IT news in your industry sector

Futuristic logistics: retailers focused on rapid delivery

From Asos Instant to Ocado Zoom, and a host of new services in between, rapid delivery is gaining traction in UK retail in an attempt to meet customer demand Continue Reading

By

• Ben Sillitoe

Danske Bank builds on machine learning to predict IT failures

Danish bank is using artificial intelligence to help it prevent IT outages that could damage its reputation with customers Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Is it too soon for AI in the education landscape?

This year saw education secretary Damian Hinds call for more tech in schools to help reduce teacher workload, but are schools ready, and how do we fix the pressing issues faced by UK education? Continue Reading

By

• Cath Everett

Clearer North Korean link to global infrastructure malware campaign

Researchers have uncovered clearer links between a North Korean hacking group and a cyber espionage campaign targeting government, defence, nuclear, energy and financial organisations around the world Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Technology can transform lives and society for the better

GUEST BLOG: In this contributed post, Helen Lamprell, General Counsel and External Affairs Director, Vodafone UK, talks about how technology can be used for social good We are living in an age of ... Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

Fresh data analytics tool slashes Openreach’s Ethernet delivery times

Openreach discusses its work with analytics partner Qlik, which is giving its teams new insights into Ethernet and enterprise fibre network service delivery data, and says it has seen significant service improvements in doing so Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Facebook asked George Osborne to influence EU data protection law

Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg invited one of the chancellor’s children to Facebook’s office as part of a intensive lobbying programme to influence European data protection legislation Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Duncan Campbell & Sebastian Klovig Skelton

Facebook facing 10 GDPR investigations in Ireland

Ireland’s Data Protection Commission has revealed it has 10 active probes into Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, as well as Apple, LinkedIn and Twitter, on its books Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Using simulated disaster management to tackle the security skills gap

With the increasing need for cyber security professionals, organisations are turning to new ways to address the skills gap facing the security sector Continue Reading

By

• Peter Ray Allison

Yoyo on its way up: Fintech interview part 17

Fintech Yoyo is on its upward trajectory as mobile phones take centre stage in people's lives Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Microsoft Azure gains ground on AWS in public cloud

RightScale report suggests Microsoft Azure is closing the gap between it and public cloud market leader AWS in the enterprise, while Google is attracting increasing attention from the C-suite Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

What are the CDN options for enterprises?

We look at how content delivery networks can give your organisation’s web presence a literal edge Continue Reading

By

• Rene Millman

IBM deal to drive Nordea’s IT-led transformation

Nordea is expanding its relationship with IBM through a deal that will give it access to the skills and resources required to keep pace with the digital revolution in banking Continue Reading

By

• Gerard O'Dwyer

Teen becomes first millionaire through HackerOne bug bounties

A self-taught teen hacker from Argentina has become the first bug bounty hacker to become a millionaire by hacking to create a safer internet Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

BBC reveals high frequency of UK banking outages from data mandated by the FCA

BBC analysis of IT outages at UK banks, evident in data mandated by the Financial Conduct Authority since August 2018, reveals them to occur at least once a month at each current account provider Continue Reading

By

• Brian McKenna, Senior Analyst, Business Applications

Supplier consolidation tops infosec goals for 2019

Supplier consolidation, collaboration between networking and security teams, and security awareness are the top priorities for information security professionals trying to prepare for the unknown, annual benchmark study shows Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Six out of eight key government systems unlikely to be ready by Brexit day

National Audit Office update on the UK government’s readiness for Brexit identifies processes and IT systems that will not be finished by the 29 March deadline Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Sextortion accounts for one in 10 spear-phishing emails

Email sextortion scams have increased in frequency and scope in the past four months, as well as evolving to bypass spam filters and trick recipients into reading the messages, research shows Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Volkswagen’s cloud-focused connected car collaboration with Microsoft gathers pace

Car maker has confirmed its Microsoft-based Automotive Cloud setup will be extended beyond Europe into other key markets to support its push to digitise more of the driving experience for its customers Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

Icann calls for community collaboration to protect the internet

The domain name system watchdog Icann has reaffirmed its commitment to engage in collaborative efforts to ensure the security, stability and resiliency of the internet’s global identifier systems Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Substantive reform to education needed to address the skills gap blighting fintechs

TrueLayer talks about the deeper causes of fintech skills shortages beyond Brexit uncertainty Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Chinese cyber attack group Bronze Union targeting weapons tech

Weapons technology is among the latest targets of a highly adaptable cyber espionage group that uses a wide range of publicly available and custom attack tools, presenting a challenge to network defenders Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

NHS software deal tops public sector spending on new IT contracts in 2018

Department of Health’s Windows 10 contract was the biggest public sector deal signed last year Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

MWC 2019: Vodafone powers 5G with VMware

Vodafone is using VMware’s telco cloud platform to prepare its mobile networks for 5G in 15 geographies Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Dutch companies lack knowledge of IoT’s benefits

Many organisations in the Netherlands are missing out on the benefits of the internet of things because they lack awareness of its potential Continue Reading

By

• Kim Loohuis

M&S and Ocado announce £750m food delivery joint venture

Deal will see M&S take a 50% share of Ocado’s UK retail business, with access to the Ocado Smart Platform Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

SME backup products offer diverse routes to the cloud

We take the temperature on cloud-era SME-focused backup products that come as “traditional” software, replication-centric protection environments and hardware appliances Continue Reading

By

• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

Most UK consumers say Facebook should be regulated

Nearly three-quarters of UK consumers feel the social platform is damaging people’s mental health, survey shows Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Interview: London Grid for Learning CEO on putting technology to work in schools

John Jackson, CEO of the London Grid for Learning, discusses how the organisation supports technology adoption in schools Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

MWC 2019: 5G driving telcos into the cloud, says VMware CEO

At Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, VMware CEO Pat Gelsinger explained how the requirements of 5G mobile networks are helping to push more telcos into the organisation’s arms Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Security is battling to keep pace with cloud adoption

Cloud-based business initiatives are accelerating more rapidly than security teams can secure them, a survey reveals Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Over 100 rural primary schools to get gigabit broadband

Primary schools could become high-speed broadband hubs for rural communities if government plans reach fruition Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

All-flash and hyper-convergence star in HPE and NetApp financials

All-flash storage lines hit high revenues and growth rates for HPE and NetApp in their latest quarter results. Hyper-converged infrastructure also does well for HPE, but NetApp keeps mum Continue Reading

By

• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

Improving public/private collaboration to boost digital government

TechUK and the civil service are working together on a programme to develop digital skills in Whitehall and a better understanding of government needs in the tech industry Continue Reading

By

• Julian David, TechUK

Cyber criminals earn $3bn a year exploiting social platforms

Businesses urged to respond to research findings that the ready availability of hacking tools, wildfire spread of malware and proliferation of cryptocurrency mining has seen a 300-fold increase in social media-enabled cyber crimes in two years Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

TechUK: Digital ethics has to hit the boardroom this year

UK IT industry lobby organisation releases a position paper contending that digital ethics must become a boardroom matter in 2019 Continue Reading

By

• Brian McKenna, Senior Analyst, Business Applications

Brexit self-harm means London no longer the Holy Land for all fintech talent

Fintechs in London and the UK will face increased challenges finding the right staff as Brexit makes other European hubs even more attractive Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Podcast: The Computer Weekly Downtime Upload – Episode 5

In this week’s episode of The Computer Weekly Downtime Upload podcast, the team discuss Greenpeace’s latest datacentre sustainability research, the work the government is doing to support the growth of the UK’s AI talent pool, and covers how Kellogg's is embracing virtual reality tech Continue Reading

By

• Computer Weekly Staff

EU gathers momentum in cyber security legislation and cooperation

The past two years have seen a step-change in the rate at which the European Union is putting legislation in place to support improved cyber security standards, collaboration and sharing of resources, says digital commissioner’s representative Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Fidor bank future clearer next month as split from BCPE nears

Digital challenger bank Fidor is close to splitting from BCPE, with clarity expected next month Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Nordic tech is increasing diversity but more needs to be done

The shortage of women in the boardroom is a problem in the Nordics, like other regions, but work in its tech sector means the future could be more promising Continue Reading

By

• Matthew Staff

Cyber power needs wider discussion, says GCHQ director

The topic of cyber power needs wider discussion, says GCHQ head in a speech about the opportunities of digital innovation such as 5G, as well as the accompanying complexity and risk, with particular mention of China and Huawei Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Android now Fido2 certified

Mobile operating system’s certification accelerates global migration beyond passwords, says Fido Alliance, which seeks to eliminate the world’s dependence on password-based security Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Nominet and Learning Foundation launch digital inclusion taskforce

Taskforce aims to tackle digital exclusion, which leaves many people in the UK without access to digital technology Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

Will Advertisers and Insurers hold Social Media Platforms to Account after Governments fail

The Shareholder Backlash Most digerati appear to be in a state of denial over the scale and nature of the damage being done by the abuse of social media. It is fuelling family breakdown, mental ... Continue Reading

By

• Philip Virgo, Winsafe Ltd

Health Secretary Matt Hancock orders ban on use of pagers by NHS staff before end of 2021

Eradicating use of pagers will save the NHS £6.6m a year, as Health Secretary Matt Hancock outlines the next phase of his plan to modernise communication in the health service Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

Facebook planned to spy on Android phone users, internal emails reveal

Facebook planned to use its Android app to track the location of its customers and to allow advertisers to send political advertising and invites to dating sites to ‘single’ people, confidential documents show Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

BlackBerry acquires Cylance to cement security capability

BlackBerry moves forward with its plans to establish itself as an enterprise security firm, focusing on internet-connected endpoints Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Thales to sell nCipher to Entrust Datacard

Thales eSecurity has announced that it is to sell HSM specialist nCipher, the UK-based encryption firm it acquired in 2008, after spinning it out as a separate business Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Government not doing enough to address mobile not-spots

The National Infrastructure Commission has criticised the government for a lack of progress in addressing mobile network not-spots, particularly along key road and rail links Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Nato supports collaboration on cyber security

Nato supports collaboration and cooperation on cyber security as an organisation founded on the principle of collective defence, says representative Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Businesses urged to prepare for extortion campaigns

C-level executives, lawyers and doctors are the top extortion targets of cyber criminals, a report by researchers tracking thousands of sextortion attempts reveals Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

MWC 2019: O2 to launch 5G by Christmas

Ahead of Mobile World Congress, operator O2 has revealed further details of how it is planning for the advent of 5G Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

UK committed to working with EU cyber security partners

NCSC CEO uses cyber security conference in Brussels to set out his agency’s position on Brexit, 5G security, Huawei, market incentives and international cooperation on active cyber defence Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Sweden’s central bank to test digital currency

 Continue Reading

CW Nordics: Sweden to test e-krona and plans cashless society

Sweden’s vision of a cashless society has gained traction after the Riksbank (central bank) rolled out plans to test a digital currency, the e-krona. Also read how the Nordic region’s longer-established companies are playing a forceful role to advance digital transformation, and how Finland’s IT sector has rebounded strongly after Microsoft’s takeover of Nokia’s mobile phones and smart devices business units in 2014. Continue Reading

Astrophysics and music production skills give Bud a different approach: Fintech interview part 16

Fintech Bud is using a diverse range of skills to help banks like HSBC understand and create customer services based on open banking rules Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Government and IT industry-funded AI graduate education programme to be rolled out across UK

UK government announces the launch of a state and IT industry-funded graduate education programme in artificial intelligence, comprising masters degrees, PhDs and Alan Turing Institute fellowships Continue Reading

By

• Brian McKenna, Senior Analyst, Business Applications

Cooperation a key theme of Brussels cyber security symposium

Fostering trust-based cooperation of like-minded cyber security stakeholders to create new strategies, policies and standards emerged as a key theme at a cyber security conference in Brussels Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Government revises outsourcing guidelines to balance risk with suppliers

The government has published its latest guidelines on public sector outsourcing Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

MWC 2019: 5G smartphones go live on Vodafone network

Vodafone has connected three 5G-enabled smartphones to a live network during trials in Spain Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Breaking the chains: How FUD is holding the cyber sector hostage

The cyber security industry must move past fear tactics and get back to the basics of good cyber security practice Continue Reading

By

• Tom Kranz, Cyber Lab

MWC 2019: Huawei claims massive lead on 5G readiness

At a pre-Mobile World Congress event in London, Huawei’s Ryan Ding shared details of the firm’s rapidly expanding 5G mobile portfolio, and laid into his competitors Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Huawei faces battle to win Nordic trust

Nordic countries are investigating the spying allegations made against Chinese networking supplier Huiawei Continue Reading

By

• Gerard O'Dwyer

UK naïve to think China won’t try to exploit Huawei

A think-tank report has branded the UK government naïve at best, irresponsible at worst, over its use of Chinese networking equipment in critical national infrastructure Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Estonia redoubles efforts to attract global IT talent

IT professionals from all over the world are being lured to Estonia through a government recruitment campaign Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

CIO interview: Martin Draper, CIO and change director, Liberty London

Department store’s IT leader is bringing a traditional retail business into the digital, omnichannel age Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

NHS AI code launched to set rules of engagement for tech firms

The government says its code of conduct for the use of artificial intelligence and other data technologies in the NHS sets out the data privacy rules of the game for tech firms Continue Reading

By

• Brian McKenna, Senior Analyst, Business Applications

Upgraded Bank of England system that gives more fintechs the same rights as banks, due in 2025

While fintechs get their platforms up and running in months the Bank of England’s core system replacement will take best part of a decade. Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Activist Lauri Love’s computer ‘contained hacked data’, says judge

Lauri Love, who has been accused of hacking into US government computer systems, has lost a legal action against the NCA for the return of his computers and storage device Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Bank of England to migrate from core system with a one-off big bang

The Bank of England will migrate from its current core settlement system with a 'big-bang' migration before the end of 2025 Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Health secretary Matt Hancock launches NHSX organisation to lead tech strategy

Central unit will bring together leadership in digital, data and technology to support NHS technology vision and Long-Term Plan Continue Reading

By

• Bryan Glick, Editor in chief

No More Ransom releases GandCrab decryption tool

Another free decryption tool is available that allows anyone infected with the latest versions of the GandCrab ransomware to regain control of their files and avoid paying the fee Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

MWC 2019: 5G in Europe driven by industrial automation, says Ericsson

As Mobile World Congress 2019 nears, Sweden’s Ericsson has been expanding, and expounding upon, its plans for 5G mobile networks Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Royal Mail delivers safety training through virtual reality

At the Learning Technologies event in London, Royal Mail’s online learning manager talks about the organisation’s use of virtual reality to help postal workers avoid dog attacks Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

IT Priorities 2019: Cyber security and risk management among top priorities for 2019

This year’s Computer Weekly/TechTarget IT Priorities research shows that cyber security and risk management are among the top investment priorities Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Podcast: The Computer Weekly Downtime Upload – Episode 4

In this week’s episode of The Computer Weekly Downtime Upload podcast, the team covers Matt Hancock’s bid to get the NHS to embrace email, the government’s push to extend IR35 to the private sector, and how technology can transform staff training Continue Reading

By

• Computer Weekly Staff

Kellogg’s tests VR for developing merchandising strategy

Breakfast food brand Kellogg’s is working with Accenture and Qualcomm to test the use of virtual reality to develop a retail strategy for the launch of new products Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

Six experiential retail businesses chosen for Jlab

The businesses and startups that will take part in John Lewis’ 2019 Jlab programme have seen selected following a pitch day Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

Collaborative security approaches underpin container success

Containers are helping organisations to accelerate age-old software development approaches, but success is underpinned by a constant and team-wide attention to security Continue Reading

By

• Nicholas Fearn

NCSC signals UK may take softer line on Huawei

The UK’s National Cyber Security Centre suggests Huawei will be allowed to form core elements of the country’s 5G mobile network infrastructure after all Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Forget all the fancy stuff and apply AI to paying invoices, says Previse: Fintech interview part 15

While self driving cars and robotic co-workers take the limelight businesses can benefit from the seemingly more mundane application of machine learning Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

CISOs under increasing pressure, study shows

Cyber security professionals are under growing pressure from workloads and budget deficits, a study has revealed Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Fintech reveals that Brexit induced fall in pound’s value hits migrant workers in UK

Cross border payments Fintech identifies migrant workers in UK losing out because of falling pound Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

NHS takes a small digital step into the 21st century - with bigger ones to come

Here is our quote of the week: “We spend £8m a year on paper. We spend £2m a year on envelopes. We can save lives, save staff time and cut costs by using an extraordinary piece of technology that ... Continue Reading

By

• Bryan Glick, Editor in chief

(ISC)² invests in professional development of security workforce

Security industry association sets up Professional Development Institute to extend training offerings beyond certification Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Making the move to cloud work for you

Getting the best out of a move to the cloud means getting the size right, turning off what you don’t need, smart purchasing and continuously decluttering your new environment Continue Reading

By

• Rahul Gupta , PA Consulting

Central Saint Martins hosts Three’s 5G trial for London Fashion Week

Three’s trial 5G network will enable the world’s first augmented reality fashion show at Central Saint Martins, while consumers can test out a prototype network at its flagship store Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Satellite broadband secures Cornish observatory a brighter future

The Tolcarn Observatory near St Austell in Cornwall is putting its money where its mouth is and using satellite broadband to enhance its research work and educational outreach Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

CIO interview: Neil Holden, IT director, Halfords Group

Motoring and bicycles retailer is growing its use of cloud, expanding on data analytics and exploring new technologies such as artificial intelligence Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Apple Business Chat powers Npower’s smart meter switch

Energy supplier is using Apple Business Chat to help users through the process of switching onto new smart gas and electricity meters Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Government rules out blockchain at borders until after Brexit due to 'significant work' required

A previous HMRC pilot of distributed ledger technology will not provide any short-term solution to issues around UK borders after Brexit Continue Reading

By

• Bryan Glick, Editor in chief

Cisco CEO brushes off Brexit and other crises

Chuck Robbins has been speaking about the networking business’ resilience in the face of multiple geopolitical trends and crises, and says his customers just can’t stop spending Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Action needed as venture capitalists reluctant to invest in fintechs founded by women

Action is needed if fintechs set up by women are to receive the same level of venture capitalist backing as those set up by men Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Chinese AI startup claims breakthrough in pediatric diagnosis

Yitu Healthcare claims over 90% accuracy when diagnosing a range of pediatric diseases using a natural language processing system Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

HSBC to turn off mobile app after it finds life in open banking features

HSBC's exploration of open banking functionality with fintech Bud has identified what customers want Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

NHS must use email by default, says health secretary Matt Hancock

Secretary of state for health and social care criticises NHS staff who insist on only sending letters to patients, and says modern, secure communications will save lives Continue Reading

By

• Bryan Glick, Editor in chief

NVMe startups’ different routes to flash performance gains

NVMe offers huge flash performance benefits, but no one is quite sure how to overcome the challenges that brings and startups are trying several different approaches Continue Reading

By

• Chris Evans

Security Think Tank: UTM a key part of a well-rounded security strategy

How can organisations best use unified threat management tools to help stem the tide of data breaches? Continue Reading

By

• Mary-Jo de Leeuw, (ISC)2

London and Helsinki digital partnership challenges big IT platforms

CDOs of London and Helsinki meet at London’s City Hall to sign a city-to-city digital declaration around AI, open data and digital innovation Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor