IT news in your industry sector

HMRC sets August launch date for customs IT system

HMRC plans to begin a phased deployment of its Customs Declaration Service this August, with completion expected by early 2019 Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

UK local councils favour hybrid cloud as legacy IT management needs persist

Research into the IT buying habits of more than 300 local authorities in the UK reveals a growing appetite for using cloud, as councils continue to grapple with managing and maintaining legacy IT Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

Businesses lack cyber security confidence after majority were breached in past year

Most businesses were hit by a data breach in the past year, yet less than half are confident they would detect a breach, a survey shows Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

What would coders do in ethical grey areas?

Software developers are writing code that affects the lives of millions of people and how businesses are run, but what do coders think about some of the ethical questions they face? Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Uber autonomous vehicle death raises questions for UK law review

Uber suspended testing of autonomous vehicles in North America after one of its cars struck and killed a pedestrian this week, and the tragic accident raises big questions in the light of the UK’s ongoing legal review of self-driving cars Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Shared services project is about user needs, not tech, says strategy director

If you’re hoping for the government’s shared services strategy to “break revolutionary ground” in terms of tech, you’ll be disappointed. It’s about serving user needs – not tech – says its strategy director Andy Helliwell Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

MoD to focus on SMEs to raise supply chain cyber security

The Ministry of Defence continues to develop a joint initiative with industry aimed at raising the security posture throughout the UK’s defence supply chain, with increasing focus on SMEs Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Train leasing firm demos mobile edge computing for smart trains

Rolling stock leasing company Angel Trains is demonstrating edge computing over a wireless mesh network to make life easier for its customers’ on-board staff Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

IT attracts more foreign investment projects to UK than other sectors

IT accounts for the highest number of foreign direct investment projects in the UK, which should come as a warning to the UK government to listen to the sector Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

SD-WAN still too complex, survey shows

Despite SD-WAN adoption, WAN complexity remains a major challenge, a survey has revealed, driving firms to managed services, mainly because of security concerns Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

UK must hurry to agree science and innovation deal with EU, MPs say

The Science and Technology Committee calls on government to urgently secure science and innovation deal with the EU to get clarity on funding, regulation and talent retention and recruitment Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Popular culture key to giving cyber security much-needed boost

The cyber security industry should turn to popular culture to raise awareness of the cyber threat to businesses and consumers and attract new blood to the field, says McMafia author Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

RBS said to be setting up its own digital bank

Royal Bank of Scotland is reportedly setting up a standalone digital bank to take advantage of changing customer habits Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Danish government launches business-focused national digital strategy

Denmark’s government has launched a plan to get more small businesses into the digital economy as it targets being a leader in advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence Continue Reading

By

• Gerard O'Dwyer

WhatsApp co-founder calls time on Facebook

Brian Acton has called time on Facebook following reports of the firm’s dealings with data mining firm Cambridge Analytica linked to the EU referendum and Donald Trump’s US election campaign Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Case study: Stationery firm gets things moving with FTTP broadband voucher

Nuco, a Midlands-based supplier of paper and stationery products, has improved its business agility and is moving its IT into the cloud thanks to the government’s full-fibre broadband connection voucher scheme Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Ireland eyes Brexit-triggered tech investments

The organisation that champions Ireland to foreign investors has seen an increase in IT companies moving to its shores Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

IBM delivers Watson-powered voice assistant for consumer brands

Alexa and Google Assistant have taken residence in people's homes. IBM aims to give companies a way to deliver their own branded AI voice assistants Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Croydon Council partners with Rainmaker to shake up its IT

Croydon Council has employed digital transformation specialist Rainmaker to help it change the way it delivers IT over the next three years Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Ofcom opens 5G spectrum auction

Ofcom has opened the bidding in the auction of spectrum to support 4G and 5G mobile networks Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Maplin in administration: Internet connectivity issues hit in-store card payments

Internet issues at beleaguered high-street electronics retailer Maplin cause trouble at the tills in stores across the UK Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

Brexit is an opportunity to transform, says HMRC digital transformation director

HMRC’s digital transformation director Brigid McBride on Brexit opportunities, using AI and robotics to improve services, and growing the API ecosystem Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Dutch cycling culture pumps up bicycle startups

Bike-sharing services are cropping up in urban areas of the Netherlands but the government wants to restrict their number Continue Reading

By

• Tijs Hofmans

Innovate Finance Global Summit gets fintech ready for adulthood

Fintech is coming of age and faces all the challenges that growing up entails Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Think tank reports lifts lid on police cyber crime training

UK think tank Parliament Street has lifted the lid on spending by police forces on training staff to deal with cyber crime and recommended greater collaboration in this regard Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

SAP at the core of S Group’s €100m IT renewal

Finnish retailer S Group is putting SAP at the core of its IT transformation, which will be complete by 2021 Continue Reading

By

• Eeva Haaramo

Where neuroscience meets technology

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we find out how computer scientists are using data, cloud and virtual reality to understand the brain and improve mental wellbeing. We analyse newly published government documents detailing the early problems with the Universal Credit IT project. And we look at how emerging artificial intelligence techniques can help improve cyber security. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Firms need to move from DevOps to DevSecOps, says expert

In the face of competition, organisations are turning to DevOps to improve efficiency and accelerate innovation, but this is creating new security risks, an industry expert warns Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Wigan data breaches underline need to share threat intelligence

Ongoing data breaches experienced by local authorities underline the need for greater sharing of threat intelligence, say security experts Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Dream machines: how IT is changing the world of neuroscience

We talk to computer scientist and entrepreneur Jamil El Imad about the cutting-edge intersection of neuroscience and IT Continue Reading

Gatwick Airport turns to driverless tech to keep staff moving

Gatwick Airport plans to trial driverless technology to move staff around the airfield, in the hope of creating an Uber-like service to cut costs and emissions Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Hybrid cloud mainstream, but seamless operations hard to achieve

Survey by 451 Research finds most organisations use a mix of on-premise and cloud locations, but truly seamless hybrid cloud operations are very difficult to achieve Continue Reading

By

• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

NHS wants independent evaluation of GP at Hand service

The NHS is looking for an organisation to undertake an independent review of the on-demand virtual GP app, allowing patients in London to access GP services using their smartphones Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Network security in the digital transformation era

Network security has always been a core focus for CISOs and IT security managers, but in an era of digital transformation, we examine if network security strategies are keeping up with new and emerging cyber threats Continue Reading

By

• Nicholas Fearn

Southwark brings full-fibre broadband to council estates

London’s Southwark Council has enlisted Hyperoptic to deliver FTTP broadband services across its housing portfolio Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Customer experience must be digital focus for banks

Omni-channel technologies can help banks stand out from their rivals, but a good customer experience should be their goal Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

First Direct enables customers to pay by Siri

Customers of online bank First Direct can now use voice commands to transfer money through Apple’s digital assistant Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Russia compromised core router in US energy attacks

Russian cyber attackers used a compromised core router in a series of attacks on the US energy sector, security researchers have revealed as the UK energy sector is placed on alert Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Digital retail calls for agile approach, say experts

To embrace digital technology, retailers need to adopt an agile nature across the entire business and break down internal silos, said a panel at Retail Week Live Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

How airlines are gearing up for the digital shift

Asian carriers are counting on personalised services, blockchain-enabled loyalty programmes, automation and predictive maintenance to lower costs and improve passenger experience Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Better public services – a Beveridge for the 21st century

A new 'manifesto' from digital government experts lays out a path to delivering the internet-enabled state that's been promised for years but is yet to become a reality Continue Reading

By

• Jerry Fishenden and Mark Thompson

Employers face hiring crisis as AI replaces mid-skilled jobs

Artificial intelligence could replace two-thirds of existing jobs within 20 years, and employers will face growing difficulties recruiting skilled staff Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Network security in the age of the internet of things

Wireless devices and smart technologies are increasingly being brought into the workplace, and pose a growing risk to company data Continue Reading

By

• Peter Ray Allison

IT contractors not a risk despite Snowden leaks, GCHQ tells court

The government argues in the Investigatory Powers Tribunal that contractors with systems administration rights to computers holding GCHQ’s most sensitive intelligence pose no more of a security risk than the agency’s employees Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

SD-WAN needs software-defined security

Digital transformation is driving organisations to move to the cloud, which requires a new architecture that embraces cloud technology, but that in turn requires a new way of thinking about network security to ensure data is protected Continue Reading

By

• Klaus Gheri, Barracuda

Ofcom sets out 5G spectrum auction process

Regulator has given details of the two-stage 5G mobile network spectrum auction process that will begin next week Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Cyber criminals using complex financial system, study shows

Cyber criminals are using a combination of new cryptocurrencies, gaming currencies and micro-payments to launder up to $200bn in ill-gotten gains, research has revealed Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Tech won’t solve Brexit UK-Ireland border challenges, say MPs

There is no evidence of any technical solution “anywhere in the world” that would help avoid physical infrastructure at the UK-Ireland border post-Brexit, according to the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Nordic CIO interview: Jussi Sorvali, HMD Global

The head of IT at Finland-based smartphone maker HMD Global turned to the cloud to get the entire IT department up and running quickly Continue Reading

By

• Eeva Haaramo

Defence industry urges government to relax controls on crypto exports

Trade body representing defence, aerospace and security companies calls on government to make it easier to export “non-contentious” cryptography to secure organisations against cyber crime Continue Reading

By

• Gamil Jassin

US blames Russia for cyber attacks on energy firms

The US has blamed Russia for a series of attacks on energy sector firms, underlining the need to ensure critical infrastructure IT systems are up to date and secure Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Three reaches 10 million customer milestone

UK’s smallest “big four” mobile operator reflects on a solid year as it gears up for the imminent spectrum auction Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Tesco appoints new chief technology officer

Supermarket giant’s new CTO joins from Airbus and will continue to implement retailer’s digital transformation programme Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

Coders feel responsible for impact of artificial intelligence on society

The technologists building artificial intelligence algorithms should take responsibility for the technology’s impact on society, a survey finds Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

With auditability, deep learning could revolutionise insurance industry

The likes of Google may be pushing deep learning in artificial intelligence, but it may not be the best approach for regulated industries Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Security Think Tank: Fileless malware not totally undetectable

What should organisations do at the very least to ensure business computers are protected from fileless malware? Continue Reading

By

• Greg Temm

DocuTrac medical software is a breach risk, warns Rapid7

Security researchers have issued a security warning about medical billing and documentation software they say puts patients at risk of data breach Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Openreach to open 12 fibre broadband engineering schools

Openreach has opened the first of 12 planned training centres around the UK as it sets out to recruit more than 3,000 fibre broadband engineers Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Online data can be used to create better housing for all, says Resi’s Depledge

Alex Depledge, CEO of Resi, will speak at Datafest on how online data can open up architecture to more people – but she warns against over-hyping data science Continue Reading

By

• Brian McKenna, Senior Analyst, Business Applications

Full-fibre broadband voucher scheme gets green light

Chancellor Philip Hammond has signed off on £67m to fund full-fibre broadband connections for small businesses around the UK Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Non-compliant G-Cloud suppliers escape spend data sharing fines, as MISO revamp gathers pace

Freedom of Information request reveals G-Cloud providers are not being fined for failing to submit monthly spend data, as the CCS claims success with using other deterrent methods Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

Government setting up local planning group to support 5G roll-out

Digital minister Margot James is building a new initiative to support collaboration on 5G mobile network roll-out at a local level, bringing together councils, landowners and industry to work on planning challenges and policy Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

WhatsApp to suspend data sharing with Facebook

WhatsApp has agreed to stop sharing personal data with Facebook until data protection concerns are addressed Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Four Scottish health boards to join up health and social care data

Health boards in the North of Scotland plan to deploy a clinical portal by early 2019, sharing health and social care data across the region Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Kenyan solar supplier leans on IoT and fintech for new growth

Mastercard packed its stand at Mobile World Congress with new use cases for fintech in the developing world and launched a new partnership with Kenyan solar energy supplier M-KOPA Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

All-flash rules while Brexit slows UK storage spend, says IDC

IDC quarterly storage shipments tracker shows all-flash storage on top of the pile while Brexit slows UK spending and Huawei knocks Hitachi Data Systems out of top five Continue Reading

By

• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

Survey reveals what the coders building the future desire

Global survey reveals some of the attitudes of the world's software developers Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Public sector IT buyers still neglecting to report G-Cloud savings, FoI request reveals

Computer Weekly has learned that public sector IT buyers are still neglecting to self-report details of the savings they have accrued through using the G-Cloud framework Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

Security Think Tank: Awareness is a good starting point to counter fileless malware

What should organisations do at the very least to ensure business computers are protected from fileless malware? Continue Reading

By

• Ed Moyle, Drake Software

Researchers accused of irresponsible disclosure of AMD chip flaws

Israel-based researchers have been accused of irresponsible disclosure for going public with more than a dozen security flaws discovered in AMD processors Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Is paying for a bus using cryptocurrency really that shocking?

Is it that shocking that people will be paying for buses using cryptocurrency within seven years? Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Most people think cryptocurrency will be accepted on buses by 2025

Cryptocurrency is a mystery to many people, yet 55% of respondents to a survey expect shops and buses to accept digital money in seven years’ time Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Stoke Council picks VX Fiber to light up fibre broadband network

VX Fiber’s Open Access Platform will allow Stoke-on-Trent council to realise a return on its fibre investment while bringing gigabit broadband services to homes and businesses Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Government hands out £95m for local full-fibre broadband

The government has named the first recipients of a £190m tranche of funding to realise local full-fibre broadband projects Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Government ‘unlawfully delegated’ bulk data powers to GCHQ, court hears

Privacy International urges Britain’s most secret court, the Investigatory Powers Tribunal, to rule that the government illegally collected surveillance data from internet and phone companies until at least September 2017 Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Hammond delivers tech-positive Spring Statement

Delivering his Spring Statement, the chancellor bangs the drum for UK tech businesses, confirms £25m for 5G testbeds, allocates full-fibre funding and highlights the need for digital skills Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Retailers need to prepare properly before AI adoption, say experts

Artificial intelligence can help many areas of the retail landscape, but retailers should make sure they prepare before taking on AI adoption, says an expert panel Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

Security Think Tank: Patch, scan and lock down to counter fileless malware

What should organisations do at the very least to ensure business computers are protected from fileless malware? Continue Reading

By

• Petra Wenham

Assessing the disparate initiatives tackling the UK’s technology skills gap

As the UK’s skills gap widens, initiatives aim to ensure the population has the skills needed for roles now and in the future, but are these disparate efforts helping or hindering the cause? Continue Reading

By

• Cath Everett

Finnish government backs tech-city development in Oulu

Finland's government wants the city of Oulu to become a world leading destination for IT startups Continue Reading

By

• Garard O'Dwyer

Accountants look to artificial intelligence as clients get more demanding

Accountancy firms are planning to invest in artificial intelligence and automation technologies to free up staff from repetitive administrative tasks Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Businesses need to take cryptojacking seriously

Organisations must pay attention to cyber criminals hijacking computing resources to mine cryptocurrencies, because nearly half are affected and the impact is greater than many realise Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Government pumps £300m into tech and innovation for ageing society

Business secretary Greg Clark announces plans to use £300m from the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund for new technology and research, such as artificial intelligence and genome sequencing Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Public sector organisations ill-prepared for GDPR

Public sector organisations in the UK need to do much more to comply with the General Data Protection Regulation rule on providing information to citizens about details held about them Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Slingshot router malware: a warning for businesses

A stealthy malware that has been used to carry out cyber espionage undetected for six years should raise a red flag to businesses, say security commentators Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Russian augmented reality startups break into enterprise space

Augmented, virtual and mixed reality technologies edge closer to enterprise adoption in Russia as a strong local developer network grows Continue Reading

By

• Vladimir Kozlov

Have traditional banks weathered the fintech challenge?

How will the financial technology-based challenger banks evolve as the traditional retail banking industry ups its digital game? Continue Reading

Unlocking digital change in criminal justice

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we talk to the IT and digital chief at the Ministry of Justice to hear about tackling the challenges of digital transformation across the criminal justice system. European cities are trying to attract British IT talent as a result of Brexit – what does it mean for UK IT? And we take an in-depth look at the fintech sector in our latest buyer’s guide. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Watch out for digital legacy in manufacturing

Digital twins are the next innovation in manufacturing, but will the file formats and hardware be around for as long as the assets being modelled? Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Singapore tops global rankings on smart cities

The city-state of Singapore was lauded for its efforts in tapping the internet of things to improve public infrastructure and services in a global study by Juniper Research Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Digital for rural areas worth up to £26bn to UK economy

A study commissioned by Amazon has posited that greater use of digital tools and services could be worth between £12bn and £26bn per annum to the UK economy Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Security Think Tank: Human, procedural and technical response to fileless malware

What should organisations do at the very least to ensure business computers are protected from fileless malware? Continue Reading

By

• Mike Gillespie

Eight new cyber threats a second in Q4 2017, McAfee report reveals

There was an increase in cyber attacks on healthcare organisations, the use of fileless malware and cryptocurrency mining in the last three months of 2017, with eight new threats a second Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

What should companies know about sustainability software?

Sustainability is composed of social, environmental and economic pillars. That's why technologies focused on this market address different needs. Here's a narrow glimpse. Continue Reading

By

• Dave Turbide

Proof of concept shows blockchain could save lives in pharmaceutical logistics

DHL and Accenture pilot tracks pharmaceutical products from manufacture to prescription, showing potential to clamp down on counterfeit medicines Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Scottish government to spend £25m to fill 4G coverage gaps

The Scottish government has announced a £25m programme to infill gaps in 4G mobile network coverage across Scotland Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Politicians need to be more involved in tech, says Sadiq Khan

Flying the flag for the UK capital at the SXSW festival in Texas, London mayor Sadiq Khan says government should “do more” for technology, as well as mitigate the risks that come with it, and calls on social media firms to take responsibility for hate speech on their platforms Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Universal Credit: How did it go so wrong?

The DWP’s flagship welfare reform was meant to change the lives of benefits claimants through one simple IT system, but was beset by IT problems, low staff morale and delays. Newly released documents help explain what went wrong Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

BNP Paribas integrates Tink as part of PSD2 strategy

BNP Paribas Fortis is working with fintech company Tink to integrate software into its mobile app, which will enable customers to aggregate their finances Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Regulator takes tougher line than expected on surveillance warrants

The Investigatory Powers Commissioner’s Office has signalled to government that it will take a tough line when scrutinising surveillance warrants under the controversial Investigatory Powers Act Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly