IT news in your industry sector

Tracking the rise of homeworking across the UK

In this week’s Computer Weekly, new figures show that homeworking has more than doubled in the UK due to the pandemic – we look at the regional differences. The pressure is growing on cyber security teams – we analyse the expert advice on how to avoid staff burnout and lost talent. And we examine the important role that tech startups play in the rapid growth of Amazon Web Services. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

US cyber agency CISA to open London office

The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency has chosen London to host its first office outside America Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

NHS Digital seeks out wireless healthcare innovation

Funding is available across the NHS for innovative projects that use wireless technology within healthcare Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Dutch multinational hires HCL for digital transformation

Netherlands-based DSM is moving to a single-supplier IT services model for its digital transformation Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Oracle payroll system causes underpayment of Next staff

Oracle’s payroll HR software module seems to be at the root of a systematic underpayment of staff at retailer Next Continue Reading

By

• Brian McKenna, Enterprise Applications Editor

Data and tech platforms helping finance regulator spot problems earlier

The UK financial services regulator is increasingly using data platforms to proactively regulate the finance sector Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Is time running out for legacy payments technology used by banks?

 Continue Reading

NHS trust ‘deliberately’ deleted up to 90,000 emails before tribunal hearing

A high-profile case brought by NHS whistleblower Chris Day raises questions about the adequacy of information governance practices in NHS hospital trusts Continue Reading

By

• Tommy Greene

Drivers’ union calls for immediate dismissal of Uber executive

Uber’s continued employment of an executive directly involved in efforts to resist regulatory oversight puts the ride-hailing firm in breach of its 2018 licence conditions, says drivers’ union Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Log4Shell on its way to becoming ‘endemic’

US government report concludes that, like Covid, Log4Shell will be with us for a long time to come Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Videogame maker Bandai Namco confirms cyber attack

Bandai Namco, developer of videogames including Pac-Man, Tekken and Dark Souls, has broken days of silence to confirm it has been hit by a cyber attack Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

How hostile government APTs target journalists for cyber intrusions

Proofpoint shares data on multiple campaigns of cyber intrusions against journalists originating from threat actors aligned to the governments of China, Iran, North Korea and Turkey Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Global IT services market shows signs of slowing

Spending on IT and business process services could be set to reduce over the coming months as the latest ISG figures show early signs of decline Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Government pauses Online Safety Bill’s progress

The government has paused the Online Safety Bill’s journey towards becoming law, amid timetable pressure Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

ICO wants to ‘empower people through information’

Information Commissioner’s Office sets out commitment to safeguard the information rights of the most vulnerable people in UK society Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

EC urged to rejig green power strategy to include greater use of energy storage tech

Ten stakeholders from the world of energy storage systems have penned an open letter to the European Commission’s policymakers, urging them to factor in their technology to the EC’s green transition plans Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Datacentre Editor

ING pilot project tests payments from phone to phone

Dutch bank is testing an app that enables users to make peer-to-peer payments directly from smartphone to smartphone when they are close together Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Slippery phish wriggles around MFA protections, says Microsoft

Microsoft’s threat researchers share details of a phishing campaign that hit 10,000 organisations, against which standard multifactor authentication provides little defence Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Digital break-up kit to help women get out of bad relationships safely

Domestic abuse charity Refuge teams up with Avast to equip women with the knowledge to effectively and safely end a relationship digitally Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

July Patch Tuesday brings more than 80 fixes, one zero-day

While some admins can put their feet up and let Windows Autopatch do the hard work of updating their Microsoft estates, for the rest of us, the Patch Tuesday bandwagon keeps on keeping on Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Delta Airlines signs multi-year cloud deal with AWS as customer experience revamp gathers pace

Nearly 18 months on from signing a multi-year deal with IBM, focused on embracing a hybrid cloud setup for its operations, Delta Airlines is adding AWS to its roster of cloud partners Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Datacentre Editor

Goldman Sachs hires Google incubator founder

Bank recruits co-founder of Google’s incubator as it continues to transform its business through digital technology Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

ICO calls for review into government use of private email and WhatsApp messages

Information Commissioner’s Office reprimands Department of Health and Social Care after ministers and officials conducted government business on their own email accounts and messaging apps Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

NHS trust cuts costs and refresh cycle with Wasabi cloud storage

Imperial College NHS Trust expects to saves 30% in storage costs and cut back on five-year refresh headaches in a move that has seen backup and archive data move to the Wasabi cloud Continue Reading

By

• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

First cohort of data science professionals certified by AfDSP

The Alliance for Data Science Professionals has certified its first cohort, with the imprimatur of the UK’s national statistician, Ian Diamond Continue Reading

By

• Brian McKenna, Enterprise Applications Editor

MaliBot Android malware spreading fast, says Check Point

The MaliBot malware is becoming a persistent and widespread problem, and Android users should be on their guard, says Check Point Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Is time running out for legacy payments technology used by banks?

The company bringing Google-like processing to core banking for banks has added the same proposition in payments Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Ransomware and backup: Overcoming the challenges

Ransomware attacks that exfiltrate data don’t nullify the value of backups to restore from, but the challenges – such as not restoring corrupted data – require careful planning Continue Reading

By

• Stephen Pritchard

Microsoft Windows Autopatch now generally available

Microsoft customers with Windows Enterprise E3 and E5 licences can now take full advantage of its new automated patching service Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Whitehall IT veteran Mike Potter returns as new government CDO

Potter will become the most senior digital government leader, in charge of the Central, Digital and Data Office, when he replaces Joanna Davinson in the autumn Continue Reading

By

• Bryan Glick, Editor in chief

NetApp Ontap to be sole vSAN storage alternative in the cloud

NetApp Ontap storage will provide file access capacity to extend VMware data stores in AWS, Microsoft Azure and Google clouds as a cheaper alternative to VMware vSAN Continue Reading

By

• Yann Serra, LeMagIT
• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

Microsoft VBA macro block will return

Microsoft provides more details about its sudden decision to rollback a landmark security policy, and reassures users it is a temporary measure Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Retailers choose from menu of mobile apps to help reduce food waste

Supermarkets, convenience stores and coffee shops are among the retailers connecting with mobile apps and tech firms to drive down the wastage of food Continue Reading

By

• Ben Sillitoe

SMEs lagging on multifactor authentication

Only 46% of small business owners say they have implemented multifactor authentication, and just 13% mandate its use, according to a report Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Cyber insurance: An effective use of your scant security budget?

The ISF’s Paul Watts asks if cyber insurance is a must-have item, an expensive luxury, or the emperor’s new clothes Continue Reading

By

• Paul Watts, Information Security Forum

Pandemic turns e-commerce doubters into believers

Notable UK retail e-commerce avoiders Primark, B&M and Poundland are now online players. But what are their respective digital approaches? Continue Reading

By

• Ben Sillitoe

Ofcom publishes Online Safety Roadmap

The roadmap sets out how the online harms regulator will approach implementing the UK’s online safety regime, and tells tech firms to start preparing for the new rules Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Stop telling clients to pay ransomware gangs, solicitors told

The NCSC and the ICO are calling on solicitors to help tackle the rising number of ransomware payments being made, and to stop giving erroneous advice to victims Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Accountability in algorithmic injustice

Computer Weekly looks at the growing number of injustices involving algorithms and automated decision-making, and what can be done to hold governments and companies accountable for the failures of computer systems they deploy Continue Reading

By

• Andrew Kersley

Microsoft appears to reverse VBA macro-blocking

Microsoft quietly reverses VBA macro-blocking across its Office portfolio in a move that has left security experts puzzled Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Lots to consider when buying cyber insurance, so do your homework

When considering implementing a cyber insurance policy, due diligence should be your watchword, says Paddy Francis of Airbus CyberSecurity Continue Reading

By

• Paddy Francis

UK government does not yet understand threat of technology to foreign policy

Select committee chair warns government that the threat posed to global security by malign actors influencing tech standards is no ‘dystopian fantasy’ Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

MI5, FBI chiefs warn of Chinese cyber espionage threat

In a joint appearance in London, MI5 director general Ken McCallum and FBI director Chris Wray warn of the growing threat posed by the Chinese government to UK and US interests Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

IBM still breaking new ground at Wimbledon

IBM Watson is playing an increasingly important role in growing the fanbase and relevance of the Wimbledon tennis tournament Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

UK signs ‘in principle’ data adequacy agreement with South Korea

Bilateral adequacy agreement will allow businesses to conduct cross-border data transfers with minimal restrictions Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Deliciously Ella – how the brand adopted D2C during the pandemic

Plant-based brand Deliciously Ella did not intend to sell directly to customers, but shifting unsold stock during the pandemic opened digital doors for the brand Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

Security Think Tank: Cyber insurance – A nice safety blanket, but don’t count on it

In the second instalment of this month’s Security Think Tank, Mike Gillespie argues that cyber insurance should be thought of like car insurance – you don’t start driving recklessly because you’re covered Continue Reading

By

• Mike Gillespie

Latest Marriott data breach not as serious as others

Questions are again being raised over Marriott’s cyber security practices following yet another incident, but fortunately it seems limited in its scope, and the company is responding appropriately Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

CW Middle East: UAE citizens embrace new digital technologies

A survey shows that people in the United Arab Emirates believe next-generation technologies such as 3D printing and artificial intelligence will become widespread in the country. Also read how the UAE has improved its security posture amid mounting cyber threats. Continue Reading

Tech companies face pressure over end-to-end encryption in Online Safety Bill

An amendment to the Online Safety Bill, currently going through Parliament, will put pressure on tech companies over end-to-end encrypted messaging services Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Manchester United signs DXC for digital transformation

Football club is working with IT services firm DXC to support its digital transformation on multiple fronts Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

CIO interview: Carl Dawson, CIO, Asda

As the IT handover from Walmart looms, Asda CIO Carl Dawson explains how the business is renewing all of its technology, putting the retailer in the rare position of being able to start from scratch Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

UAE residents think 3D printing will have the most positive impact on society

 Continue Reading

Plexal seeks new scaleups for next phase of Cyber Runway

Established security startups looking to grow and scale their operations are being invited to join the next phase of Plexal’s Cyber Runway programme Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

ESET: Lazarus APT hit aero, defence sector with fake job ads

ESET researchers present new findings into a series of cyber attacks on the aerospace and defence sectors by North Korea’s Lazarus crime syndicate Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Legacy UK customs system stops accepting registration requests

HMRC closes new applications to legacy customs system as its shutdown nears Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Prepare for long-term cyber threat from Ukraine war, says NCSC

The NCSC has published refreshed guidance on cyber preparedness as the war on Ukraine continues, urging organisations to pay attention to the state of their security teams Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

NCSC CEO: Why we should run towards crises to elevate cyber security

National Cyber Security Centre CEO Lindy Cameron, the 2022 Computer Weekly UKtech50 Most Influential Person in UK IT, reflects on a career immersed in crisis management, and how she is using this to elevate cyber security standards across the country Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

How to get the right level of cyber insurance

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we look at how the market for cyber insurance is evolving and how to avoid buying the wrong level of cover. We find out what role hydrogen technologies could play in reducing datacentre carbon emissions. And we hear how a 125-year-old bicycle maker is embracing digital innovation. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

MPs call for ban on Chinese surveillance camera technology

Nearly 70 MPs have called on the government to ban Chinese camera technology that is widely used by UK government agencies despite links to human rights abuses in China Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Government rejects Lords police tech inquiry recommendations

The government has largely rejected the findings and recommendations of a House of Lords inquiry into police tech, which called for an overhaul of how police deploy artificial intelligence and algorithmic technologies Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Assange appeals against Priti Patel’s extradition order

WikiLeaks founder is expected to raise concerns over the political nature of his prosecution, the likelihood of him receiving a fair trial, and the risk of a coercive plea bargain Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

File, block and object: Storage fundamentals in the cloud era

We look at the three basic ways that storage accesses data – via file, block and object – as well as the ways in which the rise of the cloud and distributed systems have brought changes to them Continue Reading

By

• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

Tech sector efforts to root out forced labour are failing

Digitally mapping supply chains to identify forced labour and slavery is no longer a technology problem for the IT sector, but a lack of government enforcement and corporate inaction are major barriers to effective change Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

US court rules no conflict of interest in tech firms’ mining deaths case

A US district court judge who dismissed a forced labour case against five technology companies was found to have investments in four of the firms, with a separate court now ruling against the victims’ motion for reversal that there was no conflict of interest Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Security Think Tank: Now is the time to think about cyber insurance

Many IT leaders shy away from cyber insurance, but new, innovative developments in the market can help organisations take an approach that suits their needs Continue Reading

By

• Carl Nightingale

ICO to cut back on fines for public sector data breaches

Information commissioner John Edwards sets out a revised approach to how the ICO handles data breaches in the public sector, saying fining victims risks punishing the public twice over Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Subpostmaster campaigning forces government to set up compensation scheme and make interim payments

Subpostmaster campaign group is a step closer to achieving what it was originally set up to do as government launches compensation scheme for its members who did not receive fair payouts Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Independent scrutiny brought into compensation negotiations for wrongly prosecuted subpostmasters

Former Supreme Court judge will offer his view on the valuation of compensation for wrongly convicted subpostmasters Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Government sets NHS digital transformation plan

The government expects to save billions of pounds and improve patient outcomes through digital transformation Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Urgent need for new laws to govern biometrics, legal review finds

Independent review says new framework is needed to clear up legal and ethical concerns over the use of biometric data and technologies, which can impact privacy, freedom of expression and other human rights Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

New cyber extortion op appears to have hit AMD

Semiconductor specialist AMD has confirmed it is investigating reports that a ‘bad actor’ has stolen hundreds of gigabytes of its data Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Romance scammers exploit Ukraine war in cynical campaign

Romance scammers can make easy money exploiting people looking for love, but in this newly observed campaign linked to the Ukraine war they are playing on deeper emotions Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Backup maintenance: Five key points to consider

Effective backups need to ensure all data is protected, and to track media and software changes. We look at five key things to consider Continue Reading

By

• Stephen Pritchard

Composability set to be next big thing for digital experience platforms

Digital experience platforms are the latest word in increasing customer loyalty by engaging across all channels. Gaining real-time views of customers while managing data compliantly is critical Continue Reading

By

• Madeline Bennett, Mowser Media

African health charity integrates digital tools with Cognizant

IT services supplier is working with African health charity to integrate digital tools through a five-month project Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

CEA-Leti and the Silicon Valleys of Grenoble, France

At the intersection of three valleys in the French Alps lies the city of Grenoble, a hotbed of microelectronics, where much of the innovation is fuelled by CEA-Leti Continue Reading

By

• Pat Brans, Pat Brans Associates/Grenoble Ecole de Management

Digital Poverty Alliance unveils evidence review

Evidence review into the state of digital poverty in the UK sets out policy principles and recommendations, which will be used as the basis for a national action plan to eliminate the issue Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Russia-aligned hacktivists behind Lithuania DDoS attack

Killnet hacktivist collective targeted Lithuania with distributed denial of service attacks after its government angered the Kremlin Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Executive interview: Chris Conradi, chief digital officer, FSN Capital

Chris Conradi is taking his learnings at Google into the private equity industry at Norway’s FSN Capital Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Veritas aims at autonomous backup discovery and provisioning

Veritas bets on a backup platform that can discover all enterprise data – on-premise and in the cloud – and make its own decisions about the optimal place to store copies Continue Reading

By

• Yann Serra, LeMagIT
• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

Collaboration key to IT sector sustainability

In this week’s Computer Weekly, as sustainability rises up the corporate agenda, IT leaders say more collaboration is needed to meet climate goals. Microsoft faces further calls for greater transparency over software tools used to monitor employees. And the cyber security industry warns over an increasing loss of talent. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

How MSD is harnessing AI

MSD’s global lead for artificial intelligence discusses what it will take for the technology to realise its full potential in healthcare Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Brexit a net negative for UK cyber, say CISOs

Six years on from the UK’s Brexit vote, the majority of security professionals say leaving the EU has raised concerns over their ability to keep their organisations safe Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Manchester Airports Group taps Rise with SAP service to speed recovery

Manchester Airports Group, which includes London Stansted and East Midlands as well as Manchester, has chosen SAP’s Rise package, on AWS, as it seeks to ‘build back smarter’ post-pandemic Continue Reading

By

• Brian McKenna, Enterprise Applications Editor

LockBit ransomware gang launches bug bounty programme

A bug bounty programme is among a number of features LockBit’s developers have added to ‘version 3.0’ of the ransomware Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

The cyber security impact of Operation Russia by Anonymous

The campaign against the Russian government by Anonymous surprised many with the depth and scale of the cyber attacks. What can we learn from this online war? Continue Reading

By

• Peter Ray Allison

How to track greenhouse gas emissions

Companies from a range of sectors, as well as public authorities, are using software and data analytics to track greenhouse gas emissions, partly to meet new regulatory demands Continue Reading

By

• SA Mathieson

Black Basta ransomware crew aiming for ‘big leagues’

Emergent Black Basta ransomware gang has hit more than 50 countries since bursting onto the scene earlier this year, says Cybereason Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

US cyber agency in fresh warning over Log4Shell risk to VMware

Many VMware Horizon and UAG servers remain defenceless against Log4Shell, and organisations continue to fall victim to the vulnerability Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Weka scale-out NAS v4 goes beyond just AWS to go multicloud

Weka v4’s multicloud capability means the scale-out NAS file system can work across customer datacentres and public clouds that include AWS, Azure, GCP and Oracle Continue Reading

By

• Yann Serra, LeMagIT
• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

Assessment and knowledge: Your key tools to secure suppliers

There is no silver bullet that will resolve all the issues arising from today’s interconnected businesses and complex supply chains, but there are some key tools at your disposal Continue Reading

By

• Andrew Morris, Turnkey Consulting

Finding the balance between innovation and data security in healthcare

As the government launches its data strategy for health and social care, a fine line must be trodden between innovating through privacy-enhancing technologies, and retaining data security for patients Continue Reading

By

• Kevin Curran, IEEE

What will the Data Reform Bill mean for UK businesses operating in the EU?

Following the government’s response to the Data Reform Bill consultation, Peter Galdies of DQM GRC looks at what might lie ahead for UK organisations working in the European Union Continue Reading

By

• Peter Galdies

Global file systems: Hybrid cloud and follow-the-sun access

We look at global distributed file systems that put enterprise data under a single file access namespace so that enterprises and branch offices can get to data from anywhere Continue Reading

By

• Stephen Pritchard

Ukraine cyber agency enlists Radware to protect government networks

Ukraine’s State Service of Special Communications and Information Protection is using Radware cloud DDoS protection and web application firewall services to protect the government from persistent Russian attacks Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Non-European tech giants could be subject to EU-backed anti-greenwashing directive

EU-backed push to tighten up the sustainability reporting processes for companies that do business in Europe gathers pace Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

What the world can learn from Saudi Arabia’s fight against industrial control system attacks

Iran learned from attacks on its infrastructure and unleashed similar malware on Saudi Arabia. The world has now gained valuable lessons from the Saudi response Continue Reading

By

• Pat Brans, Pat Brans Associates/Grenoble Ecole de Management

FCA seeks more tech expertise in fight against fraud

UK financial services regulator wants technology professionals to join its team fighting online fraud Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

SolarWinds unveils new development model to avoid a repeat of Sunburst

SolarWinds has unveiled a new, secure-by-design software development model to protect itself from a repeat of the infamous 2020 cyber attack on its systems, and serve as a blueprint for the industry Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor