News

Managing IT and business issues

May 18, 2020 18 May'20
Why a pandemic-specific BCP matters

Many organisations still do not have scenario-specific business continuity plans, which are helpful when the situation requires a customised response, such as a pandemic, according to Forrester
May 15, 2020 15 May'20
Sweden’s Preem puts automation to the test

Preem is automating software testing as part of a wider plan that includes the introduction of robotic process automation software
May 15, 2020 15 May'20
Questions raised after UK’s electrical grid shrugs off cyber attack

Attack on Elexon was resolved within hours with no impact on the national electricity supply, but it could have been much worse
May 15, 2020 15 May'20
Law firm hackers threaten to release dirt on Trump

A new ransom demand of $42m has been made against New York law firm Grubman, Shire, Meiselas and Sacks, and it may be the largest ever, say security experts

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 14, 2020 14 May'20
Deutsche Bank’s planned tech spend unaffected by global crisis

Deutsche bank is driving on with its ambitious IT investment plans, with the Covid-19 pandemic, if anything, adding fuel to it
May 14, 2020 14 May'20
China targeting Covid-19 researchers through IT suppliers, claims US

The US CISA says it is seeing targeting and attempted network compromise of Covid-19 research centres by China
May 13, 2020 13 May'20
Report reveals inadequate cyber security at Schiphol Airport

A report has revealed problems with critical security systems in Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport
May 13, 2020 13 May'20
COO interview: Suresh Viswanathan, TSB

TSB’s chief operating officer is overseeing the bank’s operations as it strives to build the right kind of IT reputation
May 13, 2020 13 May'20
Nation state APT groups prefer old, unpatched vulnerabilities

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and the FBI have published details of the most commonly exploited vulnerabilities of recent years, and there are some “classics” on the list

May 13, 2020 13 May'20
Can Lady Gaga and Madonna get people to take security seriously?

What does it take to get people to pay attention to cyber security? A celebrity law firm hack may hold some answers
May 13, 2020 13 May'20
British public largely distrustful of technology companies, says report

High levels of distrust in the motivations of technology companies and a lack of meaningful influence over their behaviour has left the British public feeling digitally disempowered, says Doteveryone report
May 13, 2020 13 May'20
Microsoft fixes 16 critical vulnerabilities on Patch Tuesday

The trend towards mammoth Patch Tuesdays continues as Microsoft fixes 111 vulnerabilities
May 12, 2020 12 May'20
Draft Covid-19 contact tracing legislation proposes formal oversight

Human Rights Committee chair Harriet Harman has outlined a proposed bill to guarantee the security and privacy of data generated by the UK’s Covid-19 contact tracing app
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
Coronavirus: Nationwide’s human expertise used to quickly build smart agent amid pandemic

Nationwide Building Society is the latest financial services company to quickly automate customer services related to Covid-19
May 12, 2020 12 May'20
Pay the ransom and double your recovery costs, report warns

Paying cyber criminals a ransom to recover your data adds over half a million dollars to the cost of organisational recovery, says Sophos
May 12, 2020 12 May'20
Australia’s Kmart gears up for mainframe migration

Retailer is lifting and shifting some old Cobol code to AWS while rebuilding others into microservices in its mainframe migration move
May 12, 2020 12 May'20
Banks failing to protect customers from coronavirus fraud

Just 13 of the 64 banks accredited for the government’s Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme have implemented Dmarc protection
May 11, 2020 11 May'20
Four in 10 Australians will share GPS data for alerting

Amid the Covid-19 pandemic, 40% of Australians are likely to share GPS data with the government to facilitate alerting, new study finds
May 11, 2020 11 May'20
Pitney Bowes hit by Maze in second ransomware attack in a year

Shipping services firm falls victim to Maze ransomware just seven months after a previous major attack
May 11, 2020 11 May'20
Coronavirus: SMEs in the UAE forced to digitally transform

The UAE, like the rest of the world, continues to be heavily impacted by the fallout of the Covid-19 pandemic, and technology is helping to lead the fight
May 11, 2020 11 May'20
Micro Focus sees growth in mainframe migration business

Lifting and shifting Cobol code from mainframes to public cloud has been a growth driver for Micro Focus in the Asia-Pacific region, even as the software supplier continues to diversify its business
May 07, 2020 07 May'20
Zoom buys secure messaging service Keybase

Unified comms platform Zoom says the acquisition of Keybase will finally let it bring end-to-end encryption to the table
May 07, 2020 07 May'20
SilverTerrier cyber crime group targets Covid-19 key workers

Organisations on the front line in the fight against coronavirus are under attack from Nigeria’s SilverTerrier criminal gang
May 07, 2020 07 May'20
Contact-tracing app fails to protect privacy and human rights

Reassurances over the security and human rights implications of NHSX’s approach to developing its Covid-19 contact-tracing app are insufficient, says the cross-bench Human Rights Committee
May 07, 2020 07 May'20
Next round of Zoom updates targets consumer security

Casual consumer users of Zoom will get additional protections in an update to be released over the long weekend
May 07, 2020 07 May'20
NCSC Covid-19 scam reporting service sees more than 160,000 reports

The general public has taken to the NCSC’s scam reporting service like ducks to water, with thousands of suspicious emails reported to it in just two weeks
May 07, 2020 07 May'20
Finland’s postal service targets new revenue streams through digitisation

Posti plans to use the new SisuID digital authentication method to accelerate business growth and opportunities
May 06, 2020 06 May'20
Criminal justice system is failing cyber crime victims

Victims of cyber crime face barriers to reporting, receiving support and achieving justice, says a Home Office-backed study
May 06, 2020 06 May'20
HMRC tackles almost 300 coronavirus phishing websites

Of 292 websites removed since lockdown began on 23 March, 237 were proactively identified by HMRC and 55 were flagged by the public
May 06, 2020 06 May'20
End-users failing to protect themselves online

Remote workers and stuck-at-home consumers are taking silly risks with their security during the coronavirus pandemic, according to a report
May 06, 2020 06 May'20
Open source community joins Covid-19 fight

Red Hat and others in the global open source community are doing their part to develop tools and other initiatives to help the world tide over the coronavirus outbreak
May 05, 2020 05 May'20
Coronavirus: NCSC issues urgent alert for healthcare sector

UK National Cyber Security Centre and US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency say they are seeing large-scale campaigns targeting healthcare bodies and medical research organisations
May 05, 2020 05 May'20
Coronavirus: TSB develops smart agent to help staff during pandemic

TSB took just five days to design and implement a smart digital agent to answer customer questions during the Covid-19 pandemic
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 05, 2020 05 May'20
Coronavirus: Total outsourcing spending collapses in March

IT spending plunged in March, drastically reducing increases that had been expected in the EMEA region
May 04, 2020 04 May'20
Nordic real estate sector becoming increasingly digital

The Nordic real estate and construction industry is modernising through digital technology, with an injection of urgency amid global pandemic
May 04, 2020 04 May'20
Xen Orchestra latest victim of Salt cryptojackers

More victims of cyber criminals exploiting two critical Salt vulnerabilities are coming forward
May 04, 2020 04 May'20
Blogging platform Ghost hacked through Salt vulnerability

Publishing service’s network was taken over by illicit cryptominers after failing to patch a critical vulnerability
May 04, 2020 04 May'20
NatWest Bank shutters its app based bank after five months

NatWest is closing its consumer-facing, app-based bank and increasing its focus on mobile business bank Mettle
May 04, 2020 04 May'20
IT Priorities 2020: Compliance and risk are top security concerns

When it comes to security, buyers are prioritising solutions and services that address compliance issues, risk management and data protection, according to the Computer Weekly/TechTarget IT Priorities 2020 study
May 04, 2020 04 May'20
Coronavirus: Do Indian companies still have an edge in Nordic outsourcing?

Covid-19 lockdowns and social distancing have affected Nordic outsourcing strategies. Do Indian firms still have the upper hand?
May 01, 2020 01 May'20
No going back to packed workplaces after Covid-19

A recent project by IT service providers outlines how, in a post-coronavirus world, businesses like Barclays Bank will reduce their reliance on skyscrapers packed with people
May 01, 2020 01 May'20
Subpostmasters receive their ‘inadequate’ damages over Horizon IT scandal

Subpostmasters who had their lives ruined by the Post Office’s faulty IT system have received their damages after a High Court victory
April 30, 2020 30 Apr'20
Cyber security skills courses go online during pandemic

The government is turning to online learning to find the next generation of cyber security talent
April 30, 2020 30 Apr'20
Critical SaltStack vulnerability affects thousands of datacentres

Critical vulnerabilities in the Salt remote task and configuration framework enable hackers to take control of cloud servers and must be patched right away
April 30, 2020 30 Apr'20
Mobile banking customers at risk from new EventBot trojan

Customers of Barclays, HSBC, Santander and many other banks should be alert to a dangerous new trojan
April 30, 2020 30 Apr'20
Coronavirus: Government under pressure to give limited company IT workers more financial support

IT contractors who provide services through their own limited companies and pay themselves in dividends are largely uncatered for by the goverment's various coronavirus-focused business support packages, and are facing financial difficulties
April 29, 2020 29 Apr'20
Coronavirus: GCHQ gets access to NHS data to beef up security

Health secretary gave GCHQ emergency powers to obtain information relating to the security of its networks and IT systems at the beginning of April, it has emerged
April 29, 2020 29 Apr'20
Coronavirus: Cash use plummets during UK lockdown

Consumers are switching to digital payment methods amid the current global pandemic crisis
April 29, 2020 29 Apr'20
Coronavirus: Call for extension to European payment security standard deadline

Payment processors across Europe want more time to meet the SCA payment security standard
April 29, 2020 29 Apr'20
Nordic CIO interview: Stefan Olowsson, Swedish Social Insurance Agency

Stefan Olowsson, CIO at Sweden’s Försäkringskassan, helps to ensure social security payments run smoothly, which is a balancing act of innovation, data security and reliable delivery
April 28, 2020 28 Apr'20
Under the spotlight, video apps rush to strengthen security

Most popular videoconferencing applications now meet Mozilla’s minimum security standards, with fierce competition and public pressure driving rapid improvement
April 28, 2020 28 Apr'20
Almost half of security pros being redeployed during pandemic

Close to half of cyber security professionals say they have been taken off some or all of their security duties to focus attention elsewhere during the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic
April 28, 2020 28 Apr'20
Met Police assessing evidence of potential perjury in Post Office IT trials

Force examines information about evidence given in court by Fujitsu staff on the Horizon IT system before deciding whether to investigate further
April 28, 2020 28 Apr'20
Black Rose Lucy ransomware now posing as FBI porn warning

A new strain of Russian-developed ransomware impersonates US federal law enforcement to force payment, says Check Point
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
April 27, 2020 27 Apr'20
Microsoft patches .gif file vulnerability in Teams

Vulnerability could have enabled cyber criminals to use a malicious .gif file to scrape user data and take over Teams accounts
April 27, 2020 27 Apr'20
IR35 off-payroll rules have ‘never worked satisfactorily’, rules Finance Bill Sub-Committee

An inquiry into the government’s plans to extend the IR35 reforms to the private sector concludes that the roll-out should be delayed because the entire off-payroll legislation is flawed and in need of a revamp
April 24, 2020 24 Apr'20
Coronavirus: Remote working and mental health

As many of us are now working from home due to the Covid-19 coronavirus outbreak, while also trying to juggle other responsibilities alongside increased anxiety, how can we make sure that we’re looking after our mental health?
April 24, 2020 24 Apr'20
How likely are IT service providers to offer discounts in an unprecedented global recession?

As the global economy slows, businesses are trying to cut costs, with IT services one of the first stops – but what are the chances of a happy outcome?
April 23, 2020 23 Apr'20
Ransomware-stricken Travelex up for sale

Travelex’s parent Finablr is washing its hands of the ransomware-stricken forex provider as it struggles with the twin shocks of the Covid-19 pandemic and a developing fraud scandal
April 23, 2020 23 Apr'20
Nasdaq gives customers real-time data through cloud platform

US stock exchange uses public cloud and APIs to provide investment companies with real-time data on trading activity
April 23, 2020 23 Apr'20
iOS zero-day leaves iPhone users dangerously exposed

Researchers identify dangerous vulnerabilities in Apple’s iOS operating system that allow remote code execution on target devices
April 23, 2020 23 Apr'20
Zoom to roll out fresh cyber security updates

New features include support for advanced AES 256-bit encryption
April 22, 2020 22 Apr'20
NCSC overwhelmed by response to coronavirus campaign

The UK’s NCSC has taken down more than 80 malicious web campaigns and received 5,000 reports of suspicious emails within 24 hours of launching reporting service
April 22, 2020 22 Apr'20
Coronavirus: Banking and mobile sectors collaborate to stop text scams

Initiative aims to protect 50 genuine brands and government organisations from being impersonated by cyber criminals
April 22, 2020 22 Apr'20
Coronavirus: Swedish college implements digital plans early

Work done by a Swedish medical school over the past few years to prepare digital education options is paying off as lockdown forces it to close physical classrooms
April 22, 2020 22 Apr'20
Traditional banks need to do more than gloss over back-end systems with fintech paint

Banks need to work with fintechs if they are to prosper in the new world, but first they must update their back-end systems
April 22, 2020 22 Apr'20
Coronavirus: Cyber criminals may be changing tactics

Cyber criminals “may soon shift to heavier exploitation of footholds established through phishing and other scams”, warns Cyber Threat Coalition
April 22, 2020 22 Apr'20
How DBS is reaping the dividends of digital transformation

At DBS Bank, the Covid-19 coronavirus outbreak has demonstrated the value of technology and the investments it made over the past decade to modernise its technology stack
April 21, 2020 21 Apr'20
Coronavirus: Leeds Building Society uses robots to cope with mortgage holiday demand

Building society initiates more automation software to cope with growing demand for mortgage deferrals
April 21, 2020 21 Apr'20
Coronavirus: HMRC job retention scheme targeted by cyber criminals

The UK government’s scheme to pay furloughed employees 80% of their wages is being targeted by cyber criminals
April 20, 2020 20 Apr'20
NCSC launches coronavirus cyber security campaign

The National Cyber Security Centre has launched a reporting service for scam emails as part of a campaign to help people protect themselves from cyber criminals exploiting the pandemic
April 20, 2020 20 Apr'20
Coronavirus: Pandemic will see consolidation of offshore captive centres

Offshore captive IT operations owned by western businesses will be sold off to raise cash and boost efficiency amid Covid-19 pandemic
April 20, 2020 20 Apr'20
Zoom and WebEx users targeted by credential stealing attempts

Videoconferencing apps such as Zoom and Cisco’s WebEx are being targeted by cyber criminals trying to steal users’ personal data
April 20, 2020 20 Apr'20
CaixaBank uses hybrid of conventional and quantum computers to classify risk

Spain's CaixaBank is using quantum computers as part of a project to assess risk using machine learning algorithms
April 17, 2020 17 Apr'20
Coronavirus: How Nominet fights back against malicious domains

Domain name registry has thwarted hundreds of attempts to register malicious .uk domain names during the coronavirus pandemic
April 17, 2020 17 Apr'20
Coronavirus: Security certification body puts exams online

Candidates for certification by the International Association of Privacy Professionals will now be able to sit their exams remotely
April 16, 2020 16 Apr'20
Check Point sounds alarm over double extortion ransomware threat

Researchers say double extortion ransomware attacks are likely to increase in frequency, and warn organisations to be on guard
April 16, 2020 16 Apr'20
Coronavirus: India eases lockdown restrictions for IT service providers

Indian government allows IT services firms to bring half their staff back to delivery centres
April 16, 2020 16 Apr'20
NHS Wales to get free security services during coronavirus pandemic

NHS Wales Informatics Services enlists Thales to help it face down security threats and let its teams focus on the Covid-19 coronavirus crisis
April 16, 2020 16 Apr'20
Coronavirus: Cyber attacks on banks seen spiking, says Carbon Black

VMware’s Carbon Black observes a spike in cyber attacks on financial services organisations
April 15, 2020 15 Apr'20
Coronavirus: ICO temporarily relaxes regulatory approach

The Information Commissioner’s Office sets out a revised approach to its regulatory duties during the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic
April 15, 2020 15 Apr'20
Coronavirus: Standard Chartered bans employees from Zoom

Standard Chartered is the first bank to have instructed its staff to refrain from using Zoom
April 15, 2020 15 Apr'20
Coronavirus: Researcher finds security vulnerability in Slack

Some common assumptions about the security of cloud-based messaging platform Slack may not be entirely accurate, says an Alien Labs researcher
April 15, 2020 15 Apr'20
Microsoft patches 19 critical bugs in another heavy Patch Tuesday

The volume of vulnerabilities being uncovered by Microsoft remains high, with more than 100 fixes pushed out in April’s Patch Tuesday
April 14, 2020 14 Apr'20
Coronavirus: Zoom user credentials for sale on dark web

IntSight researchers say they have found a database containing thousands of Zoom usernames and passwords being sold on the dark web
April 09, 2020 09 Apr'20
‘It's going to be a really different NHS’ – how NHS Digital is tackling the coronavirus crisis

The Covid-19 outbreak has led to huge amounts of work for NHS Digital, shifting its priorities and creating unprecedented demand for products and data, but it has also had a positive impact, says CEO Sarah Wilkinson
April 09, 2020 09 Apr'20
Coronavirus: Zoom restricted or banned at multiple organisations

Use of videoconferencing tool has been banned at Google and in parts of the German and US governments
April 09, 2020 09 Apr'20
Loan charge contractors face double whammy of life-changing repayment demands as past loans recalled

IT contractors already under pressure from HMRC to pay life-changing tax bills relating to their past involvement in loan remuneration schemes now face calls to repay the original loans, too. Computer Weekly investigates
April 09, 2020 09 Apr'20
Coronavirus: Amazon warehouse workers strike over concerns about workplace safety and protections

Online retail giant Amazon has been hit by a wave of strikes as workers protest against ‘unsafe working conditions’ and ‘corporate inaction’ during the pandemic
April 08, 2020 08 Apr'20
Despite coronavirus, overall cyber crime volumes hold steady

The UK’s NCSC and the US’s CISA see little change in overall volumes of cyber crime in spite of the coronavirus crisis – for the time being
April 08, 2020 08 Apr'20
Coronavirus: McAfee unearths dark web blood bank

Cyber criminals are selling fake goods and running scams on online marketplaces during the Covid-19 pandemic. Don’t be taken in
April 08, 2020 08 Apr'20
Coronavirus threats ramp up as more hospitals come under attack

The Covid-19 Cyber Threat Coalition finds the majority of security pros have been targeted by cyber criminals exploiting the coronavirus pandemic, and adds to warnings of increased activity targeting the health sector
April 08, 2020 08 Apr'20
The growing stature of open source in APAC

From being users of open source software to contributing their own codes to the community, enterprises in Asia-Pacific are becoming active participants in the open source ecosystem
April 08, 2020 08 Apr'20
IR35 private sector reforms: Blanket bans on limited company contractors hold firm despite deferral

While many firms have seized on the government’s decision to delay the roll-out of the IR35 reforms to rethink their approach, others are sticking by their decision to ban limited company IT contractors from their workforce
April 07, 2020 07 Apr'20
Happy developers write secure code, report claims

DevOps specialist Sonatype claims to have found a direct correlation between satisfied developers and application security hygiene
April 07, 2020 07 Apr'20
Coronavirus: Criminals using Zoom installer to spread cryptominer

Videoconferencing application targeted to deliver cryptomining malware to unsuspecting victims