IT news in your industry sector

Building on legacy IT

In this week’s Computer Weekly, experts at VMworld 2017 discussed how to adapt legacy IT to make the most of modern technology – we listened in. Artificial intelligence is touted as an aid to decision-making, but its limitations mean AI needs to be handled with care – we look at the lessons learned. And we find out how Wales has become a hotspot for cyber security innovation. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Cage director found guilty of terrorism offence after refusing to disclose passwords

Muhammad Rabbani, international director of Cage, is convicted of an offence under the terrorism act after refusing to disclose his mobile phone PIN and laptop password under Terrorism Act Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Amazon launches Middle East region

Amazon opens its latest delivery hub in Bahrain to serve customers in the Middle East Continue Reading

By

• Triska Hamid

NotPetya attack cost up to £15m, says UK ad agency WPP

Advertising giant was one of many companies hit in June 2017 by malware distributed through Ukrainian accounting software Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

FSA connects 220 abattoirs to fibre for food safety monitoring

Food Standards Agency picks Exponential-e to revitalise connectivity across 220 sites as it strives to improve operational efficiency and compliance processes Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Uber fails to get licence to operate in London renewed

Transport for London has rejected Uber's application for its licence renewal, citing a lack of corporate responsibility as the reason Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

CIO interview: Russell Harte, group technology director, DFS

The furniture store’s group head of IT speaks to Computer Weekly about how customer experience can be used internally Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Malware hidden in CCleaner targeted tech firms

Major tech firms were targeted by malware hidden in Avast’s Piriform CCleaner software, researchers have found, leading to speculation that it may have been state-sponsored espionage attack Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Most UK councils hit by cyber attacks

A study has revealed that most UK local authorities have suffered cyber attacks in the past year, showing local government is a key target for cyber criminals and that legacy software is a top security concern Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Cyber crime a significant risk to individuals and organisations

Cyber crime is still a significant risk to individuals and organisations, a report claims, with the top threats including business email compromise, ransomware, and banking and mobile malware Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Why businesses should tackle the digital workplace

IT chiefs should make implementing the digital workplace core to their company’s digitisation strategy, says analyst Gartner Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Blockchain tests delivering results and IBM seen as leader

Businesses that have invested in trials of blockchain technology will repeat their investments Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

What to do when a Microsoft executive takes over as IT chief at HMRC

HM Revenue & Customs’ (HMRC) new chief digital and information officer (CDIO), Jacky Wright, appears  to be an excellent appointment. She’s spent six years in senior roles at Microsoft, most ... Continue Reading

By

• Bryan Glick, Editor in chief

Public sector cloud use still too focused on ‘low-hanging fruit’ IT projects, finds research

Public sector cloud adoption continues to rise, but wide-scale digital transformation success remains elusive, claims Cloud Industry Forum research Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

Can DevOps deliver on its productivity promises?

DevOps and agile working are often cited as key elements of successful digital transformation – in this week’s Computer Weekly, we examine the challenges to delivering on that promise. Many retailers are investing in emerging technologies to gain an edge – but are they getting too far ahead of the curve? And we hear how a new spirit of collaboration could help UK broadband roll-out. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Technology moving to the centre of Brexit debate

Slowly, technology issues are rising to centre of the Brexit debate – as they should. This week saw the publication of the UK government’s Data Protection Bill – our implementation of the European ... Continue Reading

By

• Bryan Glick, Editor in chief

Banks across Europe cut thousands of staff and branches as IT replaces them

Banks across Europe cut jobs and close thousands of branches as IT shakes the industry Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

HMRC builds blockchain proof of concept for UK border

HMRC‘s Mike Potter says department has built blockchain proof of concept to coordinate interventions at the border, and highlights the need for an ‘API economy’ in Whitehall Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

HMRC confirms Microsoft corporate vice-president Jacky Wright as new CDIO

HMRC has tasked Microsoft corporate vice-president Jacky Wright with helping the department achieve its goal of becoming one of the world's most digitally advanced tax authorities Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

GDS is ‘sidelined’ and government as a platform ‘is dead’, says Francis Maude

Former Cabinet Office minister cites diminishing of Government Digital Service role as he criticises civil service resistance to change Continue Reading

By

• Bryan Glick, Editor in chief

BT offers enterprise customers flexible bandwidth for peak usage

New element of BT IP Connect Global WAN service will enable businesses to dial their network capacity up and down at will Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Technology vital to healthcare in Asia-Pacific

The opportunities for technology to improve healthcare services were explored at HIMSS AsiaPac17 in Singapore, but experts warned that challenges must be addressed before innovation can truly transform the sector Continue Reading

By

• Ai Lei Tao

CW Europe: The Macedonian surveillance scandal that brought down a government

In this issue, we look at evidence that Macedonia may have been running covert internet surveillance using sophisticated software supplied by a western technology company. We also look at how politics is changing IT buying habits in France, with French CIOs looking at alternatives to storing data with US-based suppliers as a result of one of President Trump’s executive orders. Download the issue now. Continue Reading

Lack of skills main barrier to civil service tech adoption

TechUK civil servants survey highlights need for skills training, common standards and working practices across departments to deliver joined-up public services Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

CIO interview: Karl Hoods, CIO, Save the Children UK

The charity’s CIO is looking at the potential of blockchain technologies and establishing an internal digital academy to drive its digital transformation strategy Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

DWP Digital overspent by £60m in six months - here's how it got back on track

Halfway through its 2016/17 financial year, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) digital team had spent £60m over budget, a freedom of information (FoI) request submitted by Computer Weekly ... Continue Reading

By

• Bryan Glick, Editor in chief

Openreach and rivals want collaborative approach to broadband

The government’s ambitions for FTTP broadband roll-out can only be met through collaboration, and an urgent shake-up of Ofcom regulatory policy is needed to reflect this, say Openreach and CityFibre Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Home Office agrees back-office transformation deal

The Home Office is moving more of its back-office processes into the cloud Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

IT transformation takes the lead at Dogs Trust

In this week's Computer Weekly, we speak to the head of IT at the Dogs Trust about its use of cloud computing and data analytics. We also look at the societal challenges of AI and investigate how to get a good Office 365 deal. Plus our buyer's guide checks out DevOps tools. Download the issue now. Continue Reading

EE repurposes 2G spectrum to support expanded 4G mobile service

The operator will re-farm a tranche of spectrum formerly used for 2G services to boost capacity and speed on its 4G network Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Martha Lane Fox warns UK is 'sleepwalking' through digital disruption

During a House of Lords debate, Martha Lane Fox claimed the UK has been “sleepwalking” through digital change and urged for more to be done to promote “digital understanding” Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

EAN airline broadband service moves closer to reality

The European Aviation satellite has successfully completed in-orbit testing and will begin to service in-flight broadband customers later in 2017 Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Trainline uses predictive analytics to help rail passengers save money

Travellers using Trainline’s app can save money on tickets after the introduction of an in-app feature called Price Prediction Continue Reading

By

• Zach Emmanuel, Computer Weekly

Millions of customer records compromised in Equifax breach

Major security breach unfolded over a two-month period, and is thought to have affected 143 million customers in the US, as well as an undisclosed number of Britons and Canadians Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Thousands of Deutsche Bank employees will be replaced by robots

The CEO of Deutsche Bank said a "big number of staff will eventually be replaced by robots” as it looks towards artificial intelligence technology Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Formula 1: Mercedes team turns to big data in quest for victory in Grand Prix

Data analytics could help Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport team gain an edge on rival Ferrari during the 2017 and 2018 Grand Prix season. Its head of IT, Matt Harris, reveals the team’s plans Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

European Union states question copyright law proposal

European states are questioning legality of a new copyright law proposed by the EU Continue Reading

By

• Jennifer Baker

IoT networks a massive sales opportunity for operators, claims GSMA

Commercial initiatives around low power wide area network infrastructure will present mobile operators with a potential $1.8tn revenue opportunity over the next decade Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

People with non-IT backgrounds could help fill cyber security skills gap

Organisations should look to fill cyber security roles with people who are curious and have work experience rather than focusing solely on graduates Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Met Police IT strategy: CCTV footage shared through Box

The Met Police digital policing strategy is taking shape under CIO Angus McCallum, and will use Box for sharing documents and CCTV footage Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Gigaclear extends narrow trenching FTTP broadband dig

Fibre broadband provider Gigaclear is extending its BDUK dig in Herefordshire and Gloucestershire Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Dutch startup wants to revolutionise online food shopping

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we find out how Dutch startup Picnic hopes to revolutionise the online food shopping market using artificial intelligence and data analytics. We take a look at the latest updates to Microsoft’s Office 365 cloud-based productivity tools. And we assess the prospects for AMD’s latest line-up of server processors and ask if they can challenge market leader Intel. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

HMRC denies IR35 reforms to blame for public sector IT project delays and cancellations

New research from ContractorCalculator suggests contractors have left the public sector in droves since the IR35 reforms came into force, but HMRC has a different take on the situation Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

Women still under-represented in Nordic IT despite region’s efforts

Although countries in the Nordic region are often hailed as pioneers of digital and equal worker rights, there is still gender inequality in the IT sector. Continue Reading

By

• Eeva Haaramo

Government launches FTTP pilot for businesses, schools and hospitals

The government has released £10m to six FTTP trial projects around the UK, testing ultrafast broadband technology in businesses, schools and hospitals Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

US Open tennis uses IBM AI to create video highlights

Fans of the US Open are able to access match highlights provided by IBM's Watson artificial intelligence system Continue Reading

By

• Zach Emmanuel, Computer Weekly

Content delivery innovation improves user experience for e-tailer

WorldStores Group, the owner of a number of online home and lifestyle retail brands, has transformed its customer experience with enhanced content delivery capabilities from Instart Logic Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

App-based challenger bank Starling enters next stage of its journey

Thousands of people are downloading Starling’s app every week as the bank builds its customer base Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Open source helps Schiphol fly to multi-clouds

Amsterdam airport Schiphol is utilising open source software to create and use a multi-cloud platform with an open API Continue Reading

By

• Jasper Bakker

How an idea built on web freebies and low-cost tools evolved into a virtual NHS clinic

We speak to an NHS trust about how readily available web software helped clinicians get a pioneering project off the ground Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Amazon Alexa and Microsoft Cortana to offer integration

Amazon and Microsoft’s voice assistants will be able to integrate with each other to provide users with the best features from both Continue Reading

By

• Zach Emmanuel, Computer Weekly

HCL expands global network with Swedish delivery centre

HCL has opened another delivery centre in the Nordic region, this time in Gothenburg, Sweden Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Researcher finds over 711 million compromised email accounts

A security researcher has discovered a spambot using more than 711 million compromised email accounts to spread data-stealing malware Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Challenger bank Fidor reaches 200,000 customers

Fintech trailblazer Fidor now has more than 200,000 people using its banking services, but its CEO believes the fintech environment is getting tougher Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

McDonald’s selects Capgemini to help it drive digital customer services

Fast-food chain decides to outsource its digital developments globally to French IT services giant Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

CIO Interview: Neal Sunners, CIO, Avis Budget Group

CIO international and senior vice-president for innovation at car rental firm aims to remove customer stress by driving mobile self-service applications Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Saudi Telecom Company creates cloud computing giant

The IT joint venture in Saudi Arabia will drive the digitisation of government services Continue Reading

By

• Edward Banda

Danske Bank taps into the cognitive capabilities of IBM Watson

Danish bank is using IBM Watson as part of a major IT outsourcing deal Continue Reading

By

• Eeva Haaramo

Security professionals name top causes of breaches

Security professionals have named the top reasons for successful cyber attacks, which are affecting more than half of organisations Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

CW Nordics: Banks and startups increase collaboration

First they were deemed a threat, now they are potential partners. According to a new report by Nordic accelerator Fintech Mundi, banks are increasingly turning to financial technology (fintech) startups in their hunt for new ideas and market opportunities. Also in this issue, read now Baker Brun, a bakery company in Norway, is modernising its business processes through the latest technologies, and hear how Stockholm’s CIO is relishing the challenge of trying to make the Swedish capital the smartest city in the world. Continue Reading

UK business welcomes government post-Brexit data sharing plan

Business has welcomed government proposals for data protection to enable unhindered data sharing with the EU after Brexit Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Dutch e-voting is waiting for an opportunity

Despite years of opposition and distrust in voting machines, a small Dutch initiative is aiming for a new form of e-voting Continue Reading

By

• Jasper Bakker

UAE telco Du pushes SaaS adoption in Middle East

The Middle East looks set to see strong growth in software as a service and IT departments need to take a different approach Continue Reading

By

• Edward Banda

SAP Ariba gaining ground in APAC

Companies like Woolworths and DuluxGroup in Australia are using the cloud-based service to reduce procurement costs and risks Continue Reading

By

• Beverley Head

Flash memory and OLED shortages will hit smartphone sales

Analysts at Gartner have warned that a components shortage will affect sales of high-end smartphones Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Industrial robots a security risk, warns IOActive

Some of the most popular industrial and domestic robot brands have various vulnerabilities that could by exploited by cyber attackers, a research paper warns Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Barclays installs devices to monitor office use

Barclays bank has installed sensors connected to a cloud-based analytics platform to monitor and analyse office use Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

How banking technology has changed since the crash

In this week’s Computer Weekly, 10 years after the financial crash, we examine how banking technology has changed as a result of the economic crisis. We look at how GDPR, the EU’s new data protection laws, will affect your data storage strategies. And we ask if the cryptocurrency boom will remain a niche pursuit or whether the underlying technologies can bring benefits for enterprise IT. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Blockchain skills in high demand and jobs being swept up quickly

Job vacancies for people with blockchain skills are being filled in just seven days, on average, once they are advertised online Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Wearables on the rise in the Middle East

The take up of wearables in the Middle East is growing mainly as a result of consumer demand for smartwatches Continue Reading

By

• Alicia Buller

HSBC streamlines mortgages with Capita software

Bank is using software to improve its mortgage application processes and subsequently increase business through brokers Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

NotPetya highlights cyber risk in shipping industry

Malware attack has shown that the shipping industry is vulnerable to cyber attacks, with Danish shipping giant Maersk reporting potential cost of up to $300m Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

School leavers urged to look at cyber security apprenticeships

Cyber security apprenticeships are a good alternative to ‘clearing’ and debts, according to security certification body, Crest Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

UK rail passengers don’t trust on-board Wi-Fi

YouGov survey commissioned by Cobham Wireless finds UK commuters are increasingly frustrated with connectivity standards on the rail network Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

World's largest’ data center planned in Norway

Norway will soon have the biggest datacenter in the world which will harness the countries rich natural resources Continue Reading

By

• Eeva Haaramo

Developers lack skills needed for secure DevOps, survey shows

The growing demand for developers with security skills is outpacing supply, but a survey reveals that a lack of formal security education and training by employers is contributing to the growing skills gap Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Barclays ring-fencing project means downtime for customers

Many Barclays services will be unavailable this weekend as part of the bank's project to separate retail and investment operations Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Huddle in trouble: Did the journey from startup to scaleup cause the UK cloud firm to lose its way?

What does the future hold for cloud collaboration firm Huddle, once a darling of the UK tech startup scene but now seemingly in need of a financial bailout? Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

A decade of IT change since banking meltdown

With 10 years passing since Northern Rock had to be bailed out by the government, we look at how banking IT has changed since the financial crisis Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

NotPetya attack cost up to $300m, says Maersk

Danish shipping line Maersk estimates that the NotPetya cyber attack in June cost the company up to $300m Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Fiat joins BMW's autonomous car platform initiative

Car makers Fiat and BMW are working in collaboration with Intel and Mobileye to develop a scalable platform for self-driving vehicles Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Hackers hit Holyrood with Westminster-style brute-force attack

The Scottish parliament has been hit by a cyber attack similar to the one that struck Westminster in June Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Leaked SMB exploits make malware powerful, warns Cylance

Four key exploits at the heart of hacking tools leaked by the Shadow Brokers have given malware authors a lot of power, say security researchers Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

So you want new IT systems for Brexit? Leaked GDS report shows it’s already too late

There has been barely a passing public mention from the government about the need for new or redeveloped IT systems to support whatever trading and immigration regime the UK has when it leaves the ... Continue Reading

By

• Bryan Glick, Editor in chief

Tech takes the lead in the Tour de France

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we find out how the Tour de France – the world’s greatest bike race - is transforming its relationship with fans thanks to internet of things, data analytics and machine learning technology. We analyse industry reaction to the UK government’s new data protection laws. And our new buyer’s guide looks at Microsoft’s cloud-based Office 365 software suite. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Most consumers think they are more digitally savvy than some retailers

Consumers are becoming increasingly digital in the way they shop, and a survey shows nearly 60% think they are more digitally innovative than some retailers Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

CIO interview: Mike Proudlock, interim head of IT, The Royal College of Surgeons

The Royal College of Surgeons has started a cloud-centric transformation programme to ensure the organisation is fit for the working challenges of the 21st century Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Malicious email spikes in Q2, reports Proofpoint

Malicious email campaigns saw a spike in volume and increased variety in the second quarter of 2017, a cyber security report reveals Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Russian cyber espionage group targeting hotel Wi-Fi

A Russian cyber espionage group is targeting hotel Wi-Fi networks to carry out malware infections and potentially steal credentials, researchers warn Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

BBVA tops Forrester mobile bank app chart

Spanish bank BBVA has the best mobile banking app in the world, according to Forrester Research Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

HSBC uses IBM to automate the processing of 100 million document pages

In another instance of banks adopting automation to lower costs and drive productivity, HSBC uses IBM analytics technology to cut down on its paper trail Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

China tests hack-proof quantum satellite communications

China has tested a prototype communication system that uses the principles of quantum mechanics to make it impossible for hackers to access Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

New TalkTalk fine takes total for poor data protection to £500,000

Information Commissioner’s Office fines TalkTalk for putting up to 21,000 customers’ details at risk of exposure prior to September 2014 Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

CIO interview: Daniel Gebler, chief technology officer, Picnic

The Netherlands has the highest supermarket density in the world, yet a technology company has been able to gain market share from the established order Continue Reading

By

• Kim Loohuis

IT pros urged to support ‘WannaCry hero’ Marcus Hutchins

Computer experts fear chilling effect on security research over US arrest of Marcus Hutchins who halted the spread of the WannaCry ransomware Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin and Julia Gregory

CW Benelux: IoT Tech Day showcases innovation

Read about this year’s IoT Tech Day in Utrecht, Netherlands, which featured hobby projects such as light-sensing curtains that automatically open and close, but also showed that the IoT is growing up to encompass more serious applications. Also read about the lessons to be learned from the ‘Petya’ ransomware attack that has hit 60 countries, and find out how Dutch railway stations are monitoring the movement of travellers to reduce people jams. Continue Reading

Gov.uk Verify fails to meet key business case targets

Government’s controversial online identity system has missed important milestones that formed the basis of its original 2015 business case Continue Reading

By

• Bryan Glick, Editor in chief

Over 40% of IT professionals want another general election this year

A large proportion of IT workers in the UK want another general election this year in the hope it will stave off a hard brexit Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Nordic countries top digital nations ranking, but risk stalling

Nordic countries are leaders when it comes to digitisation – but they must continue to innovate to retain their position Continue Reading

By

• Eeva Haaramo

WannaCry hero due in court on malware charges

The Briton who played a key role in halting the global WannaCry ransomware attacks is due in court in the US to face charges in connection with the Kronos banking Trojan Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst