IT news in your industry sector

CTO interview: Juan Villamil discusses changing IT culture

Juan Villamil has worked at the Department for Work and Pensions for nearly five years. As he heads off to take up a new challenge at Imperial College, we speak to him about change and transformation Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Government creates AI playbook for the public sector

Wide-ranging advice is provided in a guide that covers all stages of projects, from evaluation through to post-implementation Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Government puts £140m NHS AI award in play to speed up advanced tech usage

Matt Hancock, secretary of state for health and social care, has launched a £140m competition for AI healthcare technology providers Continue Reading

By

• Brian McKenna, Senior Analyst, Business Applications

Apple posts record-breaking quarter, but prepares for Coronavirus impact

The Coronavirus outbreak is having a direct impact on Apple’s supply chain and its Chinese retail stores and channel partners Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Fintechs fear deepfake fraud

New research reveals the majority of CISOs working in the financial services sector are increasingly concerned about the potential use of deepfakes Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Met Police could deploy facial recognition against protesters

Live facial recognition will be rolled out operationally by the Met Police, but police monitoring group Netpol believes it will hamper people’s ability to exercise their rights to protest Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

A new decade, a new government and a new horizon for UK tech

Brexit is being done, so it’s time for the government to look to the future and place technology at the heart of the economy Continue Reading

By

• Julian David, TechUK

Podcast: The Computer Weekly Downtime Upload – Episode 44

In this week’s episode of the Computer Weekly Downtime Upload podcast, Caroline Donnelly and Brian McKenna are joined by Cliff Saran to discuss the end of support for Windows 7, the latest developments in IR35 in the private sector, Will Carling and AWS in respect of the Six Nations, data literacy, and IT at Davos Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK
• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor
• Brian McKenna, Senior Analyst, Business Applications

Subpostmaster prosecutions move closer to appeal

Prosecutions are a significant step closer to being sent to the Court of Appeal as Criminal Courts Review Commission forms a group of commissioners to review them Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Top four compliance considerations for SMEs

We look at the key data compliance regulations that affect smaller companies – such as GDPR, the Data Protection Act, PCI-DSS and PECR – and some key industry-specific frameworks Continue Reading

By

• Stephen Pritchard

IT must play its part in tackling the climate crisis

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we look at this year’s World Economic Forum and find out how the IT sector is aiming to help tackle climate change. Our buyer’s guide assesses onsite, offsite and cloud-based disaster recovery. And IT contractors are up in arms about the government’s loan charge policy – we examine the issues. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

LV= rolls out smart speaker skill

General insurance firm says customers will receive answers to commonly asked questions by invoking the skill on Alexa or Google Home Assistant Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Police sent information about potential Fujitsu staff perjury in subpostmaster prosecutions

The police have been asked to consider information from a High Court judge questioning evidence given by Fujitsu staff in criminal trials of Post Office subpostmasters Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

NHSX reports progress in screening transformation

Digital unit outlines work that has been done to address the shortcomings of screening IT programmes Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

UK teachers want more computers in schools

As well as equipment, a priority is to increase the provision of training for teachers in the use of technology, according to a new study Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Met Police to launch facial recognition operationally

Despite the continuing controversy around its use, the Metropolitan Police will be deploying live facial recognition across the capital Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

UK firms lack skills to make AI work, employees claim

Research finds employees are concerned about being blamed for tech blunders, with those fears increasing resistance towards artificial intelligence technology Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Cyber gangsters publish staff passwords following ‘Sodinokibi’ attack on car parts group Gedia

Sodinokibi hacking group steps up pressure on German automotive manufacturer by publishing information, including the CEO’s computer password and sensitive details of its IT systems, on the internet Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

SAP User Group launches Business One Academy

UK and Ireland SAP User Group sets up academy to provide training on SAP Business One, which is only available via resellers and in which there is a dearth of education for small businesses Continue Reading

By

• Brian McKenna, Senior Analyst, Business Applications

IR35 private sector reforms: Bank of America IT contractors await verdict on future employment terms

Despite notifying staff of its intentions to phase out contractors from its workforce in December 2019, IT contractors at the Bank of America are still awaiting clarification about what their future at the firm will look like, Computer Weekly has learned Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

NHS alerted to severe vulnerabilities in GE health equipment

A series of vulnerabilities in patient monitoring equipment manufactured by General Electric could have left patient data exposed in hospitals around the world, including the UK Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Gender funding gap reveals complacency in the Nordics

Tech investors are biased towards men when it comes to investing – even if they are not aware of it Continue Reading

By

• Matthew Staff

Travelex hackers shut down German car parts company Gedia in massive ‘cyber attack’

Car parts manufacturer says cyber attack will have far-reaching consequences for its business, and it has put emergency plans in place to continue deliveries Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Spread of Kubernetes spurs backup and disaster recovery products

Growth of containerised applications brings with it the need to back up and provide disaster recovery. But what do you need to protect, and who provides the products? Continue Reading

By

• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

Driving adoption: Are high costs putting public cloud out of reach to non-profits?

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s insights into the sky-high cloud bills faced by some non-profit organisations prompts questions about whether the public cloud giants should do more to make their services more accessible to the third sector Continue Reading

By

• Sooraj Shah

Government should not be allowed to dismiss subpostmasters’ claims over Horizon IT scandal

Subpostmasters are stepping up their fight for justice after their huge court victory, with Westminister replacing the High Court as the battleground Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Aeris gears up for connected vehicle joint venture with VW

Connected technology provider forges joint venture with leading automotive manufacturer to improve service flexibility and speed, operational efficiency and customer experience Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Making gigabit broadband a reality for everyone in the UK

As the new government introduces its first legislation to boost full-fibre broadband, digital minister Matt Warman looks ahead to delivering on the Conservatives’ election promises Continue Reading

By

• Matt Warman, Digital minister

Singapore updates model AI governance framework

Second edition of Singapore’s artificial intelligence governance framework includes new guidance, use cases and a self-assessment guide Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

IR35 private sector reforms: Recruitment industry urges chancellor to halt April 2020 roll-out

Major players from the UK recruitment industry want the government to delay plans to roll out the IR35 reforms to the private sector so enterprises have more time to prepare Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

Real digital modernisation – a once-in-a-generation opportunity for the new UK government

A new UK government with a decisive majority offers a unique opportunity to finally introduce public services for the digital age – if the Conservatives are willing to take it Continue Reading

By

• Mark Thompson, Exeter Business School and DIGITLab

Podcast: The Computer Weekly Downtime Upload – Episode 43

In this week’s episode of the Computer Weekly Downtime Upload podcast, Caroline Donnelly, Clare McDonald and Brian McKenna talk about the loan charge review that is bearing down on IT contractors, the Tech Talent Charter, Windows 7, and combating loneliness among remote workers Continue Reading

By

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

Loan charge under review: HMRC to invest £200,000 in readying IT systems for planned policy changes

Tax collection agency counts costs of having to upgrade IT systems to prepare for incoming changes to its controversial loan charge disguised remuneration policy, which has left thousands of IT contractors facing financial ruin Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

Nicky Morgan says new government will be pro-tech

DCMS minister outlines five key ways the government aims to support technology going forward, including being “unashamedly” pro-tech Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

High-tech firms provide boost to consulting industry

Data privacy and the shift to service-based models are some of the areas where companies such as Google and Apple are turning to consultants for support, according to a new report Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

What are the key issues facing healthcare CIOs?

Six healthcare IT leaders give their views on the major challenges for digital transformation across the NHS. Continue Reading

Don’t become the next Travelex: Get ready for ransomware

With Travelex’s IT still in disarray and banks and travellers left without access to funds more than a week after it was hit by a ransomware attack, we ask what others can learn from the foreign exchange services company’s response to the incident. Continue Reading

How to avoid becoming the next Travelex

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we look at the lessons learned from the ransomware attack on Travelex and how other firms can avoid the same fate. As Microsoft ends support for Windows 7, we examine the issues for the many remaining users of the operating system. And healthcare CIOs explain the tech challenges facing the NHS. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

UK government strengthens ties with African tech firms

Plans announced to develop startups in Africa as part of the announcements around the first UK-Africa investment summit Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

NHS Digital launches login toolkit

Self-service package can be integrated into healthcare apps and platforms Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Norway’s government to upgrade digital in school curriculum

Primary and secondary schools in Norway will introduce more digital learning, following the latest government reforms Continue Reading

By

• Gerard O'Dwyer

CAA debuts aviation cyber security assurance scheme

Civil Aviation Authority and Crest announce the first companies to be accredited under the CAA’s new cyber security oversight scheme, Assure Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

IR35 private sector reforms: Blanket bans ‘devalue’ IT contractor contributions to digital projects

James Poyser, CEO of contractor-focused online accountancy firm InniAccounts, claims large firms that are failing to assess contractors fairly will lose out in productivity, reputation and talent retention Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

Cabinet Office launches data handling review

Oliver Dowden issues statement explaining the New Year Honours list leak and announces new practices after the publication of personal details of over 1,000 public figures Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Do you use cloud storage for these use cases yet?

We look at the use cases most suited to a quick transition to the cloud: backup, archiving, disaster recovery, file storage and cloud bursting – cloud storage’s low-hanging fruit Continue Reading

By

• Stephen Pritchard

NHS SBS launches consumer-style procurement hub

NHS Shared Business Services’ cloud marketplace The Edge4Health kicks off with four major NHS organisations to transform the way the health service buys products and services Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

UK’s phone and internet bulk data surveillance unlawful, says EU court opinion

The Advocate General of the European Court of Justice issues legal opinions finding that the UK, French and Belgian bulk surveillance regimes are unlawful Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Lloyds Banking Group to create digital workplace with Microsoft

Bank is transforming how its staff work as part of a multibillion-pound digital transformation Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Big storage meets cloud in the datacentre 'as-a-service' revolution

Cloud is mainstream but the datacentre’s here to stay. This has resulted in a trend towards as-a-service in the datacentre where big storage array makers and the cloud giants meet Continue Reading

By

• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

CIO interview: Merck Healthcare’s Alessandro da Luca on supply chain automation era

The CIO of Merck Healthcare, Alessandro da Luca, talks about how his organisation has automated its supply chain using machine learning software from Aera Continue Reading

By

• Brian McKenna, Senior Analyst, Business Applications

Windows 7: Don’t cry for me

It may have gone unnoticed with the January 14 end of support deadline for Windows 7, but Microsoft’s 10 year old OS, had one last Patch Tuesday update. And , surprise, surprise, this included a ... Continue Reading

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• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Lorca announces new cohort of 20 security scaleups

20 scaleups will focus their attention on automation, zero trust and supply chain security Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

TSB signs up IBM Services and announces Edinburgh tech hub

TSB has contracted IBM to provide hybrid cloud services as part of its £120m digital transformation plans, which will see more tech jobs in Scotland Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Travelex warns customers to be alert to phone scams

Under-fire forex provider warns that criminals may try to take advantage of its predicament to scam customers Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Bristol University uses Oracle Cloud Infrastructure to speed up smoking cessation drug discovery

Scientists from the University of Bristol used Oracle Cloud Infrastructure to speed up research into how nicotine causes addiction by binding to specific receptors in the brain Continue Reading

By

• Brian McKenna, Senior Analyst, Business Applications

Loan charge under review: IT contractors slam government's planned policy revamp

The IT contractor community shares its verdict on the UK government's plans to revamp its controversial loan charge policy, which has left thousands of people facing life-changing tax bills and financial ruin Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

LGBTQ+ social app Grindr accused of breaching GDPR

Norwegian Consumer Council files complaints about LGBTQ+ social networking app, alleging it is in breach of the General Data Protection Regulation Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Gates Foundation mobile money projects in developing world to go live this year

Mobile money projects aim to give millions of the world’s poorest people access to financial services Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

AWS to request temporary halt to Microsoft’s work on $10bn JEDI cloud contract

Amazon to file temporary restraining order with the US federal court to prevent Microsoft undertaking any substantial work relating to its delivery of US government’s JEDI cloud contract Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

Case study: How Trainline keeps customers satisfied

The Trainline is encouraging customers to discover cheaper rail fares for the same journey with its AI-enabled SplitSave option Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Dasa awards AI warship contracts

First wave of £4m funding aims to transform defence platforms and tackle issues such as information overload faced by crews Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Government distances itself from Post Office decisions in Horizon IT litigation

Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy says it did not make decisions in the Post Office’s recent court battle Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Royal Bank of Canada gives Mencap a ‘leg-up’ in automating processes

UK charity gets help from Canadian bank in a collaboration aimed at creating a robotic workforce Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

NSA Windows 10 security disclosure raises questions

In an unprecedented move, the NSA has got out in front of a critical cryptographic flaw in Windows 10, but in doing so has raised multiple questions Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Asos trials AR tool to give customers idea of fashion fit

Online fashion brand Asos has launched an augmented reality trial to help customers see how garments will fit their body type Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

Two-thirds of UK healthcare organisations breached last year

The majority of healthcare organisations in the UK experienced a cyber security incident during 2019, with almost half the result of viruses and malware introduced on third party devices Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Podcast: The Computer Weekly Downtime Upload – Episode 42

In this week’s episode of the Computer Weekly Downtime Upload podcast, Caroline Donnelly, Clare McDonald and Brian McKenna greet the new decade with reflections on the Travelex ransomware attack and Dominic Cummings’ call for data science to rejuvenate Whitehall. And they take stock of the retail sector’s grim 2019, while remembering to mention the big story of the moment: Harry and Meghan Continue Reading

By

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

Building the internet of the future

In this week’s Computer Weekly, Cisco unveils the $5bn platform that it believes will be the future of the internet – we look through the details. The McLaren Formula One team discusses how IoT and data analytics have been key to its revival on the track. And we examine the importance of diversity in software development. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Why subpostmasters are calling on the government to pay Horizon trial costs

The damages that subpostmasters will receive after their court victory against the Post Office fall well short of their calculated losses Continue Reading

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• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

IfG warns systems needed after Brexit transition are “impossible to deliver”

The IT required to be operational after December 2020 is almost certainly undeliverable, according to Institute for Government report Continue Reading

Secure data erasure is needed to ensure more people recycle their tech

A dedicated team of IT recycling experts offers free data erasure to give people confidence that their old tech can be safely disposed of Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Travelex to begin restoring foreign exchange services two weeks after ‘Sodinokibi’ attack

Travelex says it is making “good progress” in its recovery and is to begin restoring electronic foreign exchange services, but is silent about whether it has agreed to pay hackers a $6m ransom to decrypt computer files Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

$5bn buy-out set to make backup giant Veeam a US company

Veeam’s founders are out as investment fund gets its hands on a pioneer of virtual machine backup. Now it will be a US company and eligible to target US government customers Continue Reading

By

• Yann Serra, LeMagIT

UK urged to take centre stage in global digital trade

Trade association TechUK sets out vision to liberalise digital trade policy, under principles such as the opposition to data localisation in exchange for market access to fend off the trend towards digital protectionism Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

US, South Korea to drive 5G to reach 1.5 billion users by 2025

Aggressive pricing strategies and extensive device support, especially in the US and Korea, set to drive an explosion in 5G uptake over the next five years Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

National Lottery hacker jailed for nine months

Small-time cyber criminal jailed for his role in a cyber attack on lottery operator Camelot that netted him just £5 Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Subpostmaster group calls for government to pay legal costs for Horizon trial

The group of subpostmasters that defeated the Post Office in court over a faulty IT system are calling for the government to pay the costs of the legal action Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Learning from the Travelex cyber attack: Failing to prepare is preparing to fail

The key lesson to take from the Travelex breach is that an effective response to a breach is a critical business function and no longer the sole province of the IT department Continue Reading

By

• Brian Honan, BH Consulting

The UK civil service is broken and needs reform to deliver true digital government

Boris Johnson’s special adviser, Dominic Cummings, has attracted criticism for his plans to overhaul Whitehall culture, but one former government digital chief argues that he is absolutely right Continue Reading

By

• Paul Shetler

Travelex hackers threaten to sell credit card data on dark web

Sodinokibi cyber gangsters have threatened to sell Travelex customers’ private data on a Russian underground cyber crime forum if it fails to pay a $6m ransom Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Retail group Dixons Carphone fined £500,000 over data breach

Dixons Carphone receives maximum possible pre-GDPR fine from the ICO following a 2018 data breach Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Automation could help resolve store shortfalls, says Capgemini

As consumers become more receptive to in-store technology, introducing automation to improve the retail experience could increase footfall, says Capgemini Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

New Cabinet Office junior minister takes over GDS duties

Jeremy Quin is the seventh minister to be responsible for the digital service since Francis Maude's departure in 2015 Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Don’t become the next Travelex: Get ready for ransomware

With Travelex’s IT still in disarray and banks and travellers left without access to funds more than a week after it was hit by a ransomware attack, we ask what others can learn from the foreign exchange services company’s response to the incident Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

PowerTrick backdoor used to target high-value businesses

Threat actors are exploiting a PowerShell-based backdoor called PowerTrick to go after high-value targets, warns SentinelLabs Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Can fintech succeed where schools and parents have failed?

Young people in Britain are unprepared to manage their finances when they leave home and, as a result, many run into serious problems Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

CW Middle East: Digital leads the way for Abu Dhabi oil giant

The state-owned Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc) is transforming its business through digital projects that range from deciding where to drill for oil and gas, to helping the company decide where to sell its final products. Also find out in this issue why the UAE is setting up a university dedicated to artificial intelligence, and read an interview with Mohamed Sater, head of IT at Bahrain sovereign wealth fund Mumtalakat. Continue Reading

CES 2020: IBM grows Q network collaborators

ExxonMobil hopes quantum computing will enable it to model processes at the atomic scale – something that cannot be achieved today Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Sadiq Khan calls for evolution of London Datastore

As the initiative reaches its 10th anniversary, City Hall wants data to be a key tool in tackling the capital's challenges and outlines future opportunities Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Interview: Abdul Nasser Al Mughairbi, head of digital, Abu Dhabi National Oil Company

 Continue Reading

Why the banking industry needs an IT makeover

UK banks face huge challenges keeping their service availability levels at 99.99% Continue Reading

By

• Sascha Giese

Here we go again - strap yourself in for the next 10-year ride in digital government transformation

There’s a new UK government, one with a comfortable majority, and it’s clear it wants to use that advantage for radical change. The new prime minister says the government has “a mission to ... Continue Reading

By

• Bryan Glick, Editor in chief

Half of UK citizens want tighter data regulations

Over 50% of UK citizens believe the gathering and use of personal data should be subject to more stringent government oversight, according to Fujitsu Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Deliveroo exceeds tech recruitment target in Edinburgh

Food delivery firm has increased the number of technology staff it wants in its Edinburgh hub Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Five ways that backup has changed since the days of tape

Back in the day, all this was tape, but times have changed, with cloud-to-cloud backup, cloud storage, virtual and physical backup appliances and myriad endpoint hardware Continue Reading

By

• Rene Millman

Fujitsu must face scrutiny following Post Office Horizon trial judgment

While the Post Office has suffered financial and reputational damage after losing its court battle with subpostmasters, the supplier of the IT system at the centre of the dispute has major PR challenges ahead Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Implementing a 21st century approach to digital identity

The government’s attempts at digital identity have failed – it is time for a new, modern approach Continue Reading

By

• Jerry Fishenden

Scale’s HE150 the first of a big push to small edge HCI hardware

Scale Computing aims to scale to micro-sized hyper-converged with a lightweight operating system it claims its competitors can’t match for edge and remote location deployments Continue Reading

By

• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

Facebook to ban deepfake videos

New policy closes some loopholes around misinformation, but seems to leave others wide open Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Bus open data portal to go live in January 2020

The service will start by publishing route and timetable data and will evolve to provide fare and real-time location data in 2021 Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari