IT news in your industry sector

Home Office hands EE additional £220m for ESN

Home Office quietly announces a major extension to the ESN project, pumping over £200m of additional taxpayer money into its contract with EE Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

The pitfalls of hyper-converged infrastructure and how to avoid them

Hyper-converged infrastructure can be an easy win when it comes to datacentre infrastructure upgrades, but there are pitfalls. We discuss how best you can sidestep them Continue Reading

By

• Rene Millman

Almost a third of European firms still not compliant with GDPR

Almost a third of European businesses admit they are still not compliant with the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation, but there are encouraging signs of increased maturity in data protection, with the new rules driving better, business-supporting practices Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Boosting the UK’s digital infrastructure so it is fit for the future

Extending full-fibre broadband and mobile network coverage are critical issues for a healthy UK economy – and a new prime minister must continue progress Continue Reading

By

• Jeremy Wright, DCMS

Norsk Hydro cyber attack could cost up to $75m

March 2019 ransomware attack could cost Norwegian aluminium giant up to $75m in the first half of the year, according to latest estimates Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Data breach costs on the rise, IBM study shows

Data breach costs have risen in the past decade, and the financial impact can be felt for years. Breaches posing a growing risk for small businesses, a study shows, underlining the importance of incident response Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

High Court to hear challenge to immigration exemption in DPA

The High Court is to hear a challenge by two human rights groups of a controversial clause in new UK data protection legislation they say is in conflict with the EU’s Charter of Fundamental Rights and undermines the General Data Protection Regulation Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

How Apollo 11 influenced modern computing

In this week’s Computer Weekly, on the 50th anniversary of the Moon landings we look at the influence Apollo 11 had on modern hardware and software. Our latest buyer’s guide examines data protection. And we find out how retailers with physical stores are using technology to respond to the rise of online shopping. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

IT infrastructure and cyber security ‘critical’ for Student Loans Company future

Upgrades to key systems and cyber defence capability will be required so the non-departmental public body can continue to perform key functions, according to a major review Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Analytics and GDPR compliance: How to achieve it

Mathieu Gorge, CEO of Vigitrust, looks at technologies such as pseudonymisation that can help organisations stay GDPR-compliant while gaining value from analytics on customer data Continue Reading

By

• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

Openreach to slash wholesale fibre prices from September

Wholesale price cuts of almost 40% will help Openreach’s CSP customers grow their full-fibre customer bases, and generate a better return on their investment Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Morgan Stanley uses Box to power new Digital Vault

Bank has integrated the Box collaboration platform to provide a new, secure document-sharing service for its customers Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

CW500: How AI will transform technology leadership

Addressing issues around data and defining strategies that will attract top talent are among the key challenges discussed at the Computer Weekly CW500 Club Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Ofcom brings in new protections for mobile users

New rules around how mobile contracts are sold should give end-users a fairer deal Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

CDEI publishes reports on online targeting and bias in algo decisions

Recommendations due in late 2019 and early 2020 from Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation’s work on online targeting and bias in algorithmic decision-making Continue Reading

By

• Brian McKenna, Senior Analyst, Business Applications

Big tech firms back UK cyber security initiative

Big technology firms have pledged their support for UK investment in an initiative to “design out” of new tech the most damaging cyber security threats Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Latest investments in Atom Bank will support cloud platform project

Bank has raised £50m more finance, which will contribute to funding its project to migrate to the cloud Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

HMRC makes cloud and data progress

HMRC has shifted half of its systems to virtualised servers, and is nearing completion of a major core system roll out and boosting data capability to support its digital ambitions Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Latest ICO fine highlights privacy due diligence

A week after issuing the first serious GDPR fines, the ICO has further underlined the importance of data stewardship and due diligence regarding privacy practices Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

How tech leads local government innovation in Vienna, Helsinki and Belfast

Digital leaders in the cities of Vienna, Helsinki and Belfast are innovating new services to help citizens and local economies Continue Reading

By

• SA Mathieson

CityFibre announces 14 more locations on its full-fibre network

Full-fibre broadband provider extends its network to more homes and businesses in latest roll-out Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Second CyberThreat Summit announced by NCSC and SANS Institute

CyberThreat 2019 aims to bring together a more diverse set of technical professionals in cyber security from the private and public sectors in the UK and abroad to encourage collaboration Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

London Underground 4G plan will lead to wider fibre broadband backbone

The Jubilee Line will be first Tube service to offer 4G through tunnels, and the cabling to support the service will become part of a fibre hub for London homes and businesses Continue Reading

By

• Bryan Glick, Editor in chief

Government launches digital identity consultation and new pilot scheme

DCMS is seeking views on the role of the government and private sector in developing digital identities, while a small-scale trial will open up passport data for companies to prove online IDs Continue Reading

By

• Bryan Glick, Editor in chief

Warzone bulletproof hosts protecting Magecart group

Security researchers have discovered a Magecart group operating with impunity using bulletproof hosting services, including one in battle-scarred Ukraine Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

How IT pros are building resilience against email security threats

For most people, emails are an easy and harmless way to communicate in the workplace, but they could also be a security disaster waiting to happen Continue Reading

By

• Nicholas Fearn

Verify deemed ‘unachievable’ by major government projects review

Issues around the digital identity project and a major compliance project led by the Ministry of Justice are impossible to solve, according to the Infrastructure and Projects Authority Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Free tool reveals the true cost of ‘free’ online services

New data discovery portal developed by Finnish security firm F-Secure helps to uncover what Facebook, Amazon, Google and other tech giants know about consumers Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Digital minister Margot James quits after Brexit vote

James voted against the government in an attempt to stop the next Prime Minister from suspending Parliament to force through a no-deal Brexit Continue Reading

By

• Bryan Glick, Editor in chief

Security Think Tank: Engage business to address commercial risk

What strategies can infosec pros use to shift focus from GDPR fines to enabling business gains and success, changing the way data is used, and aligning data privacy with business purpose? Continue Reading

By

• Raef Meeuwisse

Parliamentary committee calls for halt to facial recognition trials

Issues with biometrics and forensics pose a significant risk to effective functioning of the criminal justice system, according to a report by the Science and Technology Committee Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

CIO interview: Kieran Delaney, director of IT, Innserve

After 13 years at the drinks dispensing firm, Delaney moved into the top IT leadership role and has set out about using technology to empower workers across the company Continue Reading

By

• Mark Samuels

Welsh council aims to cut back-office processing costs by 95% through automation

A council in South Wales is expecting to reduce the cost of human resources business processes by up to 95% through robotic process automation Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

UK poor cyber security practice undermining controls

UK firms investing in the latest cyber security products and services risk this being undermined by poor security practices, a survey reveals Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Nordic startup scene can rival Silicon Valley

Sweden is emerging as one of Europe’s competitors to the US’s Silicon Valley as a hot location for tech startups Continue Reading

By

• Matthew Staff

Lateral phishing used to attack organisations on global scale

Lateral phishing is a growing type of account takeover that has enabled attackers to target more than 100,000 people by hijacking just 154 email accounts Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

European Commission launches antitrust investigation into Amazon

Amazon is being officially investigated by the European Commission to assess whether its use of data from independent retailers is anti-competitive Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

Most security pros still concerned about public cloud security

Despite accelerated adoption of public cloud services by companies keen to benefit from increased efficiency, scalability and agility, most security professionals have reservations Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

NHS still has thousands of PCs running Windows XP

NHS computers are still being upgraded three years after the WannaCry ransomware attack to the health system, raising concerns over cyber security Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Facebook accused of ‘breathtaking arrogance’ over Libra cryptocurrency plan

US senators grill Facebook’s David Marcus over social media giant’s plans to launch cryptocurrency Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Suspected malicious MS Office tool maker arrested

Dutch police have arrested a man suspected of producing and selling toolkits to create malicious Microsoft Office documents Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Latest UK fintech investment figures reflect the evolution of the sector

Investment patterns in the UK fintech sector reveals how the businesses in it are maturing Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Deutsche Bank’s public contraction is a major landmark for fintech

German bank is cutting costs overall but is investing more in the latest digital technology as fintechs chip away at banking business Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Conditions ‘not quite there’ for government chief data officer

The long-awaited appointment for government’s chief data officer requires a perception in departments that data is actually valuable, government officials said Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

MPs slam Home Office over troubled Emergency Services Network programme

The plan for a new communications network for police, fire and ambulance services is three years late and £3.1bn over budget, and Public Accounts Committee fears further delays Continue Reading

By

• Bryan Glick, Editor in chief

Vulnerable firmware in enterprise server supply chain

Researchers are warning of vulnerabilities in firmware from a third-party supplier that put some servers from Lenovo, Gigabyte and six other manufacturers at risk Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Security Think Tank: Translating GDPR compliance into business benefits

What strategies can information security professionals use to shift focus from General Data Protection Regulation fines to enabling business gains and success, changing the way data is used, and aligning data privacy with business purpose? Continue Reading

By

• Emma Bickerstaffe, Information Security Forum (ISF)

Podcast: The Computer Weekly Downtime Upload – Episode 24

In this week’s episode of the Computer Weekly Downtime Upload podcast, Brian McKenna, Caroline Donnelly and Clare McDonald talk about using Alexa to search for medical advice, how a good cup of tea can solve most problems and whether more should be done to provide childcare at tech events Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

NCSC calls out Microsoft over Dmarc reports

The UK’s cyber security agency has called out Microsoft for seriously undermining global email security by failing to provide crucial reports from its email platforms Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Cambridge Cognition CTO on applying server monitoring principles to suicide prevention

Cambridge Cognition CTO, Ricky Dolphin, discusses why it pays to think outside the box when trying to find technological answers to business and customer problems Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

Digital safety skills initiative launched against cyber crime

Security industry partners have launched an initiative aimed at raising individuals’ digital safety skills to enable them to protect themselves and their families from most common cyber attacks Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Manchester Metrolink gets contactless payments technology

Travellers using Manchester’s trams can now complete their journeys using contactless payment Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Computer Weekly – 16 July 2019: Reaping the benefits of digital transformation at Defra

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we check out the digital transformation at Defra, and see how the government department is preparing for Brexit. The new technology chief for the NHS explains how he’s going to bring the health service into the digital age. And we examine how to make a success of enterprise social media platforms. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Interview: Matthew Gould, chief executive of NHSX, on transforming health service technology

NHSX is the latest on a long line of organisations created to overhaul NHS technology – can it make the difference this time? Its new CEO explains why it will Continue Reading

Interview: John Seglias, chief digital information officer, Defra

The tech leader at the government department most affected by Brexit talks about digital transformation and carrying out one of the most complex projects in the public sector Continue Reading

NCSC reports on second year of cyber defence at scale

The UK’s National Cyber Security Centre releases a report on the second year of its Active Cyber Defence programme to demonstrate its effects in the public sector and wider UK cyber ecosystem Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Security Think Tank: Aligning data privacy with business objectives

What strategies can infosec pros use to shift focus from GDPR fines to enabling business gains and success, changing the way data is used, and aligning data privacy with business purpose? Continue Reading

By

• Sanjana  Mehta, (ISC)2

BA/Marriott GDPR fines: What they were for and how to avoid them

We talk to Mathieu Gorge, CEO of Vigitrust, about the BA and Marriott GDPR fines and what organisations can do to ensure they achieve compliance with GDPR and similar regulations Continue Reading

By

• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

Government must ‘stop choosing ignorance’ around data

In a letter to digital secretary Jeremy Wright, civil society groups warn that a number of shortcomings must be addressed to enable the government to reap data-related benefits Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

UK launches 5G security inquiry

The Joint Committee on the National Security Strategy is to probe the UK government’s approach to telecoms technology as a national security issue Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Smartodds bets on Rubrik backup appliance with cloud archive

Betting intelligence analytics firm Smartodds replaced its old tape backup infrastructure with Rubrik appliances to cut management time and database restores from hours to minutes Continue Reading

By

• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

Billion-dollar privacy penalties put CEOs on notice

Facebook’s potential $5bn settlement with the FTC follows notifications of planned GDPR fines for British Airways and Marriott International, underlining the importance of data stewardship Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

US judge dismisses challenge over Department of Defense mega-cloud contract

The US Department of Defense looks set to award a $10bn cloud contract after a legal challenge to the procurement process failed Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

No technical grounds to ban Huawei, DCMS told

Science and Technology Committee tells Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport that there are no technical grounds for it to exclude Huawei Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Organisations turn to AI in race against cyber attackers

Businesses are racing to automate their defences as hackers and nation states launch increasingly sophisticated cyber attacks Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

UK public sector needs to prioritise mobile device security

Only 10% of public service stolen and lost mobile are recovered, underlining the need for mobile-centric, zero-trust model to reduce the risk, says MobileIron Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

UK boards ignoring £30bn cyber risk

Despite the danger posed by cyber attacks to mid-sized companies, boards are not prepared to manage the risk and firms are over-confident in their cyber capabilities, report finds Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

SD-WAN in play: How software-defined solves core business challenges

For foodservice business HMSHost International and chemical products firm Element Solutions, both customers of networking supplier Aryaka, software-defined wide area networking technology is proving its mettle when it comes to solving core business challenges. Find out how. Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Home Office boosts tools to tackle online child abuse

New systems will be introduced to speed up investigations and limit the number of distressing images viewed by law enforcement officers Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Security Think Tank: Don’t dismiss the business benefits of GDPR

What strategies can infosec pros use to shift focus from GDPR fines to enabling business gains and success, changing the way data is used, and aligning data privacy with business purpose? Continue Reading

By

• Richard Hunt, Turnkey Consulting

New FinSpy versions extend surveillance capabilities

New versions of the FinSpy malware for iOS and Android smartphones have extended targeted surveillance capabilities, warn security researchers Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Blockchain.com banks on Google cloud to support growth of cryptocurrency management platform

Blockchain.com reveals details of how it is ramping up its use of the Google Cloud Platform as the range of cryptocurrencies it supports grows, along with the size of its user base Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

Sweden’s SEB bank uses mob programming across business

Hack day sees 70 developers successfully demonstrate mob programming method that banking group is now using to develop applications in an agile way Continue Reading

By

• Computer Weekly Staff

Windows 10 to enable passwordless sign-in

Windows 10 users will soon be able to sign in to devices without using a password to encourage the use of two-factor authentication methods to improve security Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

NHS makes health information available through Alexa

The collaboration between the government and Amazon follows a push from the centre to add voice to services Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Draft finance bill dims hopes of private sector reprieve on April 2020 roll-out of IR35 reforms

Publication of the draft IR35 private sector reform legislation dims hopes the government might announce a delay to rolling out the changes in April 2020 Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

We shouldn't need to debate online identity again, but it's right that we do

The latest select committee report by MPs into the progress of digital government in the UK has resurrected a question that has reared its head on several occasions in the past – do we need a ... Continue Reading

By

• Bryan Glick, Editor in chief

Securing your mobile estate – best practice for CIOs

The prevalence of mobile devices in every part of daily life is shaping how enterprises make choices about software and network infrastructure, but how do businesses go about securing these vast new endpoint estates? Continue Reading

By

• Christian Annesley

Zopa gets in-house tech ready for 2019 bank launch

Peer-to-peer lender tests out banking platforms in anticipation of launching products in the UK before the end of this year Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Attacks against AI systems are a growing concern

European research group says attacks against AI systems are already occurring, difficult to identify, and could be far more common than currently understood Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

University of Bristol upgrades to Nimble as it takes IT off-site

Higher education institution gets trouble-free hybrid flash performance from Nimble and stores 600TB of data at two colocation sites to which it is transitioning from on-campus Continue Reading

By

• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

RiskIQ uncovers new Magecart campaign

A fresh Magecart campaign is breaching websites on a massive scale using indiscriminate attacks exploiting misconfigured Amazon S3 buckets, say researchers Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Security Think Tank: Align compliance objectives with business goals

What strategies can information security professionals use to shift focus from GDPR fines to enabling business gains and success, changing the way data is used, and aligning data privacy with business purpose? Continue Reading

By

• Maxine Holt, Omdia

Retailers engineer new ways to recruit and retain IT talent

Senior leaders at Holland & Barrett, Feelunique and BrandAlley offer tips on finding and keeping sought-after engineering and developer talent Continue Reading

By

• Ben Sillitoe

CW Middle East: SAP drives digital transformation for Saudi Arabian auto company

The automotive division of Saudi Arabia’s Abdul Latif Jameel Company (ALJC) has completed one of the biggest SAP projects ever undertaken in the automotive distribution sector. Also in this issue, read about Dubai-based delivery app Fetchr’s bid to become one of the largest tech companies in the Middle East, and how a UAE startup is using digital technology to simplify medical appointment bookings. Continue Reading

AI may be a solution to the social care crisis, but what are the legal concerns?

Artificial intelligence and robotics has great potential to assist in social care environments, but due care must be given to data protection and privacy, among other legal concerns Continue Reading

By

• Lindsay Taylor

Dutch privacy watchdog tells banks not to use customer payment data for marketing

Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens tells banks to respect client privacy and not to market products based on spending data Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Crown Commercial Service launches ICT framework for education

The deal aims to help education sector bodies procure technology products and services, with SME participation becoming more prominent Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Max Schrems not calling for SCCs to be invalidated

The privacy activist at the centre of legal battle against Facebook is not calling for all standard contractual clauses to be invalidated, according to his non-profit privacy organisation Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

The technology that runs the Wimbledon 2019 tennis championship

Wimbledon is more than just a showcase for the best tennis - it also makes use of the latest technologies to bring the event to life for fans Continue Reading

By

• Bryan Glick, Editor in chief

Agent Smith mobile malware hits millions of devices

New mobile malware that exploits Android vulnerabilities has infected millions of devices, security researchers have discovered Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Security Think Tank: Changing the GDPR focus to business benefit

What strategies can information security professionals use to shift focus from General Data Protection Regulation fines to enabling business gains and success, changing the way data is used, and aligning data privacy with business purpose? Continue Reading

By

• Paddy Francis

People that have never heard of the cloud enjoy cloud services, so why should open banking differ?

Open banking has some way to go before and banks' shouldn't pin all their hopes on Millennials Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Demand for ICO help escalates in GDPR's first year

The past year has seen increased demand across all support services offered by the UK’s privacy watchdog as new data protection laws went into force Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Government Digital Service relevance is fading, says Commons Committee

According to a report, GDS is losing authority and the ability to deliver digital change, and calls for its purpose to be renewed, along with the appointment of digital champions Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

UK government publishes guidance for national data strategy

The ongoing call from the government for evidence will be followed by a full consultation in the autumn with a view to publish the final data strategy plan in 2020 Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Marriott International facing £99m GDPR fine

Hotel group Marriott International is the second major company to be fined by the UK privacy watchdog for infringements of the GDPR Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

ICO issues warning about using facial recognition technology

The UK privacy watchdog has ruled that any police force or private organisation using live facial recognition technology is processing personal data and needs to pay attention to data protection laws Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Data protection: How privacy can be a benefit, not a burden

With the growing number of data breaches, consumers are becoming increasingly concerned about how their data is used. Organisations can take advantage of this trend by treating data protection and user privacy as product features Continue Reading

By

• Peter Ray Allison

Security Think Tank: Benefits of GDPR compliance

What strategies can information security professionals use to shift focus from General Data Protection Regulation fines to enabling business gains and success, changing the way data is used, and aligning data privacy with business purpose? Continue Reading

By

• Petra Wenham