IT for retail and logistics

Post Office prioritised its ‘bottom line’ over justice

The Post Office was more concerned with saving money and recovering unexplained losses than getting to the bottom of subpostmaster claims that Horizon errors caused shortfalls, inquiry told Continue Reading

Currys data strategy takes major step forward with launch of Connected Media

Data is the foundation for the future success of the new Currys retail media platform, as the tech retailer’s CDO explains Continue Reading

Undisclosed document could reveal pressure on Fujitsu expert witness in Post Office prosecution

Details of Post Office prosecutor’s meeting with Fujitsu IT expert witness, used in subpostmaster prosecution, not yet disclosed to public inquiry Continue Reading

The Security Interviews: Mark McClain, SailPoint Technologies

SailPoint founder and CEO Mark McClain reflects on how the concept of identity has evolved over the past 20 years, and points to rapid evolution still to come Continue Reading

Post Office lawyer with his fingerprints all over IT scandal spreads blame

Senior Post Office criminal lawyer was just following orders and claims his only mistake was believing those that told him the Horizon system was robust Continue Reading

Government’s Online Fraud Charter welcomed

The government has corralled 11 of the largest tech platforms in the world to commit to its Online Fraud Charter, designed to tackle online scams, fake adverts, and more Continue Reading

Slow government response to Post Office scandal compensation forces new legislation

Subpostmasters who exposed widest miscarriage of justice in UK history still waiting for compensation after decades of fighting Continue Reading

Paula Vennells’ email fuelled Post Office Horizon cult, inquiry told

Faced with serious questions about the robustness of its core computer system, the Post Office doubled down on reliability myth, public inquiry told Continue Reading

CCRC refers two posthumous subpostmaster appeals to Crown Court

CCRC refers posthumous appeals against convictions to Crown Court for first time Continue Reading

UK retailer The Very Group embarks on GenAI push with AWS

The Very Group's collaboration with AWS is geared towards improving the customer experience through personalisation Continue Reading

India's Hexaware creates hundreds of jobs in UK

Hexaware opens IT services operation in Birmingham, with a plan to recruit 250 people in the region by 2025 Continue Reading

Kingfisher develops AI-agnostic platform to power DIY assistant

The platform provides a framework for security and compliance and enables developers to test different large language models Continue Reading

Royal Mail spent £10m on cyber measures after LockBit attack

Royal Mail has spent approximately £10m on recovery and improved cyber resilience measures in the wake of the January 2023 LockBit ransomware attack Continue Reading

Post Office scandal inquiry postpones more key witness hearings

Yet more witness hearings are cancelled due to the Post Office's late disclosure of documents Continue Reading

Where tech can smooth out the retail returns process

New tech from supply chain companies, M&A activity among logistics firms, and H&M’s new fees show product returns is the retail industry debate that keeps coming back Continue Reading

Rogue state-aligned actors are most critical cyber threat to UK

The prospect of rogue nation-state-aligned attackers bringing down the UK’s critical infrastructure is keeping the NCSC up at night Continue Reading

Victims’ legal action over 2015 Carphone Warehouse breach moves forward

A class action against Currys Retail over the 2015 data breach of Carphone Warehouse customers has been granted permission to move forward in the courts Continue Reading

NCSC makes annual Black Friday plea to consumers

Ahead of the annual festival of retail avarice, the NCSC is once again asking consumers to do the bare minimum to avoid falling victim to scams Continue Reading

Former Post Office manager has no memory of preparing witness statement in legal dispute

Evidence of computer problems was omitted from the witness statement of a former Post Office manager in a legal battle with a subpostmaster blamed for unexplained accounting shortfalls Continue Reading

Post Office disclosure failures delay Horizon scandal inquiry again

Many of the 300,000 emails unearthed could be relevant to evidence from future and past witnesses in the Post Office scandal inquiry Continue Reading

Netherlands starts building its own AI language model

Dutch government allocates €13.5m to develop an open artificial intelligence language model according to national values and guidelines. Continue Reading

How to solve the computer evidence problem

The Law Commission is in disgrace for its historic misrepresentations of IT experts when pushing a change to the law on the use of computer evidence through Parliament. Continue Reading

Law Commission misrepresented experts when it changed rule on computer evidence

The Law Commission repeatedly quoted vague, arm-waving, un-evidenced comments by judges who offered no insight into anything beyond their own technical ignorance. The law change made miscarriages of justice inevitable. Continue Reading

The cause of the Post Office Horizon scandal? The Law Commission? Judges? Lawyers?

The appropriateness of the current law on the use of computer evidence in court is under the spotlight following Post Office scandal revelations Continue Reading

Darktrace CEO Poppy Gustafsson on her AI Safety Summit goals

As the AI Safety Summit at Bletchley Park takes place, Computer Weekly caught up with Darktrace CEO Poppy Gustafsson to find out what one of the UK’s most prominent AI advocates wants from proceedings Continue Reading

The world's most advanced Arabic LLM is now available on open source

On 30 August 2023, Abu Dhabi-based Inception, a subsidiary of G42, announced the release of an Arabic large language model to open source Continue Reading

ChatGPT, Bard, lack effective defences against fraudsters, Which? warns

Consumer advocacy Which? warns that popular generative AI tools are vulnerable to loopholes that render existing protections against malicious usage easily bypassed Continue Reading

UK Finance paints mixed picture of fraud as losses top £500m

UK losses to fraud in the first six months of the year topped £500m, but a slight decline in overall crime rates was observed, according to UK Finance’s latest data Continue Reading

Post Office auditors presumed subpostmasters were ‘on the fiddle’ or ‘in a muddle’

Public inquiry into Post Office scandal hears how head office staff routinely made negative assumptions about subpostmasters in small branches Continue Reading

Former Post Office executive admits he wouldn’t sign unfair contract he pushed on subpostmasters

Former contract manager said contract that subpostmasters had to sign with Post Office “put them on the hook” for everything Continue Reading

UK Apple Store workers detail ‘union-busting’ tactics

Apple Store workers in the UK are attempting to unionise, but say they are facing pushback from the company, which is allegedly deploying a variety of “union-busting” tactics Continue Reading

‘Angry’ lawyer warned against Post Office computer investigation in 2010 email

Angered by his exclusion from an important discussion, former Royal Mail lawyer told colleagues of the risks to the Post Office if, as planned, they publicly investigate allegations against its computer system Continue Reading

AI vs software outsourcing: An opportunity or a threat?

While artificial intelligence offers unprecedented opportunities for growth, efficiency and automation, it also raises pertinent questions about the future of software outsourcing Continue Reading

Amnesia hides names of individuals behind Post Office’s ‘head on a spike’ strategy

Former Post Office lawyer deflects individual responsibility for a strategy that crushed subpostmasters, blaming the organisation as a whole Continue Reading

First subpostmaster Horizon conviction overturned in Scotland

Scotland has seen its first Post Office Horizon conviction overturned, taking the UK total to 92 Continue Reading

Government ‘breached privacy’ of Horizon victims with compensation offer, says lawyer

The government breached the privacy of victims of the Post Office Horizon scandal through making a compensation offer public Continue Reading

Retailers and customers alike open to AI, but calls for caution

Retail-related studies into AI’s influence suggest its capabilities are welcome by the sector and shoppers alike – but tech leaders advise treading cautiously Continue Reading

Five more subpostmasters have IT system-related convictions overturned

Over 90 former subpostmasters have so far seen wrongful convictions overturned since it was proved that software errors were to blame for accounting shortfalls Continue Reading

Post Office had no interest in subpostmaster welfare when taking legal action, says Fujitsu memo

Fujitsu memo reveals Post Office didn’t care how legal action would affect its subpostmasters as it placed the reputation of its computer system before their welfare Continue Reading

Researchers offer free threat briefings on Vegas casino hackers

Permiso, a cloud detection and response startup, is making its threat intel team available to speak on Scattered Spider, the group behind recent cyber attacks on MGM Resorts and Caesars Entertainment Continue Reading

The most important law you’ve never heard of - the Electronic Trade Documents Act

The UK's Electronic Trade Documents Act has come into force, and it promises to make international trading easier, cheaper, faster and greener - but only if companies and government adopt its measures Continue Reading

Post Office employee changed story for witness statement used to destroy subpostmaster

Post Office inquiry hears how an auditor changed her story about a subpostmaster to help win court battle Continue Reading

Ending the online fraud epidemic

A different approach to managing personal data across the web is possible - and it could minimise online fraud, boost e-commerce, and help make the web more secure. So why isn't the government doing it? Continue Reading

Securing Eurovision’s online voting system against cyber attacks

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we discover how Once.net and Cloudfare defended the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest against cyber attacks. Our buyer’s guide continues to look at integrating software-as-a-service applications, with the governance of SaaS connectivity to the fore. Also, HCLTech’s Ashish Gupta relates how the company has embraced a new, pandemic-influenced, remote working model. And we find out how retail tech leaders influence their boards on transformation projects. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Government offers £600,000 to subpostmasters with overturned convictions

Subpostmasters wrongfully convicted of financial crimes based on evidence from faulty Horizon software will be offered £600,000 compensation by government Continue Reading

Las Vegas mainstay Caesars Palace likely paid off ransomware crew

Caesars Entertainment, owner of the lavish Roman Empire-themed Caesars Palace casino in Las Vegas, has revealed it also suffered a ransomware attack, and appears to have paid off its hackers Continue Reading

Number of UK contactless payments rose by 30% last year

UK consumers are increasingly making contactless payments, with the number of payments using the technology up 30% last year Continue Reading

Patch Tuesday: Microsoft fixes zero-days in Word and Streaming Service

September 2023 brings a light Patch Tuesday, with two zero-days and five critical vulnerabilities listed in the latest release Continue Reading

European enterprises to spend more on generative IT to close gap on US

European organisations are upping their spending on generative AI innovation, but face challenges recruiting the right people to support this Continue Reading

Interview: Ashish Gupta, head of EMEA, HCLTech

It’s not just enterprises that changed their operating models during and after Covid, but also the suppliers that took them on the journey, HCLTech Europe’s head explains Continue Reading

Top-performing CISOs reserve time for professional development

Survey of chief information security officers conducted by Gartner sheds light on habits shared by the top-performing members of the profession Continue Reading

Six subpostmaster appeals to be heard in Scottish court

Scottish court will hear appeals against the convictions of six former subpostmasters based on evidence from a Post Office computer system Continue Reading

Cyber attacks in 2023 develop quicker as average dwell times plummet

The median attacker dwell time shrunk from 10 to eight days in the first seven months of 2023, and in the case of ransomware attacks it is down to just five days Continue Reading

Innovative UK SMEs spend half of turnover on tech

UK SMEs are increasing spending on technology, with dedicated IT teams set up to enable them to keep pace with tech change Continue Reading

MP calls for review of computer evidence rule which led to subpostmasters being wrongly convicted

MP writes to minister in charge of courts requesting he looks at the controversial rules on the use of computer evidence in court Continue Reading

Pentland Brands marshals Google BigQuery to improve customer insight

The name behind Speedo, Berghaus, Canterbury of New Zealand and Kickers turns to Google BigQuery to improve customer data understanding Continue Reading

Going passwordless in online shopping

GUEST BLOG: In the contributed blog post, Ian Lowe, head of industry solutions, EMEA at Okta, explains why passwords can cause such an issues for people shopping online, and how technology can help ... Continue Reading

Post Office tried to convince independent IT witness that he was wrong about Horizon

‘Delusional’ Post Office tried to influence an expert witness and get him to change his view about IT evidence which was detrimental to its case against a subpostmaster Continue Reading

CCRC refers two more subpostmaster convictions for appeal

Two more subpostmaster convictions referred to appeal court by the Criminal Cases Review Commission Continue Reading

Mayor of London announces startup funding

Seven technology startups working on the Mayor of London’s Poverty Prevention Challenge will receive up to £50,000 each to further develop their proposals, designed to help alleviate the cost-of-living crisis for the capital’s most vulnerable Continue Reading

Getting comfortable with data

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we talk to ‘Data Bob’ – the head of IT at furniture retailer DFS – about building trust in data. The vulnerabilities in MOVEit software continue to attract new victims – we assess the impact of the widespread breaches. And we find out how online investigators are trawling social media to gather evidence of war crimes. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Electronic Trade Documents Act receives royal assent

Digital trade documents are to be accorded the same status in law as paper ones under a law implemented to help reduce paper waste and speed up the UK’s foreign trade Continue Reading

Subpostmaster compensation deadline will be missed, warns public inquiry chair

Subpostmasters that successfully sued the Post Office and exposed the Horizon scandal are at the ‘back of the queue’ and won’t receive compensation by current deadline Continue Reading

Horizon inquiry adjourned as Post Office disclosure failures threaten to ‘derail’ proceedings

Statutory public inquiry into Post Office Horizon scandal adjourned because of Post Office disclosure failures, ‘retraumatising’ victims of a scandal that destroyed the lives of thousands of people Continue Reading

Peer calls for every Post Office prosecution to be reviewed

Post Office prosecutions should be reviewed in light of damning evidence laid bare by statutory public inquiry into Horizon scandal, says peer James Arbuthnot Continue Reading

Post Office inquiry must examine rule on IT evidence if miscarriages of justice are to be avoided

Public inquiry must examine role of court rules around use of computer evidence that enabled Post Office to prosecute innocent people Continue Reading

Former Fujitsu IT chief evidence postponed after late Post Office disclosure

Post Office has disrupted Horizon inquiry schedule through late disclosure of ‘significant’ evidence as key IT witness evidence is postponed Continue Reading

Public inquiry hears how Post Office security withheld evidence from people it suspected of theft

The Post Office told investigators to include potential evidence in reports to their own lawyers, but not the subpostmasters they suspected of theft Continue Reading

CDO interview: Robert Michael, group head of data, DFS

‘Data Bob’ is transforming data strategy at furniture retailer DFS, aiming to build a digital twin of the company to improve business modelling – but his first task is to make sure people can trust data Continue Reading

GDPR tax reclaim scheme preys on fears of SMEs

IT suppliers are a target of companies offering a tax reclaim scheme that preys on small businesses’ fears around General Data Protection Regulation compliance Continue Reading

Post Office scandal inquiry phase four: Here come the lawyers…

The Post Office scandal was triggered by computer errors, but the cover-up and miscarriages of justice implicate the Post Office, government and lawyers, as professor of law and ethics Richard Moorhead explains Continue Reading

Retail tech transformation: Winning boardroom hearts and minds

Retail tech leaders from Sweaty Betty and Selfridges discuss levers to pull and tactics to adopt when influencing the boardroom on transformation projects Continue Reading

Co-op Group adds nearshore engineering resources

Manchester headquartered Co-op group adds additional engineering resources as competition for talent in the UK ramps up Continue Reading

Interview: Paul Cooper, director of technology operations, River Island

Retailer River Island has had a recent in-store technology overhaul, making it easier for shop staff to cater to customers Continue Reading

Post Office will not oppose potential Horizon conviction appellants

Post Office CEO told MPs that the organisation is telling some subpostmasters it won't oppose them if they appeal Continue Reading

How to keep network costs affordable

In this week’s Computer Weekly, as demands for networking performance and speed increase, we examine how to keep a handle on costs. Chip makers are investing in PLC technology – the next generation of flash storage – but some think it won’t be worth the effort; we investigate. And we listen in as tech industry leaders and politicians discuss the regulation of AI. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Dutch government puts up €123m to address shortage of ICT workers

Financial injection aimed at improving cooperation between vocational education and business in the Netherlands, and making the tech professions more attractive Continue Reading

Delivery charges and slow payments have customers abandoning baskets

Customer expectation has been on the rise, both on and offline, and no-code automation firm Primer finds there are several reasons why consumers are choosing not to checkout Continue Reading

UKtech50 2023: The most influential people in UK technology

Computer Weekly has announced the 13th annual UKtech50 – our definitive list of the movers and shakers in the UK tech sector Continue Reading

UKtech50 2023 winner: Michelle Donelan/Chloe Smith, secretary of state, DSIT

Computer Weekly looks at the achievements and successes of the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, as its secretary of state is recognised as the most influential person in UK technology for 2023 Continue Reading

CIO interview: Adam Warne, CIO, River Island

The privately owned fashion retailer places a premium on its high street presence, but sees digital innovation as key to improving customer service in stores Continue Reading

Alert over Chinese cyber campaign targeting critical networks

A Chinese threat actor known as Volt Typhoon has been observed infiltrating CNI networks in a cyber espionage campaign, according to intelligence Continue Reading

Digital channels thriving for M&S but profits down

Many of M&S’s digital offerings have gained more users over the past year, but after a long programme of transformation, profits are still smaller this year than last Continue Reading

How to secure your software supply chain

In this week’s Computer Weekly, our latest buyer’s guide looks at secure coding, and kicks off by examining the challenges of securing your software supply chain. Cyber law enforcement leaders are calling on firms to end the secrecy around ransomware attacks. And we find out how facial recognition technology is being adopted by retailers. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Post Office scandal – cover-up a ‘dark chapter’ in government, corporate and legal history

Third phase of public inquiry into Horizon IT scandal reveals extent of Post Office and Fujitsu cover-up of software problems that went on to write ‘as dark a chapter in our governmental, corporate and legal history as can be imagined’ Continue Reading

Campaigning former subpostmaster fears compensation for scandal victims will be delayed to 2025

The man who exposed the Post Office scandal fears a long delay for victims due to compensation process being "bogged down by bureaucracy" Continue Reading

Microsoft and Google go into battle for enterprise AI

In this week’s Computer Weekly, as developments in generative AI accelerate, Microsoft and Google have each unveiled their plans around enterprise applications. Nobody doubts the importance of digital transformation – but experts say it won’t work without cultural change as well. And we examine the emerging practice of FinOps as part of cloud automation projects. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Post Office executive told to report false bill of health on controversial software

A 2010 Post Office internal review of the Horizon software was designed to ignore the system’s problems to reassure stakeholders amid questioning of its reliability Continue Reading

Online sales suffer as consumers hit shops for bargains

While overall shopping figures saw year-on-year growth in April 2023, online sales took a hit as shoppers look for cheaper goods in stores Continue Reading

Post Office lawyer bragged how team ‘destroyed attack on the Horizon system’ and put woman in prison

A senior Post Office lawyer appeared gleeful in email about how his team helped prosecute a subpostmaster who was sent to prison Continue Reading

Fujitsu staff had ‘unrestricted and unauditable’ remote access to Post Office branch systems

Fujitsu engineers could make changes to Post Office branch accounts without anyone knowing Continue Reading

UKtech50 2023: Vote for the most influential person in UK technology

Our judges have selected the top 50 leaders from a shortlist of more than 300 people – now it’s your chance to tell us who you think is the most influential person in UK technology Continue Reading

UKtech50 2023: The longlist of the UK’s influential tech leaders

Each year, Computer Weekly launches a search for the most influential people in UK IT, asking the tech community who it thinks should be in the top 50 – here is the longlist of everyone nominated for 2023 Continue Reading

Government anti-fraud strategy targets the tech behind the scams

The UK government’s anti-fraud strategy proposes to make it much harder for criminals to target their victims by cracking down on the exploitation of technology Continue Reading

Researchers see surge in scam websites linked to coronation

Scammers and fraudsters continue to take advantage of large public events, with the coronation of King Charles III no exception Continue Reading

More Post Office software-related convictions overturned takes total to 86

A total of 86 former subpostmasters wrongly prosecuted for financial crimes after computer errors showed phantom losses have had convictions overturned Continue Reading

Post Office paid IBM millions when it ended proposed contract to replace Horizon

The Post Office ended a proposed contract with IBM to replace its controversial Horizon system after work had already started Continue Reading

Online makes up 25% of retail sales three months in row

The percentage of all retail sales made online remains steady at around a quarter this year, though cost of living is affecting customer behaviour Continue Reading

Finland and Estonia deepen cross-border digital partnerships

Finland and Estonia, two global tech pioneers, are increasingly sharing their expertise Continue Reading

IT Priorities 2023: Budget optimism among EMEA IT leaders

IT leaders across the EMEA region are optimistic that their budgets will increase over the coming year Continue Reading