IT news in your industry sector

Dreamforce 2024: Salesforce calls on customers to flesh out AI vision

A stream of customers helped Salesforce make the case for its Agentforce artificial intelligence offering on the opening day of the annual Dreamforce conference in San Francisco Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Police make arrests after hacking Ghost encrypted comms app

An international police operation has penetrated an end-to-end encrypted communications service allegedly used by organised criminals in Australia, Ireland, Sweden and Italy Continue Reading

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• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Misinformation runs deeper than social media

While social media may contribute to the increasing rapid spread and reach of misinformation, the root causes of the problem go much deeper than the role of a particular company or way of using technology to communicate Continue Reading

By

• Andrew Kersley

Barclays takes on more GreenLake

Barclays has ramped up its HPE-powered private cloud, as it continues to modernise IT and reduce its carbon footprint Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Toshiba follows the pack with launch of 24TB and 28TB HDDs

Several months behind Seagate and Western Digital, Toshiba achieves the maximum possible in commercial HDDs and benefits from a speed boost over its rivals Continue Reading

By

• Yann Serra, LeMagIT
• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

Fujitsu loses £50m in sales after Post Office scandal furore

Supplier of the controversial Horizon IT system has been hit by public outrage after the Post Office scandal became mainstream news Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

The pillars of AI strategy

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we talk to the CIO of Currys about the electronics retailer’s AI strategy. We exam-ine how China has become a leader in open source software – and what it means for the rest of the world. And we look at how AI is supporting networking alongside how to im-plement networking to support AI. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Will autonomous weapons make humans passive participants in war?

Experts warn the emergence and adoption of AI-powered military systems may eventually push battlefield decision-making beyond the limits of human cognition Continue Reading

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• Kyle Hiebert, Computer Weekly

Interview: Currys CIO Andy Gamble on AI strategy

The CIO of Currys on the four pillars of the retailer’s artificial intelligence strategy and how generative AI can enable staff to be the best versions of themselves Continue Reading

Mid and South Essex deploys shared care record

The shared care record is live across the region’s NHS providers, allowing them to share patient information from GPs, hospitals, and mental health and community services Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Vodafone/Three merger likely to increase mobile prices, warns competition watchdog

A Competition and Markets Authority investigation finds the proposed merger of the two mobile operators would be bad for competition – but offers companies the chance to suggest remedies Continue Reading

By

• Bryan Glick, Editor in chief

Municipal makeover: Indian cities embrace cutting-edge tech

From AI-powered stray dog management to blockchain-secured building permission certificates, municipal corporations across India are ditching outdated processes for digital tools Continue Reading

By

• Pratima Harigunani

Kubernetes disaster recovery: Five key questions

We look at disaster recovery for Kubernetes environments, the key challenges to deployment of K8s DR, the risks we aim to mitigate, how to build a plan and the key infrastructure requirements Continue Reading

By

• Stephen Pritchard

Teenager arrested in TfL cyber attack investigation

New security measures following the cyber attack, which took down some of TfL’s services, have led to delays in contactless roll-out Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Lord introduces bill to regulate public sector AI and automation

A private members’ bill seeking to regulate the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and other automated technologies throughout the public sector has been brought to Parliament Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Data sharing for immigration raids ferments hostility to migrants

Data sharing between public and private bodies for the purposes of carrying out immigration raids helps to prop up the UK’s hostile environment by instilling an atmosphere of fear and deterring migrants from accessing public services Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Government receives report on second controversial Post Office IT system

Former subpostmasters suffered as a result of unexplained accounting shortfalls which they believe were caused by errors in Post Office Capture software, used before the controversial Horizon system Continue Reading

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• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Keir Starmer vows to create a ‘digital NHS’ following damning Darzi review

The prime minister promises to move from an analogue to a digital NHS after Lord Darzi’s rapid review of the health service found an NHS in disrepair, with outdated IT and low productivity Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Mphasis expands UK roots with leap into quantum computing

Indian heritage software development services supplier opens London hub to help customers integrate the latest technologies into their business plans Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Why the government should still bet on DSIT’s five key technologies

When the Conservative government launched the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, it identified five key technologies for UK investment. The new Labour government must continue this plan Continue Reading

By

• Laura Foster, TechUK

UK and others sign first ‘binding’ treaty on AI and human rights

The UK, US and EU have all signed a treaty from the Council of Europe that aims to mitigate the threat AI poses to human rights, democracy and the rule of law, but commentators say it lacks enforcement mechanisms and creates loopholes Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

HMRC could lose millions in unpaid tax as non-compliant umbrella enters pre-pack administration

HMRC looks set to miss out on millions of pounds in unpaid tax it is owed by a non-compliant umbrella company that slipped into administration, prompting renewed calls for the sector to be regulated Continue Reading

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• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

Under-pressure Post Office botches hardware procurement in project to replace error-prone system

Pressured decision-making caused mistakes in the Post Office project to replace the system at the heart of national scandal Continue Reading

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• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Fujitsu cuts annual staff pay rise as Post Office scandal bites

UK staff morale is at an all-time low as Japanese IT giant deals with the backlash from its involvement in the Post Office Horizon scandal Continue Reading

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• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Ada Lovelace Institute warns NHS against deploying genomics AI

A report has found that widespread use of artificial intelligence-powered genomic health prediction in the NHS could lead to privacy and ethical issues, discrimination and dependency on the private sector Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Belgium: Researchers at Imec tackle bioconvergence

Several initiatives are underway at Imec to apply semiconductor and related technology to a range of challenges in healthcare Continue Reading

By

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

Unilever calls on Accenture to drive AI business efficiency

Manufacturer Unilever is already using AI for advanced data analytics, but is now exploring how to use Accenture’s GenAI platform Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Interview: Nick Woods, CIO, Manchester Airports Group

 Continue Reading

Post Office scandal victims given route to appeal unfair financial settlements

Subpostmasters who feel they received inadequate financial redress in the Horizon Shortfalls Scheme can appeal the settlements through a new independent process Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Interview: Jon Grainger, CTO, DWF

The law firm’s IT leader discusses the transition to cloud and his strategy for digital transformation, as well as the opportunities and challenges of generative AI in the legal sector Continue Reading

By

• Mark Samuels

Developing nations need the UN cyber crime treaty to pass

The UN cyber crime treaty is flawed but represents a move in the right direction for developing nations seeking greater digital sovereignty Continue Reading

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• Kyle Hiebert, Computer Weekly

China dominates AI and advanced analytics research

Research looking at each country’s AI contribution, based on the quantity and quality of researchers papers published, shows China is leading the way Continue Reading

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• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

NCSC and allies call out Russia's Unit 29155 over cyber warfare

The NCSC and counterpart agencies from the US and other countries have exposed a long-running campaign of Russian cyber espionage and warfare conducted by GRU Unit 29155 Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Fog ransomware crew evolving into wide-ranging threat

The emergent Fog ransomware gang appears to be changing up its victimology in search of more cash-rich victims Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Ongoing TfL cyber attack takes out Dial-a-Ride service

The Dial-a-Ride assisted transit service for disabled people had to temporarily suspend part of its operations as Transport for London deals with an ongoing cyber attack, but the service has now been recovered Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Government plans for NHS Digital Health Check roll-out

The digital health check, originally planned to be deployed in spring 2024, will be piloted at three local authorities, covering 130,000 people Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Building the next generation of digital public services

The UK's plans for the digital transformation of public services have lost their way - making it even harder to engage with government digitally. Other countries are showing us there is a better solution Continue Reading

By

• Richard Pope

Canadian arrested by France after cooperating with US on Sky ECC cryptophone investigation

Thomas Herdman, who faces charges in France over his involvement in distributing Sky ECC encrypted phones, was arrested by French police despite agreeing to cooperate with US law enforcement Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin & Morgan Ayre

Cloud repatriation: How to do it successfully

The keys to reverse migration success include workload selection, how to prepare your on-premise infrastructure and future-proofing the decision to come back in-house Continue Reading

By

• Stephen Pritchard

Lloyds Bank uses artificial intelligence to check trade finance documents

Bank is automating checks of digital and paper-based documentation in trade financing with the help of artificial intelligence Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Retailers question using live facial recognition for shoplifting

Retailers praise benefits of retrospective over live facial recognition in dealing with shoplifting, but stress there are ongoing concerns around the ethical, legal and safety implications of using the technology in stores Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Fraud and scam complaints hit highest ever level in UK

The Financial Ombudsman Service says it recorded almost 9,000 complaints about fraud and scams from April to June, the most ever recorded Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Post Office and Fujitsu malevolence and incompetence means huge final taxpayers’ bill

The human tragedy caused by the Post Office scandal cannot be measured, but the total financial cost will be well beyond the £1bn set aside by the government Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

TSB systems could be on the move again as BBVA eyes its parent

TSB was migrated to the systems of Sabadell in a project remembered for its monumental IT meltdown in 2018 Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Tech secretary pledges to ‘rewire Whitehall’ and plug the digital gap

Secretary of state for Science, Innovation and Technology, Peter Kyle, promises to drive innovation through the NHS, champion AI safety and ensure government harnesses the power of digital Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Key-value flash targets more efficient data storage

We look at key-value storage, which promises much greater I/O efficiency and longer flash drive lifespans, but may be constrained by limited use cases and lukewarm productisation efforts Continue Reading

By

• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

Flash prices drop as drive production increases but demand lags

Flash prices were high in the early part of this year as a result of manufacturer production squeezes but have since dropped because demand has been slack, with flash now costing just under 10 cents per gigabyte Continue Reading

By

• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

Transport for London hit by cyber attack

London’s transport network provider TfL experiences cyber security incident, but reassures customers there is no impact on services Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Nationwide development platform uses Red Hat technology

Building society is speeding up its software releases through Red Hat cloud application development platform Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

The politics of techno-refusal

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we learn about the politics of techno-refusal and the lessons to be learned from a group of IT workers who spent the early 1980s sabotaging tech infrastructure. Following the controversy around Broadcom’s purchase of VMware, we examine some alternative virtualisation solutions. And our latest buyer’s guide looks at the state of software-defined wide-area networking. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Police Digital Service staff arrests: Everything you need to know

In July 2024, details emerged that two employees working for the Police Digital Service had been arrested on suspicion of bribery, fraud and misconduct in public office. Here’s everything we know about the story so far Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

UK and Ukraine digital trade deal comes into force

The UK eases access to the deep tech startup community in Ukraine through digital-only agreement Continue Reading

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• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Storage technology explained: Kubernetes, containers and persistent storage

In this guide, we look at the market-leading container platform Kubernetes, how it works, the challenges with persistent storage and backup, and how they have been overcome Continue Reading

By

• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

Government funds research to tackle extreme weather

Researchers will use data gathered from monitoring rivers, weather conditions and ground water saturation to improve flood and drought defences Continue Reading

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• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Norwegian Refugee Council leverages Okta for Good cyber scheme

Pietro Galli, CIO of the Norwegian Refugee Council, reveals how the globally distributed NGO has been taking advantage of the Okta for Good CSR programme to improve its own cyber security and data protection practice, and elevate good practice in the third sector Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Government renews hunt for UKRI CEO

Two senior innovation roles are up for grabs as government looks for a CEO to lead UK Research and Innovation, as well as a new executive chair of Innovate UK Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Telegram CEO Pavel Durov under formal investigation, released on bail

European Commission confirms it has powers to place Telegram under ‘direct supervision’ if it meets the threshold for regulation under the Digital Services Act Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Iranian APT caught acting as access broker for ransomware crews

Members of Iran-backed Pioneer Kitten APT appear to be trying to supplement their pay packets by helping Russian-speaking ransomware gangs to access their victims in exchange for a cut of the profits Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Cyber law reform should be top of Labour's policy list

With Labour returning to 10 Downing Street after 14 years, the Computer Weekly Security Think Tank panellists share advice and wish lists for the new government Continue Reading

By

• Craig Watt

Primark adds five more years to IT outsourcing contract with TCS

Retailer has worked with Indian IT services giant for eight years and new agreement will take the relationship to 13 years at least Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Met Police deploy LFR in Lewisham without community input

The Met’s latest live facial recognition deployment in Catford has raised concerns over the lack of community engagement around the police force’s use of the controversial technology Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Interview: Currys CIO Andy Gamble on AI strategy

The CIO of Currys on the four pillars of the retailer’s artificial intelligence strategy and how generative AI can enable staff to be the best versions of themselves Continue Reading

By

• Ben Sillitoe

Governments looking to "small IT” for greater project success

Governments should invest in smaller pilots, hypothesis testing and co-development with vendors before committing to large production rollouts to avoid project failures Continue Reading

By

• Arthur Mickoleit

A coherent Labour cyber strategy depends on consistency

With Labour returning to 10 Downing Street after 14 years, the Computer Weekly Security Think Tank panellists share advice and wish lists for the new government Continue Reading

By

• Aled Lloyd Owen

Iranian APT Peach Sandstorm teases new Tickler malware

Peach Sandstorm, an Iranian state threat actor, has developed a dangerous new malware strain that forms a key element of a rapidly evolving attack sequence Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Global cyber spend to rise 15% in 2025, pushed along by AI

Security spending will increase at pace in 2025, with artificial intelligence, cloud and consultancy services all pushing outlay to new highs, according to Gartner Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Updating taxation: Can AI and data analysis help with HMRC’s human resources problem?

HMRC resources are currently thinly spread in the aftermath of Covid and Brexit. Could automating systems using generative AI help HMRC’s digital transformation? Continue Reading

By

• Peter Ray Allison

Cambridge Enterprise saves big with Keepit SaaS backup

University innovation body avoids hardware spend and saves management time as it switches from tape to cloud-to-cloud backup, instant recovery and decades-long retention from Keepit Continue Reading

By

• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

Interview: Nick Woods, CIO, Manchester Airports Group

The IT chief of the UK’s biggest airport operator wants to give his organisation the world’s most intelligent airports – he explains the data-led approach that’s aiming to reach that destination Continue Reading

By

• Mark Samuels

Telegram founder Pavel Durov questioned over cyber crime charges

Billionaire founder of Telegram accused of failing to co-operate with law enforcement requests for lawful interception Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Government commits to £4m data and AI package for education

Plans include a £3m data store for education data, £1m catalyst fund for new AI tools, and a commitment to publish an AI safety framework Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Extending zero-trust principles to endpoints

By combining zero-trust principles with other security strategies and continuously monitoring and improving their security posture, organisations can effectively mitigate risks and protect their resources, says Gartner's Nikul Patel Continue Reading

By

• Nikul Patel

The US courts may have thrown a wrench into cyber regulation

A recent decision by the US Supreme Court to overrule the longstanding Chevron Deference has serious implications for global cyber security regulation Continue Reading

By

• Brian Arnold

Public education on security must be a top priority for Labour

With Labour returning to 10 Downing Street after 14 years, the Computer Weekly Security Think Tank panellists share advice and wish lists for the new government Continue Reading

By

• Petra Wenham

NHS partners with libraries to help people access NHS App

The scheme, which will launch in October, will train librarians to support people to download and use the NHS App and NHS.uk Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Computer simulations show Swedish fusion initiative could have global impact

The only nuclear fusion initiative in the Nordics, Novatron, believes it has a lot to offer on the global scale Continue Reading

By

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

AI innovation key to UK business, but obstacles threaten progress

AI is seen by IT leaders as essential, but it requires innovation, skills and infrastructure – all of which are under pressure from day-to-day firefighting, energy costs and cyber threats Continue Reading

By

• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

New Qilin tactics a ‘bonus multiplier’ for ransomware chaos

Sophos X-Ops caught the Qilin ransomware gang stealing credentials stored by victims' employees in Google Chrome, heralding further cyber attacks and breaches down the line. Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Police Digital Service taps up former biometrics commissioner as interim CEO

The Police Digital Service has confirmed the appointment of an interim chief executive Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

Post Office apologises for IT problem text alert that was never sent

After subpostmasters complained they received no communications from the Post Office when they could not log in to the Horizon IT system, the organisation admits a text message alert failed to be sent Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA
• Bryan Glick, Editor in chief

DHSC should have dedicated digital records unit, says Tony Blair Institute

The digital health record unit would drive creation and implementation of electronic patient records to deliver health and care improvements and ensure the NHS is ready for the era of artificial intelligence Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Tech sector layoffs mount amid AI investment frenzy

Technology firms globally are cutting their workforces as they look to increase spending on and investment in artificial intelligence Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Women in data: Claire Thompson, chief data officer, L&G

The insurer’s data chief discusses using data for better insights, building data capabilities through apprenticeships, and the value of diversity in data leadership Continue Reading

By

• Mark Samuels

QiStor flashes key-value storage software for hardware acceleration

US-based startup will develop storage software allied with FPGA chips to allow data storage to bypass spinning disk era block addressing to speed performance and cut energy use Continue Reading

By

• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

Podcast: Ransomware and what data storage can do about it

We talk to NetApp’s Chris McKean about ransomware attacks and the role of data storage in protecting against them Continue Reading

By

• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

Wells Fargo bank turns to AI to help families settle estates after a death

Wells Fargo bank is winning customers after using business automation software and artificial intelligence to help people manage the estates of relatives following a bereavement Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Post Office Horizon crash disconnected branches from datacentre

The Post Office has apologised to subpostmasters affected by a major IT outage, which stopped them from doing business Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

From manifesto to material: What No. 10 needs to make reality

With Labour returning to 10 Downing Street after 14 years, the Computer Weekly Security Think Tank panellists share advice and wish lists for the new government Continue Reading

By

• Paul Lewis, Nominet

ICO launches privacy notice tool for SMEs

ICO tool designed to make it easier for small businesses and sole traders operating online to create bespoke data privacy notices for compliance purposes Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Phishing links becoming bigger threat than email attachments

Phishing techniques are evolving away from malicious email attachments, according to a report Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Post Office systems crash hits 'collapsing' Horizon system

Thousands of subpostmasters were unable to log into the controversial Horizon IT system at the start of business Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Helsinki braced for elevated cyber attacks

The City of Helsinki is increasing its collaboration with cyber security and crime investigators following a major attack on its systems Continue Reading

By

• Gerard O'Dwyer

A gold medal for Olympic mobile coverage

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we go behind the scenes with Orange, networking partner for the Paris Olympic Games, to discuss the challenges of connecting 120 venues. We talk to a CIO for whom IT accessibility and usability is a very personal concern. And we look at how to keep control of SaaS licensing costs. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

How might the UK's cyber landscape change under Labour?

With Labour returning to 10 Downing Street after 14 years, the Computer Weekly Security Think Tank panellists share advice and wish lists for the new government Continue Reading

By

• Dhairya Mehta and Cate Pye

NHS England plans EPR for prisons and detention centres

The government is looking to procure an electronic patient record system with the aim of improving health records access for individuals in the justice system Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Thousands of NetSuite customers accidentally exposing their data

Misconfigured permissions across live websites are leaving thousands of NetSuite users open to having their valuable customer data stolen, researchers say Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Campaigners criticise Starmer post-riot public surveillance plans

A UK government programme to expand police facial recognition and information sharing after racist riots is attracting criticism from campaigners for exploiting the far-right unrest to generally crack down on protest and increase surveillance Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Google's cookie conundrum: What comes next?

Google's revised approach to third-party cookies shouldn't come as a surprise, and may also be welcome Continue Reading

By

• Christian Ward

With the right tools and strategy, public cloud should be safe to use

Despite the complexity and evolving nature of threats, with the right strategy, tools, and constant vigilance, businesses can safely and securely leverage public cloud services Continue Reading

By

• Jason Lau

'Black swans' take flight: the legal ramifications of the CrowdStrike incident  

A ‘guinea pig’ approach to testing software could lead to class actions against technology companies Continue Reading

By

• Hermès Marangos