IT legislation and regulation
Understanding the law as it applies to IT management can be one of the hardest task for IT leaders, but the growing burden of regulatory compliance makes it essential. Legislation and regulation affects enterprise IT in many ways, not just in long-standing tasks such as contracts and software licensing. We examine the latest legal development and how they affect IT managers, and talk to the experts in IT legislation and regulation to explain what it means to your organisation.
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News
02 Sep 2024
Navigating the shifting sands of open source
As open source matures, the Cloud Native Computing Foundation is grappling with issues ranging from licence rug-pulling and the rise of artificial intelligence to the changing dynamics of open source contributions Continue Reading
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Opinion
22 Jul 2024
Fundamental guardrails to address AI risk and value
Leveraging existing governance approaches and current success will make AI governance less daunting while supporting business goals Continue Reading
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Opinion
16 Dec 2020
Why our online harms laws will be good for tech
The UK's minister for digital infrastructure explains the government's thinking behind its proposals to regulate internet companies such as Facebook, Google and others Continue Reading
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News
15 Dec 2020
UK government unveils details of upcoming online harms rules
Online Harms Bill due early 2021 will introduce GDPR-style fines for technology companies that breach online duty of care rules Continue Reading
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News
15 Dec 2020
Air purifier manufacturer creates IoT service in the cloud
Sweden’s Blueair introduces new functionality for customers through a cloud-based internet of things platform Continue Reading
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News
14 Dec 2020
FireEye identifies flaw in networking monitoring software as US agencies attacked
Cyber security company says investigations have revealed security breach occurred because of a flaw in a network monitoring software Continue Reading
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News
14 Dec 2020
Digital Ethics Summit 2020: governance key to inclusive post-Covid economic recovery
Pluralism key to developing and deploying technologies for an inclusive post-Covid economic recovery, according to a panel at Digital Ethics Summit 2020 Continue Reading
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News
11 Dec 2020
HMRC data shows online IR35 status check tool does not return a result in nearly 20% of cases
Figures released by HMRC to show how many times its online IR35 tax status checker tool has been used reveal shortcomings in its ability to reach a conclusion in nearly 20% of cases Continue Reading
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News
10 Dec 2020
French regulators fine Google and Amazon over cookie policies
Google and Amazon rapped over their use of advertising cookies by the French data protection authorities Continue Reading
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News
10 Dec 2020
Cyber Helpline awarded lottery funding to support victims
The Cyber Helpline, a UK charity that provides emergency support to victims of cyber crime and online stalking, is to receive funding from the National Lottery Continue Reading
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News
09 Dec 2020
Calls for Facebook break up as US issues lawsuits for anti-competitive behaviour
Antitrust lawsuits issued by the US Federal Trade Commission and 48 attorneys general call for the breakup of Facebook following 10 years of anti-competitive behaviour Continue Reading
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News
07 Dec 2020
Met Police failed to clear backlog of subject access requests
Metropolitan Police failed to comply fully with an enforcement notice issued by the Information Commissioner, and despite hundreds of overdue subject access requests the regulator did not take further action Continue Reading
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News
07 Dec 2020
HMRC referred 11 data security incidents to ICO in 2019-20
HM Revenue & Customs shares details of a number of data security incidents that occurred during the 2019-20 financial year in its annual report Continue Reading
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News
04 Dec 2020
FTTH Council Europe slams misleading advertising for fibre networks
Fibre broadband trade body study shows consumers are confused about marketing and performance of broadband-access technologies, recommending a ‘fibre-ready’ label should be introduced for new buildings and major renovations Continue Reading
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News
03 Dec 2020
Bank of England enlists development partner to unlock cloud
Bank has agreed a two-year deal with a cloud development platform provider as it seeks to take its cloud journey to the next level Continue Reading
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News
03 Dec 2020
ICT disaster threatens Dutch environment law
The Dutch government’s revamp of its construction planning law faces major IT challenges and scepticism Continue Reading
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News
03 Dec 2020
Tech and data key to achieving low-carbon economy, says Royal Society
Report says net-zero transition should be data-led, and calls for coordination between government, regulators, industry and third sector Continue Reading
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News
01 Dec 2020
Government covers its ears as complaint by victims of Post Office abuse heads to ombudsman
Government denies responsibility for the abuse inflicted on subpostmasters by the Post Office over faulty IT system 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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News
27 Nov 2020
Algorithmic transparency obligations needed in public sector
Public sector’s use of algorithms with social impacts needs to be more transparent to foster trust and hold organisations responsible for the negative outcomes their systems may produce, says report Continue Reading
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News
25 Nov 2020
Three cyber criminals arrested in Nigerian BEC investigation
Prolific cyber criminal gang is thought to have compromised up to half a million victims since 2017 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
24 Nov 2020
Nominet introduces new resources for cyber scam victims
Domain name registrar is working with law enforcement to provide new information, guidance and resources for potential victims of online scams 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
23 Nov 2020
Manchester United praised for swift response to cyber attack
Manchester United’s systems were attacked last week, and the club has been praised for a swift and decisive response Continue Reading
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News
20 Nov 2020
Pricing questions persist but Openreach overall observes Ofcom independence mandates
UK communications regulator notes real progress made in implementing its requirements, but more is needed to be done to strengthen broadband provision division independence and engagement Continue Reading
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News
20 Nov 2020
Security pros fear prosecution under outdated UK laws
CyberUp, a group of campaigners who want to reform the Computer Misuse Act, finds 80% of security professionals are concerned that they may be prosecuted just for doing their jobs Continue Reading
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News
18 Nov 2020
US cyber security chief fired for contradicting Trump
CISA chief Chris Krebs ousted for doing his job fighting disinformation in an apparent purge of officials deemed disloyal to president Donald Trump Continue Reading
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News
17 Nov 2020
Automated image recognition: How using ‘free’ photos on the internet can lead to lawsuits and fines
Germany-based photographer Marco Verch uses computer scripts to populate the internet with topical images and photographs. People and companies who make mistakes in following the complex licensing terms of his ‘free to share and adapt’ photographs receive threatening ‘legal’ demands Continue Reading
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Opinion
17 Nov 2020
Brexit and risks to data privacy and governance
EY privacy specialists assess the risks to data privacy, protection and governance on the table for businesses, with less than two months until Brexit 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
Wireless industry warns of urgent need for more Wi-Fi spectrum
As demand for broadband connectivity surges worldwide, bodies representing wireless companies highlight what they say is a pressing need for access to the 6GHz frequency band Continue Reading
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News
13 Nov 2020
Ticketmaster fined £1.25m by ICO for failing to protect customer data
Ticket website’s customer data was exposed through an attack on a third-party chatbot Continue Reading
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News
13 Nov 2020
Dutch IT award recognises importance of research in the wild
Promoter of human-centric scientific research techniques claims the prestigious 2020 Netherlands Prize for ICT Research Continue Reading
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News
12 Nov 2020
Financial Stability Board says it’s time to talk about IT outsourcing risks
International organisation that monitors the finance sector asks for the industry to discuss the risks that IT outsourcing brings to the sector Continue Reading
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News
12 Nov 2020
Company accused of spying on Assange acted for Ecuadorian Intelligence, says ex UC Global manager
Former operations chief of UC Global told Spanish Court the company accused of spying on Assange at the Ecuadorian Embassy in London was acting on the orders of Ecuadorian Intelligence Continue Reading
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News
11 Nov 2020
Tim Berners-Lee startup releases decentralisation tech to enterprises
Roll-out of Inrupt’s decentralised privacy technology to four large organisations is helping the startup to develop explicit use cases, which it hopes will prove the tech and lead to faster adoption 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
11 Nov 2020
EU aid funds used to train ‘unaccountable intelligence agencies’ in high-tech surveillance
Hundreds of documents obtained by campaign group Privacy International show how the EU is supporting surveillance programmes in the Balkans, the Middle East and Africa 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
10 Nov 2020
Leaky AWS S3 bucket once again at centre of data breach
Prestige Software exposed millions of records after failing to pay attention to the security of its cloud instances Continue Reading
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News
06 Nov 2020
Lockdown 2: Balancing job retention with automation
As the UK enters its second coronavirus lockdown, experts have questioned the funds that governments across Europe have put aside to support businesses Continue Reading
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News
06 Nov 2020
ICO sued over ‘failure’ to address ad industry practices
Privacy campaigner the Open Rights Group claims the advertising technology industry is systematically breaching the GDPR, and the ICO is doing nothing about it Continue Reading
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News
06 Nov 2020
Finger pointed at Fujitsu as Post Office Horizon system crashes nationally
Post Office branches offline during busy business hours after suffering an IT error that the Post Office said related to IT from supplier Fujitsu Continue Reading
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News
05 Nov 2020
GSMA calls for whole-of-government approach to digital societies
Asia-Pacific countries need to take a whole-of-government approach and not regulate the telecoms industry in isolation to advance their digital societies Continue Reading
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News
04 Nov 2020
Contractors claim IR35 reforms pose ‘bigger threat’ to their livelihoods than Covid-19 or Brexit
Latest poll by contractor tax consultancy Qdos suggests freelancers are less concerned about the threat the coronavirus and Brexit pose to their businesses than the havoc the IR35 private sector reforms might cause Continue Reading
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News
04 Nov 2020
EU to introduce data-sharing measures with US in weeks
The European Commission is to issue updated standard contractual clauses (SCCs) that will allow organisations in the EU to exchange data with the US, but they may arrive too late to incorporate into UK law Continue Reading
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News
30 Oct 2020
ICO slashes Marriott breach fine to £18.4m
Reduced fine reflects both improvements made to hotel group’s cyber security and impact of coronavirus on the travel and hospitality sector Continue Reading
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News
28 Oct 2020
Finnish therapy centre accused of covering up cyber attack
Private therapy practice Vastaamo faces questions over its security and business practices in the months leading up to one of the biggest data breaches in Finland’s history Continue Reading
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Opinion
28 Oct 2020
How to write an executive CV for IT leadership jobs
Knowing how to write an IT executive CV requires a deep knowledge and skillset that not everyone has. Find out how to set yourself apart from the competition Continue Reading
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Opinion
28 Oct 2020
The Google antitrust case is more about politics than economics
It’s not entirely clear what economic reasons led the US government to try to tackle Google’s search monopoly, which suggests it is mostly about politics 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
27 Oct 2020
ICO slams Experian over ‘invisible’ data processing
Data processing practices used by Experian broke data protection law, says Information Commissioner’s Office Continue Reading
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News
27 Oct 2020
Not enough time to get software ready for end of Brexit transition period, warns industry
Software suppliers are concerned they don't have enough time or information to help businesses be ready on time for the end of the Brexit transition period Continue Reading
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News
27 Oct 2020
Calls for clarity over Amazon insider breach
Security experts call for more clarity from Amazon over an apparent leak of customer data Continue Reading
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E-Zine
27 Oct 2020
Pet project: How Pets at Home cares for customers with data analytics
In this week’s Computer Weekly, we talk to the chief data officer of Pets at Home, about using data analytics to care for customers. British Airways had its GDPR fine reduced to just £20m – we ask what this means for data protection regulation. And we look at GPT3, the language prediction tool that could revolutionise AI. Read the issue now. Continue Reading
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News
26 Oct 2020
Forrester: CIOs must prepare for Brexit data transfer
With the end of the Brexit transition period just weeks away, multi-national organisations will need to re-evaluate how intercompany data is transmitted Continue Reading
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News
26 Oct 2020
Policy Exchange calls on government to publish digital ID strategy
The lack of reliable digital ID services in the UK is limiting the country’s digital infrastructure potential, according to a report on digital identity, which also recommends the government to clarify the future of Gov.uk Verify 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
22 Oct 2020
IR35: Former Treasury secretary Mel Stride calls for ‘dreaded’ off-payroll rules to be ‘abolished’
While chairing a Treasury Committee session on how the UK tax landscape must change to cover the costs of the coronavirus pandemic, ex-Treasury secretary Mel Stride backed calls for the IR35 rules to be abolished Continue Reading
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News
21 Oct 2020
Charities warned over ‘Robin Hood’ cyber criminals
Accepting donations from cyber criminal groups could be deemed as profiting from crime, money laundering or handling stolen goods – so don’t do it Continue Reading
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News
20 Oct 2020
Police given access to self-isolation data
NHS Test and Trace self-isolation data will be made available to police after new guidance changes data-sharing rules Continue Reading
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News
20 Oct 2020
Six Russians charged over NotPetya and other attacks
Six members of the APT group known as Sandworm have been charged in the US over a series of attacks including the destructive NotPetya incident Continue Reading
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News
20 Oct 2020
IR35 reforms: Contractors weigh up post-April 2021 employment options
IR35 compliance firm Qdos polls contractors to find out what they think the future holds for their job prospects once the reworked off-payroll rules come into force in the private sector from April 2021 Continue Reading
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News
19 Oct 2020
Estonian rude awakening spurs tech startup activity
Money laundering scandal in Estonia has sparked tech startup activity in the Baltic country as banks look for answers Continue Reading
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News
19 Oct 2020
IR35 reforms: HMRC urged to correct clause in off-payroll rules that could ‘kill off’ umbrella firms
An ‘errant clause’ within the forthcoming off-payroll legislation could cause serious disruption to the IT contractor community if left unchanged, experts have warned Continue Reading
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News
16 Oct 2020
BA argues ICO data breach fine down to £20m
Information Commissioner’s Office levies fine of £20m on British Airways for failing to protect the personal data of hundreds of thousands of passengers – a vast reduction on the initial £183m penalty 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
Arrests and indictments made in cyber money laundering ring
The NCA has revealed six men were arrested in the UK as part of an international investigation into a money laundering network which handled transactions for some of the world’s most prolific cyber criminal groups Continue Reading
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News
15 Oct 2020
Cloud data protection keeps the Crick’s medical research Covid-secure
Cloud data management services from Rubrik gave the Francis Crick Institute a data protection edge and have helped keep its vital work going through the pandemic 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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Opinion
15 Oct 2020
Security Think Tank: Essential tools to mitigate data loss and identity theft
The threat of identity theft via a data breach is heightened with the rise of attacks where ransomware threat actors both encrypt and ransom, and exfiltrate and leak their victims’ data. How does this evolution in cybercrime heighten risk for the enterprise, and what steps can we take to safeguard the personal data we hold? Continue Reading
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News
14 Oct 2020
Public sector security failings leave UK at risk, says think tank
Reform report urges adoption of new policies in the next version of the UK’s National Cyber Security Strategy Continue Reading
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News
14 Oct 2020
US Elections: Malicious internet domains spike as campaigns heat up
Internet domains related to the US presidential election are 56% more likely to be malicious than regular ones Continue Reading
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News
14 Oct 2020
Public data should not be held by US tech giants
One-off evidence sessions to follow up on the recommendations of the House of Lords AI Committee revisit the data and ethics debate 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
Challenger bank accessing latest anti-money laundering technology through fintech
Challenger banks works with fintech to support its anti-money laundering efforts Continue Reading
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News
12 Oct 2020
Trickbot forced offline in major cyber security victory
Coalition led by Microsoft obtained a court order enabling them to take down the infamous Trickbot botnet’s back-end server infrastructure 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
CMA asks for right to probe O2/Virgin merger
Competition and Markets Authority requests right to probe potentially game-changing joint venture that could transform UK’s wired and wireless communications provision Continue Reading
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Opinion
09 Oct 2020
Lapsing ISO certifications: Myth versus risk
Allowing ISO certifications to lapse presents businesses with serious risks when workarounds are possible Continue Reading
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News
08 Oct 2020
Coronavirus face mask spammer fined by ICO
The director of software company Studios MG spammed members of the public at the height of the pandemic as one of its directors tried to shift a job lot of face masks Continue Reading
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News
08 Oct 2020
Crown Prosecution Service suffers 1,600 data breaches in 12 months
CPS sees a spike in data security incidents, many of them serious enough to be reported to the Information Commissioner’s Office Continue Reading
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News
08 Oct 2020
Threat of GDPR fines increasingly driving security buying decisions
Scaring the people who hold the purse strings may be the best option for CISOs who need a little extra budget 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
07 Oct 2020
Department for Education failed to protect data on millions of children, says ICO
The Department for Education’s National Pupil Database, which contains millions of items of data on the UK’s schoolchildren, was found to be non-compliant with data protection regulations across the board Continue Reading
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News
07 Oct 2020
ICO wraps up Cambridge Analytica investigation
Information Commissioner’s Office concludes its investigation into Cambridge Analytica, saying no additional evidence has come to light that would change its previous assessments Continue Reading
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News
06 Oct 2020
EU’s top court questions legality of UK phone and internet data surveillance
European Court of Justice rules that the UK and EU member states must comply with EU privacy laws when harvesting people’s sensitive communications data from telecoms and internet companies Continue Reading
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Opinion
06 Oct 2020
The privacy and compliance challenges organisations face in 2021
Privacy and compliance teams have a lot on their plate as 2021 approaches. What are the key issues to consider? Continue Reading
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News
06 Oct 2020
John McAfee arrested over cryptocurrency fraud
Erratic tech baron allegedly promoted initial coin offerings without disclosing he was being paid to do so Continue Reading
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News
05 Oct 2020
Business leaders call on G20 to drive affordable and responsible tech
A new report from the Business Twenty has urged G20 members to use digitisation to support economic recovery Continue Reading
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News
05 Oct 2020
FBI seized ‘legally privileged’ material from Ecuador Embassy, claims Julian Assange’s lawyer
The US struck a secret deal with Ecuador to seize WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange’s property from the Ecuadorian Embassy in London days before his arrest. The haul included legally privileged documents, says his solicitor 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
02 Oct 2020
Security pros face sanctions if they help ransomware victims pay
New advisory from the US government warns cyber insurance and incident response specialists that they could be skating on thin ice if they help ransomware victims pay their attackers off 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
29 Sep 2020
NatWest offers online banking customers free security services
Bank responds to a surge in cyber crime targeting users of online banking services Continue Reading
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News
28 Sep 2020
Government updates data ethics framework
The new data ethics framework was created to better reflect how projects are run in practice after finding there was “little awareness” of the previous framework across the public sector 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
28 Sep 2020
Police Scotland to set up new cyber crime centre
National Centre of Excellence will employ specially trained officers to tackle a vertiginous rise in cyber crime Continue Reading
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News
25 Sep 2020
Forensic expert questions US claims that Julian Assange conspired to crack military password
Forensic computer expert Patrick Eller told the Old Bailey that US allegations that WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange attempted to decrypt a password to help former soldier Chelsea Manning leak sensitive government documents anonymously do not fit with the evidence Continue Reading
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Opinion
25 Sep 2020
Gartner: Balance safety, privacy and productivity when employees return to the workplace
Organisations may decide that data collection can help keep employees safe in a Covid-secure workplace – but employers must consider all the privacy and productivity implications Continue Reading