News

Internet infrastructure

January 20, 2021 20 Jan'21
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?
January 20, 2021 20 Jan'21
HSBC closing more branches as customers turn to digital channel

Bank announces branch closures as it reshapes its network for the digital age
January 08, 2021 08 Jan'21
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
January 06, 2021 06 Jan'21
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

January 04, 2021 04 Jan'21
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
December 31, 2020 31 Dec'20
Top 10 investigations and national security stories of 2020

Here are Computer Weekly’s top 10 investigations and national security stories of 2020
December 29, 2020 29 Dec'20
Top 10 financial services stories of 2020

Here are Computer Weekly’s top 10 financial services IT stories of 2020
December 15, 2020 15 Dec'20
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
December 14, 2020 14 Dec'20
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
December 10, 2020 10 Dec'20
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

December 09, 2020 09 Dec'20
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
December 08, 2020 08 Dec'20
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
December 08, 2020 08 Dec'20
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
December 04, 2020 04 Dec'20
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?
December 03, 2020 03 Dec'20
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
December 01, 2020 01 Dec'20
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
November 27, 2020 27 Nov'20
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
November 27, 2020 27 Nov'20
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
November 23, 2020 23 Nov'20
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
November 23, 2020 23 Nov'20
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
November 17, 2020 17 Nov'20
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 ...
November 16, 2020 16 Nov'20
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
November 11, 2020 11 Nov'20
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
November 11, 2020 11 Nov'20
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
November 09, 2020 09 Nov'20
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
October 22, 2020 22 Oct'20
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
October 15, 2020 15 Oct'20
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
October 14, 2020 14 Oct'20
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
October 12, 2020 12 Oct'20
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
October 09, 2020 09 Oct'20
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
October 07, 2020 07 Oct'20
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
October 05, 2020 05 Oct'20
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
October 05, 2020 05 Oct'20
Regulator wants fintechs to address pandemic financial challenges

UK financial services regulator is supporting fintechs in addressing some of the challenges consumers and small businesses face amid the current pandemic
September 24, 2020 24 Sep'20
‘Not unjust’ to extradite WilkiLeaks founder Julian Assange, court hears

Nigel Blackwood, NHS consultant psychiatrist, told the Old Bailey court that WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange had ‘moderate depression’ and autistic traits, but said they did not prevent his extradition
September 23, 2020 23 Sep'20
Major tech firms urged to end targeted ads to under-18s

An open letter to Google, Facebook and others is calling on the tech firms to take responsibility for protecting users of their services by ending behavioural advertising to children
September 23, 2020 23 Sep'20
Video gamers barraged with cyber attacks

From credential stuffing to SQL injection and DDoS, video game producers and players are seeing massive volumes of cyber attacks
September 23, 2020 23 Sep'20
MoD Defence Digital adds Oracle Cloud to MODCloud list of assured providers

Database giant Oracle has been added to the list of providers the Ministry of Defence has endorsed for use by the UK defence community
September 22, 2020 22 Sep'20
Twitter investigates image cropping algorithm for racial bias

The algorithm’s consistent favouring of white faces in image previews has forced the company to investigate it for racial bias
September 21, 2020 21 Sep'20
NBN Co pumps in A$700m to shore up business connectivity

Australia’s national wholesale broadband provider is creating up to 240 business fibre zones across the country to provide businesses with access to its enterprise ethernet service
September 17, 2020 17 Sep'20
Swedish bank cuts branches and jobs, increases IT spend

Swedish bank is increasing investment IT to improve digital banking as it reduces its branch network
September 10, 2020 10 Sep'20
Irish privacy watchdog orders Facebook to stop sending user data to the US

Irish privacy watchdog orders Facebook to suspend transfers of European citizens’ data to the US after Schrems II ruling that Europeans have no effective way to challenge American government surveillance
September 10, 2020 10 Sep'20
Edinburgh council to create smart city operations centre

Edinburgh council extends an outsourcing agreement with CGI as it steps up its smart city programme
September 08, 2020 08 Sep'20
Nordic banks invest and innovate to keep digital rivals at bay

Large traditional banks are accelerating their digital transformations as the regional fintech sector makes its presence felt
September 03, 2020 03 Sep'20
Amazon to recruit 7,000 permanent workers in UK during 2020 hiring spree

The online retail giant’s UK workforce looks set to expand to 40,000 employees by the end of 2020, as its network of fulfilment centres continues to grow
September 01, 2020 01 Sep'20
Vint Cerf: Why everyone has a role in internet safety

The Covid-19 pandemic has demonstrated the power of internet connectivity. Vint Cerf talks to Computer Weekly about the challenges the internet now faces
August 28, 2020 28 Aug'20
New Zealand activates security services as DDoS outage enters fourth day

New Zealand government calls in its national cyber security agencies to help investigate a continuing cyber attack on the country’s financial systems
August 27, 2020 27 Aug'20
Tech and telecoms advisory group set up to help trade negotiations

Department of International Trade launches new Trade Advisory Groups to guide trade negotiations with other countries
August 26, 2020 26 Aug'20
Ministers urge local councils to lead on broadband and mobile

Digital minister Matt Warman and local government minister Simon Clarke want local councils to do their bit to help ensure better access to connectivity during the Covid-19 recovery
August 19, 2020 19 Aug'20
Scotland announces £15m investment to boost connectivity

Funding package aimed at improving internet access for 23,000 low-income households
August 18, 2020 18 Aug'20
UK government needs a joined-up internet policy

Global internet firms want government to ensure its new digital strategy has coherent policy and regulatory goals
August 14, 2020 14 Aug'20
Oracle and Salesforce sued over online ad tracking

Class action lawsuits filed in Amsterdam and London will accuse Oracle and Salesforce of breaching GDPR in their processing and sharing of personal data to sell online advertising
August 12, 2020 12 Aug'20
EU and US start discussions on ‘enhanced’ Privacy Shield data-sharing agreement

Talks begin on a successor to the Privacy Shield EU-US data-sharing agreement declared unlawful in July 2020 – a decision by the European Court of Justice that left thousands of businesses facing legal uncertainty
August 06, 2020 06 Aug'20
TikTok to open first European datacentre in Ireland during early 2022

The CISO of TikTok has confirmed the social video company's plans to open its first European datacentre in early 2022, as its data security processes come under increased scrutiny from the US government
July 31, 2020 31 Jul'20
Parents accuse Amazon of inaction in combatting child abuse material online

Parents protest over Amazon Web Services’ alleged inaction in dealing with child sexual abuse material hosted on its servers
July 31, 2020 31 Jul'20
Amazon reports Q2 profit and revenue surge as Covid-19-induced uptick in online sales continues

Amazon sees profit and revenue surge in the wake of the coronavirus, but growth of its cloud business slows as IT buyers re-prioritise investments because of pandemic
July 31, 2020 31 Jul'20
US lawmakers grill big tech chiefs over market power

Sixth antitrust hearing sees CEOs of major technology companies face combative questioning from members of Congress over their market power and dominance
July 28, 2020 28 Jul'20
UK government aims fintech industry at Africa

UK government is building fintech relationships with developing countries, beginning with a pilot programme in Africa
July 27, 2020 27 Jul'20
MI6 apologises after attempt to interfere with intelligence court

The UK Secret Intelligence Service, MI6, has apologised after attempting to persuade the secretary of Britain’s most secret court to withhold documents from senior judges in a case about crimes by undercover agents
July 24, 2020 24 Jul'20
China doubles up on ‘new infrastructure’ investments

China is shoring up investments in cloud computing, datacentres and the internet of things, among other areas, to ready itself for the post-Covid-19 world
July 21, 2020 21 Jul'20
Why now could be the right time to launch a digital bank

Launching a bank during a global crisis is fraught with risk, but an established customer base, experience, agility and diversification could help Zopa do just that
July 20, 2020 20 Jul'20
Businesses underestimate negative impact of bot traffic

Research from Netacea finds that although awareness of malicious bot activity is high, many are underestimating its true impact
July 16, 2020 16 Jul'20
Room for improvement in Dutch digital skills

The Netherlands has good telecommunications and IT networks that can be used safely and reliably, but there is room for improvement in digital skills among the Dutch
July 15, 2020 15 Jul'20
Video providers slammed by credential stuffing attacks

Attacks on the media sector are spiking as cyber criminals try to gain access to valuable consumer accounts
July 14, 2020 14 Jul'20
Check Point unearths critical SigRed bug in Windows DNS

SigRed vulnerability is highly dangerous, but is being fixed as part of the July 2020 Patch Tuesday update
July 14, 2020 14 Jul'20
Standard Chartered latest bank to explore quantum computing

Standard Chartered is working with researchers to establish use cases for quantum computing in the banking sector
July 10, 2020 10 Jul'20
Facebook iOS SDK flaw linked to onset of Spotify app outage blighting Apple device users

Apple device users are reporting usability issues with the Spotify app, which coincides with the onset of a partial outage affecting the Facebook iOS SDK
July 10, 2020 10 Jul'20
Universal Credit still struggles with digital issues, says NAO

The cost of rolling out Universal Credit continues to rise, while only 20% of new claimants attempt to verify their identity online and digital skills remain an issue, according to the National Audit Office
July 03, 2020 03 Jul'20
Bergen’s tech hub seeking to scale after positive start

Norway's second largest city is building a tech ecosystem that is beginning its development with a focus on the city's industrial heritage
July 01, 2020 01 Jul'20
FCA estimates about 2.6 million Brits have bought cryptocurrency

UK financial services regulator says there has been a significant increase in ownership of cryptocurrencies in the UK
June 29, 2020 29 Jun'20
Lawyers learn of fresh US allegations against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange from press reports

The US has filed an updated indictment against Julian Assange alleging that he conspired with hacking groups to obtain information for WikiLeaks. Defence and prosecution lawyers learned about it from press reports
June 29, 2020 29 Jun'20
Out of date security laws leave UK plc at risk during pandemic

The CyberUp coalition has written to Boris Johnson to urge him to reform the UK’s 30 year-old cyber crime laws
June 25, 2020 25 Jun'20
Peer-to-peer lender Zopa gets full banking licence

Peer-to-peer lending pioneer works towards creating the ‘Netflix of banking’
June 25, 2020 25 Jun'20
Ericsson, Nokia to power Singapore’s 5G networks

European telecoms network suppliers Ericsson and Nokia have been selected by Singapore telcos to deploy the country’s two standalone 5G networks
June 24, 2020 24 Jun'20
Google opens Jakarta cloud region amid Indonesia’s booming digital economy

Alphabet and Google CEO Sundar Pichai lends weight to online launch event, underscoring cloud supplier’s resolve to carve out a bigger slice of the country’s fast-growing public cloud market
June 23, 2020 23 Jun'20
Twitter contacts business users over data exposure

Issue relates to how web browsers cached confidential data entered in Twitter’s ads and analytics services, but is unlikely to have resulted in compromise
June 18, 2020 18 Jun'20
EU-backed bid to build data preservation cloud for European research community gathers pace

The Archiver project, which aims to create a hybrid cloud-based data preservation environment for scientific researchers across Europe, has named the ICT suppliers in the running to deliver on its vision
June 18, 2020 18 Jun'20
Nordic business is leading open banking charge in Europe

Nordic region has the right ingredients to prove open banking can benefit consumers, businesses and the economy
June 17, 2020 17 Jun'20
Malaysia’s telco industry on edge amid new developments, appointments

Spotlight trained on newly appointed key regulatory personnel that could see a change in Malaysia’s telco policy, including a deferment of 5G roll-out
June 15, 2020 15 Jun'20
New Zealand schools to get Wi-Fi 6 in connectivity boost

More than 2,000 schools across New Zealand will be among the first in the country to enjoy the improved coverage and access speeds of Wi-Fi 6
June 12, 2020 12 Jun'20
Brits get used to life without cash

British people are getting used to life without cash, as the Covid-19 lockdown forces the adoption of digital payments
June 12, 2020 12 Jun'20
How the RHS overcame Covid-19 to create first online-only Chelsea Flower Show in just eight weeks

The technology and digital teams at The Royal Horticultural Society discuss the work that went on behind the scenes to transform the Chelsea Flower Show into a virtual event with just weeks to plan
June 12, 2020 12 Jun'20
UN secretary general calls for global digital cooperation

Antonio Guterres launches roadmap for digital cooperation and calls for world leaders to come together to “connect, respect and protect people in the digital age”
June 12, 2020 12 Jun'20
Twitter kills thousands of misinformation accounts

The accounts were linked to the governments of China, Russia and Turkey, and engaged in systematic operations against pro-democracy activists, political opponents and dissidents
June 10, 2020 10 Jun'20
Berlin breaks the national mould to become a global hub

German capital is attracting tech startups from across the world as it cements its position as a leading European hub
June 09, 2020 09 Jun'20
Netherlands digital sector yearns for government recognition

The sector building and supporting the Netherlands’ digital infrastructure wants to be valued as highly as Schiphol airport and the port of Rotterdam are for the Dutch economy
June 05, 2020 05 Jun'20
Coronavirus: Digital bank Monzo cuts 120 staff

Digital challenger Monzo has announced 120 job cuts as it navigates the current economic slowdown
June 05, 2020 05 Jun'20
London Tech Week to go ahead through Zoom

London Tech week will go ahead next week, with the tech industry attending through Zoom
June 04, 2020 04 Jun'20
Government evades being pinned to a date for online harms legislation

MPs challenge government on online harms bill timetable, but have to settle for “clear assurances” that it will brought to parliament before the end of the session
May 27, 2020 27 May'20
Revealed: Surveillance camera network that covered Dominic Cummings’ lockdown travel

A network of automatic number plate recognition and local authority traffic cameras could help police track Downing Street chief of staff Dominic Cummings’ journeys to Durham and Barnard Castle during the Covid-19 lockdown
May 22, 2020 22 May'20
Coronavirus: How MyIX is keeping Malaysians connected

Malaysia’s MyIX internet exchange has been classed as critical national infrastructure, with member telcos adding more capacity to meet the surge in demand for internet services
May 20, 2020 20 May'20
Coronavirus: Pandemic spurs QR code app upgrade at PayPal

PayPal introduces QR code payment functionality to its mobile app to support social distancing
May 20, 2020 20 May'20
Coronavirus: Bahrain sees fintech take-up surge amid Covid-19 crisis

Covid-19 has spurred the use of financial technology in Bahrain, which could boost the industry in the country and wider Gulf region
May 15, 2020 15 May'20
Coronavirus: Digital bank’s valuation falls as it seeks funds to ride Covid-19 storm

Monzo is seeking new investment to help it through the coronavirus pandemic
May 14, 2020 14 May'20
Coronavirus: Nearly £2bn of UK fintech investment lost so far

Investment into UK fintechs falls dramatically during Covid-19 pandemic as venture capitalists hold back
May 12, 2020 12 May'20
MPs take part in first live test of remote voting during Covid-19 debate

MPs will use phones and computers to vote from their homes in a House of Commons debate today in the biggest change in parliamentary procedure for 150 years
May 12, 2020 12 May'20
Opportunity in times of crisis for Nordic tech startups

Nordic tech startups face some major challenges during the Covid-19 pandemic, but this could be the making of some of them
May 07, 2020 07 May'20
FBI search warrants reveal Trump aide’s messages to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange

FBI search warrants reveal Trump campaigner Roger Stone sent private messages to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange after the site published thousands of documents that damaged Hillary Clinton’s election campaign
May 05, 2020 05 May'20
GoDaddy owns up to October 2019 data breach

Web hosting services provider has suffered yet another security incident, confirming that an unauthorised individual accessed hosting accounts
May 04, 2020 04 May'20
Assange extradition hearing to take place in September following coronavirus lockdown

An extradition hearing against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has been delayed by four months, after defence and prosecution lawyers said the Covid-19 lockdown would make it impractical to hold a fair hearing in May
April 28, 2020 28 Apr'20
Covid-19 will decimate fintechs, but those that survive will prosper

The coronavirus will wipe out some fintechs, but those that get through it will share in the next growth phase of the industry's development