News

IT for retail and logistics

• November 26, 2021 26 Nov'21

  Post Office inquiry clears up opaque stance on subpostmaster compensation

  The chair of the Post Office scandal public inquiry has confirmed the compensation of a group of subpostmasters will be revisited

• November 25, 2021 25 Nov'21

  Post Office supported 1999 law change that eased prosecutions using computer evidence

  The Post Office made clear its support for a change in UK law regarding computer evidence that was making prosecution 'onerous' - a change which later helped to wrongfully convict subpostmasters

• November 25, 2021 25 Nov'21

  UK consumers warned of increase in credit card application fraud

  There has been a sharp rise in fraudsters using stolen personal details to open credit card accounts

• November 22, 2021 22 Nov'21

  Upcoming holidays prompt ransomware warning from authorities

  Ransomware gangs know how calendars work, and may target their attacks around major holidays to take advantage of more people being off work, according to a new alert

• November 22, 2021 22 Nov'21

  More wrongful convictions overturned in Post Office scandal

  Seven more subpostmasters have been cleared after the Post Office charged them for crimes caused by its faulty Horizon software, taking the total of people wrongfully convicted to 72, with more to come

• November 22, 2021 22 Nov'21

  Black Friday cyber warning for 4,000 card-skimming victims

  NCSC warns thousands of small retailers that their websites are being exploited to steal customer data

• November 19, 2021 19 Nov'21

  Subpostmasters asked to withdraw support for Post Office scandal inquiry

  Subpostmaster campaign group founder calls for members to withdraw support for public inquiry into Horizon IT scandal over lack of adequate compensation

• November 18, 2021 18 Nov'21

  Six more former subpostmasters have convictions overturned

  A total number of 65 subpostmasters have now had criminal convictions overturned in Post Office Horizon scandal

• November 17, 2021 17 Nov'21

  Amazon to stop accepting Visa credit cards in UK due to high fees

  Online retail giant Amazon will stop accepting UK Visa credit card payments from January next year

• November 17, 2021 17 Nov'21

  Post Office agrees to share privileged legal information with Horizon scandal inquiry

  The Post Office will waive professional legal privilege for documents relating to legal advice it received regarding subpostmaster prosecutions

• November 16, 2021 16 Nov'21

  Blueprint for future high street shows tech’s role in creating thriving communities

  Technology will play an important role in creating thriving communities after Covid-19 lockdowns renew interest in local high streets

• November 16, 2021 16 Nov'21

  Can UAE become a world leader in AI?

  The UAE has launched multiple programmes as it bids to be a world-leading location for artificial intelligence innovation

• November 15, 2021 15 Nov'21

  UK government proposes new rules for digital supply chain security

  Proposals could see IT service providers legally required to adhere to the NCSC’s Cyber Assessment Framework, among other things

• November 15, 2021 15 Nov'21

  Convictions of eight former subpostmasters in Scotland under review

  The Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission is investigating eight potential miscarriages of justice linked with faulty Post Office IT system

• November 11, 2021 11 Nov'21

  Online sales now account for 34.4% of M&S clothing and home goods

  Ongoing digital transformation sees online sales grow for M&S as pandemic consumer habits continue

• November 09, 2021 09 Nov'21

  What’s up with Wotsits, Quavers and Monster Munch?

  IT failure leads to shortages of popular UK crisps on supermarket shelves resulting in extraordinary price hikes on eBay

• November 09, 2021 09 Nov'21

  Government and Post Office should stop discussing Horizon victim compensation and pay it

  The first hearing in the Post Office Horizon scandal public inquiry hears why victims should be paid compensation immediately

• November 08, 2021 08 Nov'21

  How cosmetics retailer Lush made over its approach to authentication

  Evolving approaches to IT at cosmetics retailer Lush meant the organisation’s previous approach to authentication was no longer up to scratch. Find out how it overcame this hurdle

• November 07, 2021 07 Nov'21

  Technology spending reaches record levels, fuelling jobs boom

  Spending on IT has reached its highest levels for a decade but a shortage of skilled IT professionals could dampen growth

• November 05, 2021 05 Nov'21

  Number of subpostmasters appealing convictions reaches 137 at one legal firm

  Former subpostmasters convicted of crimes based on data from error-prone Post Office computer system continue to embark on appeals

• November 05, 2021 05 Nov'21

  Police interview former Fujitsu staff for second time in potential perjury investigation

  Former Fujitsu staff who gave evidence in subpostmaster trials have been questioned by police for a second time

• November 04, 2021 04 Nov'21

  Fujitsu escaped huge lawsuit because Post Office behaved so badly in Horizon scandal

  How Fujitsu has so far avoided a huge lawsuit in relation to its role in the Horizon scandal

• October 25, 2021 25 Oct'21

  Attempted hack causes Tesco website outage

  Retailer’s website and app back after attempted hack caused problems over the weekend

• October 22, 2021 22 Oct'21

  Post Office board ‘appalling’ and ‘short-sighted’, said minister researching Horizon project in 2000

  A government minister investigating the controversial Horizon IT project in 2000 described the Post Office board of directors as ‘appalling, short-sighted and partisan’

• October 21, 2021 21 Oct'21

  Depop launches programme to help charities sell online

  Online marketplace Depop has launched a programme to make it easier for charities to set up shops and sell goods online through its platform

• October 15, 2021 15 Oct'21

  Argos topped online sales for sports and outdoor gear in 2020

  Research by betting firm Wette.de has found Argos was the top retailer for online sales of sports-based and outdoor goods during the height of the pandemic

• October 15, 2021 15 Oct'21

  Manchester City teams up with Qualtrics for fan experience management

  Manchester City is teaming up with online survey software firm Qualtrics, part-owned by long-term City Football Group supplier SAP, to engage more intelligently with the football club’s fanbase

• October 15, 2021 15 Oct'21

  Global IT outsourcing sees record spending and no sign of slowing

  Cloud services are being taken up by enterprises rapidly as they accelerate digital transformations

• October 13, 2021 13 Oct'21

  Post Office Horizon scandal inquiry announces first public hearing

  Public inquiry into the Post Office Horizon scandal will hold its first public hearing next month

• October 08, 2021 08 Oct'21

  Craft beer specialist Brewdog fixes serious app vulnerability

  Vulnerability in brewer’s mobile app could have resulted in serious consequences for its shareholders and customers

• October 07, 2021 07 Oct'21

  How data drives Air Canada’s cargo business

  Data-driven insights and artificial intelligence are helping Air Canada to find a new business path as it expands its cargo business following the pandemic

• October 06, 2021 06 Oct'21

  US lawmakers propose ransomware reporting rules

  Former presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren lends her support to a bill that would require corporate ransomware victims to disclose more information about their attacks to the authorities

• October 06, 2021 06 Oct'21

  Ocado gets closer to autonomous delivery with Wayve trial

  Startup Wayve takes what it believes is a different approach to autonomous driving by modelling the behaviour of a driver

• September 29, 2021 29 Sep'21

  UK consumer trust in banks, retailers and telcos declines as scams increase

  Consumers are blaming banks, retailers and social media for the huge increase in online scams, survey shows

• September 28, 2021 28 Sep'21

  Dutch IT firm transforms HR policy built on lessons from pandemic

  Software firm rips up human resources rule book and replaces it with a hybrid working policy

• September 23, 2021 23 Sep'21

  Fresh alert over Conti ransomware surge

  Conti ransomware crew appears increasingly active, prompting fresh warnings from the US authorities

• September 21, 2021 21 Sep'21

  BlackMatter gang ramps up attacks on multiple victims

  A wave of new BlackMatter ransomware attacks is hitting organisations around the world, even as the US authorities mull new sanctions on ransom payment infrastructure

• September 16, 2021 16 Sep'21

  Bitdefender launches free REvil ransomware decryptor

  Working alongside law enforcement partners, Bitdefender has developed and released a tool to help REvil victims recover their data for free

• September 14, 2021 14 Sep'21

  CCRC refers six more subpostmaster convictions for appeal

  An additional six subpostmasters’ convictions have been referred for appeal in Post Office IT scandal

• September 13, 2021 13 Sep'21

  Smishing attacks up sevenfold in six months

  Scam text messages are reaching pandemic proportions, thanks in part to the pandemic

• September 09, 2021 09 Sep'21

  UK GDPR faces changes under planned reforms

  DCMS is launching a major consultation on proposed changes to the UK’s data protection regime, under which several key elements of the GDPR are likely to change

• September 08, 2021 08 Sep'21

  Stolen credit card data worth about £13 on dark web, PayPal worth more

  The average price of a stolen credit card on a dark web marketplace comes in at around $17.40, or £12.60, according to new data – but the real money for cyber criminals is in hacked PayPal accounts

• September 06, 2021 06 Sep'21

  Room for improvement in UK right to repair laws

  The UK government introduced right to repair legislation earlier in 2021 to combat the growing issue of electronic waste, but data sanitisation firm Blancco says that while it’s a step in the right direction, there is definitely scope for improvement

• September 02, 2021 02 Sep'21

  Apple workers challenge company on toxic workplace culture

  Workers participating in the #AppleToo movement say they have collected nearly 500 testimonies from employees about their experiences of discrimination, harassment and abuse at Apple

• September 02, 2021 02 Sep'21

  How high can the contactless card limit go without two-factor authentication?

  The spending limit for contactless cards has reached an eyebrow-raising triple-digit figure – £100 – raising questions about the need for user authentication

• September 01, 2021 01 Sep'21

  University of Sunderland applies technology through robot dog

  Students will apply technologies such as artificial intelligence to robotic dog as part of their learning

• August 31, 2021 31 Aug'21

  Subpostmasters demand more clarity on Horizon public inquiry before committing their support

  Subpostmaster campaign group founder demands that financial redress for members be included in public inquiry before it ‘willingly’ participates

• August 27, 2021 27 Aug'21

  Are proposed data protection changes a threat to UK citizens’ privacy?

  Though changes are as-yet undefined pending an upcoming consultation, concerns are already being expressed over the government’s plan to liberalise data protection laws in the service of innovation and growth

• August 26, 2021 26 Aug'21

  Tech giants commit to Biden's cyber security action plan

  Some of the world’s most prominent tech giants have made a series of commitments to enhance the US’ national cyber security posture following a high-profile meeting with president Biden

• August 26, 2021 26 Aug'21

  Government unveils post-Brexit data flow proposals

  The government will pursue data partnerships with countries including Australia, South Korea and the US as part of a post-Brexit data regime that may also see substantial changes to the UK’s data protection law

• August 26, 2021 26 Aug'21

  NZ privacy lead John Edwards named new information commissioner

  DCMS has named John Edwards, currently New Zealand privacy commissioner, to succeed Elizabeth Denham as UK information commissioner

• August 25, 2021 25 Aug'21

  UK loses £1.3bn to fraud and cyber crime so far this year

  New figures from the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau show a threefold spike in reported financial losses to fraud and cyber crime in the first six months of 2021

• August 24, 2021 24 Aug'21

  Half of MS Exchange servers at risk in ProxyShell debacle

  Up to 50% of MS Exchange users in the UK are exposed to three vulnerabilities that are now being actively exploited

• August 20, 2021 20 Aug'21

  Swedish IT industry braced for China’s response to Huawei 5G ban

  Swedish IT and communications equipment suppliers fear economic backlash from China following Huawei ban

• August 18, 2021 18 Aug'21

  A digital twin for farming

  We speak to a company that has pioneered digital plant growth for indoor farming

• August 17, 2021 17 Aug'21

  Overturned convictions of subpostmasters mount up, but 555 victims no closer to justice

  The government has failed to provide fair compensation to the subpostmasters who exposed the full extent of the Horizon scandal to the world

• August 16, 2021 16 Aug'21

  Nearly half of retailers hit by ransomware in 2020

  In the face of increasingly prevalent and sophisticated ransomware attacks, retail organisations need to develop alternative ways of restoring lost or encrypted data, as paying the ransom does not guarantee its return in almost a third of cases

• August 11, 2021 11 Aug'21

  Four more subpostmasters set to have convictions overturned

  A further four subpostmasters are set to have their wrongful convictions overturned in the latest development in the Post Office Horizon scandal

• August 10, 2021 10 Aug'21

  Dutch lead the way in protecting themselves against internet risks

  Dutch citizens come top in a study on awareness of internet risks in Europe, which showed major differences across the continent

• August 06, 2021 06 Aug'21

  CIO interview: Michael Voegele, CDIO, Philip Morris International

  Tobacco giant’s CDIO is helping to transform the company’s business model through smart use of technology

• August 04, 2021 04 Aug'21

  M&S launches initiative to hire software engineers

  Supermarket and department store M&S has launched an initiative designed to help it find software engineering talent

• August 03, 2021 03 Aug'21

  Executive interview: Chris McShane, MD, Halfords Mobile Experts

  Cycling and motoring retailer Halfords has developed its own service management software, which it is now taking to market

• August 02, 2021 02 Aug'21

  Building supply chain resilience with cloud ERP

  Vallen Asia’s cloud enterprise resource planning system has enabled it to scale its operations across the region and made its supply chain operations more resilient amid the pandemic

• July 28, 2021 28 Jul'21

  COP26 cyber resource hub launched for Glasgow businesses

  New digital information hub for Glasgow business to help organisations keep secure both physically and online ahead of major climate change summit

• July 22, 2021 22 Jul'21

  Government to fund interim compensation of up to £100,000 for each wrongly convicted subpostmaster

  The government will pay interim compensation within weeks to subpostmasters who were wrongly convicted of crimes due to computer errors

• July 19, 2021 19 Jul'21

  A dozen more subpostmaster prosecutions quashed in Horizon scandal

  Twelve more former subpostmasters have had wrongful convictions for financial crimes overturned in the Court of Appeal

• July 14, 2021 14 Jul'21

  More than half of European IT outsourcing spending will soon be on cloud services

  Cloud services will soon be the largest part of the IT services market in Europe, as enterprises invest in them as part of their Covid-19 recovery strategies

• July 14, 2021 14 Jul'21

  Multiple Microsoft bugs being actively exploited

  Microsoft’s July Patch Tuesday update fixes 117 vulnerabilities, 13 rated as critical and four already being actively exploited

• July 13, 2021 13 Jul'21

  Russia tightens pressure on global IT companies

  Russian authorities will force certain IT companies with customers in Russia to open local offices

• July 12, 2021 12 Jul'21

  Taxpayers will have to pay at least £300m to bail out Post Office after scandal

  The cost of a scheme set up to compensate subpostmasters who were victims of the Horizon IT scandal will exceed £300m even before damages are paid to all those who suffered

• July 09, 2021 09 Jul'21

  Government commitment to Post Office Horizon victims was a ‘false promise’

  The government has made no contact with subpostmasters two months after it said it would work with them to ensure they get speedy and fair compensation for their losses as a result of Post Office IT scandal

• July 08, 2021 08 Jul'21

  How GSK Consumer Healthcare builds out its platform business

  GSK Consumer Healthcare’s products are sold through retailers and chemist shops, and it is now connecting directly with consumers through APIs

• July 08, 2021 08 Jul'21

  CIO interview: Claire Dickson, group CIO, DS Smith

  Settling into her new role, Claire Dickson is working with the business to make strategic progress, smart, data-led changes and create a five-year digital strategy

• July 07, 2021 07 Jul'21

  Former Bank of England CIO joins Co-op Group as CTO

  Rob Elsey joins the Co-op Group at a time when the organisation is undergoing major digital transformation

• July 07, 2021 07 Jul'21

  Opportunists seen targeting Kaseya REvil victims

  Malwarebytes researchers highlight new spam campaign targeting businesses impacted by the ongoing Kaseya REvil ransomware incident

• July 06, 2021 06 Jul'21

  Ocado sees 19.8% increase in retail business revenue

  Online retailer’s half-year results show a significant increase in revenue for its retail business, with numbers reaching £1.2bn

• July 06, 2021 06 Jul'21

  Cyber insurance costs up by a third

  The frequency and severity of ransomware attacks is a leading factor behind a substantial increase in the cost of obtaining cyber security insurance

• July 06, 2021 06 Jul'21

  Manutan claws back 25% of storage admin time in switch to Pure

  Industrial and office supply giant needed to replace 3Par arrays then made a rapid switch to Pure Storage FlashArray flash storage when the ageing HPE hardware crashed during POC

• July 05, 2021 05 Jul'21

  REvil crew wants $70m in Kaseya ransomware heist

  Two days after one of the largest ransomware attacks in history by the REvil/Sodinokibi gang, the security community is assessing its next moves, while over 1,000 victims remain in limbo

• July 02, 2021 02 Jul'21

  Should I be worried about PrintNightmare?

  The accidental publication of proof of concept code for a Windows vulnerability, and the reclassification of said bug from low to critical severity, has the cyber community concerned. Is it right to be?

• July 01, 2021 01 Jul'21

  US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency launches ransomware assessment tool

  Newly launched service will help US organisations understand how prepared they are to deal with a ransomware attack

• July 01, 2021 01 Jul'21

  Ten more former subpostmasters set to have wrongful convictions overturned

  Another 10 subpostmasters are set to have their criminal convictions quashed as part of one of the biggest miscarriage of justice in British history

• June 29, 2021 29 Jun'21

  UK Cyber Security Council launches inaugural initiatives

  Security association seeks to determine terms of reference for committees to oversee standards and ethics, and qualifications and careers in the cyber sector

• June 28, 2021 28 Jun'21

  Insurers unprepared for challenges of underwriting ransomware

  RUSI think tank calls for an industry-wide reset amid intense challenges for providers of cyber security insurance

• June 25, 2021 25 Jun'21

  CMA to probe Amazon and Google over fake reviews

  The CMA has opened an investigation into Amazon and Google over possible breaches of consumer protection law

• June 24, 2021 24 Jun'21

  Gousto uses Sisense Fusion to broaden analytics across business

  AWS-based Sisense platform enables meal-kit company to provide more of its employees with data and create custom dashboards

• June 24, 2021 24 Jun'21

  Make ransomware payments illegal, say 79% of cyber pros

  Report produced for MSSP Talion claims overwhelming support for the criminalisation of ransomware payments

• June 21, 2021 21 Jun'21

  UK public largely supportive of Amazon workers unionising

  A poll released on Prime Day by UK-based trade union Unite shows strong public support for Amazon workers should they choose to unionise

• June 21, 2021 21 Jun'21

  Post Office pays 400 subpostmasters compensation for losses caused by computer errors

  The Post Office has so far compensated 400 subpostmasters who suffered losses because of errors in the organisation’s Horizon computer system

• June 18, 2021 18 Jun'21

  ICO issues guidance on facial recognition in public spaces

  Information commissioner’s concern over the problematic use of facial recognition in public spaces has prompted her to publish official guidance on its deployment, while civil society calls for an outright ban

• June 17, 2021 17 Jun'21

  Cyber crooks target Amazon Prime users ahead of retail bonanza

  A surge in malicious domain registrations ahead of Amazon Prime Day indicates cyber criminals have set their sights on exploiting vulnerable shoppers

• June 16, 2021 16 Jun'21

  Contactless payments accounted for a quarter of all UK payments in 2020

  Restrictions in everyday life brought by the Covid-19 pandemic fuelled an increase in the use of contactless payment technology during 2020

• June 11, 2021 11 Jun'21

  Can technology help save the world’s oceans?

  To tie in with World Oceans Day earlier this month, IBM hosted a panel discussion on the potential to use IT to support sustainable fishing

• June 10, 2021 10 Jun'21

  Risk data shows UK energy sector most vulnerable to cyber attack

  New report compiled by insurance firm Hiscox reveals the state of cyber preparedness in the UK and beyond

• June 09, 2021 09 Jun'21

  RSA spins out fraud and risk unit as Outseer

  RSA Security is transitioning its fraud and risk intelligence work into a new business to be called Outseer

• June 08, 2021 08 Jun'21

  Did government allow Post Office to sack forensic accountants to cover up Horizon scandal?

  Whatever the Post Office told government about its decision to sack investigators examining subpostmaster prosecutions for theft could identify if the government was part of a cover-up

• June 07, 2021 07 Jun'21

  Bank of England calls for feedback on digital currencies

  The UK financial services regulator is calling for feedback from organisations, including tech firms, on the use of cryptocurrency

• June 04, 2021 04 Jun'21

  Amazon launches apprenticeship fund for small businesses

  The £2.5m Amazon Apprenticeship Fund will be aimed at helping small businesses use the government’s levy transfer scheme to access talent

• June 02, 2021 02 Jun'21

  Mulberry bags Google Cloud support for data-driven sales push during Covid-19

  Public cloud giant adds Mulberry to its roll-call of retail customers

• June 01, 2021 01 Jun'21

  Post Office scandal public inquiry finally begins after chances to address problems were ignored

  The Post Office Horizon scandal inquiry begins with subpostmaster campaign group waiting for full details before committing its support