Internet infrastructure

Banks could be blocked from closing branches through FCA legislation

UK financial services regulator the Financial Conduct Authority considers legislation that could block some bank branch closures to ensure citizens have easy access to cash Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Investigatory Powers Tribunal finds UK spy agencies unlawfully collected personal data

Campaign groups Privacy International and Liberty are gearing up to bring further legal action after a court found that UK spy agencies unlawfully collected phone and internet records Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Plans to address legal but harmful content ‘threaten free speech’

House of Lords report criticises the government’s forthcoming Online Safety Bill for imposing duty of care on tech platforms to deal with ‘legal but harmful’ content, which it says threatens freedom of expression online Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Nordic banks join forces to compete with fintechs

Collaboration will be key for traditional Nordic banks to retain business amid intense competition from tech companies Continue Reading

By

• Gerard O'Dwyer

Privacy Shield: One year on and companies are still grappling for answers

Activist lawyer Max Schrems and Eduardo Ustaran, partner at Hogan Lovells, look for common ground in a problem with no easy answers Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

APAC datacentres gear up for the future

Datacentre operators in the Asia-Pacific region are dabbling in advanced power and cooling solutions, along with machine learning and edge computing, to keep pace with growing demand for their services Continue Reading

By

• Edwin Yapp

Why identity is the central problem for the future of the internet

As debate rages over who has the right to control user identities online, is the concept of decentralised identity about to have its day? Continue Reading

By

• Nick Lambert

Bank of England searches for new CIO amid once-in-a-generation project

The Bank of England is recruiting a head of IT during a period of major change in its core IT system Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Nordic fintech could lead the world

Will the Nordics become the fintech and open banking innovation capital of the world? Continue Reading

By

• Alex Cruickshank

Bank branches will be a thing of the past in five years, say bankers

Traditional bank branches are likely to disappear from the high street in the next five years, but banking ecosystems will ensure customer service levels are high, say bankers Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Zopa Bank to make profit in its first year

Bank set up by peer-to-peer lending fintech firm expected to make a profit in its first year Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Google hands third-party cookies a stay of execution

Google’s proposed Privacy Sandbox initiative – which will see third-party cookies phased out in the Chrome web browser – has been pushed back to 2023 Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Online Safety Bill unfit for purpose, says new campaign group

Campaign group set up to oppose Online Safety Bill says the duty of care is too simplistic, cedes too much power to US corporations and will, in practice, privilege the speech of journalists or politicians Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Lloyds Bank to close 44 more branches

Banking group has announced the closure of a further 44 branches as customers increasingly use other channels for banking Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

G7 commits to action on ransomware, digital privacy

The G7 urges Russia to do more to hold criminal ransomware gangs operating from within its borders to account as it commits to more action on the issue Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Vodafone announces key partners for Europe’s first commercial Open RAN network

Operator selects Dell Technologies, NEC, Samsung, Wind River, Capgemini Engineering and Keysight Technologies to build what it says will be one of the largest Open RAN networks in the world Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

FBI planned a sting against An0m cryptophone users over drinks with Australian investigators

Australian Federal Police and the FBI came up with the idea over drinks: build a cryptophone network with a built-in backdoor and sell it to crime gangs around the world Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

CMA secures commitments from Google on future of cookies

The Competition and Markets Authority is opening a consultation on commitments offered to it by Google to ensure its Privacy Sandbox proposals do not harm digital advertising markets Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

BBVA to cut 3,000 jobs in Spain as digital technology transforms industry

Spanish bank is the latest to announce swingeing branch and job cuts amid increased digital competition Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Police raids around world after investigators crack An0m cryptophone app in major hacking operation

Police in 16 countries carried out raids on after Australian Police and the FBI cracked an encrypted An0M communications network used by crime groups Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

EU privacy chief investigates use of US cloud services

Use of Amazon and Microsoft’s cloud services by public sector bodies in the European Union is being scrutinised by the bloc’s privacy watchdog Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

European-led consortium investigates quantum cryptography

The arms race to a quantum internet is under way – the European Commission is looking at secure critical national infrastructure and member state comms Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

GCHQ bulk interception programme breached privacy rights, Strasbourg court rules

European Court of Human Rights finds that the UK’s bulk surveillance programme breached citizens’ privacy rights Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Stockholm’s startup scene seeks more diversity

Swedish capital has created a world-leading tech startup environment, but it still lacks the diversity of people needed to move it to the next level Continue Reading

By

• Matthew Staff

Microsoft EU Data Boundary dubbed ‘smoke and mirrors’

Data protection experts claim Microsoft’s decision to create an EU Data Boundary is a tacit admission that it routinely transfers and processes the personal data of European citizens outside the bloc Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Irish High Court dismisses legal bid by Facebook over EU-US data transfers

Latest twist in long-running legal battle sees Facebook lose legal bid to prevent the Irish Data Protection Commissioner suspending its transfer of data about European citizens to the US Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Fibre roll-outs gather pace in Europe

Number of homes and businesses reached by fibre grows rapidly in 39 leading European territories, with FTTH/B coverage in Europe surpassing more than half the total number of homes Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

UK government publishes Online Safety Bill draft

Bill builds on previous commitments by the government, which has added new measures to uphold democracy and freedom of speech while making tech giants more accountable Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

The Security Interviews: Why helpful bots could hurt vaccine roll-outs

Earlier this year, spikes in traffic to websites containing information about Covid-19 vaccines were attributed by Imperva to automated bots scraping data. Why is that a problem? Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Swedish court finds ambiguities in hacked EncroChat cryptophone evidence

Defence lawyer claims evidence obtained by hacking the EncroChat encrypted phone network has ‘no legal’ value following Swedish appeal court ruling Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly
• Sara Nkwe Assarsson

GCHQ: Cyber investment a guarantor of UK’s global status

GCHQ director Jeremy Fleming sets out a vision for the UK’s cyber security future Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

What does a network infrastructure upgrade project involve?

Explore the steps organizations must take to upgrade their network infrastructure, including how to tell if an upgrade is necessary and how to evaluate resources for the project. Continue Reading

By

• Andrew Froehlich, West Gate Networks

Digital Markets Unit starts work on codes of conduct for tech giants

Digital markets regulator officially launched to ensure tech giants such as Facebook and Google cannot exploit their market dominance to crowd out competition and stifle innovation online Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Big Tech eclipses telecoms and arms giants as biggest lobbying spenders

Facebook and Amazon are spending more on lobbying and campaign contributions than any other companies in the US, including those in the arms and telecommunications sectors that have traditionally been the highest political spenders Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Web founder calls for ubiquitous, safe internet access for young people

Internet access has a direct correlation to GDP. On the 32nd birthday of the world wide web, its founder calls for improvements to safe access Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

UK digital regulators set out plans to strengthen cooperation

Digital Regulation Cooperation Forum outlines plans for the coming year, marking a shift towards a more collaborative regulatory approach Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

CityFibre extends full-fibre network to Peterborough

Former leading altnet to put a further £1.5m into its high-speed broadband connectivity project Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

UK's Starling Bank reaches unicorn status

UK app-based bank Starling reaches unicorn status following its latest round of funding Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Nottinghamshire schools suspend online learning following cyber attack

Cyber attack on central trust that manages secondary schools in Nottinghamshire leaves them unable to access IT systems and deliver remote lessons Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Bank of Ireland to reduce branch network by almost half

Bank of Ireland is latest bank to pin its future on digital channels as customers change their banking habits Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Virgin Media trial demos multi-gigabit upgradeable bandwidth

Virgin Media trials optical networking technology that could pave way to faster internet connectivity that is easier to upgrade Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

HSBC offers to help customers transitioning to digital banking as branch closures continue

HSBC is offering its customers training in how to bank digitally in a safe and effective way as it, like many banks, moves customers out of branches and towards using online services Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Covid accelerates Bradford University remote working project

Pandemic injected fuel into university’s existing project to introduce remote working Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Nordic startups strive to fuel international e-commerce transformation

Nordic startups are developing technology for retailers that want to improve the customer experience when buying online Continue Reading

By

• Matthew Staff

MHRA and other agencies to offer new resources for scam victims

New landing page resources will replace .uk domains suspended for criminal activity to help members of the public access appropriate guidance Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Internet companies should provide real-time data on disinformation, Lords told

Fact-checking experts tell House of Lords inquiry that upcoming Online Safety Bill should force internet companies to provide real-time information on suspected disinformation, and warn against over-reliance on AI-powered algorithms to moderate content Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

UK government set to offer fintech visa

The importance of immigrant workers to the UK's fintech sector highlighted by government planned fintech visa Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Swedish police fined for unlawful use of facial-recognition app

Sweden’s data watchdog has found that Swedish police failed to conduct the data protection checks required by law before using controversial facial-recognition tool Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Swedish central bank extends digital currency project

Sweden's central bank has extended its pilot of a digital currency for at least another year Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Digital investments will add £232bn to UK economy by 2040

The UK economy could grow by £232bn over the next two decades if investments in digital technologies continue Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Google Chrome update to patch serious zero-day

A serious heap buffer overflow vulnerability means Google Chrome users should patch their browsers as soon as possible Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Revolut rewrites policy to include permanent remote working

Challenger finance firm Revolut is redesigning its office spaces and introducing permanent remote working policies Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Revealed: Brits who fuelled ‘vicious’ conspiracy theory by Trump supporters

Trump supporters have apologised and paid millions in damages to the family of murdered Democratic Party staffer Seth Rich for promoting false allegations that Rich – not Russian agents – stole emails from the Democratic National Committee Continue Reading

By

• Duncan Campbell , 2QQ Ltd, Sussex University

Commerzbank announces big job cuts and branch closures

German bank is closing hundreds of branches and cutting thousands of jobs as it reshapes for the digital age Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

How to understand networking and the internet for beginners

For beginners, learning how networking and the internet truly work can feel overwhelming. One expert encourages patience, practice and assurance that networking isn't unknowable. Continue Reading

By

• Michaela Goss, Senior Site Editor
• No Starch Press

ICO resumes adtech investigation

The UK Information Commissioner’s Office was criticised for ending its investigation into alleged malpractice in advertising technology, but has now resumed its probe Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Google threatens to cut off Australia

Google’s threat to end its Australian Search operation comes in the face of new legislation that would force it to pay media publishers for news content Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Should I be worried about MFA-bypassing pass-the-cookie attacks?

Malicious actors bypassed multi-factor authentication using so-called pass-the-cookie attacks, but how worrying is this and what is the risk to organisations? Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

HSBC closing more branches as customers turn to digital channel

Bank announces branch closures as it reshapes its network for the digital age Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

The UK’s struggle with digital schooling

In this week’s Computer Weekly, the UK government’s sudden decision to close schools left many unable to provide children with online schooling - we examine the home learning challenges. Cyber security experts give us their forecasts for 2021. And we find out how technology supports the work of the Guide Dogs charity. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Parler v AWS, digital schooling, ambulance data – Computer Weekly Downtime Upload podcast

In this episode of the Computer Weekly Downtime Upload podcast, Caroline Donnelly, Clare McDonald and Brian McKenna discuss the purgation of Parler, the traumas of digital schooling and the South Central Ambulance Service’s use of data to support their operations during the Covid-19 pandemic Continue Reading

By

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

SASE – Does It Need Underpinning With A Global Private Backbone Network?

Previously, in this blog space we looked at cloud application acceleration and how it might finally kill off the wounded beast that never dies that is MPLS, and how SASE can be an underlying ... Continue Reading

By

• Steve Broadhead, Broadband Testing

Treat the internet like a natural resource

There are some things that require a permanent internet connection. One cannot listen to internet radio, watch YouTube or take part in a video conference, without a permanent, live, high-quality ... Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Five easy tips to improve working from home networks

With many people having to work from home, we look at how to get the most from an existing broadband internet connection Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Government use of 'general warrants' to authorise computer and phone hacking is unlawful

A court has ruled that the security and intelligence services can no longer rely on ‘general warrants’ to authorise the hacking of large numbers of computers and phones belonging to UK citizens Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to remain in prison despite winning extradition battle

Judge cites Assange’s support of NSA whistleblower as one of the reasons for him being at high risk of absconding. He will remain in Belmarsh prison until the US government completes its appeal Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange cannot be extradited to face charges in US, court rules

Court rules it would be oppressive to send Julian Assange to the US to face trial after finding he is at high risk of suicide. US government says it will appeal Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Top 10 investigations and national security stories of 2020

Here are Computer Weekly’s top 10 investigations and national security stories of 2020 Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Top 10 financial services stories of 2020

Here are Computer Weekly’s top 10 financial services IT stories of 2020 Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

It’s time to accept that disinformation is a cyber security issue

Tackling the manipulation of truth and facts is no easy task, and it’s time for the cyber security sector to take up the challenge Continue Reading

By

• Saj Huq, Plexal

UK government unveils details of upcoming online harms rules

Online Harms Bill due early 2021 will introduce GDPR-style fines for technology companies that breach online duty of care rules Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Optus teams up with VMware on SD-WAN

Australia’s second biggest telco, Optus, will offer VMware’s SD-WAN solution to enterprises in a highly fragmented market Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Challenger banks hindered by lack of customer confidence

Despite an acceleration in the use of digital banking services, challenger banks face the obstacle of winning customer trust Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Calls for Facebook break up as US issues lawsuits for anti-competitive behaviour

Antitrust lawsuits issued by the US Federal Trade Commission and 48 attorneys general call for the breakup of Facebook following 10 years of anti-competitive behaviour Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

CMA sets out plan to regulate technology giants

With its new Digital Markets Unit, the CMA is hoping to curb the excesses of the internet, improve competition and give more choice to consumers Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

AWS to open Melbourne cloud region in 2022

Amazon Web Services’ second Australian cloud region is part of its growing infrastructure investments in the maturing cloud market Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

SMEs poised to reap tech and agility advantage in wake of Covid-19

The UK’s small and medium-sized businesses have, in some respects, reacted more nimbly to Covid-19 than larger organisations. As a result, they have put themselves in a better position to take advantage of growth opportunities Continue Reading

By

• Bev White, Nash Squared

What next for the now-profitable app-based Starling Bank?

Starling bank is the first of the new breed of UK digital banks to make a profit, so where next? Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Allied Irish Bank prioritises digital services as it cuts workforce

Bank is cutting its operating costs by 10% with job cuts and facility closures, but will continue to invest heavily in technology Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

22,000 malicious .uk domains suspended in past year

Nominet has suspended just over 22,000 domains in the 12 months to 31 October 2020, continuing a downward trend, and with less impact from Covid-19 than might be expected Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

How retailers are using technology to survive

In this week’s Computer Weekly, with high street retailers struggling to survive, we look at how technology can keep stores relevant. Everyone is focusing on flash storage, but hard disk drives are still an essential part of the IT toolkit. And we examine the latest developments in the ongoing Post Office Horizon IT scandal. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Lords propose making tech giants pay for using news

Digital platforms such as Google and Facebook profit from running adverts alongside publishers’ content, but no financial compensation is given for carrying that content, says Lords committee Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

UK government ramps up efforts to regulate tech giants

The Digital Markets Unit of the Competitions and Markets Authority aims to protect consumer privacy and lower barriers to entry for businesses Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Telcos could face huge fines under new security laws

Government boasts of unprecedented powers to boost the security standards of the UK’s critical national infrastructure Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Amazon Swedish language site will expand reach of local retailers

Amazon launches Swedish language website and promises to make more products available in the Nordic region Continue Reading

By

• Jane Hamrin

Automated image recognition: How using ‘free’ photos on the internet can lead to lawsuits and fines

Germany-based photographer Marco Verch uses computer scripts to populate the internet with topical images and photographs. People and companies who make mistakes in following the complex licensing terms of his ‘free to share and adapt’ photographs receive threatening ‘legal’ demands Continue Reading

By

• Chad O’Carroll, NK News
• Sophie Lamotte
• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

NHS completes transition to HSCN

All 950 NHS, social care, private sector and local authority organisations have migrated from the legacy N3 network to the Health and Social Care Network Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

DDoS mitigation strategies needed to maintain availability during pandemic

The growing prevalence of DDoS attacks combined with the increased reliance on internet connectivity during the pandemic means enterprises can no longer afford to ignore the threat of DDoS attacks. Computer Weekly explores organisations’ perceptions of the risks and best practice for mitigation Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Amazon charged with breaching EU antitrust rules

Tech giant accused of using data it collects on smaller retailers to benefit its own e-commerce business Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

EU aid funds used to train ‘unaccountable intelligence agencies’ in high-tech surveillance

Hundreds of documents obtained by campaign group Privacy International show how the EU is supporting surveillance programmes in the Balkans, the Middle East and Africa Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

EU moves closer to encryption ban after Austria, France attacks

Draft resolution document setting up an EU-wide ban on end-to-end encryption is set to be waved through this week Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

The Google antitrust case is more about politics than economics

It’s not entirely clear what economic reasons led the US government to try to tackle Google’s search monopoly, which suggests it is mostly about politics Continue Reading

By

• Tim Worstall, Adam Smith Institute

US Justice Department files antitrust lawsuit against Google

Lawsuit alleges Google used anticompetitive tactics to maintain and extend its monopolies in a number of interconnected digital markets, violating US federal antitrust law Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Why securing the DNS layer is crucial to fight cyber crime

Domain name system security is often overlooked by organisations, but focusing on this layer could actually improve the effectiveness of cyber security strategies. We explore the latest DNS trends and best practice Continue Reading

By

• Nicholas Fearn

UK regulators lack the skills and expertise to cope with increasing use of algorithms

MPs told that multiple regulators will be needed to govern the ever-growing use of algorithmic systems in all areas of the economy and public sector Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

US Elections: Malicious internet domains spike as campaigns heat up

Internet domains related to the US presidential election are 56% more likely to be malicious than regular ones Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Five Eyes spy group again demands access to private messages

Spooks are once again calling for the tech industry to break end-to-end encryption in messaging platforms Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Facebook critics’ webpage removed over false phishing allegations

Real Facebook Oversight Board alleges Facebook is trying to censor it for speaking out against the social media company’s behaviour Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

US lawmakers release big tech antitrust report

House Democrats have published a report on the monopoly power wielded by big tech companies and how to restore competition in digital markets Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Facebook critics launch ‘Real Facebook Oversight Board’

Organisation formed as an ‘emergency response’ to address the ‘immediate risk’ posed by Facebook’s role in the US election Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor