IT management

An IT business boost in spite of spending review forecast

If there is something a CIO could do to enable the business to increase its earnings by 5%, everyone would be listening. McKinsey recently highlighted the difference in performance between those ... Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Why automation isn’t always an improvement

Automation can help organisations run more efficiently, but only if the most inefficient steps in a business process are fixed first Continue Reading

By

• Akshay Anand

CCS looks to hire CDIO

Crown Commercial Service is offering nearly £150,000 for the role of chief digital information officer, who will be in charge of developing and delivering its digital and data strategy Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

CW Nordics: Bank branch closures continue as digital banking grows

Sweden’s Handelsbanken is cutting its branch network by nearly half, which means more money will be invested in IT. But it’s not just Sweden and the Nordics – banks across the world are watching the fintech industry demonstrate to consumers what banking can be like if the right technology is in place. Also in this issue, read about the Norwegian government’s decision not to implement an outright ban on the use of 5G equipment supplied by China's Huawei. Continue Reading

Australia’s science agency unveils mapping tech for SMEs

The digital specialist arm of the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation has developed a mapping system to help robots navigate dangerous and complex terrain Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

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

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Government’s infrastructure strategy says technology is key

The strategy aims to put innovation and technology at ‘the heart’ of its approach to transforming the country, as government launches new national infrastructure bank Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

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

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Rishi Sunak’s Spending Review pledges £100bn to transform the country’s infrastructure

Chancellor’s spending promise includes more than £260m for programmes such as 5G testbeds, local full-fibre networks and the Shared Rural Network Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

We need to start prioritizing workforce health and wellbeing

This has been a shot in the arm for those who have long overlooked their health. Continue Reading

By

• Jennifer O'Connor

From front line to back office – how supporting the cyber community keeps the NHS safe

NHS Digital’s chief information security officer describes how the Cyber Associates Network benefits security experts in health and care Continue Reading

By

• Neil Bennett, NHS Digital

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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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

NHSX to launch data strategy for health and social care

Government sets out plans to ‘bust bureaucracy’ in the NHS, including implementing a new data strategy, consulting on changes to data collection legislation, and making progress on shared care records Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Microsoft Windows’ future is all about users

We look at how Microsoft is evolving the Windows desktop operating system platform and providing developer flexibility Continue Reading

By

• Simon Bisson

Fintechs take stock amid economic shocks

Survey reveals that the top priority for 10% of UK fintechs next year will be to survive the double blow of Covid-19 and Brexit Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Three options for next year’s IT strategy

CIOs are under pressure to reduce costs, but they also need to modernise applications and help their businesses return to profitability Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Belgian security researcher hacks Tesla with Raspberry Pi

Belgian security researcher Lennert Wouters once again succeeds in hacking a Tesla vehicle, this time by exploiting the Bluetooth Low Energy standard Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Post Office accused of lying and being in contempt of Parliament in IT scandal

Campaigning politician demands access to documents that could prove that the Post Office lied Continue Reading

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• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

How Covid-19 has accelerated tech innovation in the NHS

Of all the terrible things that Covid is, what it has done is accelerate the digital journey. In this issue of Computer Weekly, we look at the track and trace app, which was redeveloped and enhanced at breakneck speed, and explore how the pandemic has accelerated the roll-out of new technology such as artificial intelligence and video conferencing tools at NHS trusts. We also present some research into how Covid has affected IT spending. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

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

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

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

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

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

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Finnish finance giant pilots fingerprint payments

OP Financial introduces biometric security technology to enable higher-value payments to be made safely using contactless cards Continue Reading

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• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

MPs subjected to over 22 million malicious email attacks in 2020

Members of Parliament are targeted by millions of spam and phishing emails every month, according to a Freedom of Information disclosure Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Inside Huawei’s APAC cloud strategy

The Chinese technology giant is counting on its strengths in hardware infrastructure and focus on research and development to make a mark in Asia Pacific’s public cloud market Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Subpostmasters want £300m from a government that allowed Post Office ‘reign of terror’

The government allowed the Post Office to “run amok” and destroy lives, says complaint to Parliamentary Ombudsman Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Fix bottlenecks before tackling business process automation

Business processes evolve over time, and intelligent automation requires a thorough assessment of what is not working optimally Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Pioneering companies use AI to drive profit

The latest research from McKinsey shows that there is a strong correlation between an organisation's artificial intelligence maturity and profitability Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

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

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

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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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Local authorities lagging behind in digitisation of citizen records

Nearly a third of councils can't tell how much citizen information they store is in digital format, study shows Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Deliver projects with quick time to value

With just a couple of weeks left of 2020, it is worth reflecting on what IT professionals can take away from this year. First and foremost, the hard work put in by IT staff, enabled many, many ... Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

University of Melbourne to advance digital health

Australia’s University of Melbourne has established a research outfit to build and clinically validate healthcare technology solutions Continue Reading

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• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Transparency and honesty key to major programmes success, says NAO

Major government projects often lack underlying data on costs and benefits, and it’s often not clear who is accountable for integration of different elements, according to a National Audit Office report on lessons learned on the programmes Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

CW APAC: Expert advice on zero-trust security

Zero trust is a security model that eliminates the traditional perimeter and assumes that no user or device can be trusted until proven otherwise. In this handbook, Computer Weekly looks at how enterprises can take a zero-trust approach to securing their network, devices and workforce. Continue Reading

Lush’s 25-year journey to digital excellence

Retailers are increasingly focused on using technology to better serve customers, but for high street cosmetic brand Lush, tech has always been part of the picture Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Baldwin, Freelance editor and journalist

Covid-19 shift to remote working adds to Earth’s growing e-waste problem

The shift to remote working has forced firms to purchase new IT equipment, but many are still lacking sustainable end-of-life processes for their devices Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Data silos and IT complexity stifle business potential

A study from 451 Research highlights the problems organisations face in managing data Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Now or Never: Office print opportunities in 2021

To emerge stronger in 2021, print industry players must adopt a future forward mindset to address the rapidly evolving cloud and hybrid workplace era – or risk being left behind. The office print ... Continue Reading

By

• Louella Fernandes, Quocirca

Cut jobs or cut software spending?

With little or no growth in IT budgets, IT chiefs will be tasked with cutting costs in 2021. Improving IT asset management can help to avoid job cuts Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Security sector broadly backs Boris Johnson’s Cyber Force

Security community says the presence of a robust cyber defence force alongside a robust physical one will be vital to the UK’s national security Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Fujitsu staff under investigation for potential perjury in Post Office IT trial named

Court documents reveal the names of the Fujitsu employees under investigation for potentially providing misleading information in criminal trials Continue Reading

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• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Throwback Thursday: IT Support, now and then

As our contribution to the bit of fun that is Throwback Thursday, we're taking a weekly stroll in the Freeform Dynamics archives.  This week I look at a report we produced back in August 2006, the ... Continue Reading

By

• Tony Lock, Freeform Dynamics

Why databases are key to Alibaba’s Singles’ Day sales

With each order split into multiple database transactions, ensuring the scalability and elasticity of database systems was key to the success of Alibaba’s Singles’ Day sales Continue Reading

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• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Need to know: Five key things about backup testing

We look at five key things to consider when it comes to backup testing – what to test, how often, making sure backups work, whether recovery is effective and ensuring processes are consistent Continue Reading

By

• Stephen Pritchard

2021 the year of commodity ransomware, says Sophos

Sophos researchers anticipate a trickle-down effect in the cyber criminal underground Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

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

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

IT managers raise concerns over retaining and attracting SAP skills

Survey has shone a light on the concerns of organisations managing and deploying SAP enterprise software Continue Reading

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• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

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

By

• Chad O’Carroll, NK News
• Sophie Lamotte
• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Kaspersky shuts down data-processing activities in Russia

Cyber security provider’s data storage and processing activities for customers in Europe, the US and Canada, have now been fully relocated to Switzerland Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

HMRC warns over uptick in Self Assessment tax scams

HMRC issues updated warnings as 2021 Self Assessment deadlines loom Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Ransomware stats overload risks confusing buyers

UK-based organisations are either more, or less, likely to pay ransoms, depending on which cyber security supplier you want to believe Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

GDS looks for Gov.uk head of technology and architecture

GDS role is offering up to £85,000 a year and includes being responsible for developing the Gov.uk programme as government aims to make it a platform for content, rather than just a publishing system Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Financial services data volumes heighten risk of insider breach

Financial services organisations hold so much data that it is becoming virtually impossible to safeguard properly against data breaches caused by malicious or careless employees Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Botched software update to blame for Post Office Horizon crash

Post Office says planned firmware update caused the problem that left branches unable to do business for 90 minutes Continue Reading

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• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

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

By

• Paul Smith and Krittika Singh

How can CIOs prepare for 12 months of uncertainty ahead?

Just 12 months ago, nobody could have predicted where we are now. So how can CIOs prepare for the future amid such uncertainty? We asked five IT leaders for their expert advice Continue Reading

How Mastercard is taking digital payments into a new era

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we talk to Mastercard about how the credit card giant is using new technologies to take digital payments into a new era. After months of unprecedented uncertainty, we ask CIOs how they are planning for the next 12 months. And we examine how the growth in remote working will affect IT salaries. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

How to build an effective vulnerability management programme

As cyber criminals increasingly look to exploit vulnerabilities in software and hardware, businesses must build and implement an effective vulnerability management programme to counter this growing threat Continue Reading

By

• Nicholas Fearn

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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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Resident Evil studio Capcom confirms scale of Ragnar Locker breach

Videogame studio says the data of up to 350,000 people was likely to have been compromised in a Ragnar Locker ransomware attack Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

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

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Martha Lane Fox: My life in tech

The internet entrepreneur discusses the role of tech in society, confidence in coding and encouraging young people to embrace technology Continue Reading

By

• Martha Lane Fox

Human error blamed in Welsh Covid-19 patient data leak

Public Health Wales accepts recommendations of independent probe into data breach that saw PII on 18,105 coronavirus patients leaked Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Hackney systems could be unavailable for months, says council

A month after a highly disruptive cyber attack on its systems, Hackney Council is still struggling to get back up and running Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Post Office explanation of IT system outage so vague it is ‘pointless’

Post Office criticised over vagueness of its explanation of the cause of a UK-wide IT failure that saw subpostmasters unable to do business Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

How AI is helping to drive business process optimisation

Automating an inefficient process simply leads to a faster inefficient process. Artificial intelligence needs to be deployed to ensure business processes are optimal Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

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

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

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

By

• Kim Loohuis

Covid-19 pandemic has increased speed of tech deployments across the NHS

The pandemic has increased use of technology across the NHS, but how has it been received by clinicians, and how has it impacted daily life for NHS organisations? Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Why setting IT budgets for 2021 will be harder - and easier - than ever

It’s the time of year when many IT leaders will be setting budgets for 2021 and trying to persuade their boardroom why they should have more money to invest in technology. After the year we’ve all ... Continue Reading

By

• Bryan Glick, Editor in chief

UK government makes inroads in maritime autonomy

The Maritime Future Technologies team has been formed to facilitate trials of innovative approaches and support regulatory updates Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Humanitarian data collection practices put migrants at risk

United Nations report on smart borders warns that data collection about migrants and refugees by humanitarian organisations risks excluding them from essential basic services like access to food Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Public sector IT leaders struggle with data infrastructure legacy

The impact caused by the pandemic means government tech executives in Europe are looking for ways to quickly modernise their estates, research says Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Police open criminal investigation into potential perjury by Fujitsu staff in Post Office IT trials

Current and former Fujitsu staff could face prosecution for giving false evidence in the trials of subpostmasters accused of theft and false accounting Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

UKtech50 2021: Help us find the most influential people in UK IT

Computer Weekly’s annual search for the 50 most influential people in UK IT is on – let us know who you would like to nominate for this year’s list Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

DDoS mitigation strategies needed to maintain availability during pandemic

The growing prevalence of DDoS attacks combined with the increased reliance on internet connectivity during the pandemic means enterprises can no longer afford to ignore the threat of DDoS attacks. Computer Weekly explores organisations’ perceptions of the risks and best practice for mitigation Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Online kids’ game Animal Jam confirms large breach

Cyber criminals have stolen data on 46 million Animal Jam player accounts via a third-party attack Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

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

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

IT Priorities 2020: Budgets rejigged to support 2021 recovery

IT has been essential in helping organisations remain operational. IT chiefs are now considering the IT to drive a sustained business recovery Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

DCMS opens talks with private sector on future of digital identity market

Department has met with suppliers to discuss plans for a trust framework to show ‘what good looks like’ as it ploughs ahead with digital identity plans Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

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

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly
• Ter García

CW Benelux: Dutch Alzheimer’s app helps dementia patients

An app aimed at helping dementia patients and their families has been developed by the Alzheimer Society in the Netherlands. Also in this issue, read about a Belgian startup's app based on blockchain technology to help container handling at ports, and why Rabobank ditched its legacy backup. Continue Reading

Diversity and inclusion in tech: How to be an effective ally

In this video from Computer Weekly’s annual diversity and inclusion in tech event, in partnership with Spinks, a panel discusses how to be an effective ally and support others at work. Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

TCS acquires Prudential Financial tech operation unit for free

Hot on the heels of its €1 acquisition of Deutsche Bank’s Postbank Systems IT unit, TCS has taken on 1,500 people from the insurance giant’s Ireland-based IT unit Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

What businesses can learn from GovTech’s digital strategy

Modernising its infrastructure and putting digital at its core has given Singapore’s Government Technology Agency the agility it needs to respond to the Covid-19 pandemic Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

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

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Security pros coped admirably with remote working transition

Despite facing tight timescales at the onset of the pandemic, security professionals have come through the transition to remote working remarkably well, according to a report Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Gartner: IT spending to focus on fast time to value

There are no surprises in Gartner’s latest forecast. IT budgets are being spent on supporting remote workers, but CIOs have new metrics Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Norway has lowest physical cash use in the world, says report

Norway claims to use less cash as a proportion of total spending than any other country across the globe, according to a study by its central bank Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

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

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Microsoft drops fix for serious zero-day among 112 Patch Tuesday updates

November’s Patch Tuesday contains fixes for 112 bugs, including a potentially serious zero-day exploit that malicious actors are already taking advantage of Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Lack of openness on Horizon errors remains as Fujitsu refuses to explain latest outage

Subpostmasters are being kept in the dark about errors in the branch computer system they use, despite the Post Office and Fujitsu being slammed in court over their lack of openness Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

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

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Intel and AMD processors affected by another side-channel exploit

Two years after Spectre and Meltdown, the x86 processor faces another side-channel exploit – only this time, it is based on sensing temperature Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

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

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Industry tells House of Lords committee it has ‘grave reservations’ about CDS

The Customs Declaration Service is untested, unproven and not ready, and HMRC is taking a “cloak and dagger approach” to working with the industry, hears a Lords committee – but HMRC says delivery of Brexit IT is on track Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

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

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

IT Priorities 2020: Covid-19 consolidates storage push to cloud

The emphasis on home and remote working has been felt in storage and backup as in all areas of IT, with continued evolution towards the cloud and as-a-service storage and backup Continue Reading

By

• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

Zoom rapped over historic security practices

The US Federal Trade Commission rules that Zoom’s practices undermined the security of its users Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor