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

TechUK calls on government to take reports on spy laws seriously

Government must address the fundamental concerns raised by expert witnesses, MPs and Lords about the draft Investigatory Powers Bill, says TechUK Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

MK:Smart enlists IoT supplier ThingWorx for speedy development

Milton Keynes smart city project selects ThingWorx to provide a rapid application deployment environment Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Bulk data collection unnecessary for surveillance, says cyber expert

Opting for bulk data collection and other intrusive surveillance overlooks other means available that do not involve collateral damage to businesses and innocent people, says cyber expert Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Google’s Chrome to flag deceptive embedded content

Browser will warn of any embedded content such as ads that pretend to act like, and look and feel like, a trusted entity Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

DDoS is most common cyber attack on financial institutions

January’s attack on HSBC is typical for the financial sector, but no business should consider itself unlikely to be targeted in this way, say security experts Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

ICO launches data privacy assessment tool for SMEs

The ICO has launched an online self-assessment tool to help SMEs to comply with data protection laws and improve data handling procedures Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Business urged to take action on data privacy

Security professionals use Data Protection Day to encourage businesses to do more to protect personal data Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Keep data safe or risk financial impact, ICO warns business

The knock-on effect of a data breach can be devastating for a company, warns information commissioner Christopher Graham Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

New government plan to support cyber security startups

Government has announced a £250,000 programme to increase the rate of cyber security startup development in the UK Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Average DDoS attacks fatal to most businesses, report reveals

Criminal activity is top motivation for DDoS attacks as average attacks become strong enough to down most businesses, Arbor Networks report reveals Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

$54m cyber fraud hits aircraft supplier share price

Austrian aircraft industry supplier reports cyber fraud loss of $54m, way above the average cost of the worst breaches in the UK of up to $4.4m in 2015 Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Crunch time for Australian CIOs as analytics platforms drive strategy in 2016

CIOs in Australia and elsewhere will be expected to deploy technologies that promise to help them get more from the information they own Continue Reading

By

• David Braue

Candy Crush maker King secures mobile access through cloud

Candy Crush maker King.com uses cloud-based Duo Security authentication for access to cloud services, customised apps and remote VPNs Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

PwC acquires Polish cloud consultancy for European operation

PwC is buying Poland-based IT services firm Outbox to build its cloud skills and resources across Europe Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Government should exploit blockchain technology, says chief scientist Mark Walport

Distributed ledgers – the technology behind systems such as bitcoin – could transform public services, says government chief scientist Mark Walport Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Australian prime minister Malcolm Turnbull calls for free, open and secure internet

International norms of behaviour should prohibit states from conducting cyber intellectual property theft, says Australian prime minister Malcolm Turnbull Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Chinese university targeted by Islamic State hacktivist

Beijing’s Tsinghua University is the latest organisation to be attacked by hackers with a social or political agenda Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Intel share price drops despite strong results

Despite growth in Intel's key datacentre and IoT businesses, investors remain concerned by falls in its core PC chip business amid market declines Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Firms can monitor employees’ online chats, EU court rules

Human rights court says it is not unreasonable for employers to want to verify that staff are completing their professional tasks during working hours Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Upgrade to Internet Explorer 11 to reduce risk

Failure to update to the latest version of Internet Explorer by 12 January 2016 could put users at risk, Microsoft warns Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Fears of software skills shortage in Germany and the Netherlands

Organisations in Germany and the Netherlands are struggling to fill positions for software developers as they digitise Continue Reading

By

• Rian van Heur

Top 10 cyber crime stories of 2015

Computer Weekly takes a look back at the top cyber crime stories of 2015 Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Eight startups selected for Cyber London security accelerator programme

Cyber London has selected startups from the UK, Finland, Hungary, Israel, Brazil and South Africa for its second cyber security accelerator programme Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

UK firms act quickly to fix payment card data encryption

Security firm found that 16 global companies had failed to effectively encrypt traffic to the payment portion of their websites and apps Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

How to deal with the aftermath of a data breach

Considering that a data breach could happen to any company, at any time, a plan of action is the best tactic Continue Reading

By

• Dan Raywood

Russian big data in early stages

The use of big data technologies in Russia is still embryonic and the economic slowdown is stalling developments Continue Reading

By

• Vladimir Kozlov

The next stage in quantum key distribution

Authentication schemes based on quantum physics are emerging to address the growing number of ways to compromise data traffic Continue Reading

By

• Peter Ray Allison

Cyber attacks an increasing concern for Asean countries

Organisations in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations are increasingly the targets for cyber criminals, according to a report focused on the region Continue Reading

By

• Zafar Anjum

India’s HCL opens Estonian operation to support Nordic customers

HCL Technologies opens an Estonian delivery centre which will support customers across Europe, including those in the Nordic region Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Wetherspoon pub chain warns customers of data breach

Discovery of a data breach at JD Wetherspoons comes hard on the heels of a breach at TalkTalk, underlining the importance of keeping customer data safe Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Veracode finds most web apps fail Owasp security check list

The findings of a report on critical vulnerabilities in most web applications is raising concerns over potential security vulnerabilities in millions of websites Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

The US and China agree more steps to fight cyber crime

The US and China have made progress in expanding co-operation on cyber crime as China claims criminals and not state-backed hackers broke into the US Office of Personnel Management Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Security analytics needs practical approach, says Fico Ciso Vickie Miller

Analytics must form part of a comprehensive defence-in-depth strategy, according to chief information security officer (Ciso) Vickie Miller at software firm Fico Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Rural payments problems led to 40% increase in costs, says NAO report

Inappropriate behaviour and too much focus on IT procurement led to rural payments programme costs spiralling to 40% over budget, says National Audit Office report Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Dridex banking Trojan regains strength to mount attacks on the UK

Fresh Dridex banking Trojan campaigns target the US, UK and France – despite a recent law enforcement takedown operation – warn security researchers Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Spending review: Osborne gives NHS £1bn for technology boost

The NHS will get £1bn to spend on technology – including an interoperable patient record system – chancellor George Osborne has announced Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Germany is finalising legislation to shore up CNI cyber security

Germany is working to ensure digital sovereignty through IT security legislation and negotiations on IT security regulations and transatlantic trade at a European Union level Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

EU data protection official optimistic on successor to Safe Harbour

An EU data protection official says he is optimistic that an alternative to the Safe Harbour agreement will be found, but it will take work from both the US and the EU Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Avoiding security issues when recycling hardware

What are the options for the environmentally and ethically responsible recycling of end-of-life hardware, without compromising data security? Continue Reading

By

• Peter Ray Allison

UAE recognises importance of cyber security, says official

Like the UK, the UAE federal government has identified the importance of creating an environment in which it is safe to do business online Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Law enforcement cracks down on DroidJack Android snooping malware users

A joint EU/US operation on the DroidJack malware is the latest example of international collaboration between law enforcement officers directed at cyber crime Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Infosec pros should start preparing for the future, say experts

Information security professionals need to grow their skills, engage with the business, increase security awareness, set business goals and tailor their messages, says a panel of experts Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Consumer take-up of Gigaclear fibre broadband exceeds BDUK rates

Ultrafast altnet Gigaclear marks a major milestone in its network roll-out and claims a higher take-up rate for its FTTP product than BT is seeing on the Openreach FTTC network Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

CityFibre fills broadband connection voucher gap

CityFibre offers businesses free connections to replace government’s connection voucher scheme Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

How CIOs can raise their 'IT clock speed' as pressure to innovate grows

CIOs are facing pressure from the board to roll out IT projects increasingly quickly. How can they do that without running unacceptable risks? This article, based on cutting-edge research among leading businesses, offers some answers Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Cyber security innovation is crucial, says security evangelist

Visibility and automation are key areas of cyber security innovation, but firms should concentrate first on the basics and not overlook the human element of security Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Encryption is a double-edged sword, says Blue Coat

Seven more security suppliers join Blue Coat encrypted traffic management programme amid fresh warnings of attackers using encryption to hide malicious activity Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

The security dangers of home networks

Most companies take reasonable steps to protect their networks from virus attacks, but one area of vulnerability that is often overlooked is infection from employees’ home networks Continue Reading

By

• Peter Ray Allison

How to ensure strong passwords and better authentication

Five steps to ensure stronger passwords and better authentication to reduce the threat of business data theft Continue Reading

By

• Peter Wood, First Base Technologies LLP

UK digital economy needs 2.3 million digital workers by 2020

The UK will need the skills of 2.3 million digital workers by 2020 if it hopes to power the promised digital economy, according to research from O2 Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

Apple removes more iOS apps over security concerns

Apple has blocked more apps over security concerns just weeks after ridding the App Store of XcodeGhost malware Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Researchers find credential-stealing webmail server APT attack

Security researchers have discovered a new and unique advanced persistent threat (APT) technique that involves a malicious module loaded onto a webmail server Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Facebook ruling not only landmark data protection case in Europe, say experts

A landmark ruling against Slovakia-based website Weltimmo could impact the Max Schrems case against Facebook and new European data protection rules currently being finalised Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

What to consider when IT outsourcing contracts come up for renewal

Outsourcing contracts worth billions of pounds come up for renewal over the next few years – but unprecedented industry change complicates the CIO's decision Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Two thirds of UK businesses never meet important customers

British businesses don't always meet their best customers or the people they do most business with, because of trends in modern technology Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

120-day patching gap puts many firms at risk of cyber attack, study shows

The probability of a vulnerability being exploited hits 90% between 40-60 days after discovery, but many firms are taking up to 60 days beyond that to patch, while others are failing to patch at all, a study shows Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

How to fully test IT networks for vulnerabilities

Making sure a company network is secure is a very important task, and one that should be scheduled regularly Continue Reading

By

• Steve Evans

Telcos could help drive cloud services into SMEs, says report

A study commissioned by cloud services marketplaces provider BCSG says telcos are a natural route to market for SME cloud services Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Business leaders want better digital services from government, says research

A survey of corporate decision-makers suggests executives waste an average of five hours per week using outdated online public services Continue Reading

By

• Bryan Glick, Editor in chief

Gigabit network is more than a fringe benefit for city of Edinburgh

As CityFibre begins a 150km fibre dig in Edinburgh, local businesses and the city council outline their objectives and plans for ultrafast broadband Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Defence minister Michael Fallon promises increased MOD spending with SMEs

Opening up the Ministry of Defence (MOD) supply chain to access SME innovation is vital to meet its technology needs, says secretary for defence Michael Fallon Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Most DDoS attacks hiding something more sinister, Neustar warns

Smaller DDoS attacks can be more dangerous than a powerful attack that knocks a company offline but does not install malware or steal data, warns Neustar Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Security industry welcomes GCHQ password guidelines

GCHQ's guidance on password policy covers some of the most pressing issues facing UK businesses and employees today, according to Skyhigh Networks Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Researchers discover Android PIN locker ransomware

Researchers say LockerPIN is a self-defending, aggressive piece of ransomware currently targeting Android devices, mainly in the US Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

US health insurer Excellus BlueCross BlueShield hit by data breach

Forensic investigation reveals a data breach at US health insurer Excellus BlueCross BlueShield exposing up to 11 million records 21 months after the first intrusion Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Security pros failing to address digital certificate risks, survey shows

Even though 90% of security professionals believe a leading CA will be compromised in next two years, only 13% have existing automation to deal with that happening Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst