IT news in your industry sector

Scottish Government to launch public services website

The Scottish Government will launch its mygov.scot website this autumn with the aim of improving access to public services in Scotland Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Financial services watchdog wastes money on Oracle licences

The Financial Conduct Authority admits it has fallen victim to the complex nature of software licensing that dogs companies in the sector it serves Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Security industry welcomes GCHQ password guidelines

GCHQ's guidance on password policy covers some of the most pressing issues facing UK businesses and employees today, according to Skyhigh Networks Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

DD4BC cyber extortion gang adds social media to arsenal

Cyber extortion gang DD4BC is using social media campaigns to garner more attention for its ability to create service disruptions by publicly embarrassing large organisations Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

David Cameron hails Government Digital Service as 'unsung triumph'

Prime minister David Cameron announces legislation to join up IT across the emergency services, hailing the Government Digital Service (GDS) as a triumph Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Tennis governing body ATP outsources digital development

The men's world tennis governing body, the ATP, signs Infosys to help it use digital technology to better engage fans and players Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Case study: French delivery company Chronopost looks to NoSQL for big data challenge

French delivery company Chronopost is using open-source NoSQL systems to improve services and customer retention Continue Reading

By

• Anne Morris

CW Europe – September 2015 edition

Find out the winners of the Computer Weekly European User Awards 2015. The awards aim to shine a light on businesses across Europe that have excelled in their approach to using technology. You can find a full list of winners in this issue and we have highlighted a few through in-depth case studies. Continue Reading

Researchers discover Android PIN locker ransomware

Researchers say LockerPIN is a self-defending, aggressive piece of ransomware currently targeting Android devices, mainly in the US Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

US health insurer Excellus BlueCross BlueShield hit by data breach

Forensic investigation reveals a data breach at US health insurer Excellus BlueCross BlueShield exposing up to 11 million records 21 months after the first intrusion Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Security pros failing to address digital certificate risks, survey shows

Even though 90% of security professionals believe a leading CA will be compromised in next two years, only 13% have existing automation to deal with that happening Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Conventional security measures hit productivity, study shows

Most IT professionals say context-aware security would improve productivity without compromising security, a survey from Dell reveals Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Security vulnerability management more than patching, warns Secunia

Keeping track of what makes an IT environment vulnerable is an ongoing and complex task, according to Secunia Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Early plans for Universal Credit show DWP expected to complete project in two years

An early plan drawn up by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) for its Universal Credit scheme reveals unrealistic ambitions for the troubled project Continue Reading

By

• Bryan Glick, Editor in chief

Myanmar internet gets boost with content delivery network

Myanmar internet users will start benefiting from changes in the law that encourages foreign direct investment in communications infrastructures Continue Reading

By

• Ai Lei Tao

US State Department plans cyber security playbook

The US State Department issues a request for information to determine the capabilities of commercial industry to provide and maintain a cyber security playbook Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Al Rayan Bank finds business agility in cloud applications

Al Rayan Bank believes its investment in cloud applications gives it an edge in business agility Continue Reading

By

• Brian McKenna, Senior Analyst, Business Applications

Why Pegasystems' CEO, Alan Trefler, has learned to think smaller

Pegasystems has made its name supplying CRM, analytics and case management software to the world's largest companies. Now CEO Alan Trefler plans to use cloud computing to broaden Pega's appeal Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

DDoS attack on NCA highlights need to be prepared, says Barracuda Networks

A Lizard Squad DDoS attack the NCA says is a fact of life highlights the need for organisations to be prepared, according to Barracuda Networks Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Wearable technology proves its worth on the front line

In this week's Computer Weekly, we look at business applications for wearable technology. With hands-free police and military pilot projects already under way, wearable technology is set to make its mark in the enterprise in the near future. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Use 2FA to mitigate KeyRaider iOS malware, says Rapid7

KeyRaider iOS malware targeting iPhone users in China and 17 other countries including the UK has raised enterprise security concerns Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Police arrest six UK teenagers for using DDoS cyber attack tool

Police arrest six UK teenagers on suspicion of using a DDoS attack tool targeting a national newspaper, a school and online gaming companies and retailers Continue Reading

Rapid7 calls on router makers to eliminate backdoors

Until manufacturers stop using default passwords, we will continue to see opportunistic attacks on home and small business routers, says Rapid7's Tod Beardsley Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Kellogg Brown and Root wins ESN Delivery Partner contract

Kellogg Brown and Root has won the contract to supply Lot 1 of the Emergency Services Mobile Communications Programme Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Many firms not getting to grips with third-party data security risk

Supply chain data security risk is pervasive, but being unable to deal with it is down to basic failings, says a cyber risk expert Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

CIO interview: Elisabeth Stjernstoft, Apoteket

When the Swedish government introduced competition to the pharmaceuticals sector in 2009, the former monopoly faced a major IT transformation Continue Reading

By

• Jenny Stadigs

William Hill kicks off football season with blast from the past

A mathematical programming concept that dates back a decade before the world’s first electronic computer is proving itself in the era of web-scale computing Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Chetan Dube: The man behind the robot that will help man extend his horizons

IPsoft founder talks about the artificial intelligence platform that could be an example of IT developments that, he says, might transform the future of the human race Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Life’s a breach: How to handle the press after a hacking attack

Emily Dent, specialist in crisis PR, offers some advice to organisations that unexpectedly find themselves in the headlines Continue Reading

By

• Emily Dent

Computer Weekly – 25 August 2015: Coping with a crisis

In this week’s Computer Weekly, IT leaders discuss their experiences of dealing with disaster and the importance of planning to ensure business continuity. Jaeger’s CIO talks about bring the iconic fashion brand into the digital age. And we look at the issues around writing supplier contracts for agile software development. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Spotify to update privacy policy after user protest

Some Spotify users are unhappy about new privacy policies that allow access to users’ photos, video, mobile device location, voice controls and contacts Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Teachers teaching teachers – how Google for Education fuels collaborative learning

Google’s head of education explains why the use of technology in classrooms is critical and how Google’s education technology is sparking collaboration between teachers Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

Salisbury NHS signs up to Lorenzo electronic patient record system

Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust the latest NHS trust to implement the Lorenzo electronic patient record system (EPR) Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

ICO orders Google to remove links to right to be forgotten takedowns

The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) says Google must remove newer links that reveal the same details as previously removed links Continue Reading

CIO interview: Emil Dahlin, Svevia

Svevia CIO Emil Dahlin transformed the IT of a former Swedish government organisation as it became an independent company Continue Reading

By

• Jenny Stadigs

Councils explore options for online mapping tools

Councils are drawing on Ordnance Survey, Google Maps and OpenStreet Map for online mapping. What’s the optimal mix? Continue Reading

By

• SA Mathieson

Mumsnet suffers multi-vector cyber attack

Mumsnet has been hit by a DDoS attack, its admin hacked and data stolen, and then a hoax call sent armed police to the home of the organisation's co-founder, Justine Roberts Continue Reading

Premiership Rugby scores security and efficiency with Intralinks

By setting access controls, Premiership Rugby can ensure that its partners get quick access only to role-appropriate content Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

CW Nordics – August 2015 Edition

5G technology from Ericsson could soon be used to improve communication and remote control operations in the mines of Sweden. A project designed to improve productivity and safety in traditionally dangerous environments is being run by Ericsson, ABB, Boliden, SICS Swedish ICT and Volvo Construction Equipment. Continue Reading

Cloud storage service Wuala to close in November

Seagate-owned cloud storage player confirms its closure and gives users three months' notice to remove their data from its servers Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

IaaS providers pin hopes on spending cut reprieve for G-Cloud 7

G-Cloud suppliers are calling on the government to step up, rather than scale back, investment in the framework as spending cuts loom Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

Will digital government remain on course?

In this week's Computer Weekly, the UK government's digital chief has announced his shock departure, but what will it mean for the future of digital public services? Dell went back to a private company two years ago – has it proved to be a successful move? And our latest buyer's guide looks at big data appliances. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Netflix shuts down final datacentre to go all-in on public cloud

Netflix is gearing up for the closure of its final datacentre, as it makes good on its earlier pledge to move more of its IT infrastructure to the public cloud Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

AT&T a key NSA partner in internet spying Snowden docs show

The NSA considered its relationship with AT&T to be unique and especially productive, leaked documents show Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Mobile phone users at risk as hackers bug and track victims

An investigation by Australian TV show 60 Minutes demonstrates how hackers based thousands of miles away in Germany were able to record the calls of an Australian senator and track his movements Continue Reading

By

• Ross Coulthart, 60 Minutes Australia

Interview: Government digital chief Mike Bracken – why I quit

Mike Bracken, the outgoing director of the Government Digital Service, talks exclusively to Computer Weekly about his departure from Whitehall Continue Reading

By

• Bryan Glick, Editor in chief

Lenovo to cut jobs as it faces 'severe' challenges

Lenovo says the last quarter saw “severe challenges” in its main PC, tablet and smartphone markets Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Mike Bracken: I turned down an increase in GDS budget

Outgoing government digital chief says he rejected the chance of extra funding and that his platform strategy is still on the table Continue Reading

By

• Bryan Glick, Editor in chief

Small IT firms most susceptible to going under due to late payments

Small businesses, particularly those supplying IT, should look at alternative financing models as late payments put them at risk of closure Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

FBI uncovers cyber insider trading gang

Nine suspects are expected to be charged in the US with insider trading based on corporate press releases stolen by hackers before they had been made public Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Use technology to improve NHS, say patients

Almost 70% of the population believes technology should be used in the NHS to improve patient outcomes and efficiency, says Trustmarque Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

British Gas trials app-based smart-meter display

My energy live app will display real-time energy use on a smartphone, says British Gas Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Autoglass moves to cloud-based IT infrastructure

Autoglass has signed a 10-year outsourcing deal with US supplier CSC that will see its IT infrastructure move into the cloud Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

BlackHat 2015: Industrial hacking - the untold story

Hackers have been penetrating industrial control systems for at least a decade for extortion, yet little is known about how they gain access Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Data unlocks personalised customer service

In this week's Computer Weekly, we examine how companies are starting to use big data analytics to deliver more personalised customer services. We talk to the government's IT procurement chief about improving public sector tech purchasing. And Volvo's CIO tells us how connected cars will reshape the automotive sector. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

What will happen to digital government when GDS chief Mike Bracken moves on?

The government’s digital chief Mike Bracken has announced he will be leaving, raising concerns over the future of digital government Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

HMRC to transfer 250 Capgemini staff in-house ready for Aspire contract end

HMRC’s Aspire outsourcing contract will be replaced by slowly bringing staff in-house to give the department more control over IT Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

Court rules Tata Consultancy Services did not discriminate against UK man

After a year of legal wranglings, a UK tribunal has ruled that Indian IT service provider TCS did not discriminate against a UK man seeking employment with it Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Outsourcing hits record levels in Europe

Outsourcing activity in Europe recovers after a lull in the lead up to the UK general election, with more contracts than ever before Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Cyber risks hit the road

In this week's Computer Weekly, after hackers took remote control of a Jeep Cherokee, we assess the security concerns for internet-connected cars. With the growth of digital banking, is there a need for high-street branches anymore? And we examine whether email overload is hindering the UK's economic productivity. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Government digital chief Mike Bracken announces he is leaving

GDS director Mike Bracken is leaving government, and his unexpected departure will inevitably raise questions about the future of GDS Continue Reading

By

• Bryan Glick, Editor in chief

HMRC explains plans for moving tax systems to the cloud

HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) reveals more details of its plan to move tax systems into the cloud on its digital blog Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

Why the time is ripe for security behaviour analytics

Recent months have seen an uptick in announcements by security suppliers around behavioural analytics, but what is driving this trend? Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

MoD shells out £1.5bn on two IT contracts

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) signs two IT contracts costing more than £1bn, which it hopes will save money over the next 10 years Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

Microsoft to invest $100m in Uber

Uber is valued at close to $51bn after the latest round of funding, which reportedly includes a Microsoft investment of $100m Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Commercial software more secure than open source, finds report

A study has found that commercial code is more compliant than open source code with security compliance standards, such as the Owasp top 10 and the CWE top 25 Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

BT Group's first-quarter results buoyed by superfast broadband and mobile demand

BT Group's first-quarter results highlight successes in superfast broadband and mobile divisions, but analyst warns of challenging times to come Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

NHS Central Southern deploys Clarizen for collaboration

The NHS Central Southern Commissioning Support Unit has enlisted Clarizen to improve cross-group collaboration and improve efficiency Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

A third of employees will sell company data if the price is right, study reveals

For £5,000, a quarter of employees polled said they would sell confidential company data, and risk both their job and criminal convictions Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Technology experts warn of dangers of artificial intelligence arms race

An open letter signed by more than 12,000 technology experts calls for a ban on artificial intelligence (AI) to manage weapons “beyond meaningful human control” Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Taking a classic brand into the digital age

In this week's Computer Weekly, we find out how Hornby, the iconic model railway company that also owns Scalextric and Airfix, is moving these classic brands into the digital age. With the release of Windows 10, we ask if businesses should upgrade. And our buyer's guide looks at managing software-as-a-service (SaaS) providers. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

MPs examine visa rules over immigration for software and digital skills

Home Affairs committee launches an inquiry after the number of skilled worker visas issued reached its monthly cap for the first time Continue Reading

By

• Bryan Glick, Editor in chief

SaaS criteria to track for business outcomes

Organisations should evolve their SaaS selection criteria to focus on newer metrics that are better indicators of supplier performance Continue Reading

By

• Liz Herbert

Contactless card fraud highlights need for 2FA

A Which? report on contactless card fraud highlights the need for multi-factor authentication for payments, say security experts Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

GDS targets three million new users of Gov.uk Verify service in next 12 months

Roll-out of the system for logging in to digital public services is taking longer than expected, but user numbers are expected to grow significantly in 2015 Continue Reading

By

• Bryan Glick, Editor in chief

Software project will save Ford tens of millions a year in car repair bills

Car maker Ford is rolling out sophisticated warranty software to 12,000 dealers worldwide in a project that is expected to bring rapid financial returns Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Jeep hack raises questions about responsibility for security

The hack of a Jeep raises the question whether users or car manufacturers should be responsible for protecting against cyber attackers Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Investment in the internet of things boosts revenue for manufacturers

A TCS report reveals executives plan to increase spending on IoT initiatives to boost business Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Software audits cut government IT bill by £85m in 2014/15

Annual accounts for the government purchasing agency show at least £220m in technology related savings Continue Reading

By

• Bryan Glick, Editor in chief

Information security governance maturing, says Gartner

Increasing awareness of the impact of digital business risks, coupled with high levels of publicity regarding cyber security incidents, is making IT risk a board-level issue, says Gartner Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Mainframe fails to save IBM from 13th declining quarter

IBM's second-quarter revenue was down 13% year-on-year to $20.8bn, but IBM said the decline is only 1%, adjusting for the sale of its x86 server business and the impact of the strong dollar Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

UK considers 10-year jail sentences for online piracy

The UK government is considering new measures to increase the sanctions for criminals who infringe the rights of copyright holders for large-scale financial gain Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Openreach CEO defends current operating model

Openreach CEO Joe Garner says that separating the organisation from BT would make no sense in light of improvements to its service Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Hackers threaten to expose ALM’s dating and cheating site users

A hacking group, calling itself The Impact Team, claims to have compromised Avid Life Media’s user databases, source code repositories, financial records and email system Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

United Airlines begins bug bounty payouts

United Airlines has paid out the maximum award to two hackers, which means the flaws are likely to be remote code execution vulnerabilities Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

UK man arrested for hacking into US government computers

Briton Lauri Love is accused of hacking into various US agencies, including the US army, Nasa, the federal reserve and the environmental protection agency Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

The obstacles to software-as-a-service adoption in banking

Security tops the reasons why banks don't use software as a service for banking-specific applications Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Huawei to implement 4.5G network for Shanghai Disney

Huawei signs world’s first 4.5G network co-operation agreement to implement a smart city network at the Shanghai Disney resort Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Anyone still running Windows Server 2003 is now at risk

Businesses still running Windows server 2003 are vulnerable to attack from hackers looking to exploit security holes Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Banker’s startup experience feathers the nest for Starling Bank

Starling Bank founder Anne Boden relates how her time with startups outside traditional banking convinced her to build a digital bank from scratch Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Vodafone scheme to help SMEs get online

Vodafone is to trial a series of digital workshops for SMEs aimed at equipping them with a stronger online presence Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Land Rover praised for recall over software security bug

BT Security head Mark Hughes says Land Rover's recall of vehicles to fix a software security flaw is a sensible step to address evolving criminal threats Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

CIO interview: Mattias Forsberg, Systembolaget

Systembolaget CIO Mattias Forsberg says IT and business need to have a relationship of co-operation and expects every successful IT project to include some pain Continue Reading

By

• Jenny Stadigs

Symantec bets on simplicity, cloud and mobile

Symantec is not trying to be all things to all people, but is instead focusing on threats and protecting information in the mobile and cloud environments Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Huawei joins European 5G research project

Huawei commits to pan-European 5G Public Private Partnership (5G-PPP) plan to strengthen five separate 5G research projects Continue Reading

Better user acceptance testing through log management

Application log management provides insight into application behaviour, which can be used to build better software and gain a better hold of user acceptance testing Continue Reading

By

• Adrian Bridgwater

UK sales teams are the most exposed to cyber attacks, study reveals

UK sales staff, callcentre agents and customer services teams are among the most highly targeted by cyber attacks, yet few firms give these groups IT security training, a study shows Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

CIO interview: Lars Ruben Hansen, Rema 1000 Denmark and Reitan Distribution

The CIO of supermarket chain Rema 1000 Denmark and wholesale company Reitan Distribution wants his staff to love coming to work Continue Reading

By

• Jenny Stadigs

Symantec uncovers Morpho cyber espionage operation

A cyber espionage group has targeted high-profile technology, internet, commodities and pharmaceutical companies in the US, Europe and Canada, reports Symantec Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

BA opens up API on flight information

British Airways offers an open application programming interface (API) for flight information to encourage developers to create value-added travel applications Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor