IT legislation and regulation
Understanding the law as it applies to IT management can be one of the hardest task for IT leaders, but the growing burden of regulatory compliance makes it essential. Legislation and regulation affects enterprise IT in many ways, not just in long-standing tasks such as contracts and software licensing. We examine the latest legal development and how they affect IT managers, and talk to the experts in IT legislation and regulation to explain what it means to your organisation.
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News
23 May 2025
Data embassies and US embargo halt give Saudi AI hope
Gulf autocracy gets access to powerful AI chips subject to export ban and pursues legal reforms to make foreign computing firms feel comfortable about putting their data there Continue Reading
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News
22 May 2025
Microsoft raises posse to target dangerous Lumma malware
Microsoft, along with a consortium of partners, has seized and disrupted a significant part of the Lumma malware-as-a-service network used to steal data and funds Continue Reading
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News
15 Oct 2019
Braintree boasts broadband benchmark
Braintree in Essex claims to have access to some of the fastest broadband speeds in the world Continue Reading
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E-Zine
15 Oct 2019
Securing the internet of things
In this week’s Computer Weekly, as security concerns prevent many organisations from adopting the internet of things, we examine mitigation strategies. Many firms are still struggling with GDPR policies – we assess if full compliance is ever possible. And we look at the technologies for delivering on-premise object storage. Read the issue now. Continue Reading
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News
14 Oct 2019
UK government confirms gigabit broadband roll-out, rows back on 2025 delivery commitment
UK government confirms plans to roll out gigabit-capable broadband across the UK, yet quietly shelves previous pledge to do so by 2025 Continue Reading
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News
10 Oct 2019
GoCardless gives 95% of its staff business intelligence at their fingertips
Fintech payments company GoCardless is enabling staff to carry out business intelligence queries themselves Continue Reading
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News
10 Oct 2019
New law will help roll-out of faster broadband
Measures will make it easier to install faster internet connections in blocks of flats where landlords repeatedly ignore requests for access from broadband firms Continue Reading
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Opinion
09 Oct 2019
Security Think Tank: The operational approach to integrated risk management
How can security professionals help their organisations move from traditional governance, risk and compliance to integrated risk management that integrates risk activities from across an organisation to enable better strategic decision-making? Continue Reading
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News
07 Oct 2019
Public cloud computing is early on its journey to core of the bank
Banks are no longer reluctant to use the cloud as the technology pierces the outer layer of the banking sector and begins its journey to the core Continue Reading
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News
04 Oct 2019
UK and US call on Facebook to walk back encryption plans
The US, Australian and UK governments have asked Facebook to ditch plans to deploy end-to-end encryption across Facebook Messenger, Instagram and WhatsApp Continue Reading
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News
03 Oct 2019
IR35 reforms: Lloyds Bank contractors to get deadline on future employment status
Lloyds Banking Group is the latest large firm set to end engagement of IT contractors through personal service companies due to impending IR35 tax reforms Continue Reading
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News
03 Oct 2019
Cyber war as big a threat as nuclear war, says ex-RSA head Coviello
Former RSA chairman Art Coviello has been speaking about the devastating potential of cyber weapons, and warned that humanity must learn from history in order to control them Continue Reading
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News
01 Oct 2019
IR35 reforms will prompt Barclays to re-engage contractors on PAYE terms, 'leaked email' suggests
Barclays is understood to have notified line managers via email on 30 September 2019 of its plans to phase out use of limited company contractors, ahead of the IR35 private sector reforms coming into force in April 2020 Continue Reading
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News
30 Sep 2019
Australia gets ready for open banking
Traditional banks and fintech firms alike will need to bite the bullet in the crucial startup period if Australia’s open banking regime is to succeed Continue Reading
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News
30 Sep 2019
Chancellor Sajid Javid set to make £5bn investment commitment to improve UK broadband coverage
The Chancellor Sajid Javid is expected to take to the stage at the Conservative Party Conference in Manchester later today, to set out the group’s “infrastructure revolution” plans, which include ramping up broadband coverage across the UK Continue Reading
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News
29 Sep 2019
Private sector warned of ‘brain drain’ risk by putting off prep for April 2020 start of IR35 reforms
Legal firm warns private sector companies about the risks of putting off preparations for the IR35 reforms that take effect next year Continue Reading
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News
27 Sep 2019
ABN Amro investigation lends weight to anti-money laundering collaboration by Dutch banks
Dutch authorities are investigating ABN Amro for possible failures to monitor and report potential money laundering activity Continue Reading
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News
27 Sep 2019
Five million DoorDash customers’ details lost in data breach
Takeaway delivery service was breached in May 2019, resulting in the data of millions of users and delivery drivers being stolen Continue Reading
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News
27 Sep 2019
GDPR compliance: Whose job is it and is it really possible?
Nobody seems to have a good handle on business GDPR compliance, how many businesses are compliant, or indeed what compliance really is, but according to security experts, it very much depends on who you talk to Continue Reading
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News
26 Sep 2019
Instagram and WhatsApp – the new tools of social media propaganda
Facebook and Twitter have been cast as the villains of the piece, but social media disinformation and propaganda are evolving in new and alarming directions, say Oxford University researchers Continue Reading
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News
20 Sep 2019
Enterprises can hire software robots at the push of a button
IPsoft is beta testing a marketplace where businesses can look at what software robots are available and interview them about their suitability to take roles Continue Reading
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Feature
19 Sep 2019
EBA outsourcing guidelines: What banks, fintechs and cloud providers need to know
The regulatory landscape for financial services and outsourcing will undergo a refresh this month with new guidance from the European Banking Authority. We look at what banks, fintechs and cloud firms need to do Continue Reading
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News
18 Sep 2019
Facebook automatically generates pages for Islamic State and Al-Qaeda
Facebook algorithms have auto-generated hundreds of Facebook pages for the Islamic State, Al-Qaeda and Ansar al-Sharia, according to a whistleblower Continue Reading
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News
17 Sep 2019
US lawmakers demand internal Facebook, Google, Apple and Amazon documents in antitrust probe
US lawmakers have given big tech companies a deadline to disclose a wide range of documents as the House Judiciary Committee’s bipartisan investigation into competition gathers pace Continue Reading
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News
16 Sep 2019
Police use of algorithms needs stronger safeguards to prevent bias, report says
A study by the Royal United Services Institute calls for new code of practice to guide use of algorithmic tools in policing Continue Reading
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News
13 Sep 2019
When AIs go to war: Autonomous cyber weapons ‘inevitable’
CISOs must start thinking about how to engage with intelligent, adaptive, non-human attackers, says Trend Micro’s Rik Ferguson Continue Reading
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News
13 Sep 2019
Dutch banks to work together in fight against money laundering
Dutch banks are sharing expertise and resources to help reduce money laundering through their accounts Continue Reading
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News
13 Sep 2019
Industry opposition to no-deal Brexit hardens, says TechUK
A survey of TechUK members has found that 71% believe a no-deal Brexit at the end of October will negatively affect them in spite of their preparations Continue Reading
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News
12 Sep 2019
Government seeks views on post-Brexit security alignment
The government has called for views on its proposals to align the UK’s post-Brexit cyber security policy to that of the European Union Continue Reading
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News
12 Sep 2019
Less than quarter of fintechs prepared for no-deal Brexit
A survey reveals that less than a quarter of UK fintech companies have their businesses prepared for the UK's exit from the EU Continue Reading
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News
12 Sep 2019
ICO to probe government over Gov.uk data collection plan
The ICO is to look into the government’s leaked data collection plans over fears they may breach the law Continue Reading
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Opinion
11 Sep 2019
Regulators globally are shaping up to rein in Facebook
We need to move fast and fix Facebook, before it breaks us Continue Reading
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News
11 Sep 2019
Nordic countries deepen collaboration with Estonia-based cyber security operation
Nordic countries are now working closer with Nato’s Estonia-based centre of excellence in cyber security Continue Reading
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News
11 Sep 2019
GDPR non-compliance worse than feared
Over half of UK businesses do not yet appear to be fully GDPR-compliant, and many have de-prioritised their compliance efforts Continue Reading
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News
10 Sep 2019
UK calls for cyber capacity-building at UN security group
The UK’s representative to a United Nations cyber security working group has called for increased investment in capacity around cyber security Continue Reading
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News
10 Sep 2019
Brexit disrupts FCA exploration into data use in wholesale banking
The extra work for banks due to Brexit preparations has caused a delay to FCA work on the use of data in the wholesale banking sector Continue Reading
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News
10 Sep 2019
BT gears up to take on rogue drones
BT’s Enterprise unit is offering customers an anti-drone security solution to protect their physical sites from intrusion Continue Reading
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News
09 Sep 2019
Brain-computer interfaces: Promising tech needs regulating
Connecting a computer directly to the brain could revolutionise healthcare, but the tech giants might monopolise data and application areas Continue Reading
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09 Sep 2019
HMRC under fire over 'scaremongering' IR35 clampdown letters targeting GSK IT contractors
GSK contractors that have received “scaremongering” letters from HMRC, urging them to review their engagements with the company from an IR35 perspective, are being urged not to panic, as the missives have no legal basis, claim experts. Continue Reading
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News
09 Sep 2019
Terror watchlist faces reform after court rules it violates rights of people entering US
A secret US terrorist database containing information on more than 1.2 million people – who face repeated interrogations, detentions and electronic searches – violates constitutional rights, a US judge said last week Continue Reading
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News
06 Sep 2019
Data-driven marketing, the real risk boards are missing
Boards need to act to break the cycle of privacy compliance failures, and shift focus to aligning business purpose with privacy and dealing with the real risk of data driven marketing, warns PwC’s GDPR and data protection lead Continue Reading
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News
05 Sep 2019
Security pros doubt officials can enact effective security laws
Elected officials cannot be trusted to enact effective cyber security legislation and social media firms should be subject to strict privacy regulation, according to most information security professionals in a survey Continue Reading
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Feature
05 Sep 2019
Cutting the cord: Negotiating cloud contracts with problematic customers
How accountable should cloud firms be for the actions of the customers that use their platforms, and how much thought should they give to aligning themselves with problematic brands before hosting them? Continue Reading
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News
04 Sep 2019
Check Point warns of Android phishing attacks
Researchers at Check Point have identified a security flaw in Android-based smartphones that exposes vulnerable users to phishing attacks Continue Reading
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News
03 Sep 2019
Post Office changes IT leadership reshuffle decision
The Post Office has changed its IT leadership reshuffle weeks after announcing its original plan Continue Reading
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News
29 Aug 2019
Dutch regulator reveals potential Microsoft privacy breach
Netherlands privacy watchdog has revealed potential breaches while testing Microsoft software changes Continue Reading
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News
28 Aug 2019
HMRC under fire over 'scaremongering' IR35 clampdown letters targeting GSK IT contractors
GSK contractors that have received “scaremongering” letters from HMRC, urging them to review their engagements with the company from an IR35 perspective, are being urged not to panic, as the missives have no legal basis, claim experts Continue Reading
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News
27 Aug 2019
Government to ease planning laws for mobile networks
Westminster is seeking input on four key proposals to make it easier to build and operate 5G mobile networks Continue Reading
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News
23 Aug 2019
IR35 reforms: HMRC defends off-payroll rules guidance against "woeful" IPSE jibes
HMRC promises there are more preparatory materials in the pipeline to help the private sector prepare for the April 2020 IR35 rules, after IPSE brands its current guidance "woeful" Continue Reading
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News
23 Aug 2019
Human rights group challenges police over counter-terrorism powers
Bringing into question the effectiveness of terror laws, a report by human rights group Cage highlights poor conviction rates and the discriminatory application of police powers at the border Continue Reading
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News
21 Aug 2019
UK banks outage caused by problem at US payment service provider
UK consumers were unable to access some banking services due to a hardware failure at a US payments provider Continue Reading
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News
20 Aug 2019
Huawei to US: Ban violates free market principles
Huawei has hit back at the US government’s latest moves to restrict its activities Continue Reading
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News
16 Aug 2019
ICO to probe facial recognition at King’s Cross
UK privacy watchdog is to investigate whether the use of live facial recognition technology at King’s Cross complies with data protection laws Continue Reading
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News
14 Aug 2019
Publicly accessible biometric database highlights key failings
The discovery of a publicly accessible database of biometric information highlights failings by the supplier, the need for supply chain security, and the challenges of using biometric data Continue Reading
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News
14 Aug 2019
GDPR faces growing pains across Europe
The General Data Protection Regulation is over a year old now, but it faces challenges across Europe where compliance has taken place at different speeds Continue Reading
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News
14 Aug 2019
UK finance regulator gives extra time for companies to meet payment security rules
Financial Conduct Authority gives companies under its watch an extra 18 months to meet an EU payments security standard Continue Reading
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News
13 Aug 2019
Breach cost $53m in Q2, says Desjardins
Credit union cooperative Desjardins reveals that a data breach in June cost the company $53m in the second quarter, but that could be just the start, warn industry commentators Continue Reading
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News
12 Aug 2019
South Wales Police starts facial recognition trial despite opposition
The use of the facial recognition app by South Wales Police marks the latest deployment of controversial facial recognition technology by police forces in the UK Continue Reading
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News
09 Aug 2019
Whistleblowers: James Glenn’s battle with Cisco opens new front on cyber security
James Glenn, a 42-year-old security specialist, fought a 10-year legal battle with Cisco after blowing the whistle on serious security flaws. He lost his job, but has no regrets Continue Reading
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Opinion
08 Aug 2019
UK businesses deserve a 5G networked nation
The tech sector needs to coalesce around a unified, positive vision of 5G to establish a proper business case for ultrafast, low latency mobile Continue Reading
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E-Zine
08 Aug 2019
CW Benelux: Dutch academic hunts the personality behind the hacker
Rutger Leukfeldt, senior researcher on cyber crime at the Netherlands Institute for the Study of Crime and Law Enforcement, is working to help organisations understand the personalities behind criminal hackers. Also in this issue, read about research that shows over half of Dutch organisations admit their knowledge of blockchain is substandard. We also feature an article about ABN Amro’s work with researchers to explore how quantum computing can be used to secure online banking. Continue Reading
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News
08 Aug 2019
Openreach starts roll-out of dark fibre product
Openreach is soft-launching a wholesale dark fibre product in eastern England ahead of a wider national roll-out Continue Reading
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News
07 Aug 2019
The $10bn question: Why is the US government’s JEDI cloud contract taking so long to award?
The announcement of who has won the US government’s controversial $10bn, decade-long cloud contract is nearly 12 months overdue. So what’s holding it up? Continue Reading
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News
05 Aug 2019
Boris Johnson has 12 months to reform broadband policy, says industry
Broadband sector advocates warn prime minister that the clock is ticking if he wants to be serious about achieving 100% full-fibre broadband coverage in six years Continue Reading
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News
01 Aug 2019
IR35 reforms: Contractor poll highlights lack of faith in new UK government
Research into how the contractor community views the government and its ability to deliver the private sector IR35 reforms should provide “food for thought” for prime minister Boris Johnson Continue Reading
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News
01 Aug 2019
London Stock Exchange agrees to acquire Refinitiv for £22bn
The London Stock Exchange has agreed to a multi-billion pound takeover of data giant Refinitiv Continue Reading
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News
01 Aug 2019
GDPR taken more seriously after first fines
Security professionals believe the first big fines under the General Data Protection Regulation will get organisations to take the new rules more seriously, but will not necessarily change policies or practices Continue Reading
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News
31 Jul 2019
Cisco pays $8.6m after whistleblower discloses security flaws in video surveillance system
James Glenn, a video surveillance expert working for a Cisco reseller in Denmark, alerted Cisco to security faults and stands to gain a share of a multimillion-dollar settlement with the US government Continue Reading
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News
30 Jul 2019
Six Nordic banks form alliance to offer KYC as a service
Nordic Know Your Customer joint venture will create a common Nordic platform based on advanced data management technologies Continue Reading
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News
30 Jul 2019
London Stock Exchange eyes £22bn acquisition of Refinitiv to expand data capabilities
The London Stock Exchange is looking at a huge tech acquisition to provide customers access to a wealth of data services built using the latest technologies Continue Reading
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News
30 Jul 2019
Huawei ‘galvanised’ by Trump ban
Huawei has found itself caught in the crossfire of the US president’s trade war with China, but chairman Liang Hua says the firm is rising to the challenge Continue Reading
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News
29 Jul 2019
ICO selects first innovation Sandbox participants
UK privacy watchdog has chosen the first firms to take part in its Sandbox programme aimed at developing innovative and beneficial products and services that are privacy compliant Continue Reading
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Feature
29 Jul 2019
Think beyond tick-box compliance
A year on since GDPR, many organisations are yet to stop fretting over fines and focus instead on business value Continue Reading
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Blog Post
25 Jul 2019
The only tech question that matters for a new PM: are you ready for the digital future, Mr Johnson?
It’s traditional upon the coronation of a new Prime Minister to write a list of all the things they need to address in the tech and digital sectors. It would be a long list – digital skills, IT ... Continue Reading
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News
25 Jul 2019
Ofcom must do more to help operators invest in 5G
Telefónica UK boss Mark Evans warns that Ofcom is prioritising action on behalf of consumers to the exclusion of enabling the telecoms and mobile industry to grow Continue Reading
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News
25 Jul 2019
New ministerial appointments for tech policies in Boris Johnson Cabinet
The new Prime Minister has brought in ministers in all the key government posts affecting digital and technology policy Continue Reading
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News
25 Jul 2019
Facebook shrugs off $5bn fine, reports strong quarter
Investors responded positively after social networking firm reported better-than-expected second-quarter results after budgeting for FTC fine, but the company faces a further antitrust investigation Continue Reading
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News
24 Jul 2019
US Department of Justice launches antitrust probe into dominance of online platform providers
The US Department of Justice has called for an antitrust investigation into how “market-leading” online platform operators in the search, social media and retail space operate Continue Reading
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News
24 Jul 2019
Controversial ‘immigration exemption’ used in 60% of cases
The UK government has used a controversial GDPR opt-out in response to the majority of its immigration-related data requests since the start of 2019, the High Court has heard Continue Reading
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News
23 Jul 2019
Phishing attack highlights cyber security need at universities
UK university cyber security is once again under the spotlight after Lancaster University reveals that it has been targeted by a phishing attack used to send fake invoices Continue Reading
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News
23 Jul 2019
Almost a third of European firms still not compliant with GDPR
Almost a third of European businesses admit they are still not compliant with the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation, but there are encouraging signs of increased maturity in data protection, with the new rules driving better, business-supporting practices Continue Reading
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News
23 Jul 2019
High Court to hear challenge to immigration exemption in DPA
The High Court is to hear a challenge by two human rights groups of a controversial clause in new UK data protection legislation they say is in conflict with the EU’s Charter of Fundamental Rights and undermines the General Data Protection Regulation Continue Reading
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News
23 Jul 2019
Government delays final decision on Huawei
Culture secretary says he cannot yet make specific decisions about Huawei’s involvement in the UK’s telecoms and mobile networks due to a lack of clarity from the US, effectively green-lighting its use Continue Reading
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News
22 Jul 2019
US fines Equifax $700m over 2017 breach
Global settlement with US authorities follows systems breach that saw more than 140 million customer records stolen Continue Reading
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News
22 Jul 2019
Ofcom brings in new protections for mobile users
New rules around how mobile contracts are sold should give end-users a fairer deal Continue Reading
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News
19 Jul 2019
Latest ICO fine highlights privacy due diligence
A week after issuing the first serious GDPR fines, the ICO has further underlined the importance of data stewardship and due diligence regarding privacy practices Continue Reading
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News
19 Jul 2019
MPs warn of data adequacy hole in no-deal Brexit
Transferring data to and from the EU will only be possible if an agreement is in place before the UK leaves. No deal means no data agreement Continue Reading
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News
19 Jul 2019
Worries over impact of foreign talent on Australia’s tech jobs put to rest
Local tech industry welcomes a new report from the Committee for the Economic Development of Australia which found that migrants have not had a negative impact on wages or participation rates of Aussie workers Continue Reading
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News
18 Jul 2019
Free tool reveals the true cost of ‘free’ online services
New data discovery portal developed by Finnish security firm F-Secure helps to uncover what Facebook, Amazon, Google and other tech giants know about consumers Continue Reading
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E-Zine
18 Jul 2019
CW ANZ: Trend Watch – Security
With regulations pushing data protection up the business agenda, we look at how Australia’s Notifiable Data Breaches scheme has been received and consider why a survey that found Australian firms are experiencing fewer cyber breach incidents appears to conflict with anecdotal evidence that suggests the opposite. Continue Reading
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News
18 Jul 2019
Digital minister Margot James quits after Brexit vote
James voted against the government in an attempt to stop the next Prime Minister from suspending Parliament to force through a no-deal Brexit Continue Reading
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Opinion
18 Jul 2019
Security Think Tank: Engage business to address commercial risk
What strategies can infosec pros use to shift focus from GDPR fines to enabling business gains and success, changing the way data is used, and aligning data privacy with business purpose? Continue Reading
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News
18 Jul 2019
Parliamentary committee calls for halt to facial recognition trials
Issues with biometrics and forensics pose a significant risk to effective functioning of the criminal justice system, according to a report by the Science and Technology Committee Continue Reading
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News
17 Jul 2019
Facebook accused of ‘breathtaking arrogance’ over Libra cryptocurrency plan
US senators grill Facebook’s David Marcus over social media giant’s plans to launch cryptocurrency Continue Reading
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Opinion
17 Jul 2019
Security Think Tank: Translating GDPR compliance into business benefits
What strategies can information security professionals use to shift focus from General Data Protection Regulation fines to enabling business gains and success, changing the way data is used, and aligning data privacy with business purpose? Continue Reading
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News
16 Jul 2019
UN resolution ignores special rapporteur’s call for halt to spyware sales
UN’s Human Rights Council adopts resolution to explore the impact of new and emerging digital technologies on human rights, but the text ignores a damning report by the council’s own expert on freedom of expression Continue Reading
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News
16 Jul 2019
Dutch authorities temporarily halt datacentre construction
Two local authorities in the Netherlands have put the brakes on datacentre construction to give them time to put policies in place to gain more control over builds Continue Reading
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Opinion
16 Jul 2019
Security Think Tank: Aligning data privacy with business objectives
What strategies can infosec pros use to shift focus from GDPR fines to enabling business gains and success, changing the way data is used, and aligning data privacy with business purpose? Continue Reading
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Podcast
16 Jul 2019
BA/Marriott GDPR fines: What they were for and how to avoid them
We talk to Mathieu Gorge, CEO of Vigitrust, about the BA and Marriott GDPR fines and what organisations can do to ensure they achieve compliance with GDPR and similar regulations Continue Reading
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News
15 Jul 2019
UK launches 5G security inquiry
The Joint Committee on the National Security Strategy is to probe the UK government’s approach to telecoms technology as a national security issue Continue Reading
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News
15 Jul 2019
Billion-dollar privacy penalties put CEOs on notice
Facebook’s potential $5bn settlement with the FTC follows notifications of planned GDPR fines for British Airways and Marriott International, underlining the importance of data stewardship Continue Reading
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News
15 Jul 2019
US judge dismisses challenge over Department of Defense mega-cloud contract
The US Department of Defense looks set to award a $10bn cloud contract after a legal challenge to the procurement process failed Continue Reading