IT management

AI researcher says police tech suppliers are hostile to transparency

Expert witness in Lords police tech inquiry welcomes committee’s findings but questions whether its recommendations on how to end the ‘Wild West’ of police artificial intelligence and algorithmic technologies in the UK would be implemented Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Disney combines digital, data and creativity to win advertising opportunities

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we talk to the executive vice-president for client and brand solutions at Disney Advertising Sales about how it is using data to subserve story-telling excellence. We delve into how rising energy costs negatively impacted the UK arm of Sungard Availability Services. And we look at the role of infrastructure as code in edge datacentres. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

UK altnet demands regulatory probe into broadband mid-contract price hikes

UK full-fibre broadband provider ‘startled’ to see majority of broadband customers are unaware of being locked into large-scale price rises Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Border IT system fixed after 10-day outage

Post-Brexit border IT system failure fixed after going down at the start of April, allowing traders to once again file customs documents electronically rather than by hand Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Open source CMS platform Directus patches XSS bug

A stored cross-site scripting vulnerability in the Directus platform could have enabled malicious actors to gain access to valuable data Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Gartner: Six key executive-CIO conversations to help AI succeed

The promise of artificial intelligence often fails to materialise in businesses, so how do you maximise your chance to succeed? Continue Reading

By

• Dave Aron, Gartner

Building distributed systems requires effective developer teams

Technologies edge computing and containerisation call for teams capable of building distributed systems Continue Reading

By

• Junade Ali

We must target a broad church to fill vacant cyber roles

The security industry focuses a lot on cyber-specific specialisms and technical skills, but it could really benefit from widening its search. Take it from a social anthropologist Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Mastercard opens European tech hub in Dublin

Mastercard is doubling its technology workforce in Dublin through a new European tech hub in the Irish capital Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Raspberry Pi Foundation ditches default username policy

Raspberry Pi owners will no longer be able to use the default ‘pi’ username, as the Raspberry Pi Foundation clamps down on insecure practices Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Nordic countries discuss joint cyber defence capability

Nordic countries are in talks to increase their cyber defences in the face of the threat from Russia Continue Reading

By

• Gerard O'Dwyer

The role of infrastructure as code in edge datacentre computing

As datacentre computing is pushed to the edge of the organisation’s network, IT has to address the overheads associated with remote server management Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor
• Adrian Bridgwater

EncroChat: France says ‘defence secrecy’ in police surveillance operations is constitutional

Constitutional court finds that invoking ‘defence secrecy’ to withhold information about the state hacking of EncroChat cryptophones is constitutional. Defence lawyers now head for the supreme court Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Ukrainian cyber criminal gets five years in jail

A US court has sentenced Denys Iarmak, who worked as a penetration tester for the FIN7 cyber crime group, to a five-year prison sentence Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Was Spring4Shell a lot of hot air? No, but...

Find out why Spring4Shell was apparently not as impactful a security problem as many had at first feared, and why it’s on the cyber community as a whole to do better Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

IT contractors warned as HMRC draws on ‘IR35-adjacent’ legislation in tax avoidance clampdown

IT contractors are being urged to take action now, as details emerge about how HM Revenue & Customs is drawing on some IR35-adjacent legislation to send out five-figure tax bills to individuals who engage with contractor-focused accountants Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Datacentre Editor

Storage requirements for AI, ML and analytics in 2022

We look at what is needed for artificial intelligence and machine learning, and the pros and cons of block, file and object storage to store and access very large amounts of often unstructured data Continue Reading

By

• Stephen Pritchard

Why CIOs must prioritise system integration in 2022

System integration is a core part of operating enterprise systems. How can it be simplified? Continue Reading

By

• Eric Helmer

AirAsia taps Google Cloud to bolster its super-app

AirAsia is setting up a cloud centre of excellence with Google Cloud to shore up its super-app and build capabilities in site reliability engineering and machine learning operations Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Goldacre review outlines recommendations on safer use of health data

The findings of an investigation into use of health data for research and analysis includes a number of proposals to improve innovation in the NHS Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Online Safety Bill: Collaborating to make the internet safer for all

The UK government's plan to regulate the internet and social media includes some positive and progressive measures – but by working with industry, a lot more could be achieved Continue Reading

By

• Martin Wilson

US shuts down Russia’s Cyclops Blink botnet operation

Operation by US authorities has taken the Russia-attributed Cyclops Blink botnet ‘off the board’ Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Banks should be able to integrate e-krona into existing systems, says Swedish regulator

Swedish financial services regulator says banks and service providers should be able to integrate a potential digital currency into existing systems Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

CW Middle East: UAE and UK researchers work on ‘trustworthy’ cloud OS for datacentres

Imperial College London is embarking on a three-year project with an Abu Dhabi-based group of researchers to find ways for datacentre operators and cloud providers to secure their infrastructure. Also read how Dubai is positioning itself to reap the benefits of a promising global market for drone technology. Continue Reading

The rise and rise of blockchain technology

The growing use of blockchain across Asia-Pacific is set to continue, with spending on the technology slated to hit $2.4bn this year, according to IDC Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Pure says unstructured data needs storage scale and performance

Podcast: Pure Storage says huge growth of unstructured data and its diversity means storage has to be able to scale with it and offer performance to gain insights Continue Reading

By

• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

APAC organisations to spend more on AI

The higher investments in AI will be led by the region’s banking industry which is harnessing AI systems to mitigate risks and detect fraud Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Apple criticised over unpatched CVEs in Catalina, Big Sur

Apple patched two zero-days in macOS Monterey last week, but did not address the same issue in Catalina or Big Sur, raising questions Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Siemens looks at quantum computing to accelerate simulations

Using quantum computing to solve complex non-linear differential equations offers a way to speed up digital-twin simulations Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Denonia malware may be first to target AWS Lambda

The newly discovered Denonia malware appears to be custom designed to target AWS Lambda environments, and may be the first of its kind Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Hydra takedown merely shifts cyber criminal problem elsewhere

The seizure of the Hydra dark web marketplace is a positive development in the fight against cyber crime, but will only be a temporary setback for determined criminals Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

IR35 reforms: Private sector warned HMRC's 12-month 'light-touch' enforcement period is ending

HMRC confirmed, in the lead up to the IR35 reforms coming into force in the private sector in April 2021, that it would be taking a ‘light-touch’ approach to enforcing the rules for 12 months. And that grace period ends today Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Datacentre Editor

Snapshots best practice: Five key things you need to know

We look at snapshots best practice, including the way they work, why they are not the same as backups, how to avoid heavy processing overheads and key user permissions tweaks Continue Reading

By

• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

Structured decentralisation is the key to unlocking Nordic-level innovation

Finnish tech entrepreneurs will be taking the stage at the World Economic Forum to tell the world about the role of trust in Finnish startup success Continue Reading

By

• Matthew Staff

Secrecy over police EncroChat hacking is unconstitutional, defence lawyers tell top French court

France’s constitutional court, the Conseil Constitutionnel, has heard arguments that the use of ‘defence secrecy’ to withhold information about police surveillance operations breaches the French constitution Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Discount retailer The Works hit by cyber attack

A small number of The Works’ bricks-and-mortar stores were forced to close amid a cyber attack of an undisclosed nature Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Triple-threat Borat malware no joke for victims

Unlike its namesake, the newly discovered Borat malware won’t raise a smile for IT security pros Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Zopa bank profitable after just 21 months

The bank that emerged from peer-to-peer lending pioneer has hit its first profit after 21 months of operation Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Saudi Arabian ICT sector hits $32.1bn after strong pandemic response

The Saudi Arabian IT and communications sector is recovering strongly from the Covid-19 pandemic Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Police use of AI needs overhaul to prevent abuse

In this week’s Computer Weekly, a House of Lords inquiry calls for a rethink on how police forces use AI technologies – we examine the issues. Our new buyer’s guide looks into edge datacentres. And the EU and US agree a new data protection deal to replace Privacy Shield, but will it stand up to scrutiny? Read the issue now. Continue Reading

IBM z16 tackles financial fraud and quantum hacks

New addition to Z series mainframe family uses IBM Telum processor to accelerate AI for real-time credit card fraud detection Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

CIO interview: Brian Roche, director of IT, George Best Belfast City Airport

 Continue Reading

Office Wi-Fi may not cope with hybrid work

Continued growth of online meetings is triggering disruption across the employee productivity technology market, research from CCS Insight has found Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Fujitsu bags £430m government contracts despite rising cost of Post Office Horizon scandal

Fujitsu has won two huge government IT contracts, worth over £400m, while taxpayers face footing the massive bill for the Post Office scandal caused by its software Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Two teenagers charged with Lapsus$ cyber attacks

City of London Police have charged two teenagers in connection with the Lapsus$ cyber crime spree Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Four moves to ‘checkmate’ critical assets thanks to lax cloud security

Malicious actors can compromise 94% of critical assets within four steps of the initial breach point, according to a report Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Apple drops emergency patches for two zero-days

Apple has fixed two zero-day vulnerabilities that appear to have been actively exploited in the wild Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

AIS, ZTE, Qualcomm claim first for 5G NR-DC at 2.6GHz, 26GHz in Thailand 

Thai operator teams with comms tech providers for a ‘milestone’ in enhancing the capabilities of 5G network and ecosystem, showcasing 5G New Radio Dual Connectivity in the field achieving 8.5Gbps peak downlink speed and 2.17Gbps peak uplink speed with a single mobile device Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

How X2M Connect is spreading the IoT word

Australian IoT technology provider X2M Connect has been making headway in key Asian markets, where sustainability and air and water quality are gaining more attention Continue Reading

By

• Stephen Withers

EU Act ‘must empower those affected by AI systems to take action’

Ada Lovelace Institute publishes recommendations on how European institutions can improve the Artificial Intelligence Act by establishing a ‘comprehensive remedies framework’ around those affected by the deployment of AI systems Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Global upheaval shows cyber security isn’t good enough, says GCHQ director

Generational global upheaval has laid bare significant gaps in national cyber strategies, GCHQ chief Jeremy Fleming has said in a speech Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Bank fraud prevention scheme blocked £60m in fraud last year

Scheme to catch fraudsters, including online scammers, before they commit their crimes has reported a significant increase in crimes prevented Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Lapsus$ cyber crime spree continues despite arrests

The arrests of seven people in connection with the Lapsus$ cyber crime group has not dented the gang’s enthusiasm for causing chaos Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

You’ve just crossed over into the Dyson Zone

Dyson has ventured into the headphones market the only way that feels right: with a chunky, magnetic, air-purifying face mask upgrade that’s arrived two years too late. “The Dyson Zone purifies the ... Continue Reading

By

• Ryan Priest

Spring4Shell zero-day sprung on security teams

Some are describing a newly disclosed Spring Java framework vulnerability as the next Log4Shell, but what is Spring4Shell, and what can we do about it? Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

BCS Pride group calls for end to transphobia in tech

The BCS has called for an end to transphobic abuse and harassment in the technology industry Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Compensation goal finally in sight for 555 Post Office scandal victims

The subpostmaster campaign group which exposed the Post Office Horizon scandal could be close to achieving the objective it was established for, with fair compensation for its members in sight Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Why diversity in AI remains a challenge and how to fix it

With artificial intelligence set for a global economic explosion, its development must put diversity at its core to avoid discriminating systems Continue Reading

By

• Shawn Tan

Lax money laundering controls lands N26 with ban from Italian central bank

German digital bank N26 has had problems with anti-money laundering regulations in the past, and is now banned in Italy Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

One-third of UK firms suffer a cyber attack every week

New statistics from the annual DCMS Cyber security breaches survey reveal the extent and frequency with which UK organisations are being attacked by malicious actors Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Boots accelerates its digital accessibility journey

Boots is working with website accessibility software provider Recite Me to make its website more user-friendly and improve the customer experience Continue Reading

By

• Ben Sillitoe

CIO interview: Spencer Clarkson, CTO, Verastar

Digital transformation and unifying customer relationship management systems are driving the business services group forward Continue Reading

By

• Mark Samuels

Recruitment risks: Avoiding the dangers of fraudulent candidates

Tech companies are seeing an increase in fraudulent job applications, with associated impacts on risk and cyber security. So how can organisations protect themselves from fraudulent applicants while ensuring they recruit the best talent? Continue Reading

By

• Peter Ray Allison

Executive interview: Rajiv Ramaswami, CEO, Nutanix

We speak to the CEO of Nutanix about growing up in India, the switch from engineering to business leader, and mentoring Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Why integration and automation are two sides of the same coin

Workato’s regional leader explains why integration and automation are intertwined and how the company is addressing the Asia-Pacific market Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Overhaul of UK police tech needed to prevent abuse

Lords inquiry finds UK police are deploying artificial intelligence and algorithmic technologies without a thorough examination of their efficacy or outcomes, and are essentially ‘making it up as they go along’ Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

NCSC: Not necessarily wise to ditch Kaspersky

UK’s National Cyber Security Centre issues refreshed guidance on organisations’ usage of technology and services of Russian origin, but stops short of advising users to expunge all Russian products from their IT estates Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

UK tech ecosystem reaches $1tn valuation

The onset of the Covid-19 pandemic prompted massive investment in the UK’s digital companies, which are collectively valued at $1tn Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Wave of Log4j-linked attacks targeting VMware Horizon

Sophos issues a new warning to organisations that have so far failed to patch their VMware Horizon servers against Log4Shell Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

HSBC chooses IBM support for its quantum leap

UK bank moves to the next stage of its work with quantum computers through a deal with IBM Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

FCA reports 52% jump in security incidents

The Financial Conduct Authority received 116 cyber incident reports in 2021, a fifth of them involving ransomware Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Spring Statement lays the foundation for a make-or-break Budget for business in the autumn

The tech sector has welcomed much of the chancellor’s latest financial plans, but says there is more to do if technology is to achieve its full potential for driving economic growth Continue Reading

By

• Julian David, TechUK

Cabinet Office publishes playbook with rules for government digital projects

Digital, Data and Technology guide outlines measures supporting overhaul intended to “get things right at the start” Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Ten years of the Raspberry Pi

In this week’s Computer Weekly, as the Raspberry Pi reaches its 10th anniversary, we look back on how the low-cost computing device went from schools to supercomputers and even into space. Gartner offers tips on how to motivate IT staff in a hybrid working environment. And we meet the Dutch hackers helping to secure the internet. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

IT professionals wary of government campaign to limit end-to-end encryption

Members of the Chartered Institute of IT, the professional body for technology professionals in the UK, warn against limiting end-to-end encryption Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

business metric

A business metric is a quantifiable measure businesses use to track, monitor and assess the success or failure of various business processes. Continue Reading

By

• Ben Lutkevich, Site Editor
• Tim Ehrens

Sajid Javid pushes digitisation of social care records

Health secretary wants 80% of providers to abandon paper-based records by 2024 ahead of broader plans for digital health and care Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Virgin Media O2 Business aims to ‘go beyond’ traditional broadband SLAs

Business arm of UK connectivity provider proposes new way of working, built on successful outcomes rather than service deliverables alone, with bespoke agreements offering flexible use, reduced dual running costs and next-level service for new large enterprise and public sector customers Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

European Commission proposes new cyber security regulations

New cyber and information security regulations have been proposed by the European Commission to create a minimum set of standards in both areas Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

NHS advances digital trials with high-tech mobile health clinic

The NHS’ Find and Treat van uses tech tools including artificial intelligence software and a tele radiology network to care for vulnerable, high-risk Londoners Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

NHS health and social care staff offered training on healthcare apps

Health service staff have free access to training courses to help them understand which digital healthcare apps and websites are best for their patients Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

When to deploy AI

In the world of artificial intelligence, there is a tendency to consider the ultimate goal as creating something that humans can interact with in a natural way. Today, smart speakers like Alexa and ... Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Trainline readies for fresh challenges from launch of Great British Railways

The travel industry is recovering from pandemic restrictions, and now the UK train sector faces a shake-up from a new state-run rail operator – all of which mean challenges for the popular ticketing app Trainline Continue Reading

By

• Mark Samuels

Why you need soft skills to excel in your tech career

With deliberate practice you can hone your soft skills, increase the impact of your work and grow your influence in an organisation Continue Reading

By

• James Caplin

Do you feel trapped by Microsoft?

Thoughts on loosening Redmond’s grip on your business I started thinking about reducing my company’s dependency on Microsoft a few years ago. Contributing factors were frustration with the ... Continue Reading

By

• Dale Vile, Freeform Dynamics

The Security Interviews: Red gets automated

We speak to Jack Stockdale, CTO of Darktrace, about Cambridge’s strong data analytics and artificial intelligence links and the role of AI in cyber security Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

How Twilio is empowering women in tech

Ashwini Gillen, regional vice-president of sales at Twilio, talks up the highlights in her career and how Twilio is supporting women Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

CIO interview: Craig York, CTO, Milton Keynes University Hospital

A cloud-first digital strategy is helping the NHS trust becoming an innovator in the use of healthcare systems such as document management and electronic patient records Continue Reading

By

• Mark Samuels

Ad agency slashes NetApp costs with Datadobi data migration

US-based branding agency needed to migrate 20TB of large files to new NetApp hardware, but unwilling to stomach the vendor’s migration costs it chose Datadobi instead Continue Reading

By

• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

Hiring and retention challenges in cyber security persist

Latest ISACA report shows that enterprises are struggling to find and retain cyber security talent Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Recognising APAC’s trailblazers in digital transformation

The region’s top industry innovators were recognised for their digital transformation efforts at the Computer Weekly Innovation Awards APAC 2022 Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

CW Innovation Awards: Plugging supply chain gaps

StratMed’s Integer platform is facilitating data exchanges between healthcare providers and their suppliers to improve transparency in India’s healthcare supply chain Continue Reading

By

• Eileen Yu

CW Innovation Awards: How Telekom Malaysia scaled its RPA initiative

Telekom Malaysia has been driving automation efforts across the company, not only to serve customers more efficiently, but also to improve a slew of back office functions Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

CW Innovation Awards: Transforming Australia’s national assessment programme

Education Services Australia has transformed the country’s national assessment programme through an online platform that has enabled teachers to design adaptive tests and improved student engagement Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

CW Innovation Awards: Tracking cargo on the road

Through Geodis APAC’s One Road platform, supply chain companies have received fewer enquiries on cargo locations and improved on-time performance using roads as an alternative way to move cargo Continue Reading

By

• Edwin Yapp

CW Innovation Awards: How WLTH is disrupting traditional banking

The fintech company built its own technology stack that delivers data analytics and other capabilities as it seeks to win market share from traditional banks Continue Reading

By

• Edwin Yapp

Digital continues to deplete bank branch networks as Lloyds cuts 60 more

Lloyds Banking Group has stripped UK high streets of a further 60 branches as the take-up of digital banking continues Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Japan’s Mizuho partners Google to accelerate tech transformation after a year to forget

Following a year when it hit the tech headlines for the wrong reasons, Mizuho is on a mission to modernise IT in collaboration with Google Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

UK government promises high-speed internet for all schools by 2025

Hot on the heels of announcing upgrades to UK mobile networks in hard-to-reach places, and as part of its latest plans to roll out gigabit broadband across the country, government turns connectivity focus on educational establishments Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Umbrella company Workwell refutes contractor’s ‘withheld holiday pay’ claim

A dispute between a contractor and their former umbrella company shines a light once more on the knotty issue of holiday pay Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK