IT for small and medium-sized enterprises (SME)

Is ‘suite’ becoming a dirty word?

How much attention do you pay to the pros and cons of software and service bundling? I was reminded of the topic on a recent briefing call with Dave Russell, Veeam’s VP of enterprise strategy, ... Continue Reading

By

• Dale Vile, Freeform Dynamics

US lawmakers propose ransomware reporting rules

Former presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren lends her support to a bill that would require corporate ransomware victims to disclose more information about their attacks to the authorities Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Where vendors too often go wrong: SMBs need enterprise-grade IT too

For far too long now, many vendors seem to have assumed that the IT requirements of small and mid-sized businesses are less complex than those of larger organisations. As a consequence, many of the ... Continue Reading

By

• Tony Lock, Freeform Dynamics

Dutch IT firm transforms HR policy built on lessons from pandemic

Software firm rips up human resources rule book and replaces it with a hybrid working policy Continue Reading

By

• Kim Loohuis

Fixing the SME tech crisis

Although technology can drive post-pandemic economic recovery, the gap between those businesses with sufficient IT skills and those struggling is widening Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

London publishes guidelines for ethical use of smart city tech

Latest draft of the ‘Emerging Technology Charter for London’ encourages local authorities, public services and technology companies to improve how they implement technology in the capital Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Fresh alert over Conti ransomware surge

Conti ransomware crew appears increasingly active, prompting fresh warnings from the US authorities Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Tech Nation announces 15 startups for 10th Future Fifty cohort

Fifteen high-growth startups set to join Tech Nation’s 10th annual Future Fifty programme to help them scale further Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

BlackMatter gang ramps up attacks on multiple victims

A wave of new BlackMatter ransomware attacks is hitting organisations around the world, even as the US authorities mull new sanctions on ransom payment infrastructure Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

London Tech Week: London and South losing out on productivity

There appears to be a massive gap between the most and least productive businesses, and tech and tech skills are key ingredients of productivity Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

UK tech sector on track for another record year of investment

The UK creates one unicorn tech business a week, as startup funding during the first half of 2021 rockets to £13.5bn Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Bitdefender launches free REvil ransomware decryptor

Working alongside law enforcement partners, Bitdefender has developed and released a tool to help REvil victims recover their data for free Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Tech Nation announces second cohort for Net Zero accelerator

The Net Zero programme from Tech Nation aims to help tech startups and scaleups realise their potential to reduce global emissions Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

UK government takes equity shares in more than 150 startups

Covid-support loans given to startups through the UK government’s Future Fund have given it stakes in more than 150 high-growth enterprises Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

UK GDPR faces changes under planned reforms

DCMS is launching a major consultation on proposed changes to the UK’s data protection regime, under which several key elements of the GDPR are likely to change Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

University of Sunderland applies technology through robot dog

Students will apply technologies such as artificial intelligence to robotic dog as part of their learning Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Are proposed data protection changes a threat to UK citizens’ privacy?

Though changes are as-yet undefined pending an upcoming consultation, concerns are already being expressed over the government’s plan to liberalise data protection laws in the service of innovation and growth Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Tech giants commit to Biden's cyber security action plan

Some of the world’s most prominent tech giants have made a series of commitments to enhance the US’ national cyber security posture following a high-profile meeting with president Biden Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Government unveils post-Brexit data flow proposals

The government will pursue data partnerships with countries including Australia, South Korea and the US as part of a post-Brexit data regime that may also see substantial changes to the UK’s data protection law Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Scottish government launches £25m digital funding for SMEs

Money comes from the latest wave of the government’s DigitalBoost Fund, which offers small and medium-sized businesses in Scotland funding to invest in digital technologies Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

NZ privacy lead John Edwards named new information commissioner

DCMS has named John Edwards, currently New Zealand privacy commissioner, to succeed Elizabeth Denham as UK information commissioner Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

UK loses £1.3bn to fraud and cyber crime so far this year

New figures from the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau show a threefold spike in reported financial losses to fraud and cyber crime in the first six months of 2021 Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Half of MS Exchange servers at risk in ProxyShell debacle

Up to 50% of MS Exchange users in the UK are exposed to three vulnerabilities that are now being actively exploited Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Swedish IT industry braced for China’s response to Huawei 5G ban

Swedish IT and communications equipment suppliers fear economic backlash from China following Huawei ban Continue Reading

By

• Gerard O'Dwyer

How the pandemic transformed IAG’s Hangar 51 accelerator

Businesses of all shapes and sizes have had to take a different approach during the pandemic – Dupsy Abiola, head of global innovation at IAG, explains how IAG transformed its Hangar 51 accelerator during the coronavirus outbreak Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

ICO consults public on personal data in employment practices

The ICO has launched a public consultation on employers’ use of personal data to help it provide practical guidance for both businesses and workers Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

UN special rapporteurs call for surveillance tech moratorium

In the wake of revelations about NSO Groups Pegasus spyware, a number of special rapporteurs from the United Nations are re-igniting calls for a global moratorium on the sale and transfer of surveillance technologies Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Ransomware demands and payments hit new records

Ransomware groups continue to intensify their operations as ransom demands and payments increase alongside use of “quadruple extortion” tactics during first half of 2021 Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Dutch lead the way in protecting themselves against internet risks

Dutch citizens come top in a study on awareness of internet risks in Europe, which showed major differences across the continent Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Researchers uncover database with 126 million unsecured records

Business-to-business marketing firm OneMoreLead was storing tens of millions of records in an unsecured database, exposing at least 63 million people to fraud, identify theft and phishing campaigns Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Disaster recovery for SMEs: Five key areas to consider

We look at key disaster recovery considerations for SMEs, including why backup is not enough, how to create a disaster recovery plan, best-practice DR testing and DR as a service Continue Reading

By

• Stephen Pritchard

Government opens up SME digital support programme for suppliers

Help to Grow: Digital scheme aims to help small businesses access productivity-enhancing software, and suppliers are now encouraged to register as approved suppliers Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

COP26 cyber resource hub launched for Glasgow businesses

New digital information hub for Glasgow business to help organisations keep secure both physically and online ahead of major climate change summit Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Security Think Tank: Consider cyber policies and procedures as you welcome employees back

With Covid-19 restrictions easing, offices are welcoming back remote workers this summer, bringing with them their notebooks and mobiles, and creating an endpoint management headache for CISOs. What do security teams need to account for to protect their returning office workers? Continue Reading

By

• Simon Backwell

Government-led innovation can help cyber startups find a market

There are many reasons why early-stage cyber startups often struggle to get off the ground, but government-backed programmes can help them find a path Continue Reading

By

• Saj Huq, Plexal

More than half of European IT outsourcing spending will soon be on cloud services

Cloud services will soon be the largest part of the IT services market in Europe, as enterprises invest in them as part of their Covid-19 recovery strategies Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Multiple Microsoft bugs being actively exploited

Microsoft’s July Patch Tuesday update fixes 117 vulnerabilities, 13 rated as critical and four already being actively exploited Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Russia tightens pressure on global IT companies

Russian authorities will force certain IT companies with customers in Russia to open local offices Continue Reading

By

• Eugene Gerden

Kaseya apologises for extended downtime after ransom attack

CEO of Kaseya apologises after pushing back the restoration of the firm’s VSA service following a REvil ransomware attack Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Security Think Tank: Reopening is an opportunity to reassess wider security posture

With Covid-19 restrictions easing, offices are welcoming back remote workers this summer, bringing with them their notebooks and mobiles, and creating an endpoint management headache for CISOs. What do security teams need to account for to protect their returning office workers? Continue Reading

By

• Louise Barber, Turnkey Consulting

Opportunists seen targeting Kaseya REvil victims

Malwarebytes researchers highlight new spam campaign targeting businesses impacted by the ongoing Kaseya REvil ransomware incident Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Cyber insurance costs up by a third

The frequency and severity of ransomware attacks is a leading factor behind a substantial increase in the cost of obtaining cyber security insurance Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

REvil crew wants $70m in Kaseya ransomware heist

Two days after one of the largest ransomware attacks in history by the REvil/Sodinokibi gang, the security community is assessing its next moves, while over 1,000 victims remain in limbo Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

UK needs legislation with specific focus on biometric technologies

The UK’s former biometrics commissioner has told MPs that Parliament should explicitly legislate on the use of biometric technologies so it is clear to both police and private companies which uses are acceptable Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Should I be worried about PrintNightmare?

The accidental publication of proof of concept code for a Windows vulnerability, and the reclassification of said bug from low to critical severity, has the cyber community concerned. Is it right to be? Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

UK government issues “safety by design” guidance for tech firms

The guidance is designed to help technology companies embed safer design for users into their services in anticipation of the Online Safety Bill becoming law Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency launches ransomware assessment tool

Newly launched service will help US organisations understand how prepared they are to deal with a ransomware attack Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

UK Cyber Security Council launches inaugural initiatives

Security association seeks to determine terms of reference for committees to oversee standards and ethics, and qualifications and careers in the cyber sector Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Insurers unprepared for challenges of underwriting ransomware

RUSI think tank calls for an industry-wide reset amid intense challenges for providers of cyber security insurance Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Make ransomware payments illegal, say 79% of cyber pros

Report produced for MSSP Talion claims overwhelming support for the criminalisation of ransomware payments Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Thousands of UK IT SMEs in financial distress with 185,000 jobs at risk

Thousand of jobs in the UK IT sector are at risk as nearly 50,000 small businesses find themselves in dire straits financially Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

UK SMEs lack capacity to fend off cyber attacks

Three-quarters of UK SME leaders would not have sufficient capacity or expertise to deal with a cyber attack, according to a report Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Tech sector hiring reaches highest level in five years

The number of job vacancies in the UK tech sector has reached the highest level since 2016, with massive expansion of remote working opportunities and growing demand for software developers Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Amazon Web Services launches space tech accelerator

Accelerator will see a cohort of 10 space startups use AWS to accelerate their research, development and growth Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Central government spent £4.4bn on IT in 2020

Tussell report finds that central government increased tech spend during the Covid-19 pandemic, and HM Revenue and Customs is the biggest spender Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

HSBC offers all businesses scam awareness app

HSBC is sharing information on the latest scams and how to defend against them thorough its latest app, available to all businesses Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

SA-based MSP shuns HCI for Nebulon cloud-defined storage

SYSDBA needed to refresh its HPE 3PAR arrays, and so looked at hyper-converged but decided on cloud-defined storage from Nebulon that marries local storage with a cloud control plane Continue Reading

By

• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

UK tech sector grows tenfold in 10 years

Massive expansion of the UK tech sector since 2010 has seen venture capital investment and the number of unicorn businesses increase by factor of 10 Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Tech startups turn to digital PR platform for media exposure

Digital PR platform Newspage helps early-stage tech startups with limited resources increase their visibility to journalists and news organisations Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Netherlands to build new national supercomputer

The Netherlands has laid out plans for its next national supercomputer, to be known as Snellius Continue Reading

By

• Kim Loohuis

Deploying productivity monitoring software ethically

While software that tracks the activities of staff can be helpful to companies with a remote workforce, managers must consider employees’ concerns and privacy Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Nebulon helps DCI offer high-performance edge hyper-converged

Cambridge-based cloud and colo provider DCI will offer DataQube servers with Nebulon, which marries a cloud control plane with local PCIe-connected flash storage Continue Reading

By

• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

IR35 private sector reforms: What firms need to do now the start date has passed

While the start date for the onset of the IR35 private sector reforms may have passed, firms in-scope of the revamped tax avoidance legislation may find themselves still with plenty of compliance work still to do Continue Reading

By

• Matt Fryer, Brookson Legal

GCHQ: Cyber investment a guarantor of UK’s global status

GCHQ director Jeremy Fleming sets out a vision for the UK’s cyber security future Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Finnish government strengthens country’s IT network security

Finland’s government has created a new national organisation to help public and private bodies improve network security Continue Reading

By

• Gerard O'Dwyer

AET gets Ctera to smooth hybrid cloud access to big files

Remote locations with unreliable WAN connections needed to share large files, which was a real headache until US engineering firm got Ctera edge filers with Azure cloud as a tier Continue Reading

By

• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

Europe provides growth for TCS despite year floored by pandemic

Tata Consultancy Services grows its continental European business despite economic slowdown brought by Covid-19 restrictions Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Irish employees’ ‘right to disconnect’ enshrined in code of practice

A code of practice giving employees the ‘right to disconnect’ from work and not engage in electronic communications outside of their normal hours has come into effect in Ireland Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Employees must be given the right to disconnect

As enterprises increasingly turn to workplace monitoring technologies and more of the workforce moves to remote or hybrid working, unions are campaigning for workers’ ‘right to disconnect’ and not engage in digitally enabled work after hours Continue Reading

By

• Andrew Pakes, Prospect Union

One-fifth of all UK tech investment went to just 10 scaleup firms in 2020

Annual Tech Nation report shows UK technology firms saw record levels of investment in 2020, but a significant proportion of it was concentrated in a small number of scaleup enterprises Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

IR35 private sector reforms: IPSE warns of UK contracting talent exodus unless start date delayed

Association of Independent Professionals and the Self-Employed research into what contractors plan to do once the IR35 reforms come into play highlights growing risk of talent shortages Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

Ski firm dumps ‘motley’ storage for DataCore software-defined

Eurogroup cuts power usage by 70% and rackspace from 84U to 7U as it consolidates multiple physical servers and storage protocols onto SANsymphony software-defined storage Continue Reading

By

• Yann Serra, LeMagIT
• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

UK technology business created every 30 minutes in 2020

New figures on UK business creation show surge in entrepreneurs setting up technology businesses during 2020, while the sector’s hiring efforts climb back to pre-pandemic levels Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Why the London Data Charter could be a foundation stone in the city’s recovery

London First’s director of connectivity and competitiveness, David Lutton, explains why data is at the core of the capital’s recovery plan Continue Reading

By

• David Lutton

Nordic innovators change emphasis on gender equality in society

Female technology innovators in the Nordics take a different approach to trying to improve opportunities for women Continue Reading

By

• Matthew Staff

SME backup: Card maker ditches tape-only for Nakivo 3-2-1 setup

IG Design Group gains a modern backup regime with data held on disk, in the cloud and long-term on tape in a move that has helped it to slash backup and restore times Continue Reading

By

• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

NCSC Cyber Action Plan emphasises SME security

NCSC self-assessment tool launched to help sole traders and micro-businesses tackle their cyber security challenges Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

UKtech50 2021: The most influential people in UK technology

Computer Weekly has announced the 11th annual UKtech50 – our definitive list of the movers and shakers in the UK tech sector Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

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

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

IR35 private sector reforms: What IT contractors need to know

Computer Weekly asks contracting experts to answer questions about PSC bans, compliant umbrella companies and challenging status determinations, with the latest IR35 reforms coming into place Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

Post Office Horizon and the subpostmasters’ justice fight – Computer Weekly Downtime Upload podcast

In this episode of the Computer Weekly Downtime Upload podcast, Karl Flinders joins Caroline Donnelly, Clare McDonald, and Brian McKenna to discuss the Post Office Horizon system that brought havoc to the lives of subpostmasters and subpostmistresses Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA
• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK
• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

Startup founders worried about proposed capital gains tax changes

British technology startups are concerned about proposed changes to widen the UK’s capital gains tax, with just over four in five saying they would consider moving their enterprise abroad Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

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

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

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Post Office to offer digital ID services to customers

Post Office partnership with Yoti is intended to expand customer choice as to how people prove their identity when accessing services Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Effective IT recovery in small/midsize businesses, 10 years on? Maybe tomorrow...

Disaster recovery is important for every business, large or small. But how can small businesses with limited resources protect themselves? Especially as a ‘disaster’ doesn’t have to be caused by a ... Continue Reading

By

• Tony Lock, Freeform Dynamics

Government R&D funding fails to maximise ‘catapult’ potential

Barriers in the UK’s research and development funding system mean technology and innovation centres, also known as catapults, are prevented from maximising their potential economic impact Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Venture capital trusts lobby for relaxed state aid rules

Venture Capital Trust Association chair speaks to Computer Weekly about how the UK’s exit from the EU means state aid rules can be rewritten to allow for the expansion of funding mechanisms used by tech startups Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Google grows cloud sales as parent’s profits top $40bn

Alphabet announces massive overall profits and increased Google cloud sales Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

SBRC picks Check Point to support cyber helpline

The Scottish Business Resilience Centre has enlisted Check Point as the first security supplier to join its incident response partnership programme Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

UKtech50 2021: Vote for the most influential person in UK technology

Our judges have picked a shortlist, and now we invite readers to tell us who should be chosen as the most influential person in the UK tech scene for 2021 – submit your vote now Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Interview: Tony Porter, chief privacy officer, Corsight AI

Tony Porter speaks to Computer Weekly about the changes in facial-recognition during his time as surveillance camera commissioner, the ethics of using the technology, and his new role as chief privacy officer at Corsight AI Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Click fraud levels reach new heights in pandemic

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

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

UKtech50: The 2021 longlist

Each year, Computer Weekly launches its annual search for the most influential people in UK IT, where the tech industry nominates who it thinks should be in the top 50 – here is the longlist for 2021 Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

London received quarter of all European tech funding in 2020

Technology startups in London raised near-record levels of venture capital investment last year despite uncertainty related to Brexit and Covid-19 Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

European IT outsourcing spend up in 2020 after cloud boost

IT outsourcing sector growth is an indication that businesses are beginning to see light at the end of the tunnel amid the Covid-19 pandemic and the economic disruption it has brought Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Bahrain hopes 5G roll-out will attract more tech firms to its shores

Bahrain has completed its 5G roll-out, which will support its IT infrastructure in creating the right environment for technology firms Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Early stage UK security startups face funding crisis

Overall cyber security funding since the advent of the pandemic is well up, but investment is dominated by safe, later-stage firms while those raising capital for the first time fall away Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Five key points about cloud vs in-house disaster recovery

The cloud is well suited as a disaster recovery failover option. The key questions are about what you should keep on-site and what goes to the cloud. We look at five key points to consider Continue Reading

By

• Stephen Pritchard

Huawei battles for market access in Nordics

Chinese networking equipment supplier Huawei fights to retain access to potential 5G contracts across the Nordic region Continue Reading

By

• Gerard O'Dwyer

Top 10 startup stories of 2020

Here are Computer Weekly’s top 10 startup stories of 2020 Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor