IT news in your industry sector

Virgin Atlantic partners with Accenture to bring self-service capabilities to cargo management

Transatlantic airline becomes the first to adopt the latest version of Accenture's cloud-based Freight and Logistics platform as part of its digital transformation push Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

Tech firms back UK in spite of Brexit

Theresa May announces funding to boost development of quantum technologies, as well as a tech competitiveness study, as sector companies pledge to invest further in the country Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Western Digital aims to help rethink unstructured data storage

Zonedstorage.io is Western Digital-backed idea to re-architect unstructured data storage with sequential writes to high-capacity media such as SMR HDDs and ZNS NVMe flash Continue Reading

By

• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

UK invests £18.5m to boost diversity in artificial intelligence

Funding for artificial intelligence will go towards conversion degrees, scholarships for under-represented groups and online learning in the UK Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

UK should be much further ahead in AI, says London mayor

Sadiq Khan calls on the next prime minister to prioritise preparations around the potential impact of artificial intelligence Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Etihad Airways uses artificial intelligence to source ideas from staff

UAE airline works with tech startup to create a platform to help it apply employees’ ideas to address business challenges Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

TSB makes key appointment in IT restructure

Mark Curran moves from CYBG to head up reorganisation that will see control of TSB’s IT transferred to an internal team from parent company’s tech subsidiary Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Security Think Tank: Infosec letter to the board

How can security professionals communicate effectively with the board and senior business leaders – what works and what doesn’t? Continue Reading

By

• Emma Bickerstaffe, Information Security Forum (ISF)

Whittard spills the tea about its use of technology

CFO and IT manager of British hot beverages brand Whittard explains the firm’s recent investment in technology ahead of the business’s expansion into China Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

Large firms look to zero-trust security to reduce cyber risk

In the face of increasing cyber breach risk as organisations move to hybrid multi-cloud IT environments, just over half of large firms in Europe are planning a zero-trust approach to security Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Convenience, digitisation and the impact on the physical store

Digital technologies and the need for convenience have changed the way consumers shop, but what will this mean for the purpose and size of physical stores? Continue Reading

By

• Glynn Davis

The UK must play a leading role in global collaboration on digital policy and ethics

All countries must work together to ensure digital technologies such as AI are ethical and trustworthy – and the UK has an opportunity to be a global leader Continue Reading

By

• Julian David, TechUK

Public opposes exploitation of NHS data by large tech companies

Following the US presidential visit to the UK, a YouGov survey found citizens are largely against use of patient information by international tech firms and want benefits focused on the UK Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

CIO interview: John Finch, Refinitiv

Refinitiv CIO John Finch says finding people with the right level of data science skills is his biggest challenge Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

‘A breath of fresh air’ for Gov.uk Verify?

Three months ago, the Government Digital Service (GDS) appointed the first ever director of digital identity, Lisa Barrett – tasked with taking on the troubled Gov.uk Verify programme. Barrett ... Continue Reading

By

• Bryan Glick, Editor in chief

NotPetya offers industry-wide lessons, says Maersk’s tech chief

There are several key industry-wide lessons to be learned from the NotPetya attack in 2017, according to the information chief at one of the companies most heavily impacted Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

NHS England extends funding for new innovation projects

3D heart modelling and an advanced blood test to reduce heart attack diagnostic timescales are among the additional projects that will be offered to more patients Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Edtech in the Nordics offers students alternative learning journeys

Pioneering attitude to technology innovation across business and society lends itself to adoption in education across the region Continue Reading

By

• Matthew Staff

Ofcom confirms broadband USO to be introduced in March 2020

BT and Kcom will begin to provide broadband services under the government’s USO scheme from 20 March 2020 Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Industrial sector increasingly tempted by idea of private 5G

Industrial companies and manufacturers plan to implement 5G mobile networks swiftly once they become widely available, and many are keen on the idea of investing in private licences Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Misconfigured container services are a security risk

Researchers at Palo Alto Networks have released details of the scale of misconfigured and exposed container services putting organisations at risk of cyber attack Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Weak cyber security top challenge, says NCSC chief Ciaran Martin

UK cyber security agency NCSC is focusing on practical support and making the internet and technology safer to use, but says the area that needs most attention is improving basic cyber security in firms, says agency chief Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

NHS to provide funds to reward use of AI in health service

Incentives will be given from April 2020, says NHS England chief executive Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Ofcom’s Sharon White to step down at Christmas

Chief executive will leave her role at the telecoms regulator at the end of 2019 Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Firms face targeted bespoke cyber attacks, dark web study reveals

Academic study exposes prolific availability and demand for tailored malware, network access and corporate espionage services, which suggests many firms’ cyber defences are below standard Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Tech sector appeals to future prime minister

Trade body TechUK has urged Conservative leadership candidates to support the national digital industry and warned about the risks of a no-deal Brexit to sector businesses Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Co-op pushes to make customer care teams more co-operative

The Co-op operates in market segments ranging from funeral care to food, and its customer service strategy was disparate until it adopted Salesforce Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

Half of CFOs frustrated by complex accounting systems

Chief financial officers need to upgrade to easier-to-use accounting systems, but are strapped for time and lack the resources to make the right choices, according to survey Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

HSBC drops Connected Money and integrates best features to main mobile banking app

HSBC is taking advantage of fintech to test out features before fully integrating them into the main mobile app Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

One in five digital transformation projects fail

Concerns around the selection of the right technology and Brexit uncertainty are among the main stumbling blocks, a new survey says Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Legacy IT systems a significant security challenge

Information security professionals need to work closely with the business to identify critical legacy IT systems to ensure security risks are managed effectively, CISO tells Infosecurity Europe Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Digital transformation an opportunity for security

Digital transformation is an opportunity not only for the business to up its game, but also for security teams to engage with and win over the business, CISO tells Infosecurity Europe Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

CIO interview: Chris Worle, chief digital officer, Hargreaves Lansdown

Former marketing director is defining the newly created CDO role at the financial services firm, and is starting to appreciate the cultural changes involved in digital transformation Continue Reading

By

• Mark Samuels

National Cyber Security Strategy mostly failing, says PAC report

The Cabinet Office is on track to deliver only one objective of the 12 outcomes initially established in the National Cyber Security Strategy, with value to taxpayers still unclear Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Collaboration between local public services and industry is key to innovation

The launch of the new London Office for Technology and Innovation is an opportunity to examine how industry and government can work together better to improve local innovation Continue Reading

By

• Julian David, TechUK

UK adults are increasingly opening accounts with new banks, finds Zopa research

UK consumers are increasingly opening multiple bank accounts Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Does NHS Digital’s Internet First policy mean the end of HSCN?

Last week, NHS Digital issued new policy guidance on internet usage that, at first glance, appeared to herald the end of HSCN – but is that really the case? Continue Reading

By

• Mike Thomas, Innopsis

London could be world cyber risk leader, says ex-Lloyd’s chief

Collaboration across the cyber insurance, technology and security organisations in London could make the capital a leading world centre on these topics, says former Lloyd’s of London boss Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Yoox Net-A-Porter launches female-focused fashion app competition

Online fashion retailer Yoox Net-A-Porter is asking young women to submit ideas for an app which helps drive sustainability in the fashion industry Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

DNS – a security opportunity not to be overlooked, says Nominet

Domain name system data is the best-kept secret for eliminating network cyber threats, Nominet tells Infosecurity Europe attendees Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Nearly two-thirds of businesses hit by credential abuse

Most businesses admit to breaches relating to abuse of user credentials, according to a report that highlights cyber hygiene failings in the UK and the importance of greater visibility and integration to cyber defence capability Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Big tech chiefs boycott parliamentarians investigating citizens’ privacy

An International Grand Committee on Big Data, Privacy and Democracy considers whether failure to protect citizens’ privacy constitutes grounds for anti-trust regulation against Facebook and other big tech companies Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Emirates NBD builds bank of future with Amazon Web Services

UAE bank is accessing the latest technology through a close relationship with IT giant Amazon Web Services Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Uncritical use of algorithms in justice can undermine public trust and individual rights

A Law Society report has raised concerns about the use of algorithmic systems in decision making in the criminal justice system Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

How retail store technology is filling the ‘imagination gap’

Retailers are using in-store technology to reduce the time between shoppers’ consideration phase and purchase, but how is it engaging them and triggering conversions? Continue Reading

By

• Ben Sillitoe

NatWest Video banking service adds fuel to a future without branches

Bank branches are no longer needed for that hum an touch Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Cloud storage and its main cost components

We run through the main items charged for by the big cloud storage providers, such as capacity, storage type, transactions, data egress, networks and data protection Continue Reading

By

• Paul Stringfellow, Gardner Systems

NHSX urged to rethink national policy to enable healthcare digitisation

Better approaches to governance and skills as well as more realistic expectations around the digital readiness of organisations are needed, according to think tank research Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Making multicloud work: Is it really worth it?

Enterprise interest in multicloud deployments is on the rise, but with so many moving parts to take care of, will the benefits end up being too hard-fought to make it viable for most enterprises? Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

Podcast: The Computer Weekly Downtime Upload – Episode 18

In this week’s episode of the Computer Weekly Downtime Upload podcast, Brian McKenna, Caroline Donnelly and Clare McDonald weigh up the technology credentials of some of the Conservative Party candidates, find out how Google Cloud is helping the Football Association to achieve its diversity goals, and why Sweden appears to be rowing back on its cashless society plans Continue Reading

By

• Computer Weekly Staff

Cutting employees some Slack: The rise of messaging apps in retail

Slack’s 2019 stock market debut raises the profile of enterprise collaboration software, but what options do retailers have in this space and how are they using the technology? Continue Reading

By

• Ben Sillitoe

In this week’s issue: GDPR one year on – is it working?

In this week’s Computer Weekly, a year after the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) came into force, we assess its progress. Fears of technology are holding back digital healthcare – we look at the tech that’s bringing back a human touch. And we examine Microsoft’s desktop management tools for Windows 10. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Giving healthcare tech a human touch

 Continue Reading

CIO interview: Gary Foote, CIO, Rich Energy Haas F1

When he was offered the opportunity to set up the technology for a new Formula One team from scratch, CIO Gary Foote couldn’t wait to get on the starting line Continue Reading

By

• Mark Samuels

Cyber crime widely under-reported, Isaca study shows

Cyber crime, which is the top cyber threat to business, remains widely under-reported, and only a third of organisations are confident in their ability to detect and respond to threats, a study reveals Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

NHSX chief to limit future NHS App enhancements

Matthew Gould doesn’t want the health service’s flagship mobile tool to be “all-singing and all-dancing” Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Sainsbury’s Bank moves data to AWS cloud with Teradata UDA

Bank decided on a fundamental shift to AWS cloud, using Teradata’s Unified Data Architecture, after it was divested from Lloyds in 2013. Here’s how it built from a new ground zero. Continue Reading

By

• Lindsay Clark

Consumer comms providers sign Ofcom’s new fairness pledge

The UK’s biggest communications service providers have signed up to a series of new commitments pledging to put fairness to customers at the heart of their business Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Most of today’s enterprise blockchain platforms will need replacing in two years

Most blockchain platforms currently being used in enterprises will have to be replaced in the next couple of years, says Gartner Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Nordics block European Commission tech tax levy to protect digital investment

The Nordic EU countries have formed a powerful voice against the European Commission’s plans on digital service tax. Continue Reading

By

• Gerard O'Dwyer

Free Wi-Fi to cover entire NHS estate in 2019

Nearly all trusts and clinical commissioning groups across England are now equipped with NHS Wi-Fi and the rest will be fully connected this year, says NHS Digital Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

More than half of UK workforce lacks essential digital skills, says Lloyd’s

In the modern world, digital skills are becoming increasingly important, but a large amount of the UK workforce doesn’t measure up, Lloyd’s has found Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

Business leaders failing to address cyber threats

Businesses are failing to address growing cyber threats as business leaders admit to knowledge gaps, a lack of resources and confusion about who is responsible for data breaches, a report reveals Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Facebook loses bid to halt European court decision on EU-US data sharing

Irish Supreme Court dismisses attempt by Facebook to prevent the European Court of Justice considering the validity of US-EU data transfers, after Austrian lawyer Max Schrems argued that they put the privacy of EU citizens at risk Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Migration Advisory Committee calls for expansion of non-EU skilled work visas

As Brexit uncertainty increases, the Migration Advisory Committee has suggested adding more skilled roles to the Shortage Occupations List Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

New-build homes to get broadband quality certification

Broadband connectivity rating firm WiredScore is offering its full-fibre certifications to residential property developers and landlords for the first time Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Slowing smart meter roll-out puts 2020 deadline at risk

The smart meter installation rate is slowing, and with 18 months until the December 2020 deadline, achieving the Smart Meter Programme’s aims now looks very unlikely Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Gant uses Cegid to streamline functions across all markets

As retailer Gant begins to mirror its core operations across all of the countries it operates in, global IT manager Ricky Dematagollage explains what part Cegid will play in the process Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

How AI helps protect Japan’s road system from subsidence

Tokyo-based Kawasaki Geological Engineering is using Fujitsu’s Zinrai artificial intelligence system to develop a solution to erosion causing subsidence and sinkholes on Japan’s road network Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

SAP disruption leads to Revlon class action lawsuit

Investors at cosmetics giant Revlon are taking action following a bungled SAP ERP deployment Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

GCHQ urged to abandon plans to access encrypted chats

Tech companies and security and policy experts are calling for more dialogue with GCHQ on encryption, urging it to ditch its proposal for eavesdropping on encrypted chats Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

The FA signs Google Cloud to support cloud-based push to make football more inclusive

The Football Association is on a mission to up female participation in the sport and make it more accessible to a larger number of fans, and it is teaming up with Google Cloud to achieve its goals Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

A lack of skills and ownership are top challenges to OT security

A lack of skills, visibility and clarity on which business function is responsible for securing operational technology are the biggest challenges to managing the risk, a study shows Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

CIO interview: Sam Shah, director for digital development, NHS England

Uniquely, Sam Shah is both a clinician and a technology leader, and he hopes to use both skillsets to overhaul IT in the health service Continue Reading

By

• Mark Samuels

EE launches consumer 5G, but experts say no rush to upgrade

EE launched the UK’s first official 5G network this week, but with limited availability and 4G networks improving all the time, industry watchers say there is no big impetus for users to upgrade yet Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Red flags missed during ESN planning process, Home Office admits

The PAC’s latest evidence-gathering session for its inquiry into the delayed and over-budget Emergency Services Network has laid bare a number of crucial errors made over the past few years, and found the Home Office missed a number of warning signs Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Skills, digital and the manufacturing sector

Manufacturing still accounts for a large amount of the UK economy, and when it comes to the fourth industrial revolution, the UK has aspirations to be a world leader – but does it have the digital know-how to back it up? Continue Reading

By

• Cath Everett

2.3 billion business and consumer data files exposed online

In the year since the GDPR compliance deadline, the number of data files exposed online without adequate protection is up more than 50% due to misconfigured security controls, report reveals Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Danish government launches national AI strategy

Strategy aims to capitalise on investment in artificial intelligence technologies to enhance Denmark’s societal advancement and give business and industry a competitive edge Continue Reading

By

• Gerard O’Dwyer

Hackers targeting UK universities a threat to national security

Poorly defended UK university research that is mainly commissioned by government is a top target for hackers, putting national security at risk, a study reveals, underlining the need for better cyber security Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

FoI requests reveal slow but steady adoption of cloud-first stance in UK police forces

Intercity Technology's freedom of information (FoI) request-led poll of UK police forces and their use of technology shines a light on how the sector's attitudes towards cloud and digital transformation are changing Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

Turla APT group beefs up cyber attack tool

An advanced persistent threat cyber espionage group has improved its tools to attack diplomatic targets, making their activities more difficult to detect and block Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Cyber weapons readily available to criminals, researchers warn

Security researchers have discovered an attack campaign infrastructure designed to scan, brute-force and infect tens of thousands of MS-SQL and PHPMyAdmin servers Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

ICO to shortlist Sandbox applicants

Privacy watchdog’s Sandbox service aims to help develop innovative and beneficial products and services that are privacy compliant Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Perfect storm for data science in security

After nearly 20 years of research, the perfect storm of computing technologies is finally enabling data science to realise its potential to make valuable contributions to improving cyber security capabilities Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Podcast: The Computer Weekly Downtime Upload – Episode 17

In this week’s episode of the Computer Weekly Downtime Upload podcast, Brian McKenna, Caroline Donnelly and Clare McDonald reunite to discuss the discontent at Amazon’s recent shareholder meeting, what went on at the Salesforce World Tour event in London and SurveyMonkey's European datacentre plans Continue Reading

By

• Computer Weekly Staff

Many search engine users unaware of personal data collection

Many users of online search engines are still unaware that data is being collected about them for personalised advertising, a study has revealed Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Excelero and BeeGFS offer next-gen HPC based on NVMe flash

Super-fast solid-state storage in commodity servers ties up with recently-developed parallel file system BeeGFS to target high-performance computing use cases Continue Reading

By

• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

Swedes need to keep a week’s cash under the bed

The Swedish population is being advised to keep enough cash at home to last a week in case of problems such as online banking crashes Continue Reading

By

• Jane Hamrin

NHS Digital sets out Internet First policy

NHS Digital is soliciting input to its Internet First policy, a set of standards and guidelines to help health and social care organisations make digital services accessible over the internet Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Saudi Arabia’s largest auto company completes SAP project as part of digital transformation

Abdul Latif Jameel Motors wins SAP Quality Gold Award for digital revamp programme that overhauled performance and efficiency across its business Continue Reading

By

• Alicia Buller

Technology at heart of Spurs’ new stadium

In this week’s Computer Weekly, Sanjeev Katwa, the IT chief at Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, discusses the tech behind the most technologically advanced football stadium in the world. We investigate how the data powering artificial intelligence is leading to discriminatory algorithms and explore the inherent risks in 5G mobile networks. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Just over half of UK firms don’t have a cyber resilience plan

Many UK firms still lack cyber resilience and data protection capabilities covering email a year after the implementation of the GDPR aimed at improving personal data protection Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

London Office for Technology and Innovation gets ready to launch

New organisation will officially begin its activities in June and has appointed Nesta’s former government chief as director Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

GDPR: Are we there yet?

A full year since the General Data Protection Regulation was implemented, there has not been the severe punitive action expected by many and personal data breaches continue to happen, leaving many wondering if any progress has been made Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

NHS Digital launches GP IT Futures tender

New framework aims to simplify IT provision for surgeries and create a competitive systems marketplace for primary care Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Effect of GDPR yet to be felt, says law firm Hogan Lovells

Despite the fact that the GDPR has been in full effect for a year, the true effect of the regulation is yet to be felt and organisations should ensure they keep their eye on the ball, says leading privacy law firm Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Ofcom makes new proposals to liberalise access Openreach’s ducts and poles

The telecoms regulator is proposing new regulations on accessing Openreach’s infrastructure that it hopes will incentives others to roll out ultrafast networks quicker Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

No real change a year into GDPR, says privacy expert

A year after the GDPR compliance deadline, many organisations still have a lot of work to do to make real changes and shift focus away from fines to business value and gain, says PwC’s GDPR and data protection lead Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Post Office told to pay over £5m of its opponent’s costs for first Horizon trial

The judge in the Post Office Horizon trial has ordered the organisation to pay the legal costs of its courtroom adversaries, and refused to give permission to appeal a major judgment Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA