IT for telecoms and internet organisations
Telecoms is one of the largest business sectors, and communications providers often have large IT budgets and are early adopters of new technologies. Our news and analysis of this important industry looks at how telecommunications firms, ISPs and other internet companies are using IT, and the regulatory issues that affect the services they provide.
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News
21 Nov 2024
BianLian cyber gang drops encryption-based ransomware
The Australian and American cyber authorities have published updated intelligence on the BianLian ransomware gang, which has undergone a rapid evolution in tactics Continue Reading
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News
21 Nov 2024
Microsoft slaps down Egyptian-run rent-a-phish operation
Microsoft’s Digital Crimes Unit has conducted a successful takedown of almost 250 malicious websites used in the cyber criminal ONNX phishing-as-a-service operation Continue Reading
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News
09 Dec 2020
FireEye’s ethical hacking tools stolen in state-backed attack
Hacking tools used to conduct red team penetration testing were stolen in the state-backed attack on security firm FireEye Continue Reading
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News
07 Dec 2020
UK Space Agency awards £7m for space innovation projects
A range of ‘high risk, high reward’ projects have been awarded a total of £7m from the Space Agency’s National Space Innovation Programme, aiming to make the UK a world leader in space technology Continue Reading
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News
07 Dec 2020
Grindr and others patch critical Android bug
Fixes for CVE-2020-8913 deployed as app developers shore up their defences against a disclosed Google Play vulnerability Continue Reading
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News
04 Dec 2020
Avast and Borsetta to support Intel’s AI security project
Security firm Avast and AI security specialist Borsetta have signed up to support an Intel-led artificial intelligence security research project Continue Reading
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News
03 Dec 2020
Cyber Aware campaign to help safeguard Christmas shoppers
New government campaign sets out to raise awareness of online shopping fraud in the run-up to Christmas Continue Reading
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News
03 Dec 2020
Lax Android app developers putting millions of users at risk
Eight months after Google patched a critical vulnerability, developers have failed to update their apps, putting millions of users of apps such as dating services Bumble and Grindr at risk Continue Reading
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News
02 Dec 2020
Covid-19: Cyber criminals will target vaccine programmes
Interpol issues a global alert to law enforcement as the UK becomes one of the first countries to approve the Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine for use Continue Reading
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News
01 Dec 2020
22,000 malicious .uk domains suspended in past year
Nominet has suspended just over 22,000 domains in the 12 months to 31 October 2020, continuing a downward trend, and with less impact from Covid-19 than might be expected Continue Reading
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News
27 Nov 2020
Lords propose making tech giants pay for using news
Digital platforms such as Google and Facebook profit from running adverts alongside publishers’ content, but no financial compensation is given for carrying that content, says Lords committee Continue Reading
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Feature
27 Nov 2020
This Christmas, Covid-19 heightens retail security risks for everyone
Do you think it’s only retailers and consumers who need to consider cyber security when shopping online during the holidays? You’re dead wrong. This year, the Covid-19 pandemic and the shift to remote working has thrown a spanner in the works Continue Reading
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News
26 Nov 2020
Government must hold technology companies to account on e-waste
MPs urge UK government and global technology companies to deal with ‘tsunami of electronic waste’, which is throwing away valuable resources vital for building a sustainable future Continue Reading
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News
26 Nov 2020
Data safes will give users control over their data
Belgian computer scientist tells Computer Weekly how people can regain control of their online personal information Continue Reading
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News
26 Nov 2020
Robots taking jobs, but creating careers
Robotic process automation developers tell Computer Weekly about the job they never expected to be doing Continue Reading
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News
25 Nov 2020
Merger of national policing systems over budget and behind schedule
UK government effort to replace legacy IT systems suffers further delays, and will not be fully completed until 2025 at the earliest Continue Reading
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News
25 Nov 2020
Securing UK’s critical national infrastructure is a 2021 priority
Government outlines the UK’s strategic cyber security policies for the coming 12 months, with critical national infrastructure a clear priority Continue Reading
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News
23 Nov 2020
Telcos could face huge fines under new security laws
Government boasts of unprecedented powers to boost the security standards of the UK’s critical national infrastructure Continue Reading
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News
16 Nov 2020
Privacy advocates call for European probe into Palantir
Dutch group SOMI is trying to raise awareness of Palantir’s data privacy practices and how it works with European government agencies Continue Reading
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News
16 Nov 2020
Resident Evil studio Capcom confirms scale of Ragnar Locker breach
Videogame studio says the data of up to 350,000 people was likely to have been compromised in a Ragnar Locker ransomware attack Continue Reading
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News
13 Nov 2020
IT Priorities 2020: European IT budget share reflects home-working challenges brought by Covid
European organisations are being forced to redivert more limited budgets during the pandemic Continue Reading
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News
12 Nov 2020
Online kids’ game Animal Jam confirms large breach
Cyber criminals have stolen data on 46 million Animal Jam player accounts via a third-party attack Continue Reading
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News
11 Nov 2020
Amazon charged with breaching EU antitrust rules
Tech giant accused of using data it collects on smaller retailers to benefit its own e-commerce business Continue Reading
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News
10 Nov 2020
Border technologies largely fail to respect human rights
AI-powered border technologies used to ‘manage’ migration frequently make the process more arbitrary, discriminatory and unjust, says human rights group Continue Reading
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News
09 Nov 2020
EU moves closer to encryption ban after Austria, France attacks
Draft resolution document setting up an EU-wide ban on end-to-end encryption is set to be waved through this week Continue Reading
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News
05 Nov 2020
Mastercard: Looks like a tech firm, acts like a tech firm, is a tech firm
Financial services giant finds itself in a prominent position as the volume of digital transactions increases Continue Reading
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News
02 Nov 2020
Finnish government rolls out digital projects to support SMEs
Finland is set to create network of technology hubs that will support SMEs in the country, as well as create links across the EU Continue Reading
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News
29 Oct 2020
Victims contest technology firms’ attempt to dismiss cobalt mining deaths case
Technology companies say they cannot be held responsible for the deaths of children mining for the cobalt used in their products Continue Reading
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News
28 Oct 2020
Privacy and online safety are focus of new UKRI research funding
Online safety research centre of excellence will look into technology to boost privacy and tackle disinformation, fake news, conspiracies and other online harms Continue Reading
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News
26 Oct 2020
Dutch government ‘unambitious’ in digital
The Netherlands has been working at home as much as possible since the outbreak of Covid-19, but its dependence on technology and connectivity does not seem to be reflected by the government’s approach to digitisation Continue Reading
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News
26 Oct 2020
Cooperation between Norway’s security agencies planned following cyber attack on parliament
Government seeks to develop enhanced national IT infrastructure with an embedded early warning system and defence shield to protect the IT systems of public and private organisations Continue Reading
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News
22 Oct 2020
Nordic countries in denial over IT industry equality
Arriving in Denmark to find she was the only woman on a computer science master’s course was a shock to Plamena Cherneva Continue Reading
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News
22 Oct 2020
US Justice Department files antitrust lawsuit against Google
Lawsuit alleges Google used anticompetitive tactics to maintain and extend its monopolies in a number of interconnected digital markets, violating US federal antitrust law Continue Reading
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News
16 Oct 2020
Spanish court to question witnesses over ‘illegal surveillance’ of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange
The Spanish National Court in Madrid is to hear evidence from information security expert Andy Müller-Maguhn and two lawyers who were subject to ‘illegal surveillance’ of their meetings with Julian Assange at the Ecuadorian Embassy in London Continue Reading
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News
15 Oct 2020
UK regulators lack the skills and expertise to cope with increasing use of algorithms
MPs told that multiple regulators will be needed to govern the ever-growing use of algorithmic systems in all areas of the economy and public sector Continue Reading
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News
14 Oct 2020
Fintech ‘unicorn’ Klarna probed over data misuse
Online bank blames misuse of user data on human error as Information Commissioner’s Office weighs in Continue Reading
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News
12 Oct 2020
Five Eyes spy group again demands access to private messages
Spooks are once again calling for the tech industry to break end-to-end encryption in messaging platforms Continue Reading
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News
09 Oct 2020
Facebook critics’ webpage removed over false phishing allegations
Real Facebook Oversight Board alleges Facebook is trying to censor it for speaking out against the social media company’s behaviour Continue Reading
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News
07 Oct 2020
US lawmakers release big tech antitrust report
House Democrats have published a report on the monopoly power wielded by big tech companies and how to restore competition in digital markets Continue Reading
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News
05 Oct 2020
Facebook critics launch ‘Real Facebook Oversight Board’
Organisation formed as an ‘emergency response’ to address the ‘immediate risk’ posed by Facebook’s role in the US election Continue Reading
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News
05 Oct 2020
Fake news tops list of online concerns worldwide
Receiving false information is a greater worry than other online risks such as cyber bullying and fraud, says the Lloyd’s Register Foundation Continue Reading
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News
02 Oct 2020
Future UK-EU data sharing put at risk by Brexit legislation
When the Brexit transition period ends, UK ministers will have the power to forge new data-sharing arrangements that risk undermining the viability of future data transfers with the European Union Continue Reading
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News
30 Sep 2020
‘American friends’ spied on Julian Assange in Ecuadorian Embassy, court hears
Two former employees of UC Global, which provides security services to the Ecuadorian Embassy in London, claim the company shared surveillance footage with the US of the WikiLeaks founder meeting with lawyers and other visitors Continue Reading
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News
30 Sep 2020
Norway leaves door open to Huawei
Government gives telecoms companies responsibility to choose their equipment suppliers, which could include Huawei Continue Reading
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News
28 Sep 2020
TikTok ban stayed after last-minute court case
TikTok’s lawyers have staved off an imminent ban for the time being, after successfully arguing that it infringed rights guaranteed under the Constitution of the United States Continue Reading
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News
24 Sep 2020
Third-party code bug left Instagram users at risk of account takeover
A critical vulnerability in Instagram’s image processing could have allowed attackers to take over not just their victim’s account, but their entire device Continue Reading
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News
23 Sep 2020
Over half of firms intend to continue US data transfers despite Schrems II
Survey shows many organisations do not intend to significantly change their data-sharing practices, at least until there is more guidance from regulators or governments Continue Reading
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News
23 Sep 2020
Major tech firms urged to end targeted ads to under-18s
An open letter to Google, Facebook and others is calling on the tech firms to take responsibility for protecting users of their services by ending behavioural advertising to children Continue Reading
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News
23 Sep 2020
Video gamers barraged with cyber attacks
From credential stuffing to SQL injection and DDoS, video game producers and players are seeing massive volumes of cyber attacks Continue Reading
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Opinion
23 Sep 2020
Top 10 skills to include in your IT CV
Find out what skills and keywords you should include on your CV to stand out as an IT professional in a competitive market Continue Reading
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News
22 Sep 2020
Twitter investigates image cropping algorithm for racial bias
The algorithm’s consistent favouring of white faces in image previews has forced the company to investigate it for racial bias Continue Reading
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News
22 Sep 2020
Activision shoots down data breach claims
Gaming company denies there has been any data breach after up to 500,000 accounts appeared to have been compromised, but evidence mounts that credential stuffing attacks are to blame Continue Reading
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News
22 Sep 2020
Scam mobile apps spreading via rogue TikTok accounts
Malicious TikTok accounts are promoting a number of adware scam mobile apps Continue Reading
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News
21 Sep 2020
Big questions to be answered over TikTok and WeChat reprieve
TikTok and WeChat seem to have received a stay of execution, but big questions and contradictions remain Continue Reading
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News
18 Sep 2020
Outgoing NCSC CEO: Ransomware threat kept us up at night
Former NCSC CEO Ciaran Martin sheds some light on some of the biggest cyber threats currently facing the UK Continue Reading
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News
18 Sep 2020
US government deplatforms TikTok and WeChat
The Commerce Department of the US government has banned new downloads of TikTok and WeChat in the US, and announced new prohibitions on doing business with them Continue Reading
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News
15 Sep 2020
TikTok-Oracle partnership moves forward for consideration
Joint venture proposal could create thousands of jobs and secure TikTok’s future outside China Continue Reading
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News
14 Sep 2020
Microsoft drops out of TikTok talks, paves way for Oracle partnership
Microsoft confirms it is dropping out of the running to acquire the US operations of TikTok, leaving the way clear for an imminent partnership deal with Oracle Continue Reading
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News
11 Sep 2020
Facebook takes legal action against Irish privacy watchdog
Facebook’s legal action against the Data Protection Commission will attempt to preserve the company’s ability to transfer European citizens’ data to the US despite its lower privacy protections Continue Reading
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News
11 Sep 2020
Zoom adds two-factor authentication for all users
Latest enhancements to Zoom security make it easier for organisations to protect users and prevent breaches and unauthorised meeting access Continue Reading
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News
10 Sep 2020
Irish privacy watchdog orders Facebook to stop sending user data to the US
Irish privacy watchdog orders Facebook to suspend transfers of European citizens’ data to the US after Schrems II ruling that Europeans have no effective way to challenge American government surveillance Continue Reading
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News
10 Sep 2020
Datacentre firm Equinix investigating ransomware attack
A number of internal systems at cloud and datacentre firm Equinix have been affected by a ransomware attack Continue Reading
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News
09 Sep 2020
Technology businesses vital to UK post-Covid economic recovery
Technology firms are set to play a larger role in UK’s post-Covid economy and are being encouraged to expand overseas after a strong year for digital exports Continue Reading
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News
09 Sep 2020
Abu Dhabi government launches peer-to-peer coding campus
Abu Dhabi government launches a specialist programming school that uses peer-to-peer teaching methods and gamification Continue Reading
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News
04 Sep 2020
Covid-19 has strained London tech firms but they have central role in recovery
London tech startups are feeling the effects of the economic slowdown brought on by Covid-19, but there is a huge opportunity for those with the right focus Continue Reading
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News
04 Sep 2020
Virtual London Tech Week is a sign of the future
London Tech week's virtual event is another sign of how the Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated digital transformation Continue Reading
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News
01 Sep 2020
Norway’s corporates want government to support ‘herd immunity’ to cyber attack
Leading business organisations in Norway call on government to play a more active role in improving and coordinating the country’s cyber defences Continue Reading
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News
01 Sep 2020
Here East CEO advises startups to generate own revenue streams
In a time of deep uncertainty, startups with their own streams of revenue independent of investors and large corporates will have more options and be in a much stronger negotiating position Continue Reading
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News
27 Aug 2020
Tour de France 2020 fans to get virtual experience delivered by NTT
This year’s Tour de France was delayed because of the Covid-19 pandemic. IT services company NTT has teamed up with event organiser ASO to offer a virtual experience to fans who cannot be at the roadside Continue Reading
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News
27 Aug 2020
TikTok CEO clocks off
TikTok CEO Kevin Mayer has resigned from the firm after just three months Continue Reading
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News
27 Aug 2020
Tech and telecoms advisory group set up to help trade negotiations
Department of International Trade launches new Trade Advisory Groups to guide trade negotiations with other countries Continue Reading
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News
27 Aug 2020
Aggrieved Amazon employees organise protests at homes of Jeff Bezos
A newly formed workers’ collective will protest outside the homes of Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos seeking to secure a number of concessions for essential workers Continue Reading
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News
26 Aug 2020
Ministers urge local councils to lead on broadband and mobile
Digital minister Matt Warman and local government minister Simon Clarke want local councils to do their bit to help ensure better access to connectivity during the Covid-19 recovery Continue Reading
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News
25 Aug 2020
TikTok takes Trump to court
Under-fire video app TikTok files a formal complaint in the federal courts challenging the Trump administration’s attempt to ban it in the US Continue Reading
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News
21 Aug 2020
TikTok’s GDPR compliance probed amid accusations of data misuse
Dutch privacy organisation SOMI claims TikTok falls short in protecting young users, and that it is likely violating GDPR Continue Reading
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News
20 Aug 2020
Social media data leak highlights murky world of data scraping
A data brokerage left its database of 235 million Instagram, TikTok and YouTube profiles exposed to anybody who cared to access it Continue Reading
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News
18 Aug 2020
Reports Oracle to enter TikTok bidding war
Oracle may be about to make a bid to acquire the US operations of TikTok from its Chinese parent ByteDance, according to the FT Continue Reading
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News
07 Aug 2020
Virgin Media customers targeted in Twitter phish
Customers seeking help from the ISP are being targeted by a scam Twitter account Continue Reading
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News
07 Aug 2020
TikTok to be banned in US in 45 days
Trump says his Executive Orders against Chinese mobile apps are in the interests of dealing with a national emergency Continue Reading
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News
05 Aug 2020
Egypt’s datacentre plans take key step forward
Government lays the foundations for a datacentre industry with its new data protection law Continue Reading
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E-Zine
04 Aug 2020
The UK’s $500m space technology gamble
In this week’s Computer Weekly we ask why the UK government is spending $500m on a bankrupt satellite technology company. After a European court quashes the EU-US data sharing agreement, we examine the implications for a UK-EU data protection deal after Brexit. And how have small cloud suppliers coped in the pandemic? Read the issue now. Continue Reading
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News
31 Jul 2020
Parents accuse Amazon of inaction in combatting child abuse material online
Parents protest over Amazon Web Services’ alleged inaction in dealing with child sexual abuse material hosted on its servers Continue Reading
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News
31 Jul 2020
Labour Party is latest victim of Blackbaud ransomware attack
Widening Blackbaud data breach ensnares the Labour Party as the cloud software firm continues to duck questions about its behaviour Continue Reading
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News
31 Jul 2020
US lawmakers grill big tech chiefs over market power
Sixth antitrust hearing sees CEOs of major technology companies face combative questioning from members of Congress over their market power and dominance Continue Reading
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News
30 Jul 2020
Finland government funds work on potential quantum leap
Finland's government is committing money to the development of quantum computing technologies to potentially provide a giant leap for the nation's industries Continue Reading
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News
29 Jul 2020
Campaigners urge government to resist big tech lobbying pressure
Lobbyists for big tech, supported by senior US politicians, have rallied against stricter regulation of technology companies, and threatened the US-UK trade deal unless Britain scraps plans to levy a digital services tax Continue Reading
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News
29 Jul 2020
Cosmetics firm Avon faces new cyber security incident
Technical information relating to Avon’s web and mobile sites was inadvertently left exposed on an unsecured Microsoft Azure server Continue Reading
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News
23 Jul 2020
Twitter announces crackdown on QAnon accounts
In a bid to stem the spread of disinformation and prevent real-world harm, Twitter is taking action against QAnon conspiracists Continue Reading
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News
22 Jul 2020
New opportunities for Nordic startups post-Covid-19 as virtual offices become the norm
As companies adjust to digital office life in the pandemic era, a host of Nordic startups are already helping them convert these short-term fixes into long-term strategy Continue Reading
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News
22 Jul 2020
Privacy Shield: Companies face new hurdles to legally transfer data to the US
Businesses will have to conduct legal assessments to ensure they can transfer data from the EU to the US and other countries, following a European Court of Justice ruling Continue Reading
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News
17 Jul 2020
Enterprises need to rethink how end-of-life equipment is dealt with
Electronic waste is a massive and growing problem, but many companies are not recycling or reusing IT equipment, instead opting for physical destruction of the assets Continue Reading
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News
17 Jul 2020
Twitter hack fallout: Investigators on trail of cyber criminals
Investigators are hunting the cyber criminals who broke into Twitter’s systems to hijack prominent accounts, amid concerns that more attacks may come Continue Reading
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News
16 Jul 2020
Schrems v Facebook: European court strikes down EU-US Privacy Shield agreement
The European Court of Justice has struck down Privacy Shield, the EU-US data-sharing agreement, creating uncertainty for European countries that share data with the US and pressuring the US to reform surveillance laws Continue Reading
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News
16 Jul 2020
Room for improvement in Dutch digital skills
The Netherlands has good telecommunications and IT networks that can be used safely and reliably, but there is room for improvement in digital skills among the Dutch Continue Reading
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News
16 Jul 2020
Cryptocurrency scammers attack Twitter in insider breach
Apparent insider breach at Twitter saw so-called “blue tick” accounts of business people, politicians and celebrities hijacked to promote a Bitcoin scam Continue Reading
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News
15 Jul 2020
Huge declines in traditional outsourcing as Covid-19 puts a stop on deals
Traditional IT outsourcing deals value plummets in the last quarter as contracts dry up amid Covid-19 disruption Continue Reading
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Opinion
15 Jul 2020
11 obscure questions, Facebook, Max Schrems and the European Court of Justice
Eleven obscure questions will be the first step towards explaining why we in the UK and Europe have experienced 13 years of what has been described as ‘mass and indiscriminate surveillance’ by the US Continue Reading
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News
14 Jul 2020
European court to decide legality of EU-US data sharing in dispute between Schrems and Facebook
A ruling by the European Court of Justice will have ramifications for hundreds of thousands of companies that share data with the US. The case aims to balance US surveillance laws with the rights of EU citizens to keep their data private Continue Reading
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News
08 Jul 2020
Use of spyware apps linked to domestic abuse soars in lockdown
The rise in domestic violence during the pandemic has been linked to increase use of stalkerware apps by abusers Continue Reading
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News
08 Jul 2020
Over 15 billion credentials for sale on dark web
Research by Digital Shadows reveals the scale of the security threat facing consumers as it uncovers 15 billion usernames and passwords stolen in more than 100,000 different data breaches Continue Reading
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News
08 Jul 2020
Security funding soars despite Covid-19 slump, but problems lie ahead
The overall cyber security funding ecosystem in the UK is healthier than ever despite Covid-19, but the figures mask stark and concerning disparities in where the money is going Continue Reading
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Opinion
08 Jul 2020
CCPA enforcement has begun: Here’s what to expect
The US’s California Consumer Privacy Act came into force in January this year, but enforcement against technology companies did not begin until this month Continue Reading