IT news in your industry sector

Five on-premise and cloud options for network-attached storage

We look at five options for file access storage, from ‘traditional’ NAS in a standalone appliance to distributed hybrid cloud file storage and NAS cloud gateways Continue Reading

By

• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

Cosmetics firm Avon faces new cyber security incident

Technical information relating to Avon’s web and mobile sites was inadvertently left exposed on an unsecured Microsoft Azure server Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Taking back control of government data mustn’t leave the public in the dark

Boris Johnson has quietly transferred control over government data to Number 10, without explaining why. The public deserves more involvement in how their personal data is being used, says Labour Continue Reading

By

• Chi Onwurah, Labour

Why supply chain visibility is key to APAC retailers

Having complete visibility over the supply chain will enable retailers to tide over the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic and transform their businesses Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

De Montfort, KCL, Newcastle universities join list of Blackbaud victims

Embattled cloud services provider now has big questions to answer over its handling of data belonging to UK universities and charities Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Garmin may have paid hackers ransom, reports suggest

Garmin’s services are coming back online, but the company remains tight-lipped about what exactly happened to it Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Backblaze takes aim at ‘costly and complex’ AWS cloud storage

Backblaze offers free transfer to its S3-based cloud storage – which it claims costs a fraction of AWS et al – as long as it’s more than 50TB and you commit to at least 12 months Continue Reading

By

• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

Digital bank customer data breached through third party

FBI is investigating digital bank customer data breach that occurred via a former third-party supplier Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Digital addiction, digital skills – Computer Weekly Downtime Upload podcast

In this week’s episode of the Computer Weekly Downtime Upload podcast, Caroline Donnelly, Clare McDonald and Brian McKenna discuss digital addiction and business software, digital skills and how Barnardo’s benefited from digital transformation Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK
• Brian McKenna, Senior Analyst, Business Applications
• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

NCSC names national security expert Lindy Cameron as new CEO

New National Cyber Security Centre head joins from the Northern Ireland Office and has spent 20 years in government at home and abroad Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Scotland’s security resilience centre concept goes national

Based on the success of the Scottish Business Resilience Centre, a series of regional Cyber Resilience Centres are now launching across the rest of the UK Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

UK government aims fintech industry at Africa

UK government is building fintech relationships with developing countries, beginning with a pilot programme in Africa Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Latent demand for fertility tech identified by market study

Global investment in fertility tech startups tops $2.2bn over five-year period, with significant growth opportunities going forward due to combination of technological innovation and latent demand for fertility treatments Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Councils get funding to build on Covid-19 digital progress

The latest council funding is intended to ensure continued modernisation in public services delivery Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Meet the CIO connecting IT in the most inhospitable environments

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we discuss the challenges of running global IT in the world of copper mining. We look at how tech suppliers are adapting their products to meet the lockdown demands of working from home. And we exam-ine how zero-trust methods can help secure container tech-nology. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

MI6 apologises after attempt to interfere with intelligence court

The UK Secret Intelligence Service, MI6, has apologised after attempting to persuade the secretary of Britain’s most secret court to withhold documents from senior judges in a case about crimes by undercover agents Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

CIO interview: Hany Choueiri, chief data officer, Aldermore Bank

Digital transformation, cloud and data science are central to the specialist bank's response to the coronavirus pandemic Continue Reading

By

• Mark Samuels

UK fintech investment down by more than 30%

Less-established fintechs have been hit the hardest by the drop in investment capital, but there is light ahead for those that survive Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Volkswagen Group to open up AWS-powered Industrial Cloud to third-party tech firms

Car manufacturer Volkswagen Group has unveiled the next phase of its Industrial Cloud strategy, which includes the creation of an open ecosystem of supportive software partners Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

IT expertise in banking boardrooms reduces risk, finds Europe’s central bank

Banks with more IT knowledge in the boardroom are more realistic about risk, according to Europe’s banking regulator Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

CTO interview: TransferGo’s Edgardo Savoy discusses skills and product innovation

Improved user experience has opened up tech to many people, but ease of use distances young people from the tech going on under the hood Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Storage pros and cons: Block vs file vs object storage

Despite the many changes in storage, there are still some fundamentals that hold true. We look at the key defining characteristics and use cases of block, file and object storage Continue Reading

By

• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

Venture firm Public launches fourth GovTech accelerator

The GovStart 2020 accelerator programme is looking for innovators working on transport, health and workforce-related technology to help get more startups working on the delivery of public services Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Inquiry launched into role of tech in Covid-19 recovery

Science and Technology Committee will look at the role of technology and innovation as the UK recovers from the coronavirus pandemic Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Courts to trial digital case management system from September 2020

The Common Platform digital system will eventually replace a series of existing software applications, and will be rolled out to criminal courts over the next year Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Government launches space innovation programme

The government’s innovation programme will initially pump £15m into projects using space technology to tackle global issues, as well as international space projects and partnerships Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

How Schrems II will impact data sharing between the UK and the US

At the end of this year, the UK will no longer be subject to the EU’s treaties, opening the way for it and the US to finalise a new trade relationship. Could the UK leave EU data protection standards behind? Continue Reading

By

• Eleonor Duhs, Fieldfisher

Twitter announces crackdown on QAnon accounts

In a bid to stem the spread of disinformation and prevent real-world harm, Twitter is taking action against QAnon conspiracists Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Making Tax Digital will boost business resilience in case of future Covid crises

HMRC is expanding the digitisation of income and corporation tax in a move that will benefit businesses, the self-employed and the economy, writes the government's financial secretary to the Treasury Continue Reading

By

• Jesse Norman, HM Government

Commvault refreshes HyperScale backup appliances with Hedvig

Backup player set to replace Fujitsu/Red Hat-based backup appliances with new hardware and storage software from Hedvig, which it bought late last year Continue Reading

By

• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

UK government aims for tech-enabled border

A consultation has been launched to gather views on how digital approaches can improve trader and traveller demands by 2025 Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

NCSC reveals scale of cyber attacks on UK sports industry

The UK’s sports industry is under near constant cyber attack, according to new statistics from the National Cyber Security Centre Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

DCMS loses government data policy to the Cabinet Office

Prime minister Boris Johnson has taken away responsibility for the government use of data from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport and given it to the Cabinet Office Continue Reading

By

• Brian McKenna, Senior Analyst, Business Applications

Lloyds bank buys into cloud-native payments

Lloyds Banking Group continues its digital journey by investing in and investigating a cloud-based payments service Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Aramex ships in Rackspace Technology to accelerate datacentre downsizing and move to AWS cloud

Dubai-based international shipping and logistics firm Aramex is in the midst of a cloud-focused digital transformation designed to tighten up its last-mile delivery operations with the help of Rackspace Technology Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

New opportunities for Nordic startups post-Covid-19 as virtual offices become the norm

As companies adjust to digital office life in the pandemic era, a host of Nordic startups are already helping them convert these short-term fixes into long-term strategy Continue Reading

By

• Matthew Staff

BNP Paribas joins IBM financial services cloud project

IBM’s financial services cloud is gathering steam as more banks join its public cloud ecosystem of finance firms and developers Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Privacy Shield: Companies face new hurdles to legally transfer data to the US

Businesses will have to conduct legal assessments to ensure they can transfer data from the EU to the US and other countries, following a European Court of Justice ruling Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

TfL contracts Capita for London Underground section of emergency services network

Capita will implement the network infrastructure that will enable the emergency services mobile network to work on the London Underground Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Why now could be the right time to launch a digital bank

Launching a bank during a global crisis is fraught with risk, but an established customer base, experience, agility and diversification could help Zopa do just that Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Challenging times and transformational opportunities for the outsourcing industry

Every area of the technology sector has been affected by the uncertainty of the coronavirus pandemic, but the outsourcing industry could be well-placed to take advantage of the opportunities it presents Continue Reading

By

• Manish Khandelwal, PA Consulting

CDEI calls for ‘step change’ in public sector data sharing

Public sector needs to change the way data is shared, clarify governance arrangements and work on building public trust and awareness, according to a Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation report Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

BMW Group signs six-year HPC contract with eco-friendly Swedish colocation firm

Motor manufacturer agrees to double-down on its use of EcoDataCenter's environmentally friendly colocation facilities Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

HMRC extends Making Tax Digital programme

Programme to be extended gradually until April 2023 to cover business below the VAT threshold and income tax self-assessments above £10,000 a year Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Santander consumer arm to automate further after Nordic project

Time and cost savings achieved by RPA pilot were high and customer experience improved, says bank Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Covid-19 outbreak ramps up data focus at LOTI

The boroughs working in local government coalition LOTI are focusing on joining up and acting on data-driven insights to help communities through the crisis and beyond Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Government launches fintech review

Sector review, first touted in the 2020 Budget, aims to find ways to boost competitiveness and growth Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

DVLA makes technological progress

Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency has introduced a 24/7 chatbot, modernised its core IT network and is prototyping robotic process automation Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Enterprises need to rethink how end-of-life equipment is dealt with

Electronic waste is a massive and growing problem, but many companies are not recycling or reusing IT equipment, instead opting for physical destruction of the assets Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Building trust in the future of London’s data

Sharing data by default could turbocharge London’s potential for radical improvements across the ecosystem, according to London First’s director of connectivity and competitiveness, David Lutton Continue Reading

By

• David Lutton

How Australia is leading the charge in the Covid-19 fight

Researchers at the University of Queensland worked with IBM to develop a dashboard with machine-learning capabilities to analyse data for a global study on Covid-19 patients in intensive care Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

BBVA explores quantum computing for banking

Early results from BBVA's research into quantum computing shows that the technology's application in complex computational tasks in banking is not far away Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Twitter hack fallout: Investigators on trail of cyber criminals

Investigators are hunting the cyber criminals who broke into Twitter’s systems to hijack prominent accounts, amid concerns that more attacks may come Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Nordic CIO interview: Brede Nielsen, Avinor

The Covid-19 pandemic put Avinor’s IT head at the centre of the airport operator's response Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Unesco launches global consultation on AI ethics

The United Nations (UN) body opens up public consultation to help experts draft new global framework on artificial intelligence ethics Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Government gives £24m boost to agricultural tech

Nine agricultural technology projects are receiving government funding to create more efficient food production and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Lockdown sparks interest in digital skills for 58% of adults

Adults in the UK are becoming increasingly interested in digital skills, with over 80% saying they will become even more important over the next year Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

Loan charge: Government dashes hopes of revised down settlements for contractors

HMRC and HM Treasury confirm there are no plans to alter the loan charge settlement terms, despite calls from cross-party MPs to consider doing so Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

Public sector not considering the elderly in development of digital services

A study by software firm Civica found public sector leaders have admitted to not targeting digital services at those over 70, despite many people this age claiming to use digital technology Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

NHS to use forecasting tool to manage post-crisis Covid-19 spread

A forecasting tool based on machine learning is to be used by the NHS to identify Covid-19 hot spots and manage post-crisis spread Continue Reading

By

• Brian McKenna, Senior Analyst, Business Applications

Russian state hackers attacking Covid-19 researchers

Kremlin-linked APT29 group, also known as Cozy Bear, is conducting a campaign against Covid-19 researchers around the world Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

IR35 private sector reforms: Government response to Finance Bill Sub-Committee inquiry slammed

Contracting stakeholders claim HMRC and HM Treasury are ‘burying their heads in the sand’ over impact IR35 reforms are set to have on the private sector Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

Schrems v Facebook: European court strikes down EU-US Privacy Shield agreement

The European Court of Justice has struck down Privacy Shield, the EU-US data-sharing agreement, creating uncertainty for European countries that share data with the US and pressuring the US to reform surveillance laws Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Gov.uk Verify sees surge during Covid-19 outbreak but remains unachievable

The government's flagship identity service and over half of the 26 major IT projects led by the government bear highest risks and are unlikely to be completed, according to the Infrastructure and Projects Authority. Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Banks face fairness challenges as they commit to AI technology

Banks working with artificial intelligence technology face governance challenges to ensure AI-based decisions are fair and ethical Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

What do Accenture’s UK job cuts mean to the IT services industry?

Accenture's decision to reduce its UK workforce by 8% will not be the last in an IT services sector hit hard by the Covid-19 disruption. Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Room for improvement in Dutch digital skills

The Netherlands has good telecommunications and IT networks that can be used safely and reliably, but there is room for improvement in digital skills among the Dutch Continue Reading

By

• Kim Loohuis

Cryptocurrency scammers attack Twitter in insider breach

Apparent insider breach at Twitter saw so-called “blue tick” accounts of business people, politicians and celebrities hijacked to promote a Bitcoin scam Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Open Data Institute releases funding for ethical data sharing projects

Seven projects that explore different approaches to ethical and trustworthy data sharing are being funded by the Open Data Institute to help citizens and businesses make better decisions Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Ocado hired 300 tech workers over past six months

Online supermarket Ocado has hired a significant number of technology workers over the past six months to cope with coronavirus demand, it announced in its half-year results Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

Defra releases sustainable IT strategy

Defra’s sustainable IT strategy seeks to help government and private organisations maximise the benefits of sustainability, with an overall mission to ‘leave the environment in a better state than we found it’ Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Overseas IT directors could need salary of £56,100 to work in the UK

The government has confirmed the salaries it considers as the ‘going rate’ for tech professions, which overseas applicants will need to earn to gain immigration points Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

Huge declines in traditional outsourcing as Covid-19 puts a stop on deals

Traditional IT outsourcing deals value plummets in the last quarter as contracts dry up amid Covid-19 disruption Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

NUS develops e-skin system in neuromorphic computing breakthrough

The National University of Singapore has developed an electronic skin system that could give robots and prosthetic devices a sense of touch Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

HSBC chooses AWS for public cloud business operations

HSBC will use a cloud platform from Amazon Web Services across its business operations to accelerate its public cloud use Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Video providers slammed by credential stuffing attacks

Attacks on the media sector are spiking as cyber criminals try to gain access to valuable consumer accounts Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

11 obscure questions, Facebook, Max Schrems and the European Court of Justice

Eleven obscure questions will be the first step towards explaining why we in the UK and Europe have experienced 13 years of what has been described as ‘mass and indiscriminate surveillance’ by the US Continue Reading

By

• Kevin Cahill

University graduates to Nutanix Files hyper-converged NAS

The University of Reading had already deployed Nutanix hyper-converged infrastructure so it made sense to add Nutanix Files when its ageing NAS boxes bit the dust Continue Reading

By

• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

Singapore’s Project Ubin hits commercialisation milestone

A blockchain payments network prototype spearheaded by Singapore’s central bank and its partners could speed up and lower the cost of cross-border payments Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

The UK government’s weaponization of data analytics

Data analytics seems to have emerged as a cure-all for the current Conservative government. Indeed, it is being positioned as a critical element in the wider revolution of Whitehall that Dominic ... Continue Reading

By

• Brian McKenna, Senior Analyst, Business Applications

European court to decide legality of EU-US data sharing in dispute between Schrems and Facebook

A ruling by the European Court of Justice will have ramifications for hundreds of thousands of companies that share data with the US. The case aims to balance US surveillance laws with the rights of EU citizens to keep their data private Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Standard Chartered latest bank to explore quantum computing

Standard Chartered is working with researchers to establish use cases for quantum computing in the banking sector Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Government pumps more than £100m into border IT systems

HMRC will get more than £100m for border IT systems as part of a £705m government funding package for infrastructure, jobs and technology post-Brexit Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Subpostmasters hit funding target to prevent government from burying IT scandal

The government is set to face scrutiny over its involvement in the Post Office Horizon IT scandal, described as one of the biggest miscarriages of justice in modern UK history Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Is digital art coming of age during lockdown?

In this week’s Computer Weekly, as the pandemic forces many sectors into a business rethink, digital art is hoping to capitalise on changing times. Chinese supplier Lenovo is dominating the supercomputer market – we examine how it got there. And as datacentre engineers become key workers, we look at the health and safety issues. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

NCSC launches pen testing service for remote workers

An expansion to the successful Exercise in a Box toolkit will enable SMEs to probe the cyber security defences of remote workers Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Majority of NHS trusts used analytics to track patient infection status during Covid-19 pandemic

Qlik research shows 84% of NHS trusts used data analytics to support patient care during the Covid-19 pandemic crisis, and suggests they could use that expertise to improve public health in the round Continue Reading

By

• Brian McKenna, Senior Analyst, Business Applications

Facebook iOS SDK flaw linked to onset of Spotify app outage blighting Apple device users

Apple device users are reporting usability issues with the Spotify app, which coincides with the onset of a partial outage affecting the Facebook iOS SDK Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

Universal Credit still struggles with digital issues, says NAO

The cost of rolling out Universal Credit continues to rise, while only 20% of new claimants attempt to verify their identity online and digital skills remain an issue, according to the National Audit Office Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

NHS North West London boosts analytics use during Covid-19 outbreak

A collaboration of NHS hospitals and health organisations in London is enhancing the use of data to improve their response to coronavirus Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

HSBC customers targeted in new smishing scam

SMS phishing scam is targeting HSBC customers in the UK to trick them into handing over their bank account details Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

NHS trust uses case management software to deliver time savings

To deal with inefficient and unreliable processes, East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Trust has implemented a case management system specifically designed for HR practitioners Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Locked-down Nationwide staff make 2.5 million video calls in June

Home-working technologies are no longer just a contingency for large companies, with future working practices set to change Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Renault signs multi-year deal with Google Cloud to accelerate data-led digital transformation

French motor manufacturer Renault has enlisted Google Cloud’s help to accelerate the development of its in-house data aggregation platform, and bolster the tech skills of its engineering teams Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

Executive interview: Ford’s Graham Hoare on manufacturing ventilators

The executive director for business transformation at Ford of Britain discusses how augmented reality supported the VentilatorChallengeUK effort Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Dutch banking’s transaction monitoring utility gets green light

Plans for a shared utility to monitor financial transactions in the Netherlands have been given the go-ahead after six months of proving the concept Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Clearview AI faces ICO investigation over facial recognition

Controversial company that scraped data from the public internet to build its facial recognition algorithm faces a joint UK-Australian investigation into its practices Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

The pandemic has made UK government rethink its relationship with data

Data has been essential to fighting the coronavirus outbreak, and the forthcoming National Data Strategy promises to place data at the heart of the UK's economic recovery Continue Reading

By

• Oliver Dowden, HM Government

Most finance firms are multicloud, but many are unprepared for public cloud cyber attacks

Financial services firms are moving to the cloud at pace, but many are uncertain whether they could cope with an attack on an application based in the public cloud Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

CW Middle East: Facing up to coronavirus

The UAE, like the rest of the world, continues to be heavily impacted by the fallout of the Covid-19 pandemic – and technology is helping to lead the fight. Also read why the the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company sees its flagship digital project in high demand, and how the coronavirus has spurred the use of financial technology in Bahrain. Continue Reading