IT management

IR35 private sector reforms: HMRC reminds firms to use ‘reasonable care’ when applying new tax rules

As the countdown to the IR35 reforms being rolled out to the private sector continues apace, HM Revenue and Customs issues compliance guidance for firms in-scope of the new rules Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

Security Think Tank: Towards a united state of security

As US president Joe Biden sets out his agenda for the next four years, we consider the opportunities for renewed international collaboration on cyber security, what aspects of cyber Biden should focus on, and ask how the industry can make its voice heard Continue Reading

By

• Jordon Kelly, ISF

CIO interview: Deryck Mitchelson, director of digital, NHS Scotland

We speak to NHS Scotland’s head of digital about the IT to help ease the pressure on the health service, which has intensified during the Covid-19 pandemic Continue Reading

How Covid-19 has hit IT salaries and job prospects

In this week’s Computer Weekly, our salary survey reveals the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on IT professionals’ wages and job security. A potentially deadly cyber attack on a US water plant highlights the risks to critical infrastructure. And we find out how NHS Scotland is using tech to support its vaccine roll-out. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Why Brexit will make software licence transfers and database copyright harder for UK firms

Brexit will make it more difficult for UK companies to sell unused software licences and to enforce their database rights in Europe. Firms will face a legislative disadvantage over AI-generated databases Continue Reading

By

• Dai Davis, Percy Crow Davis & Co

The WFH ‘New Normal’ is nothing of the sort

At least, not yet. The world is still in the very abnormal grip of a pandemic, and even with widespread vaccination we will be defending ourselves against the fear of further outbreaks for months, ... Continue Reading

By

• Bryan Betts, Freeform Dynamics

BP joins IBM Quantum Network to support emission goals

Quantum computing promises unimaginable computing power, which can be applied to helping tackle climate change Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Post Office to offer digital ID services to customers

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

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Security Think Tank: Renewed US stability may ease cyber tensions

As US president Joe Biden sets out his agenda for the next four years, we consider the opportunities for renewed international collaboration on cyber security, what aspects of cyber Biden should focus on, and ask how the industry can make its voice heard Continue Reading

By

• Simon Persin, Turnkey Consulting

How computer vision can protect coral reefs

The Australian Institute of Marine Science teams up with Accenture to protect coral reefs in a computer vision project inspired by a Netflix documentary Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Cancer Council NSW fixes data silos in integration move

The Cancer Council in New South Wales has integrated its core systems to eliminate data silos and improve productivity Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

University benefited from early virtual desktop investments when pandemic struck

Edinburgh Napier University was able to react quickly to some of the main challenges brought by the Covid-19 pandemic Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

UK border surveillance regime highly privatised, says Privacy International

Research from Privacy International raises concerns about the deep involvement of technology companies in the development and deployment of various technologies throughout the UK’s border regime, along with the lack of scrutiny they receive Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Security Think Tank: Biden must address insider security threat first

As US president Joe Biden sets out his agenda for the next four years, we consider the opportunities for renewed international collaboration on cyber security, what aspects of cyber Biden should focus on, and ask how the industry can make its voice heard Continue Reading

By

• Petra Wenham

The government’s ‘blue skies’ funding agency lacks purpose, MPs find

The £800m research and development funding agency announced in December 2019, lacks a clear purpose so far, according to the Science and Technology Committee Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Hacked Finnish therapy business collapses

Vastaamo, the Finnish psychotherapy centre whose patients were blackmailed by a cyber criminal gang, has filed for bankruptcy Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Goldman Sachs reopens UK digital savings account

US banking giant resumes online account for UK savers after temporarily withdrawing it in response to high demand Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

HPE on the ISS: In space, no one can hear your CPU fans

In The Martian, Matt Damon is stranded on Mars, and his comms link is so slow that it takes almost an hour to have a conversation. Now HPE is going into orbit Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Low-complexity CVEs a growing concern

Analysis of thousands of CVEs logged with NIST in 2020 reveals some unwelcome developments Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Is it time to ban ransomware insurance payments?

The former head of the NCSC recently called for a dialogue over whether or not it is time to ban insurers from covering ransomware payments. Is he on the right track? Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Nordic states launch joint drone development initiative

Nordic Drone Initiative backed by 16 public and privately owned organisations in Sweden, Finland, Norway and Denmark to probe the efficient use of airspace for drones Continue Reading

CW Benelux: Is reluctance to report cyber crimes in the Netherlands helping the criminals get away?

According to an academic study in the Netherlands, only one in seven Dutch people report a cyber crime to the police when it happens - feeling it is better to sort the problem out themselves because they don’t think the police will do anything. This is storing up trouble as cyber crime is an increasing problem in the country. Also in this issue, read why Dutch bank ABN Amro is selling its head office. Continue Reading

Security Think Tank: Biden’s team can make a difference on security

As US president Joe Biden sets out his agenda for the next four years, we consider the opportunities for renewed international collaboration on cyber security, what aspects of cyber Biden should focus on, and ask how the industry can make its voice heard Continue Reading

By

• Greg Touhill

ABN Amro to sell head office as it focuses on enabling remote working

 Continue Reading

HelloKitty almost certainly behind CD Projekt ransomware attack

Theories that the cyber attack on a high-profile gaming studio was orchestrated by players who are disappointed in a videogame are likely wide of the mark, according to analysis Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Société Générale adopts work-from-home policy

French bank formalises remote working policy after discussions with labour unions Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

TCS to recruit 1,500 UK tech professionals this year

Indian IT service provider Tata Consultancy Services commits to recruiting UK IT professionals Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Windows 10, Server 2019 users must patch serious zero-day

Another dangerous zero-day exploit is among 56 vulnerabilities patched by Microsoft in February’s Patch Tuesday update Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Sim-swapping crooks targeted celebrities, influencers

Eight arrests have been made in England and Scotland in connection with a series of Sim-swapping attacks targeting high-profile victims Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Tech sector calls for renewed cooperation in global digital tax talks

Industry groups want renewed multilateral negotiations between countries about taxation of the digital economy in the wake of Joe Biden’s election as US president Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Century-old insurer uses low code as digital demands increase

Lloyds of London insurance and reinsurance broker Miller breaks from the past by adopting low-code software development platform Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Helpdesk meltdown due to absenteeism, low morale and increased workload

Remote working has put a strain on the helpdesk, and there is a backlog of unresolved tickets that is taking days to clear Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Security Think Tank: UK well-placed to work with Biden on cyber

As US president Joe Biden sets out his agenda for the next four years, we consider the opportunities for renewed international collaboration on cyber security, what aspects of cyber Biden should focus on, and ask how the industry can make its voice heard Continue Reading

By

• Paddy Francis

Oracle claims major win in Australian public sector

Australian Data Centres will deploy Oracle’s Dedicated Region Cloud@Customer to host cloud services for the federal government Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Facebook sued for data-sharing practices with third parties

Data protection claim filed in London against social media giant for its alleged failure to give at least one million users in England and Wales meaningful control over their personal data Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Government launches review of use of health data for research

The review, which will be led by Ben Goldacre, will look at home-efficient and safe use of health data for research and analysis Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

IR35 private sector reforms: Deloitte confirms post-April 2021 ban on PSCs

Consultancy giant confirms that contractors will only be able to engage with it via a third-party umbrella or employment agency after April 2021, as part of its IR35 compliance strategy Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

Data breaches are a ticking timebomb for consumers

Damage from data breaches goes far beyond the impact to the target organisation – an obvious fact that is too often overlooked, says F-Secure Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Experian to close more than two million Gov.uk Verify accounts

Gov.uk Verify’s largest identity provider is closing down its accounts, telling users to re-register with one of the two remaining providers by the end of March 2021 Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Cyberpunk 2077 developer refuses to pay up after ransomware attack

Polish video game developer CD Projekt has released details of a ransomware attack on its systems Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

‘Batman Begins’ cyber attack is a warning to CNI providers

A thwarted cyber attack in a Florida town that could have resulted in the poisoning of the water supply is a timely reminder of the vulnerability of critical services Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Data teams struggle to maximise business benefits

Many data scientists are having a hard time moving data science initiatives beyond proof-of-concept projects Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

NHS reports fewer phishing emails in 2020

The NHSmail email service saw a steady decline in suspected phishing emails during the course of 2020 Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Security Think Tank: Biden has a chance to renew cyber alliances

As President Joe Biden sets out his agenda for the next four years, we consider the opportunities for renewed international collaboration on cyber security, what aspects of cyber Biden should focus on, and ask how the industry can make its voice heard? Continue Reading

By

• Richard Watson-Bruhn and Laura Marsden

Big data platform to speed up DNA analysis

Belgium’s Interuniversity Microelectronics Centre has developed a big data platform that can analyse DNA data up to 16 times faster than current techniques Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

How Nottinghamshire County Council saved loads of money on SAP

The council was paying £100,000 a year just to keep ECC patches up to date and needed to find savings to support frontline services Continue Reading

Executive interview: Antony Roberts, Audi

The head of digital at Audi UK discusses how the luxury car company has revamped its online presence as it shifts gear to drive online sales Continue Reading

Audi fine-tunes its digital performance to boost online car sales

In this week’s Computer Weekly, the digital chief at Audi UK discusses how the carmaker is tackling the slump in new car sales. One of the largest global malware botnets has been taken down, but how much of a blow will it be for cyber criminals? And we hear how one county council made huge savings on its SAP installation. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

UK Cyber Security Council to take charge of skills strategy

New government-backed body will be set up to boost careers opportunities and professional standards in the cyber security sector Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Interview: Robert Opp, chief digital officer, United Nations Development Programme

Chief digital officer of the United Nations Development Programme talks about the relationship between digital technologies and sustainability, and how it can be used for a more environmentally-friendly and inclusive future Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

NHSX backs mobile app to detect kidney disease

The app, which is being funded by the AI in Health and Care Award programme, turns a smartphone camera into a clinical-grade tool to help detect kidney disease Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

North-West England ‘perfect’ growth area for tech startups

Industry groups mapping the UK’s technology landscape say the North-West of England is a hotspot for growing tech firms, which benefit from increasing investment and geographic proximity to academic and business support networks Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Too few UK organisations offering cyber training for remote work

Nearly a year into the pandemic, a study reveals a concerning tendency for organisations not to bother offering security training for remote workers Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Get ready for fake work epidemic

Remote working has become a fact of life for many office-based workers during the pandemic, and there has also been a rise in remote staff monitoring Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Data of thousands of Dutch citizens leaked from government Covid-19 systems

Weak access controls and outdated systems blamed for leaking of the personal details of thousands of Dutch citizens tested for Covid-19 Continue Reading

By

• Kim Loohuis

Woolworths to invest more than A$50m in skills training

More than 60,000 Woolworths employees across store and e-commerce operations, supply chain network and support offices are expected to benefit from the new investment Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Sweden to establish national cyber security centre

Sweden becomes latest Nordic state to establish a national cyber security centre as the threat landscape grows Continue Reading

By

• Gerard O'Dwyer

Singapore tops cloud adoption in ASEAN

Nearly nine in 10 organisations in Singapore are using cloud services, but cost and security concerns remain Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

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

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

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Google Chrome update to patch serious zero-day

A serious heap buffer overflow vulnerability means Google Chrome users should patch their browsers as soon as possible Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Financial regulatory body bombarded with malicious emails

New disclosures reveal the FCA’s systems bounced almost a quarter of a million malicious emails in a three-month period Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Security firm Stormshield loses source code in cyber attack

Source code from two products developed by French cyber security firm was compromised in a December 2020 incident Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Denmark and Sweden to issue digital vaccine certificates

Sweden and Denmark announce plans to develop digital certificates that prove people have been vaccinated against Covid-19 Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

How Yarra Valley Water is tapping APIs

The largest water retailer in Melbourne has rolled out application programming interfaces to improve operations and customer service Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

UKRI should speed up Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund approval processes, says NAO

Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund’s lengthy approval process leads to delays in funding projects and could be a deterrent, according to the National Audit Office Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Nurture software developer heroes

Developer teams have been put under immense pressure to drive through digital transformation change, and they are now experiencing stress and burnout Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Five key points about unstructured data storage on-prem and cloud

We look at unstructured data, the myriad forms of data it comprises and the key storage options available, which include NAS and object storage on-prem and in the cloud Continue Reading

By

• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

Revolut rewrites policy to include permanent remote working

Challenger finance firm Revolut is redesigning its office spaces and introducing permanent remote working policies Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Woodland Trust hit by cyber attack in December

Conservation charity is investigating what it describes as a ‘sophisticated’ cyber attack but has waited nearly two months to inform its members Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Boeing outsources to Dell affecting 600 IT jobs

US aircraft manufacturer contracts hundreds of IT roles to Dell as it accelerates outsourcing plans Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

How can managed print services providers thrive in the Amazon Era?

Quocirca’s “The Amazon Effect” Executive Briefing Report examines the disruptive effect that Amazon has had on a technology sectors such as the Cloud, IoT, Edge Computing and the Smart Connected ... Continue Reading

By

• Louella Fernandes, Quocirca

IBM and Microsoft close the gap to mainstream quantum computing

Recent developments from IBM and Microsoft suggest that cloud-based enterprise computing may become mainstream in just a few years Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

CCS goes live with £800m NHS IT framework

Digital Capability for Health framework covers development and IT management services for health and social care organisations Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Fraud and cyber crime still vastly under-reported

The scale of digitally enabled crime in the UK is dramatically under-reported, new statistics indicate Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

CIO interview: David Walmsley, chief digital and omni-channel officer, Pandora

The Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic could have been a disaster for the jeweller, but due to its digital transformation programme, it was ready to carry on serving its customers online Continue Reading

By

• Mark Samuels

Crypto malware targets Kubernetes clusters, say researchers

Newly identified Hildegaard malware targets Kubernetes clusters and seems to herald a new campaign from the TeamTNT gang Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Has Covid-19 made bank branch closures easier to sell?

Big banks continue to close branches and invest more in technology as the Covid-19 pandemic makes a case for digital banking Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

UK slow in AI maturity race

A new survey for Rackspace has found that IT decision makers in the UK struggle with finding the right skills to support artificial intelligence Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Foxtons rejects claims of slow reaction to data leak

Investigators have unearthed 16,000 data records that seem to have been stolen in an attack on property firm Foxtons last year, but the organisation says it acted by the book in dealing with the incident Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

‘Classic’ Cerber ransomware targets health sector in high volumes

Cerber ransomware-as-a-service seems to have re-emerged as one of the most critical cyber threats facing healthcare organisations, reports VMware Carbon Black Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

SolarWinds patches two critical CVEs in Orion platform

New vulnerabilities disclosed as SolarWinds reels from December 2020 Solorigate/Sunburst attack – but do not appear to have been exploited yet Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

CIO interview: Deryck Mitchelson, director of digital, NHS Scotland

We speak to NHS Scotland’s head of digital about the IT to help ease the pressure on the health service, which has intensified during the Covid-19 pandemic Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

The risk of giving in to quantum progress

Over the next few years the tech industry has a roadmap to overcome the challenges facing quantum computing. This will pave the way to growth in mainstream quantum computing to solve "hard ... Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Tata Communications grows IoT footprint

India’s Tata Communications has been shoring up its IoT capabilities through a handful of acquisitions and partnerships with telcos Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

CIO interview: Paul Coby, CIO, Johnson Matthey

Johnson Matthey’s CIO is working to create an agile IT department and says the Covid-19 pandemic has led to a company-wide appreciation of what IT does Continue Reading

By

• Mark Samuels

Ten startups graduate from virtual reality-focused accelerator

Startups focusing on building new immersive technology products have completed Digital Catapult’s Augmentor accelerator programme Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Agent Tesla trojan finds new ways to sneak past defences

Updated versions of Agent Tesla Rat include new techniques that fiddle with code to disable endpoint protection tools on target systems Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Nordic region provides autonomous vehicle test bed

Nordic region has the suppliers, environment and appetite for pioneering the development of autonomous vehicles Continue Reading

By

• Gerard O'Dwyer

Chelsea and Westminster NHS launches diabetes app

Together with supplier Sensyne Health, clinicians at the trust have designed a diabetes app that allows patients to manage their condition at home Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Liverpool City Council upgrades to cloud-based contact centre

An 8x8 integrated cloud PaaS contact centre with voice, team chat and meetings support is helping to drive the council’s digital agenda Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Business intelligence helps ambulance service’s pandemic response

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we find out how one ambulance service is using business intelligence tools to join up datasets to improve its response to the Covid-19 pandemic. Our latest buyer’s guide examines video conferencing and collaboration. And we look at the benefits of real-time streaming data analytics. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Serco confirms Babuk ransomware attack

Outsourcing firm was hit by the ransomware last week but insists most of its operations are running as normal Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

NHS Digital completes NHSmail migration to the cloud

NHS Digital’s Chris Parsons shares how the organisation managed to migrate more than 2.1 million NHSmail accounts to the cloud during a global pandemic Continue Reading

By

• Chris Parsons

West Midlands refreshes digital strategy

Combined authority’s 2021-2026 digital roadmap aims to address the digital divide and make the West Midlands the most digitally connected region in the country Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

UKRI suspends services after ransomware attack

UK Research and Innovation was hit by an undisclosed strain of ransomware at the end of January Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

CISOs invisible to their organisations, says BT report

Ignorance of cyber issues is leading to misplaced confidence in security in many organisations, as CISOs struggle to make themselves seen and heard Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

IR35 private sector reforms: Zurich Insurance under fire over contractor blanket ban

Zurich Insurance is the latest high-profile financial services company to declare contractors can only continue to engage with it via umbrella setups from April 2021, ahead of the IR35 rules coming into force Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

Three approaches to remote collaboration for home workers

The coronavirus has led to working from home being the ‘new norm’. We look at how collaboration technologies could work in the long term Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

SBRC picks Check Point to support cyber helpline

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

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Hunting and anti-hunting groups locked in tit-for-tat row over data gathering

The leaking of internal documents has prompted a row between pro- and anti-hunting groups about the legality of the other’s data collection practices Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor