IT news in your industry sector

Britons used contactless for 42% of card payments in 2017

Paymentsense survey confirms rapid growth of contactless payments, but £30 limit is preventing further dominance Continue Reading

By

• Zach Emmanuel, Computer Weekly

Most CIOs not interested in “massively hyped” blockchain, finds Gartner

Despite the noise surrounding blockchain technology, not many CIOs are using it or planning to do so in the near future, finds Gartner Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Fibre network breakthrough has implications for data security

Researchers have devised a new protocol that they claim vastly extends the range of quantum key distribution over fibre networks Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

City Police use Lego simulation to teach businesses cyber security

City of London Police are offering to train business leaders and IT security in cyber security using a Lego simulation that is surprisingly close to real life Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

TalkTalk worst for broadband customer satisfaction

Ofcom has released statistics on communications service provider customer service metrics, and TalkTalk does not come out of it well Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Netherlands to harness blockchain for waste management operations

Authorities are trying out blockchain to automate many of the processes related to waste transportation in the EU Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Lewisham GP practices to get virtual health assistant app

Thirty-eight GP practices in London borough plan to launch app that includes advice, symptom checker and appointment booking Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Redscan warns of GDPR phishing scams

Cyber criminals are using fake GDPR-related privacy notices to trick recipients into disclosing personal data and spread malware, a security firm warns Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Cambridge Analytica closure will not halt probe, says ICO

The London-based data mining firm at the heart of the Facebook data exploitation scandal has announced it is closing, but the ICO says the probe into its actions will still go ahead Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

TSB IT team could get slaughtered in May

TSB's IT project will go under the microscope as the company attempts to get to the bottom of what went wrong after massive problems. Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Security Think Tank: Prevention and detection are key to limit dwell time

Why is reducing cyber attacker dwell time important and how should this be tackled? Continue Reading

By

• Emma Bickerstaffe, Information Security Forum (ISF)

Security Think Tank: Containment should be top priority in cyber breaches

Why is reducing cyber attacker dwell time important, and how should this be tackled? Continue Reading

By

• Paddy Francis

Fresh blow for Facebook as court refuses stay in Max Schrems legal action

Facebook has lost a legal attempt to delay the Irish High Court from seeking answers from the European Court of Justice over the legality of EU-US data transfers Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Outsourcing is not dead or dying – it just needs to be done properly

The collapse of Carillion and the profit warning at Capita have created a false sense of fear about the stability of the outsourcing sector Continue Reading

By

• Bob Fawthrop

Up to 270 women may have died due to breast cancer screening IT failure, says health secretary

Computer algorithm failure caused 450,000 women to miss their breast cancer screenings – some of whom will have "had their lives shortened" by the error, Jeremy Hunt has admitted Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Cabinet Office updates spend controls

Revamped spend controls policy aims to give departments more flexibility, but requires them to keep a 15-month pipeline plan of any current and intended technology spend above £5m Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

ARM aims to boost physical security of IoT

Chipmaker ARM announces microprocessor aimed at improving the physical security capabilities of devices making up the internet of things Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Finnish government launches regional digitisation plan

Finland’s government allocates €400m to support digital projects run by the country’s local authorities Continue Reading

By

• Gerard O'Dwyer

Critical infrastructure firms urged to patch Schneider Electric flaws

Critical infrastructure suppliers and manufacturing firms are being urged to ensure that their systems are patched up to date, after researchers discover Schneider Electric remote code execution vulnerability Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Ransomware still a threat to business, F-Secure warns

Ransomware attacks tapered off towards the end of 2017 after an explosion in such attacks earlier in the year, but ransomware remains a threat to big business, a report reveals Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Chatbots demonstrate unexpected range of uses, from mental health to education

Chatbots, software that uses normal language to communicate with people through text or voice, are proving their value in a surprising variety of ways – from accountancy support to mental health Continue Reading

By

• SA Mathieson

TSB IT crisis: Is IT governance strong enough in banking should be the question MPs ask

When MPs ask TSB what went wrong when it embarked on a core banking system migration they should look at how IT is managed Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

RBS closes branches after axing challenger bank project

Royal Bank of Scotland to close 162 branches and shed 800 jobs after deciding not to create a challenger bank – but a new digital bank may be on the way Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Security industry welcomes City of London Police cyber initiative

The security industry has welcomed plans to fight cyber crime in the heart of London using a community-based approach, but says more investment in cyber security skills is required Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Google Chrome helps clean up certificate authority industry

The security industry has welcomed the introduction of measures by the Google Chrome browser aimed at achieving certificate transparency Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Security Think Tank: Reducing cyber attacker dwell time is critical

Why is reducing cyber attacker dwell time important, and how should it be tackled? Continue Reading

By

• Simon Persin, Turnkey Consulting

Gulf Cooperation Council smart city initiatives garner momentum

The Middle East is a hotbed for smart city developments, with activities in the region maturing and adapting to what citizens want Continue Reading

By

• Edward Banda

HMRC dismisses criticism of ‘perfectly good’ IR35 online assessment tool

Senior figures from HM Revenue & Customs have hit back at claims that its online IR35 status tool is not fit for purpose, as survey data suggests public sector contractors are being assessed without the tool’s help anyway Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

CIO interview: Martyn Wallace, CDO, Scottish Local Government Digital Office

Scottish local government’s chief digital officer describes the challenges of driving digital change across the country’s councils Continue Reading

By

• Mark Samuels

Password practices still poor despite increased threats

Despite growing cyber threats and heightened global awareness of hacking and data breaches, password behaviours remain poor and UK users are in denial, a study has revealed Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Warning to all banks: TSB needs help from IBM because banking industry has cut thousands of IT jobs

Banks will increasingly rely on suppliers to help them out when IT disasters strike because they simply don't have enough in-house IT experts after years of cuts. Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

SuiteWorld 2018: Magic Johnson gives advice on adapting to the millennial customer

Entrepreneur and former basketball star tells SuiteWorld 2018 about the importance of adapting to the millennial customer in a technology-driven age Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

Three starts to prepare core network for 5G

Mobile operator Three has enlisted SSE Enterprise Telecoms to bring 20 core datacentres on-net as it prepares to start rolling out 5G Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Bristol’s historic bridge pressed into service for rural broadband

Gigaclear is running cables underneath Bristol’s historic Clifton Suspension Bridge to bring ultrafast full-fibre services to forgotten communities Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Imperial College taps volunteer smartphones for cancer research

Imperial College London is working with the Vodafone Foundation to co-opt smartphone processing power for use in cancer research Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

TSB IT meltdown has the makings of an epic

TSB’s very public IT problems will send shivers down the spine of IT teams at large banks that are yet to migrate to new core banking systems Continue Reading

Making music with AI

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we look at how artificial intelligence is being used in the creative industries such as music and books, and ask whether AI can ever replace human creativity. TSB’s IT meltdown is symptomatic of the tech challenges facing UK banks – we examine the issues. And our latest buyer’s guide analyses the trends in big data. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

UK critical services need to up cyber defences to avoid fines

UK critical infrastructure providers could be liable for fines of millions of pounds if they do not improve their cyber defences and resilience of their IT infrastructure, a study reveals Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Could Agile and DevOps be to blame for banking IT failures?

Is the use of Agile and Devops partly to blame fir the increasing number of IT failures at banks on recent years and is there anther way? Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

MPs to grill TSB CEO over IT disaster

Paul Pester will face questions from the Treasury Committee about the bank’s IT problems Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Security Think Tank: Reducing dwell has never been more important

Why is reducing cyber attacker dwell time important, and how should this be tackled? Continue Reading

By

• Petra Wenham

Getting cyber security innovation to market is key, says NCSC

Getting cyber security innovation to market is an important area of focus, according to the National Cyber Security Centre, which runs a cyber accelerator programme and recently stated a Dragons Den style security innovation pitch at the 2018 CyberUK conference Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

TSB IT disaster moves into a second week

TSB's IT problems have moved into a second week, as the bank fights to get its services and reputation back on track Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Security industry welcomes NHS move to Windows 10

Representatives of the security industry have welcomed the announcement that the NHS will be migrating to Windows 10 as part of a multi-million pound deal with Microsoft, but warn that the move will not be without its challenges Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Starship’s autonomous delivery robots get commercial roll-out

Having successfully trialled its autonomous delivery robots in the UK and US, Estonian startup Starship Technologies is embarking on a full commercial roll-out Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Over a million homes can now access FTTP, says Ofcom

Access to viable broadband services continues to improve across the UK, according to Ofcom Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Yorkshire and Humber region awards HSCN contract to Redcentric

Network services provider Redcentric wins the first major regional Health and Social Care Network contract as procurements around England gather pace Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Fintech professional’s tech predictions: 6– Banks to sell more unbranded services to websites

Banks are taking their brand names off the high street and might increasingly do so for services they offer to ecommerce companies Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Even the smallest of Dutch towns are becoming smart

An increasing number of Dutch towns and cities use street sensors and big data to tackle societal problems. From smart lighting to artificial intelligence that spots violent behaviour in surveillance footage, smart technology is booming in the Netherlands Continue Reading

By

• Ernst-Jan Hamel

Currency of data separates leaders from laggards

With customer data growing in ever-evolving volumes, we look at how companies are using data analytics to stay in control Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Security Think Tank: GDPR compliance one good reason to cut attacker dwell time

Why is reducing cyber attacker dwell time important, and how should this be tackled? Continue Reading

By

• Maxine Holt, Omdia

Only 5% of charities are ready for GDPR, survey shows

A survey shows relatively few charities are prepared for new data protection regulations, highlighting several areas for improvement Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Microsoft releases Windows 10 security pack

Microsoft has released a download pack that incorporates NCSC guidance to save UK companies weeks of work to secure Windows 10 and comply with government guidelines Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

DWP to spend nearly £15m on GDPR

A single government department plans to spend nearly £15m on preparing for new European data protection legislation, a report reveals Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Government given six months to rewrite snoopers’ charter

The government has until 1 November 2018 to rewrite a key section of the Investigatory Powers Act 2016, after the high court declared them unlawful in a judicial review brought by human rights group Liberty Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

What is digital transformation?

A guide for executives in the public and private sectors on the myths, realities and best practice of digital transformation, by digital leaders who have been there and done it Continue Reading

By

• Andrew Greenway, Ben Terrett, Mike Bracken and Tom Loosemore

BEIS yet to begin procuring IT systems needed for Brexit, PAC finds

Public Accounts Committee chair Meg Hillier says the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy “appears to be operating in a parallel universe where urgency is an abstract concept”, as it needs upwards of 12 new digital systems and so far has none Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

GDPR: An overview of the latest data protection legislation

The forthcoming General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) will have wide-ranging implications for every organisation that processes personal data. This comprehensive overview tells you what you need to know Continue Reading

By

• Dai Davis, Percy Crow Davis & Co

Software-defined networking: gathering momentum in the enterprise?

Suppliers are pushing the benefits of software-defined networking harder than ever, and enterprises are starting to take the plunge rather than remaining on the sidelines Continue Reading

By

• Christian Annesley

After the TSB debacle, is it time for IT people to run retail banking?

Given that high-street banks are effectively little more than a computer system processing algorithms, would they be better off run by tech experts than bankers? Continue Reading

By

• Tim Worstall, Adam Smith Institute

Welsh government plans digital pilots in the Valleys

As part of its digital vision for the Valleys, the government looks to pilot Uber-style transport app for NHS patients, a community Wi-Fi scheme and better use of data mapping tool Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Jeremy Hunt launches review into training NHS staff to use new tech

Jeremy Hunt announces a review that will look at how to train NHS staff to use new technologies such as artificial intelligence, genomics, digital medicine and robotics Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

BT risks ‘fading away’ in full-fibre future, says Ofcom CEO

BT risks being consigned to the dustbin of failed tech companies if it messes up the transition to full-fibre broadband networks, says Ofcom CEO Sharon White Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

McLaren gets new group CIO

Karen McElhatton has been appointed McLaren’s new CIO, following former IT boss Craig Charlton’s departure in February Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Barclays aims to drive entrepreneur startup development with law incubator

Barclays is opening its Eagle Lab incubator in London to help entrepreneurs create successful law businesses. Continue Reading

By

• Zach Emmanuel, Computer Weekly

Doing analytics the Disney way

The Walt Disney Company’s head of solution integration tells how analytics helps to personalise the customer’s Disney experience, and how tech plays a leading role in The Lion King’s Broadway success Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

British banks target Israeli security technology

British banks are turning to Israel’s high-tech sector to protect against cyber attacks Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Almost all London law firms are using or plan to use artificial intelligence

Law firms are harnessing artificial intelligence to reduce the manual creation and checking of legal documents Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Facebook posts strong first quarter despite privacy scandal

The data exploitation scandal that hit Facebook has not yet had an adverse impact on advertising revenues or user activity, according to first quarter financial results Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

TSB banking service tech problems continue

TSB customers are still experiencing problems using online and mobile banking services after almost a week of disruption Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Argos announces 150 new tech roles in the UK

Argos is recruiting an extra 150 IT professionals as part of its strategy to offer a better digital services to customers Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Security Think Tank: Reduce attacker dwell time with defence in depth

Why is reducing cyber attacker dwell time important and how should this be tackled? Continue Reading

By

• Mike Gillespie

SuiteWorld 2018: Hiring people is about more than just ability, says Rachel Zoe

NetSuite customer, fashion designer and CEO of Rachel Zoe explains that part of entrepreneurship is hiring people who fill the gaps you leave behind, and that in doing so passion can be more important than ability Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

EC calls on online platforms to develop common code of practice to tackle ‘disinformation’

The European Commission says online platforms such as social media and video sites, have not done enough to tackle unethical use, and calls on them “to decisively step up their efforts to tackle online disinformation” Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

European Commission unveils €1.5bn AI funding

Given the UK's new artificial intelligence sector deal, the European Commission is unveiling its own initiative to make Europe a world leader in AI Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

O2 reveals plans for new 4G mobile spectrum

O2 has already turned on 100 new mobile sites since winning big in the Ofcom spectrum auction, and hopes to activate 900 more this year Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

NCSC shows support for common standards for secure communication

The UK cyber security authority is supporting an industry drive towards common standards for secure communication by joining an industry organisation that aims to achieve this goal Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

TSB chaos: When choosing bank people should look at core banking platform and not just funky apps

If customers don't want to suffer glitches in their banking service they should ask about complexities of a bank's IT systems before selecting where to out their money Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Digital economy research projects to get funding

Research projects aimed at building trust, privacy and security in the use of personal data and digital technologies are to receive funding Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Government promises £300m extra funding as part of £1bn AI sector deal

To become the number one destination for artificial intelligence, the UK needs more specialist skills, and a new injection of funding is aimed at boosting the country’s AI skills pool Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Police forces use Motorola mobile apps to digitise frontline ops

The States of Jersey Police force plans to phase out inefficient paper-based activities with mobile applications, while other forces around the UK report improvements to their overall processes Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Scotland’s digital health and care strategy highlights need for collaboration

The Scottish Government will create a joint decision-making board, a national approach to service redesign and a national digital platform to ensure interoperability Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

The biggest surprise about TSB's IT disaster is that people are still surprised when banks' IT fails

The only real surprise about TSB’s IT disaster this week is that people are still surprised when a retail bank has IT problems. There are few organisations with a more complex and difficult ... Continue Reading

By

• Bryan Glick, Editor in chief

EC sets out plans for sharing health data across borders

The European Commission wants to introduce EU-wide standards for health records, and allow EU citizens to access and share their patient information securely across member states Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Home Office Brexit app only works for Android users

Home Office app for EU citizens registering to stay in the UK post-Brexit only works on Android devices as iPhones do not share passport chip data Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Government urges UK businesses to beef up cyber crime defences

Government is urging UK organisations to defend against cyber crime, as newly released figures show that large numbers of businesses and charities suffered at least one cyber attack in the past year Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Major DDoS cyber crime website shut down

International law enforcement has shut down the Webstresser cyber crime website, which was the world’s biggest marketplace for selling distributed denial of service attack services that were used against seven UK banks Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Most firms will not be GDPR-ready by compliance deadline

Survey of IT decision-makers shows one-fifth of companies lack continuous encryption capabilities and only half have the systems required for the right to erasure and the right to rectification Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

About one million NatWest bank customers to move to RBS digital bank

More details of RBS's digital bank revealed Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Human error to blame for Ulster bank glitch, but computer seen fleeing scene of crime.

Human error to blame for problems at Ulster bank but a computer was involved Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Employees still in the dark about data protection

With just a month to go before the GDPR compliance deadline, many employees still don’t know how to protect confidential data, a study shows Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

TSB IT meltdown has the makings of an epic

TSB’s very public IT problems will send shivers down the spine of IT teams at large banks that are yet to migrate to new core banking systems Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Cyber fraud costs SMEs more than £1,000 per case

Just over half of IT and telecoms SMEs are targeted by fraudsters, with each case of cyber fraud costing more than £1,000, study reveals Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

One month to GDPR compliance deadline

With one month to go before the deadline for compliance with EU’s General Data Protection Regulation, organisations should ensure they are able to meet minimum requirements to defend against adverse scrutiny Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Full-fibre broadband specialist CityFibre acquired for £538m

Full-fibre broadband specialist CityFibre is to be bought by a Goldman Sachs-backed consortium as it seeks more cash to fulfil its expansion plans Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Unified communications supplier Mitel bought by VCs

Unified communications and networking technology supplier Mitel is to be acquired by affiliates of Searchlight Capital Partners for $2bn Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

NHS shared care records: progress, projects and privacy

Sharing health records across health and social care has been something the NHS has worked towards for a long time. As the NHS ramps up its plans, has it finally got the right balance between patient care, privacy and feasibility? Continue Reading

By

• Sooraj Shah

Nurses want to use IT, but are held back by barriers

A majority of nurses welcome digital technology, but costs, poor connectivity and a lack of interoperability act as barriers, and lead community nurses to use paper instead Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Google hails positive economic impact of US datacentre growth

Google claims the expansion of its datacentre portfolio in recent years has generated thousands of jobs and seen it contribute billions of dollars to the US economy Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

Criminal Courts Review Commission findings in Post Office computer case raise further enquiries

The Criminal Courts Review Commission forensic examination of the IT system at the centre of a legal case against the Post Office has raised further questions Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA