Privacy and data protection

Adventures in AI at Tripadvisor

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we find out how travel site Tripadvisor is embracing AI to offer new products and services to its users. Gartner says the chance of a successful digital project is like ‘flipping a coin’ – we went to its annual IT leadership symposium to ask why. And we examine what companies must do to comply with the EU’s new NIS2 cyber security rules. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Denmark’s AI-powered welfare system fuels mass surveillance

Research reveals the automated tools used to flag individuals for benefit fraud violate individuals’ privacy and risk discriminating against marginalised groups Continue Reading

By

• Josh Osman, Computer Weekly

UK consumers losing more than ever to holiday scams

Last Christmas, UK consumers lost over £11m to cyber criminals. This year, to save them from tears, the NCSC and Action Fraud are teaming up to launch an anti-fraud campaign Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Williams Racing F1 team supports kids cyber campaign

A multi-region campaign will teach pre-teen children cyber security basics – with a little help from Formula 1 star Alex Albon Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

MPs hold first ever debate on live facial recognition

MPs have held an open debate on police use of live facial recognition technology for the first time since it was initially deployed by the Met Police in August 2016 Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Ex-boxer fights US government over legality of Sky ECC cryptophone intercepts

Lawyers for former heavyweight boxer Goran Gogic argue that US prosecutors’ reliance on messages obtained by a European police hacking operation into the SKY ECC encrypted phone network breaches the US constitution Continue Reading

More data stolen in 2023 MOVEit attacks comes to light

Over a year since the infamous MOVEit Transfer cyber attacks affected thousands of organisations, more new victims have come to light after an anonymous threat actor leaked their data on the dark web Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Police cloud project raises data protection concerns despite legal reforms

Ongoing data protection issues with the use of hyperscale public cloud infrastructure by UK police could complicate the ambitions of nine forces to move their common records management system into the cloud Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Fresh concerns over NHS England registries procurement

Clinicians and technologists behind a number of medical devices registries being brought together by NHS England on a new common platform have accused the health service of flouting public sector procurement regulations Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

What are the security risks of bring your own AI?

The rise of generative AI has led to a plethora of publicly accessible artificial intelligence tools, but what are the risks when external AI tools are used with corporate data? Continue Reading

By

• Peter Ray Allison

Interview: Petra Molnar, author of ‘The walls have eyes’

Refugee lawyer and author Petra Molnar speaks to Computer Weekly about the extreme violence people on the move face at borders across the world, and how increasingly hostile anti-immigrant politics is being enabled and reinforced by a ‘lucrative panopticon’ of surveillance technologies Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

UK government launches AI assurance platform for enterprises

The platform is designed to drive demand for the UK’s artificial intelligence assurance sector and help build greater trust in the technology by helping businesses identify and mitigate a range of AI-related risks Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Starmer announces tech-enabled crackdown on people smuggling

The UK government has announced a further £75m of funding for its Border Security Command, meaning it will now have £150m over two years to spend on new technologies and staff Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Data bill will boost NHS and police access to data, says government

The Data Use and Access Bill will pave the way for sharing medical records across the NHS and give police the ability to access databases without having to manually log the reasons for their use Continue Reading

Data bill aims to boost police and NHS productivity

In this week’s Computer Weekly, the government’s new data bill promises to improve productivity and efficiency for the NHS and police, but will it ensure privacy as well? We talk to Dell’s global CTO about how the IT giant sees the AI boom playing out. And we examine which industries stand to benefit most from the collaboration opportunities of virtual reality. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Virtual collaboration within and across industries – promises and challenges

New technologies enable intuitive and realistic visual and auditory landscapes that put users within applications. We look at which industries will likely illustrate the impact of virtual collaboration in commercial environments Continue Reading

By

• Martin Schwirn, Computer Weekly

RedLine, Meta malwares meet their demise at hands of Dutch cops

A multinational action led by authorities in the Netherlands has resulted in the takedown of the notorious RedLine and Meta infostealer malwares Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

UK launches cyber guidance package for tech startups

The NCSC and NPSA, alongside agencies from the Five Eyes alliance, have issued guidance for startups on how to secure themselves against common cyber threats and targeted industrial espionage Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Inside Google Cloud’s secure AI framework

Google Cloud’s secure AI framework that’s integrated into its Vertex AI platform offers practical tools and guidance to manage the lifecycle, data governance and operational risks of AI Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

How Manulife is empowering sales and call centre agents with AI

Canadian insurance giant is leveraging generative AI to personalise customer experiences, transform contact centre workflows and automate underwriting processes Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Dutch critical infrastructure at risk despite high leadership confidence

Stark paradox in Dutch cyber security landscape has business leaders expressing high confidence in their IT infrastructure as cyber attacks rise Continue Reading

By

• Kim Loohuis

Data bill will boost NHS and police access to data, says government

The Data Use and Access Bill will pave the way for sharing medical records across the NHS and give police the ability to access databases without having to manually log the reasons for their use Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly
• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Prudential taps AI to improve health insurance experience

Insurance giant Prudential teams up with Google Cloud to streamline claims processing, personalise healthcare journeys and improve health outcomes Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

ServiceNow touts Now platform as AI engine for transformation

At the ServiceNow World Forum in Melbourne, company executives touted the transformative power of AI in streamlining workflows, improving user experiences and driving business value Continue Reading

By

• Stephen Withers

Democracy campaigner to sue Saudi Arabia over Pegasus and QuaDream spyware in UK court

Pro-democracy campaigner Yahya Assiri given permission to file legal action in London court against Saudi Arabia over its use of Israeli spyware Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Danish government reboots cyber security council amid AI expansion

Denmark’s government relaunches digital security initiative to protect business sectors and society at large Continue Reading

By

• Gerard O'Dwyer

Can AI be secure? Experts discuss emerging threats and AI safety

International cyber security experts call for global cooperation and proactive strategies to address the security challenges posed by artificial intelligence Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

EU cyber security bill NIS2 hits compliance deadline

The EU’s NIS2 bill will harmonise how companies and member states approach cyber security, but its success will depend on how well it is implemented and enforced Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

NCSC expands school cyber service to academies and private schools

The National Cyber Security Centre is expanding its PDNS for Schools service to encompass a wider variety of institutions up and down the UK Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Internet Archive web historians target of hacktivist cyber attack

The Internet Archive nonprofit digital library and Wayback Machine operator has been attacked by pro-Palestinian hacktivists Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

UK and US pledge closer working on children’s online safety

In their first agreement on the subject of children’s online safety, the UK and US governments have said they will create a new working group to boost cooperation Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Australia bolsters cyber defences with security bill

Legislation tackles IoT security and establishes a Cyber Incident Review Board to bolster Australia’s cyber resilience Continue Reading

By

• Stephen Withers

MoneyGram customer data breached in attack

MoneyGram confirms that customer data has been stolen in an incident that appears to have started with a social engineering attack on its IT helpdesk staff Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Secureworks: Ransomware takedowns didn’t put off cyber criminals

The number of active cyber criminal ransomware gangs has surged by almost a third in the space of 12 months, according to the latest intelligence from Secureworks Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

UK’s cyber incident reporting law to move forward in 2025

The UK government says that enforced cyber incident and ransomware reporting for critical sectors of the economy will help to build a better picture of the threat landscape and enable more proactive and preventative responses Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

IBM: Data breach cost in ASEAN hits new high

The average cost of a data breach in ASEAN grew by 7% from last year, as organisations grapple with increasingly distributed IT environments and complex security systems Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

NCSC celebrates eight years as Horne blows in

Outgoing NCSC interim leader Felicity Oswald shares her thoughts on the body’s work over the past eight years as she hands over the reins to incoming CEO Richard Horne Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Detective wrongly claimed journalist’s solicitor attempted to buy gun, surveillance tribunal hears

Darren Ellis, who led a surveillance operation against journalists who exposed police failures, wrongly accused a solicitor of attempting to buy arms Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin and Cormac Kehoe

Ex-PSNI officer seeking legal advice over comments made at Investigatory Powers Tribunal

 Ex PSNI officer ‘deeply angered’ by comments made by a former detective at a tribunal investigating allegations of unlawful surveillance against journalists Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Microsoft files lawsuit to seize domains used by Russian spooks

Microsoft has been given permission to seize multiple domains used by the Russian state threat actor Star Blizzard as part of a coordinated disruption effort undertaken ahead of the US elections Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Rise of the cyber clones: When seeing isn’t believing

It is frighteningly easy to clone someone else's identity using readily-available artificial intelligence tools Continue Reading

By

• Jake Moore, ESET

Detective reported journalist’s lawyers to regulator in ‘unlawful’ PSNI surveillance case

Former Durham detective Darren Ellis told the Investigatory Powers Tribunal that he had concerns about lawyers acting for journalists placed under surveillance by Northern Irish police Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin & Cormac Kehoe

Businesses are getting some value from AI, but struggling to scale

Survey from KPMG reveals IT leaders struggling to keep up with the pace of technology innovation Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

UK on high alert over Iranian spear phishing attacks, says NCSC

The NCSC and counterpart agencies in the US have issued a warning over enhanced Iranian spear phishing activity targeting politicians, journalists, activists and others with an interest in Middle Eastern affairs Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

How UEM Sunrise is driving transformation with Salesforce and AI

Malaysian property developer UEM Sunrise is leveraging Salesforce and AI to boost sales and enhance customer experience while prioritising data sovereignty and a diversified cloud strategy Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Home Office eVisa scheme is ‘broken’, says Open Rights Group

Digital rights campaigners say the Home Office’s plan to make its new electronic Visa scheme a real-time online-only process is part and parcel of the 'hostile environment' around immigration status Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Gartner: Mitigating security threats in AI agents

Agents represent a step-change in the use of artificial intelligence in the enterprise - as attendees at Salesforce's annual conference saw first hand this month - but do not come without their risks Continue Reading

By

• Avivah Litan, Gartner

Medtech startup brings Oracle AI to bear on cancer drug research

Learn how Oracle Cloud Infrastructure and its cutting-edge AI features are bringing new benefits to cancer care by helping doctors identify better treatment options Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Europol provides detail on Ghost encrypted comms platform takedown

Law enforcement bodies from across the world have revealed how they collaborated to bring down encrypted network Ghost and the new ways of working that have been established with Europol at the centre Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Salesforce’s agentic AI platform to transform business automation

CRM giant’s Agentforce lets organisations build and deploy autonomous agents to automate business processes through advanced learning and data integration Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

UN-backed cyber security report highlights global shortfalls in preparedness

In the three years since the UN-backed cyber security report was published, countries have been making a concerted effort to protect themselves from cyber threats, but there’s more to do Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

Cyber workforce must almost double to meet global talent need

Research from ISC2 finds global cyber workforce needs additional 4.8 million people to fully secure businesses Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

Kubernetes disaster recovery: Five key questions

We look at disaster recovery for Kubernetes environments, the key challenges to deployment of K8s DR, the risks we aim to mitigate, how to build a plan and the key infrastructure requirements Continue Reading

By

• Stephen Pritchard

Lord introduces bill to regulate public sector AI and automation

A private members’ bill seeking to regulate the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and other automated technologies throughout the public sector has been brought to Parliament Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Data sharing for immigration raids ferments hostility to migrants

Data sharing between public and private bodies for the purposes of carrying out immigration raids helps to prop up the UK’s hostile environment by instilling an atmosphere of fear and deterring migrants from accessing public services Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

The flight to data success

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we look at how Manchester Airport Group has set course to become the world’s most intelligent airport through its data-led approach. After much hype about artificial intelligence, we look at the failings of AI initiatives as the tech hits roadblocks, as well as explore what can be done to improve success. And we take a peek at what support networks are available to those new in the CISO role. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Longstanding Darktrace CEO Poppy Gustafsson to step down

Darktrace CEO Poppy Gustafsson is to leave the AI cyber company she helped build with Mike Lynch after more than a decade, following its acquisition by a private equity firm Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Canadian arrested by France after cooperating with US on Sky ECC cryptophone investigation

Thomas Herdman, who faces charges in France over his involvement in distributing Sky ECC encrypted phones, was arrested by French police despite agreeing to cooperate with US law enforcement Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin & Morgan Ayre

Fraud and scam complaints hit highest ever level in UK

The Financial Ombudsman Service says it recorded almost 9,000 complaints about fraud and scams from April to June, the most ever recorded Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Chief data officers highlight data integrity woes

In a report from the company co-founded by web inventor Tim Berners-Lee, CDOs discuss the challenges of artificial intelligence and using increasing amounts of personal data Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Transport for London hit by cyber attack

London’s transport network provider TfL experiences cyber security incident, but reassures customers there is no impact on services Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Telegram CEO Pavel Durov under formal investigation, released on bail

European Commission confirms it has powers to place Telegram under ‘direct supervision’ if it meets the threshold for regulation under the Digital Services Act Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Global cyber spend to rise 15% in 2025, pushed along by AI

Security spending will increase at pace in 2025, with artificial intelligence, cloud and consultancy services all pushing outlay to new highs, according to Gartner Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Cambridge Enterprise saves big with Keepit SaaS backup

University innovation body avoids hardware spend and saves management time as it switches from tape to cloud-to-cloud backup, instant recovery and decades-long retention from Keepit Continue Reading

By

• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

Telegram founder Pavel Durov questioned over cyber crime charges

Billionaire founder of Telegram accused of failing to co-operate with law enforcement requests for lawful interception Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

The US courts may have thrown a wrench into cyber regulation

A recent decision by the US Supreme Court to overrule the longstanding Chevron Deference has serious implications for global cyber security regulation Continue Reading

By

• Brian Arnold

Public education on security must be a top priority for Labour

With Labour returning to 10 Downing Street after 14 years, the Computer Weekly Security Think Tank panellists share advice and wish lists for the new government Continue Reading

By

• Petra Wenham

Pakistani national arrested over Southport ‘cyber terrorism’

Authorities in Pakistan have arrested a man on suspicion of cyber terrorism over his role in the spread of online misinformation in the wake of the Southport knife attack Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Podcast: Ransomware and what data storage can do about it

We talk to NetApp’s Chris McKean about ransomware attacks and the role of data storage in protecting against them Continue Reading

By

• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

From manifesto to material: What No. 10 needs to make reality

With Labour returning to 10 Downing Street after 14 years, the Computer Weekly Security Think Tank panellists share advice and wish lists for the new government Continue Reading

By

• Paul Lewis, Nominet

ICO launches privacy notice tool for SMEs

ICO tool designed to make it easier for small businesses and sole traders operating online to create bespoke data privacy notices for compliance purposes Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Helsinki braced for elevated cyber attacks

The City of Helsinki is increasing its collaboration with cyber security and crime investigators following a major attack on its systems Continue Reading

By

• Gerard O'Dwyer

Popular Microsoft apps for Mac at risk of code injection attacks

Researchers at Cisco Talos turn up evidence suggesting that Microsoft apps running on the Apple macOS operating system are not as secure as they seem Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

How might the UK's cyber landscape change under Labour?

With Labour returning to 10 Downing Street after 14 years, the Computer Weekly Security Think Tank panellists share advice and wish lists for the new government Continue Reading

By

• Dhairya Mehta and Cate Pye

Thousands of NetSuite customers accidentally exposing their data

Misconfigured permissions across live websites are leaving thousands of NetSuite users open to having their valuable customer data stolen, researchers say Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Campaigners criticise Starmer post-riot public surveillance plans

A UK government programme to expand police facial recognition and information sharing after racist riots is attracting criticism from campaigners for exploiting the far-right unrest to generally crack down on protest and increase surveillance Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Google's cookie conundrum: What comes next?

Google's revised approach to third-party cookies shouldn't come as a surprise, and may also be welcome Continue Reading

By

• Christian Ward

Automated police tech contributes to UK structural racism problem

Civil society groups say automated policing technologies are helping to fuel the disparities that people of colour face across the criminal justice sector, as part of wider warning about the UK’s lack of progress in dealing with systemic racism Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Leeds Teaching Hospitals deploys patient records and data sharing on Azure

In-house patient records system has been migrated to the Microsoft public cloud, opening up the potential for greater data sharing Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

NIST debuts three quantum-safe encryption algorithms

NIST has launched the first three quantum-resistant encryption algorithms, and as the threat of quantum-enabled cyber attacks grows greater, organisations are encouraged to adopt them as soon as they can Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Labour's first cyber priority must be the NHS

With Labour returning to 10 Downing Street after 14 years, the Computer Weekly Security Think Tank panellists share advice and wish lists for the new government Continue Reading

By

• Adam Button

Deep dive into quantum-resistant cryptography for email security

Quantum computers have the potential to crack many of the encryption methods we currently rely on to keep our digital communications safe. Quantum-resistant cryptography may be the answer Continue Reading

By

• Isla Sibanda

How UK firms can get ready for the implementation of NIS2

Many British companies will need to adhere to NIS2’s cyber security risk management and reporting requirements if they want to continue operating in the EU market and avoid huge fines Continue Reading

By

• Nicholas Fearn

The Security Interviews: Google’s take on confidential computing

We speak to Google’s Nelly Porter about the company’s approach to keeping data as safe as possible on Google Cloud Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Securing data in GCP: A Computer Weekly Downtime Upload podcast

We speak to Google’s director of product management for confidential computing about ensuring the protection of data in use Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Russia’s luxury car phish continues to prove effective

Government organisations and other bodies operating in Ukraine continue to be targeted by a relatively unsophisticated phishing campaign that has proven so effective for Russia’s cyber spooks that there are now multiple agencies involved Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Cyber lessons, and priorities for the UK's new government

With Labour returning to 10 Downing Street after 14 years, the Computer Weekly Security Think Tank panellists share advice and wish lists for the new government Continue Reading

By

• Ameet Jugnauth and Mark Pearce

Police hunt scammers after takedown of Russian Coms fraud platform

The National Crime Agency has arrested four people after taking down a phone number spoofing platform used by criminals to defraud hundreds of thousands of people in the UK with more arrests to follow Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Banks, telcos call for more data sharing to fight fraud

A Which?-led coalition of banks and telecoms operators is calling on the UK's new government to take the lead on enabling data sharing to help fight digital fraud Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Mayor launches London Privacy Register for smart city information

To increase transparency around and trust in London’s smart city technology deployments, the London Privacy Register aims to provide the public with more information about the systems they encounter in their day-to-day lives Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Basic failures led to hack of Electoral Commission data on 40 million people

UK government identifies Chinese state-linked hackers as likely to have been behind attack on the Electoral Commission Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

What is data loss prevention (DLP)?

Data loss prevention (DLP) -- sometimes referred to as 'data leak prevention,' 'information loss prevention' or 'extrusion prevention' -- is a strategy to mitigate threats to critical data. Continue Reading

By

• Cameron Hashemi-Pour, Site Editor
• Garry Kranz
• Andy Patrizio

What is GDPR? Compliance and conditions explained

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is legislation that updated and unified data privacy laws across the European Union (EU). Continue Reading

By

• Scott Robinson, New Era Technology
• Rich Castagna
• Tréa Lavery, Editorial Assistant

WTO digital trade agreement aims to modernise global commerce

A digital trade deal negotiated over five years at the World Trade Organization has been signed by 91 countries, laying the groundwork for a new global digital trade regime Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Mastering data privacy in the age of AI

AI continues to revolutionise how organisations operate, using vast amounts of personal data to make smart, informed decisions. However, this incredible potential comes with concerns about data privacy. DQM GRC's Mark James explores the issues. Continue Reading

By

• Mark James

Cyber crisis? How good PR can save your brand

Cyber attacks and data breaches can happen to anybody and often bring reputational damage and a loss of customer trust. How organisations publicly respond to such incidents can make or break them, and the importance of a good PR strategy cannot be underestimated Continue Reading

By

• Ed Coram-James

Ban predictive policing and facial recognition, says civil society

A coalition of civil society groups is calling for an outright ban on predictive policing and biometric surveillance in the UK Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Mimecast to buy insider threat specialist Code42

Mimecast is to buy fellow human-centred risk experts Code42 for an undisclosed sum to take advantage of its insider threat and data loss protection specialisms Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

WhatsApp and Signal messages at risk of surveillance following EncroChat ruling, court hears

Defence lawyers seek leave to appeal a decision by the Investigatory Powers Tribunal that the National Crime Agency lawfully obtained warrants to intercept messages sent over an encrypted phone network Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Chrome cookies reprieved amid Google Privacy Sandbox changes

Google abruptly changes tack on third-party cookies in its Chrome web browser, cancelling plans to deprecate them in favour of an unspecified ‘new experience’ for users Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor