IT news in your industry sector

Security Think Tank: Focus on data protection, but do not rely on DLP alone

Why is it important to know where data flows, with whom it's shared and where it lives at rest – and what is the best way of achieving this? Continue Reading

By

• Emma Bickerstaffe, Information Security Forum (ISF)

Thriving fintech, AI sectors give boost to UK tech funding

British technology businesses have received £5bn worth of venture capital funding since June 2016 – more than France, Germany and Sweden put together – with fintech and AI startups standing out Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Medical firm puts vTax and SAN to sleep to save £30,000 with Scale

Penlon replaces HPE servers and storage and VMware virtualisation to escape the high costs of licensing, and deploys Scale Computing hyper-converged appliances at two UK datacentres Continue Reading

By

• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

BT’s Gavin Patterson quits under shareholder pressure

Patterson’s resignation comes just weeks after he announced 13,000 redundancies across BT Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Businesses must report cyber crime, panel urges

By reporting cyber crimes, private enterprise can help improve national and international cyber defences and bring criminals to justice, according to an expert panel Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

DWP finally publishes Universal Credit business case

Published eight years after the programme began, the business case states that Universal Credit will generate £8bn a year in “economic value” once it is in a “steady state” Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Cyber security focus too much on tech, says Domino’s CISO

Many organisations are still focusing only on technology and compliance, which means their cyber defences are not as solid as they think, according to Domino’s Pizza chief information security officer Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

IT spending reaches 10-year high as CIOs struggle with digital technology strategy

IT leaders have seen their budgets and headcounts rise for the first time in 10 years, but face challenges implementing their digital strategies Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Nation state cyber attacks affect all, says former GCHQ boss

Cyber attacks by nation states used to be a small part of the problem for state authorities to address, but now all organisations are potential targets of nation state attacks, according to former GCHQ head Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Newcastle Council to show off smartest street in Britain

The Great Exhibition of the North will see Mosley Street in Newcastle upon Tyne transformed into Britain’s smartest street as part of a demonstration of IoT technology Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

5G transformative for UK plc, but potential impacts still vague

5G mobile technology looks set to transform the UK economy for the better, but the immaturity of the technology and lack of standards makes its true impact harder to judge, according to a report by Deloitte Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Business not learning from past cyber security incidents

Businesses are still not getting the basics right and they are not learning from past security incidents, according to world-renowned security blogger and trainer Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Security Think Tank: Understand data for risk-based protection

Why is it important to know where data flows, with whom it is shared and where it lives at rest, and what is the best way of achieving this? Continue Reading

By

• Simon Persin, Turnkey Consulting

Financial Conduct Authority raises questions over TSB's IT regression testing

The FCA will look at whether TSB carried out sufficient regression and user acceptance testing before migrating to a new IT platform Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

HMRC puts numerous IT projects on hold to focus on Brexit

Nearly 40 technology projects and changes are being put on the backburner because of Brexit priorities, including improving HM Revenue and Customs’ data-sharing capabilities and parts of the Maxing Tax Digital programme Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

We need to design for security and privacy, says Martha Lane Fox

The digital future is bright, but only if society works through a gear change in its relationship with technology, and demands products and services that are secure and private by design, says internet service pioneer Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

UK tech firms increase exports by more than 20%

The country’s tech sector continues to blossom and has significantly increased the export of both services and goods in recent years Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Understanding is key to security awareness, says specialist

Only if people understand why cyber security matters will they change their behaviours as a result of awareness training, according to a human behaviour specialist and cyber security consultant Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Security Think Tank: Ignorance about data is tantamount to negligence

Why is it important to know where data flows, with whom it's shared and where it lives at rest, and what is the best way of achieving this? Continue Reading

By

• Tim Holman, 2-sec

Cyber attacks not sophisticated, says Just Eat CISO

The chief information security officer of Just Eat has challenged the perception that all cyber attacks are sophisticated and that it is impossible to fill cyber security jobs Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Big data skills shortages – and how to work around them

Businesses are finding it hard to recruit enough people with big data and analytics skills, but for CIOs there are alternative strategies to consider Continue Reading

By

• Shamus Rae, KPMG

HMRC on track for August roll-out of customs IT system

The government will have a “fully functioning” customs declaration service by January 2019, HMRC CEO Jon Thompson told MPs Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Complex pricing hinders enterprise assessment of AWS, Google and Microsoft cloud IoT hubs

451 Research claims the complex IoT pricing models favoured by the hyperscale cloud giants are making life difficult for enterprise IT departments Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

Boards not asking right security questions, says Dido Harding

Former TalkTalk CEO says boards are still not asking the right cyber security questions, do not understand that they should be making cyber risk decisions, and are not communicating with engineers Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Application security more important than ever

Applications have an increasingly crucial role in our lives, yet they are also a real security threat, with hackers always finding new ways to bypass security defences. Computer Weekly looks at how organisations are responding to the challenge Continue Reading

By

• Nicholas Fearn

The bumpy ride to digital transformation

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we look at the lessons to be learned from General Electric’s bumpy ride to digital transformation. We assess the use of software-defined networking in corporate IT infrastructures. And we find out how Royal Bank of Scotland approaches digital and business innovation. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Security Think Tank: Use data flow information to protect systems

Why is it important to know where data flows, with whom it's shared and where it lives at rest, and what is the best way of achieving this? Continue Reading

By

• Paddy Francis

Boris Johnson wants tech to fight illegal wildlife trade

The foreign secretary wants the country’s “finest technological brains” to help combat poaching and save endangered species Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Technology key to new UK counter-terrorism strategy

Technologies such as machine learning and data analytics are key to the UK government’s updated counter-terrorism strategy Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

One-third of firms would pay ransoms rather than invest in security

Report says businesses are still making the same mistakes, failing to make any progress in crucial areas such as cyber security awareness and preparedness Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Security Think Tank: Data governance is essential to data security

Why is it important to know where data flows, with whom it's shared and where it lives at rest – and what is the best way of achieving this? Continue Reading

By

• Raef Meeuwisse

Scotland to begin building identity platform prototype this autumn

Scottish government plans flexible approach to online identity providers as it aims to launch alpha phase of is online identity assurance programme in August 2018 Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Visa blames hardware failure for UK-wide card payment system outage

Credit card payment processor moves to assure customers that last Friday afternoon’s downtime was not the work of hackers Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

Offensive AI unlikely in the near future, says Mikko Hypponen

Cyber criminals are not close to being able to use AI for attack purposes, according to industry veteran Mikko Hypponen, who has been at the forefront of AI use in cyber defence for several years Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Subpostmasters told to expect decision on alleged unfair prosecutions in August

The Criminal Courts Review Commission is expected to announce the findings of an investigation into alleged unfair subpostmaster prosecutions in August Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Visa card payments system goes down across the UK and Ireland

Millions of businesses across the UK and Ireland are unable to accept VIsa card payments because of a "service disruption" Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

Revamped BHS website to close two years after department store collapse

The BHS website, which was developed after the department store’s closure in 2016, will be closed at the end of June Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

WD-40 oils sales and finance processes in Europe with Epicor

WD-40 has automated its business processes with Epicor ERP, finding the system’s service-oriented architecture good for providing flexibility in the company’s business growth Continue Reading

By

• Brian McKenna, Senior Analyst, Business Applications

Huge rise in TSB-themed mobile phishing attacks after IT meltdown

Scammers have used bank’s IT problems as an opportunity to target its customers with mobile phishing attacks Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Ethical hacker, 86, rises to Santander’s challenge

Elderly hacker with little computing experience was able to hack WiFi and create phishing attack Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

BBC to show World Cup in virtual reality

Broadcaster will trial virtual reality and ultra HD live streams of the FIFA World Cup through BBC iPlayer and a dedicated VR app Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

Security Think Tank: Data controllers are essential in modern business environment

Why is it important to know where data flows, with whom it's shared and where it lives at rest, and what is the best way of achieving this? Continue Reading

By

• Petra Wenham

Security suppliers need to interact with community, says researcher

Security suppliers need to interact with the community to get feedback on their products before launch to ensure they have not missed any vulnerabilities, a security researchers advises Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Retail sector flagged as slow to adopt cloud technologies in Bitglass research

The fourth annual Bitglass cloud adoption survey reveals enterprise appetite for off-premise technologies is continuing to rise, but some industries are moving more slowly than others Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

Sweden and India in technology collaboration

Sweden has entered a partnership with India that will include joint work on smart city and mobility technologies Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Nestle nips unwanted mobile app sprawl in the bud

Nestle has consolidated its consumer-facing mobile app portfolio to add features to the most successful apps Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Artificial intelligence identifies skin cancer in lab test more effectively than doctors

Artificial intelligence has outperformed experienced dermatologists in identifying skin cancer samples, further highlighting the potential of the technology in healthcare Continue Reading

By

• Zach Emmanuel, Computer Weekly

VPN hacks can be lethal, warns security expert

Organisations should not overlook the need to secure VPN connections because failure to do so could be fatal, but 2FA alone is not enough, warns a security expert Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Security Think Tank: Data governance is good for business and security

Why is it important to know where data flows, with whom it's shared and where it lives at rest, and what is the best way of achieving this? Continue Reading

By

• Maxine Holt, Omdia

Security Think Tank: Information management means better security

Why is it important to know where data flows, with whom it's shared and where it lives at rest – and what is the best way of achieving this? Continue Reading

By

• Mike Gillespie

Security community urged to prepare for quantum computing

A top European chief information security officer is urging the security community to prepare for quantum computing to ensure their encryption processes are ready in time Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Ontario Institute for Cancer Research uses open source clouds to aid cancer research

OICR explains why it is backing open source software and commodity hardware to help accelerate the pace of cancer research across the globe Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

Tier 2 visas – a challenge for the tech sector

With staff shortages already being reported in the technology sector and Brexit potentially adding to the problem, tech departments need to get their Tier 2 visa applications right Continue Reading

By

• Kerry Garcia and Jackie Penlington

HP Inc results boosted by PC sales as it waits for 3D manufacturing to take off

3D manufacturing is HP Inc’s next big growth area, but that is 10 years away. In the meantime, it needs to rely on PC and printer sales Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

US issues warning about North Korean malware

US government has identified more than 85 networks compromised by two malware families believed to be North Korean in origin Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

US jails Canadian resident who helped Russia hack Yahoo emails

A US court has jailed a hacker on charges of computer fraud for hacking Yahoo email accounts on behalf of the Russian government Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Firms step up spending on digital tech, but struggle with strategy

Businesses and the public sector are stepping up their spending on digital technology, but many business leaders are struggling to keep pace with what it means for their business Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Drone industry set to contribute £42bn to UK economy by 2030

PwC research has predicted drones could add £42bn to the economy and create 68,000 jobs by 2030 Continue Reading

By

• Zach Emmanuel, Computer Weekly

Business still not addressing insider threat

Businesses are still not addressing inside threats when it comes to cyber security, leaving themselves wide open to data breaches as a result, according to a security analyst Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

UK security spend low despite breaches

The UK is the most breached country in Europe, but IT security spend remains low compared with other countries in the region, a report reveals Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Policy Exchange report calls for GDS to be moved to DCMS

Think-tank wants Government Digital Service to create a “single digital government account” for citizens, and says bringing the organisation into the Department for Digital, Media, Culture and Sport will improve focus on “all aspects of digital transformation” Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Tech's role in tackling humanitarian crises

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we learn about how mobile connectivity is a lifeline for Syrian refugees in Turkey, thanks to the mobile network operators in that country. Our latest buyer’s guide examines how modern network security enables digital transformation at a range of companies. And we find out about the technology strategy of logistics firm Hermes from its CIO, and about British Airways’ use of Salesforce to globalise its B2B sales. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Max Schrems’s NOYB initiates GDPR action

A privacy NGO led by Austrian lawyer Max Schrems is among the first to file complaints under the GDPR against Google, Instagram, WhatsApp and Facebook Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Former Macedonian PM convicted in corruption case exposed by illegal government surveillance

Information exposed by leaked recordings that were part an illegal mass surveillance campaign orchestrated under the government of former prime minster Nikola Gruevski have led to his conviction for corruption. He was found guilty of rigging a tender and receiving a luxury Mercedes as a bribe. He may still appeal the ruling Continue Reading

By

• Tena Prelec

London CDO: More groundwork needed to gain trust for data use

London’s chief digital officer, Theo Blackwell, says organisations need to do more groundwork if a smarter city is to be real possibility Continue Reading

By

• Brian McKenna, Senior Analyst, Business Applications

MPs launch inquiry into automation and its impact on jobs

House of Commons Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee will look at the impact of automation on workers, businesses and the UK economy as a whole Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

MPs slam government for biometrics strategy delay

Science and Technology Committee questions legality of the police’s approach to deleting mugshots of innocent people, and says government’s reasons for four-year delay to a new strategy is “less than convincing” Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Apple wins $539m from Samsung in latest iPhone patent case

Apple has won the latest battle in a long-running patent war with South Korean rival Samsung Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

GDPR puts people first, says ICO

The day of 25 May 2018 marks the biggest change to UK data protection law in a generation, with benefits for businesses and consumers, according to the UK privacy watchdog Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Commitment is the watchword on GDPR D-Day

New rules for protecting European citizens’ personal data are now enforceable by law, and organisations are being advised to focus broadly on commitment rather than narrowly on compliance Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Stronger rules on data protection by EU institutions agreed

On the eve of the GDPR compliance deadline, European politicians agree new rules to strengthen data protection in EU organisations Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

NHS England chooses care record exemplars

Greater Manchester, Wessex and One London are the three areas chosen to become Local Health and Care Record Exemplars, and will receive national funding over two years Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Security experts weigh in on GDPR checklists

Security experts give their views on what final checks businesses should be doing on the eve of the General Data Protection Regulation compliance deadline, while a survey reveals almost half of Brits have not heard of it Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

How artificial intelligence is fuelling engine maintenance innovation at Rolls-Royce

The engine maker has established an innovation centre to enable the company to deliver analytics and artificial intelligence-powered services to airlines using Rolls-Royce engines Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

NHS to launch national data opt-out tool

Patients will be able to opt out of having their health and care data shared by using an online tool developed by NHS Digital Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

CW Nordics: Finland delays e-voting plan

Security concerns have re-emerged to further frustrate the Finnish government’s plans to launch a national e-voting system. Also read about a study by the Stockholm School of Economics that looks at the likely impact of AI, machine learning and robotics on people’s lives. And find out why Norway has accelerated plans to scale up its national cyber security infrastructure. Continue Reading

EU cyber security agencies pledge to up cooperation

Four European cyber security agencies have agreed to increase collaboration in five key areas Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

England and Wales Cricket Board to improve players’ medical data

Cricketers’ medical images will be stored securely in an independent clinical archive, enabling clinicians to access medical data and make treatment decisions more quickly Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

New UK Data Protection Act not welcomed by all

Legislation makes the UK one of the first countries to implement the GDPR in local law, but some have criticised it as a “lost opportunity” Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

UK calls for new data-sharing model with EU

The UK has proposed a new data-sharing model to ensure ongoing data protection collaboration and free flow of data between the EU and the UK post-Brexit Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

After us the drought of democracy?

The BBC cover of a report from the Environment Agency warning of serious water shortages by 2050 while sufficient to supply 20 million consumers is being wasted prompted an attack of déjà vu. ... Continue Reading

By

• Philip Virgo, Winsafe Ltd

Mobile fraud up 680% since 2015, RSA reports

Fake profiles and throw-away devices are transforming social media into a cyber criminal marketplace, a fraud report reveals Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Marks and Spencer speeds up digital transformation plans as profits plunge

Retailer announces plans to accelerate its business transformation and close 100 stores by 2022 after continued shifts in consumer behaviour Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

Application and device security under the spotlight

The security of internet-connected devices and associated applications has become a significant concern, prompting suggestions legislation may be required, while the UK government’s recent Secure by Design review suggests several solutions, including legislative measures Continue Reading

By

• Peter Ray Allison

Technicolor speeds up movie production with Excelero NVMe flash

Film giant Technicolor had to duplicate workstreams or schedule access to movies being worked on, but Excelero NVMe allows concurrent access to 10 or more workstations at a time Continue Reading

By

• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

Skills shortage a major cyber security risk

Skill shortages remain a major risk to long-term information security capability and business is still struggling to defend against cyber breaches – but it is getting better at dealing with them, an IISP survey shows Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Amazon, Toys R Us and a tale of two technology approaches

Many factors contributed to the collapse of Toys R Us, but did a partnership with Amazon at the turn of the millennium play a part in its eventual demise? Continue Reading

By

• Ben Sillitoe

Government pledges full-fibre broadband for all by 2033

In a speech to the CBI, chancellor Philip Hammond pledges to build a nationwide FTTP network by 2033 Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Hammond pledges funding to help SMEs adopt digital tech

Chancellor promises to boost smaller companies with funding for digital technologies, and plans to launch a review of the UK’s productivity gap Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Facebook is ready for GDPR, says Zuckerberg

Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg has claimed the social network is ready for GDPR, but failed to give any answers to the most probing questions posed by European MEPs Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Singapore to adopt European e-invoicing standard

The city-state is the first country outside Europe to embrace the Peppol e-invoicing standard to speed up business transactions and lower operating costs for SMEs Continue Reading

By

• Kimberly Chua

Tesco announces closure of non-food website Tesco Direct

Supermarket giant Tesco has announced it will be closing its Tesco Direct website, which focuses on the sale of non-food-related products Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

Qualcomm and Facebook working on FWA broadband

Qualcomm is to integrate a number of its chipsets with Facebook’s Terragraph technology to build fixed wireless access broadband solutions for urban areas Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Taking the quantum leap: What is quantum technology for business?

Quantum computers are many years away, but the first applications of quantum technology will arrive in only one or two years – so businesses need to be ready Continue Reading

By

• Paul Martin , PA Consulting

The UK fintech economy will create different pockets of excellence all over the country

London should not be seen as competition for fintechs in the North and they should not try to emulate London's fintech model Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Legit tools exploited in bank heists

Cyber criminals attacking the finance and other industry sector are continuing to exploit legitimate administration tools to hide their activities, highlighting the need for threat hunting, a report reveals Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Social one of the 'most powerful' tools at brand’s disposal, says retail experts

Using social media to connect with customers is one of the most “powerful” tools retailers have at their disposal, said a panel of experts at the Salesforce World Tour Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

CIO interview: Cathal Corcoran, Gatwick Airport

Computer Weekly speaks to Gatwick Airport’s CIO about a major network upgrade, which will support future expansion and boost its IT services Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Digital identity: Is the puzzle about to be solved?

Solving the digital identity problem is key to the future of the digital economy as a whole – but how close are we? Computer Weekly looks at what is happening with Gov.uk Verify, private sector involvement, and lessons the UK could learn from other countries Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

A third of people would buy insurance from Google or Amazon

Consumers are increasingly likely to buy insurance from tech giants as the insurtech industry hits the mainstream Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA