IT management

Openreach extends analogue switch-off to further 700,000 homes and businesses

UK broadband provider ramps up the pace of its plan to stop selling copper-based broadband and traditional voice services across the UK by 2025 Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Fujitsu bags £3bn in public sector contracts while software errors wreck the lives of subpostmasters

The supplier at the centre of the Post Office Horizon scandal has so far escaped the ramifications of its role in the biggest miscarriage of justice in UK history Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Inside DarkSide: Researchers share intel on break-out cyber gang

Security researchers swap information on the newly famous DarkSide ransomware gang, the group that doesn’t appear to understand what ‘being a criminal’ actually means Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

CyberUK 2021: NCSC encourages startups to invest in cyber

National Cyber Security Centre is launching bespoke cyber security guidance aimed at the UK’s valuable startup community Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

UK to fund national cyber teams in Global South

Government will commit millions of pounds to supporting vulnerable countries in establishing cyber capacity Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Microsoft fixes four critical bugs on lighter Patch Tuesday

Four critical RCE vulnerabilities put users of various Microsoft products at risk, and should be patched right away Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

The Security Interviews: Why helpful bots could hurt vaccine roll-outs

Earlier this year, spikes in traffic to websites containing information about Covid-19 vaccines were attributed by Imperva to automated bots scraping data. Why is that a problem? Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Running a bees and spirits business on low-code

We look at how a small honey and gin producer has adapted and grown its business without requiring external software development expertise Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Queen’s Speech approaches key themes for UK tech

From online safety to skills for the future, the speech contained several points that are relevant to the industry for the year Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Why the Post Office Horizon scandal kept me awake at night

Reverend Richard Coles tells Computer Weekly why there needs to be a statutory public inquiry into the Post Office Horizon scandal Continue Reading

By

• Rev Richard Coles

UK Plc invited to sign up for Early Warning of cyber incidents

The launch of the Early Warning incident notification service is among the enhancements being made by the NCSC to its service packages Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

NCSC cyber guidance targets cloud and home working

The NCSC’s refreshed cyber security guidance for larger organisations places particular emphasis on cloud, home working and ransomware Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Collaboration key to success of UK’s Cyber Security Council

The founders of the UK’s Cyber Security Council have been setting out their plans to professionalise the cyber sector at the NCSC’s CyberUK 2021 event Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Government to reform Computer Misuse Act

Home secretary Priti Patel will explore reforming the Computer Misuse Act as calls mount for the 31-year-old law to be updated to reflect the changed online world Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

How OAG has adapted data services for return to airline travel

Covid-19 led to radical changes across the travel sector. Despite lower passenger flows, global travel data provider OAG reworked its data offerings to prepare for a return to normal Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

SolarWinds CEO calls for collective action against state attacks

SolarWinds CEO tells NCSC’s CyberUK conference he is exploring the possibility of collaborating with other companies on collective cyber action against attacks backed by nation states Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Swedish court finds ambiguities in hacked EncroChat cryptophone evidence

Defence lawyer claims evidence obtained by hacking the EncroChat encrypted phone network has ‘no legal’ value following Swedish appeal court ruling Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly
• Sara Nkwe Assarsson

Colonial Pipeline ransomware attack has grave consequences

The ramifications of a major ransomware attack against a US fuel pipeline operator could spread far and wide Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

UK lagging in post-Covid AI-driven business recovery

Senior IT decision-makers across Europe see artificial intelligence adoption accelerating, but the UK is in the slow lane Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

IBM doubles down on AI and hybrid cloud

IBM is beefing up its core technology capabilities in artificial intelligence and hybrid cloud to speed up application modernisation and improve AI adoption Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Chip supply shortages are hitting hard

In this week’s Computer Weekly, a shortage of semiconductors is affecting industries beyond just IT – we examine the implications. We talk to the CIO of pharmacy chain Boots about how tech helped in being an essential retailer during lockdown. And we look at the prospects for young people entering the IT sector post-pandemic. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

CIO interview: Richard Corbridge, Boots

Boots has been hugely successful in its transition to e-commerce and the Covid-19 pandemic has seen several digital initiatives spun up to continue offering services to customers. Continue Reading

Server-side licensing leads to hike in public cloud prices

Changes made over the last year or so to protect open source revenue streams is starting to impact public cloud managed service costs Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

HMRC facing calls to do more to tackle mini umbrella fraud in wake of BBC investigation

Contracting stakeholders are calling on HMRC to take more ‘visible action’ against mini umbrella companies, after a BBC Radio 4 File on 4 report claimed the UK is losing ‘hundreds of millions’ in tax each year through these firms Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

Miscarriages of justice are the potent tip of Post Office scandal

The miscarriages of justice involving subpostmasters are the most disturbing element of the Post Office Horizon scandal – but it goes much deeper Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

NCSC Active Cyber Defence blocks surge of pandemic scams

The NCSC responded to a surge in online scams last year as it moved to protect both the general public and critical national services during the pandemic Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

IBM: Another chip in the wall

Big Blue has developed technology it hopes will support semiconductor developments for the next decade Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

APAC career guide on cloud computing

Besides having engineering chops and certifications, aspiring cloud professionals should have curiosity and soft skills to succeed in the evolving cloud computing landscape Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

How do I get my users to pay attention to security training?

As cyber security risks grow daily, businesses must educate staff about these through cyber awareness training. But how can they ensure this is taken seriously by employees? Continue Reading

By

• Nicholas Fearn

NCSC, CISA publish new information on Russia’s Cozy Bear

New intelligence from UK and US cyber agencies suggests that APT29, or Cozy Bear, has been switching up its tactics Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

NCSC publishes smart city security guidelines

Guidance for local authorities, IT and cyber professionals aims to ensure the security of connected, smart city projects Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Post Office contacts over 500 subpostmasters potentially wrongly prosecuted for financial crimes

The Post Office has contacted hundreds of people it might have wrongly prosecuted for financial crimes Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Cyber accreditation to improve legal standing of security pros

Institute of Cyber Digital Investigations Professionals will help incident responders and cyber investigators get the professional recognition they deserve Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Reddit enlists HackerOne to run public bug bounty programme

Online community platform is opening up its HackerOne bug bounty programme to any ethical hacker who cares to have a look under the bonnet Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Nordic real estate industry moves digital

The Nordic real estate is investing in technologies like IoT to prepare the sector for the changing demands from customers post-Covid Continue Reading

By

• Gerard O'Dwyer

Minister promises ‘fair and speedy’ compensation for 555 subpostmasters who defeated Post Office

Government says it wants to ensure a fair pay-out for the 555 subpostmasters who defeated the Post Office in a legal battle but were then excluded from the resulting compensation scheme Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Government urged to add scam protections to Online Safety Bill

Group of organisations calls for the government to use the Online Safety Bill to protect people from cyber scams Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security 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

Scammers accidentally reveal fake Amazon review data

More than 13 million records relating to an organised fake review scam have been found on an unsecured ElasticSearch database, implicating hundreds of thousands of people in unethical behaviour Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Google to introduce mandatory MFA for users

In future, holders of Google accounts will have no option but to use multifactor authentication if they want to use the firm’s services Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security 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

Helping staff to work in a hybrid mode

A recent survey of 50 of the UK’s biggest firms conducted by the BBC, has reported that 24 have no plans to have staff return to their offices. Many workers do not feel compelled to return to the ... Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Wipro’s AI platform to improve vaccine safety

Wipro is partnering a stem cell technology firm on the use of its Holmes artificial intelligence platform to help researchers ascertain the safety and potency of vaccines Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Why ITAM can aid IT-fuelled business recovery

As a sense of normality returns, we look at why IT asset management is the stealth tool for clearing a path towards greater digitisation Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Dysfunctional cyber, network teams disrupt digital transformation

Despite shared goals, combative and dysfunctional relationships within specialist tech teams are putting digital transformation projects at risk, according to a report Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Sophos: How timely intervention stopped a ProxyLogon attack

A recent incident at an undisclosed customer sheds new light on how malicious actors exploit unpatched Microsoft Exchange servers Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Delivering international talent to Helsinki’s tech ecosystem

Finland’s capital is the envy of the world as a tech hub, but it still faces challenges in attracting skills in a highly competitive global market Continue Reading

By

• Matthew Staff

How GCHQ proposes to implement and use ethical AI

The rise of cyber crime and the escalating threat vectors facing the UK have led GCHQ to invest in automated threat detection and response systems to meet this challenge, as well as liaising with the private sector for the first time Continue Reading

By

• Peter Ray Allison

Post Office dishonesty in Horizon scandal is reason enough for statutory public inquiry

Subpostmasters, MPs and the public call for a full statutory judge-led public inquiry into the Post Office Horizon scandal, following another damning court judgment Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Executive interview: Juergen Mueller on SAP’s tech strategy

SAP CTO Juergen Mueller offers a glimpse into the company’s thinking around delivering business applications as microservices, among other areas and updates in its technology strategy Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

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

Half of organisations breached via a third party in 12 months

New report highlights the risks of outsourcing key business processes without paying due care and attention to your service provider’s security Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Government digital chiefs outline plans for CDDO and GDS

Paul Willmott, Joanna Davinson and Tom Read talk about establishing a digital, data and technology sub-board, plans to hire a chief technology officer and a chief data officer, and a five-year plan for the Government Digital Service Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Infosys to create 1,000 tech jobs in UK

Infosys joins TCS in announcing the creation of UK IT jobs as India and the UK negotiate a future trading relationship Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Shadow ministers call for public consultation on health data review

Two Labour shadow ministers want a public consultation following the findings of Ben Goldacre’s review on the use of health data for research and analysis Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

How Transport for NSW is tapping machine learning

Transport agency in New South Wales taps machine learning to restore public confidence in the state’s transportation network amid the pandemic Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Tech firms unite to advance diversity and inclusion in the sector

The plan will focus on areas such as leadership representation and inclusive product development Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Post Office CEO either knew what was going on in Horizon scandal, or was ‘asleep at the wheel’

Post Office IT scandal CEO has no excuse for her inaction in preventing the biggest miscarriage of justice in UK history, says Criminal Cases Review Commission chairperson Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

How KFC put digital on the menu

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we find out how fast-food chain KFC turned to digital to survive the pandemic. Our latest buyer’s guide looks at technologies to improve office productivity for home workers. And we assess the growing problem of electronic waste and how to tackle it. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

CIO interview: Nitin Chaturvedi, chief digital and technology officer, KFC Global

The Covid-19 pandemic led to the digital element of KFC’s business becoming increasingly important, says the fast food retailer’s chief digital and technology officer Continue Reading

Navigating the sticky issue of monitoring employee productivity

With employees having shifted en masse to remote working during the pandemic, we explore how enterprises have maintained the productivity of their dispersed workforce Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

MPs accuse government of unduly interfering in information commissioner appointment

Cross-party group of MPs says government is influencing the appointment of a new information commissioner by explicitly seeking a candidate who will support its policy agenda, rather than regulate independently Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

End of support for Build 1909 leaves some Windows open to attack

Biannual Windows updates free IT staff from major updates, but some people prefer older builds of Windows, which leaves a gaping security hole Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Government gets updated powers to intervene on tech-related M&A deals on national security grounds

The National Security and Investment Bill has secured royal assent, giving the government the legislative support it needs to intervene on business transactions in a variety of tech-related industries on national security grounds Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

Simon Bolton named as NHS Digital interim CEO

Following the announcement of Sarah Wilkinson’s departure as CEO of NHS Digital, the organisation has appointed NHS Test and Trace CIO Simon Bolton as interim CEO Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

G7 countries to cooperate on digital regulation

Digital and technology ministers outline their agenda for how technology can be used to facilitate the post-Covid recovery, signalling closer collaboration in key areas of the digital economy Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Impact of low chip supply spreads

Covid-19, shifts in consumer purchasing, sanctions and a drought in Taiwan have come together as a perfect storm to squeeze the supply of semiconductors Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

How to tackle intellectual property crime

Crimes against intellectual property are big business for organised crime groups, commercial competitors and foreign states alike. In the first of a series of legal columns, David Cowan offers a practical approach Continue Reading

By

• David Cowan, National University of Ireland, Maynooth

UK demand for digital automation skills soars

The need for automation proficiency has more than doubled in the past two years, according to research Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

GCHQ: Dyslexic thinkers key to solving UK cyber security challenges

Neurodiverse staff are bringing a unique contribution to keeping the country safe, according to the intelligence and cyber agency Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Microsoft outlines five-year plan for accessibility tech

Department for Work and Pensions staff to be trained on accessibility technologies to help people with disabilities return to work Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Covid-19 security challenges leave bank customers at risk

Challenges arising from the pandemic have left gaping holes in banking security, putting consumers at risk of fraud Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Norway’s agritech innovators are ready to expand to pastures new

A tech startup industry aimed at modernising farming is making hay in Norway and laying down roots in other countries Continue Reading

By

• Matthew Staff

Recruiters can’t afford to hold out for cyber ‘unicorns’

The perfect security candidate is hard to find, so hiring policy needs to be more pragmatic Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Office 365 compromise likely led to Merseyrail ransomware attack

Compromise of Merseyrail employee data seems to have begun after a key email account was hacked Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Google Cloud reports $1bn operating loss, but Alphabet remains committed

Company has extended the life of its servers from three to four years, netting $625m more revenue Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing 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

Microsoft results get a pandemic jab

Covid-19 has stimulated businesses to digitise more, and this is reflected in Microsoft’s latest results Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

NHS App to serve as vaccine passport for foreign holidays

Existing NHS App will have vaccine passport functionality added to it, transport secretary confirms Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

CIO interview: Chris Porter, VP talent acquisition and matching, BP

With the help of digital technologies and recruitment of data-savvy talent, BP is aiming to become a net-zero business by 2050 Continue Reading

By

• Mark Samuels

Government extends Gov.uk Verify for a further two years

The government’s Gov.uk Verify identity platform will continue to run until April 2023 while a new identity service is developed Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Flexible CIOs gain friends in finance

The pandemic has shown the value of IT to business leaders. Chief financial officers are looking for quick IT investment returns Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

UK supermarkets to trial age estimation tech for alcohol purchases

Biometric age estimation technology developed by Yoti to be tested in UK supermarkets for alcohol purchases as part of government-led digital identities initiative Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Total cost of ransomware attack heading towards $2m

Sophos’ latest study finds that ransomware attacks are proving increasingly disruptive to their victims’ finances Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Leaky Azure storage account puts software developer IP at risk

Source code for multiple products was left exposed in an unsecured Microsoft Azure cloud storage account, say researchers, but attributing responsibility for the error has proved difficult Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Why we need to reset the debate on end-to-end encryption to protect children

Private messaging is the front line of abuse, yet E2EE in its current form risks engineering away the ability of firms to detect and disrupt it where it is most prevalent Continue Reading

By

• Andy Burrows, NSPCC

Apple OS updates patch multiple security holes

The much-heralded release of the privacy-centric iOS 14.5 also brings patches for multiple CVEs, and users of Apple smartphones, tablets and notebooks are best advised to update as soon as possible Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Python @ 30: Praising the versatility of Python

Python recently celebrated its 30th birthday, and pioneers of the language have been reflecting on its significance as an open source project Continue Reading

By

• Calvin Hendryx-Parker

Falkirk Council deploys end-to-end digital telecare

Council has become the first in Scotland to go live with a complete digital telecare service for its local residents Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

The Security Interviews: Making sense of outbound email security

Screening inbound emails is an accepted part of an organisation’s security posture, but the topic of securing outbound traffic is less often discussed. Zivver’s Rick Goud is on a mission to change this Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

CIO interview: Gary Delooze, CIO, Nationwide

Building society’s CIO talks about building a technology strategy, working with the rest of the business and the Covid-19 pandemic Continue Reading

Justice at last in Post Office IT scandal

In this week’s Computer Weekly, 12 years after we broke the story, victims of the Post Office IT scandal finally have their criminal convictions overturned. We take a virtual tour of a Microsoft datacentre and meet a server called ‘Mega-Godzilla Beast’. And we find out how technology is transforming Nationwide Building Society. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Another 38 subpostmasters submit appeals against convictions

The biggest miscarriage of justice in UK history is set to get bigger as more subpostmasters take their cases to the Court of Appeal Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

CW APAC: Trend Watch: IoT in India

A solid IT infrastructure has become more essential for business than ever before. In this handbook, focused on the internet of things in India, Computer Weekly looks at the country’s potential as an IoT hotspot Continue Reading

French legal challenge over EncroChat cryptophone hack could hit UK prosecutions

Lawyers are challenging the legality of a French police operation to harvest tens of thousands of messages from the EncroChat encrypted phone network in a move that could overturn criminal prosecutions in the UK Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Digital tech potential in health and social care not yet realised, says King’s Fund

Report by health policy think-tank says that although there is evidence that digital technology can support staff and patients, there are large gaps in the evidence base Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Post Office scandal CEO steps down from roles after massive miscarriage of justice is laid bare

Former Post Office CEO Paula Vennells has left roles in the church, Morrisons and Dunelm after postmasters’ convictions were overturned in the Court of Appeal Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

How Toffs is seizing Asia’s CDN market

Toffs Technologies is eyeing second- and third-tier cities in Asia as it bolsters its infrastructure and experiments with the use of home networks as content delivery networks Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

How AI and automation drive better customer service

Forrester analysts explore the benefits of combining artificial intelligence with automation Continue Reading

By

• Karine Cardona-Smits and Ian Jacobs

HMRC downplays significance of CEO email ‘questioning’ legal basis of loan charge policy

A document dump of emails shared between HMRC officials has prompted loan charge campaigners to further question the legal footing of the government’s controversial disguised remuneration policy Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK