IT management

Payment tech provider opens Finnish tech hub

Nordic payment tech supplier opens a hub in the Finnish city of Espoo to access expertise Continue Reading

OSC&R framework to stop supply chain attacks in the wild

The backers of a new MITRE ATT&CK style framework called OSC&R hope to help organisations get to grips with threats to their software supply chains Continue Reading

UAE central bank programme to accelerate digital transformation

The United Arab Emirates government launches programme to accelerate the digital transformation of the country’s finance sector Continue Reading

Researcher exposes crypto scam network exploiting YouTube

A massive network of fake YouTube videos promoted by automated sock puppet accounts is reeling in hundreds of cryptocurrency enthusiasts and persuading them to hand over their money, WithSecure researchers found Continue Reading

Where next for NHS IT?

In this week’s Computer Weekly, as NHS Digital is folded into NHS England, we consider what the merger could mean for the future of NHS IT. We find out how data science and analytics has become an increasingly important function for the John Lewis Partnership. And we examine the importance of building empathy into metaverse applications. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Executive interview: Putting a value on open source

Spotify’s open source tech lead discusses why open source is failing those whose free time is dedicated to maintaining code Continue Reading

How to protect your business from fraud during a recession

This winter, the chilly winds of a global recession have fraudsters turning up the heat. PJ Rohall of SEON Fraud Fighters shares some guidance on how to bundle up against fraud Continue Reading

Akamai eyes cloud market with Connected Cloud

Akamai marks foray into cloud computing with a distributed cloud computing platform that is touted to make it easier for enterprises to get applications and data closer to their customers Continue Reading

What do the tech sector redundancy rounds mean for international employees working in the UK?

Individuals that have chosen to relocate to the UK to develop their careers sponsored by their employers face not only losing their job but their right to remain in the UK. What are the options? Continue Reading

What’s the technology talent and recruitment outlook for 2023?

Despite layoffs from technology companies demand for IT staff in 2023 is expected to be robust, but organisations may turn towards contractors and off-shoring Continue Reading

Russian spear phishing campaign escalates efforts toward critical UK, US and European targets

Russian hacking group Seaborgium refines its tactics in a continuation of attacks against targets including not-for-profit organisations with geopolitical affiliations Continue Reading

Tech sector lay-offs in the round – Computer Weekly Downtime Upload podcast

The team talks about tech sector job losses in the round, with possible bright spots for corporate IT and contractors, and data and hybrid working strategies at the Very Group Continue Reading

KPMG launches metaverse and digital twin hub in Saudi Arabia

The Saudi Arabian government’s commitment to investing in metaverse technology has attracted a KPMG centre of excellence to its shores Continue Reading

Investigatory Powers Act: Home Office proposes rethink of safeguards on bulk data collection

David Anderson KC will review the safeguards on intelligence service and police use of bulk datasets following a Home Office assessment that they are 'disproportionate'. Continue Reading

Security buyers lack insight into threats, attackers, report finds

The majority of cyber security purchasing decisions are made without proper insight into the attackers organisations are facing, according to a Mandiant report Continue Reading

Killnet DDoS attacks disrupt Nato websites

A series of distributed denial of service attacks on various public websites belonging to the Nato alliance were largely repelled but some resources remain unavailable Continue Reading

Police tech needs clear legal rules, says biometrics regulator

Police use of artificial intelligence and facial recognition needs to be controlled by strict rules and mechanisms to ensure public trust Continue Reading

Whistleblower in limbo as sensitive NatWest customer files remain under her bed

Whistleblower and NatWest at stalemate as regulators leave it up to them to come to an agreement on return of sensitive customer data Continue Reading

Porsche revs up Formula E team with NetApp hybrid cloud

Porsche’s electric car racing team has to set up on city street courses in short order, and does it with a portable server setup and hybrid cloud storage managed by NetApp GFC Continue Reading

Northern Ireland integrated care record set to go live in November

South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust will be the first in Northern Ireland to deploy the Encompass integrated care record system, followed by a phased roll-out to other trusts Continue Reading

Rebooting digital government to (finally) bring it into the 21st century

Nearly 30 years after the UK's first pan-government website, what has been achieved in digital government - and how do we make it better? Continue Reading

Cyber security training: How to be as secure as is practicably possible

If you cannot secure all the people all the time, how should a business approach cyber security training and awareness programmes? Continue Reading

CW EMEA: Kyiv is ready for anything

CIOs must be ready for the unexpected, but not many CIOs and IT teams face keeping a city’s vital IT running while fighting for their lives. In this issue of CW EMEA, Oleg Polovynko, CIO at Kyiv City Council, explains how the IT team in the Ukrainian capital has kept services running for its residents amid relentless bombing by Russian forces. We also look at how the Netherlands is planning to regulate AI to reduce bias, how highly accurate time protocols ensure fair trading in finance, and the use of technology in agriculture in Denmark. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

BNPL accounted for 12% of UK online spending in January

Buy now, pay later products from fintech providers accounted for 12% of the £8bn spent online in the UK in January, according to analysis Continue Reading

Social media platform Reddit breached in phishing attack

An unspecified threat actor obtained access to internal documents, code and business systems at Reddit after stealing employee credentials in a phishing attack Continue Reading

The challenge for DSIT: don't become the department of 'Yes, but...'

Any (very) longstanding Computer Weekly readers may be able to cast their minds back to a time when this blog would make a regular call for the UK government to give technology policy a ... Continue Reading

New Border Force unit to deploy more surveillance tech in Channel

Newly established Small Boats Operational Command (SBOC) will deploy a range of surveillance technologies in the English Channel in an attempt to deter crossings Continue Reading

UK imposes sanctions on Conti ransomware gang leaders

Seven Russian nationals associated with the Conti and Ryuk ransomware operations have been sanctioned by the UK Continue Reading

Banking regulatory body wants a ‘tripwire’ to flag APP fraud

Banking code of practice organisation wants banks to monitor where authorised push payment scammers are sending stolen money Continue Reading

EDF increases GIS software use at Hinkley Point C nuclear power site

EDF is increasing its use of a geographic information system from Esri to get a central view of construction data in the Hinkley Point C nuclear power station project Continue Reading

Security Think Tank: Poor training is worse than no training at all

Bad security training is a betrayal of users, a security risk, and ultimately a waste of money, but there are some reasons to be optimistic about the future, say Mike Gillespie and Ellie Hurst of Advent IM Continue Reading

Prolific social media fraudster jailed for three years

Ramzan Abubakarov of Hendon will serve three-year prison sentence after using Telegram to coordinate series of frauds which netted almost £2m Continue Reading

Is business ready for ChatGPT?

Generative AI models like ChatGPT promise to revolutionise the way people gather data and make informed decisions Continue Reading

Campaigners lament lack of movement on Computer Misuse Act reform

Westminster has opened a new consultation on proposed reforms to the Computer Misuse Act of 1990, but campaigners who want the law changed to protect cyber professionals have been left disappointed Continue Reading

Rakuten targets big edge deployments with Symworld Cloud

Japanese giant Rakuten bought Kubernetes management platform Robin.io and put it in 50,000-plus telco antennas. Now it aims Symworld Cloud at enterprise edge deployments Continue Reading

India launches homegrown BharOS

The homegrown Android-based mobile operating system could reduce India’s reliance on foreign software, but uncertainties around market adoption and software updates remain Continue Reading

Container storage platforms: Big six approach starts to align

Container storage is a complex but vital task. We survey the big six storage makers and see methods are starting to align around management platforms Continue Reading

UK government sets up dedicated department for science and technology

For the first time, the UK has a Cabinet-level role responsible for all science and technology policy, as part of prime minister Rishi Sunak’s departmental reshuffle Continue Reading

LockBit cartel finally claims Royal Mail ransomware attack

The LockBit ransomware gang claims it has stolen sensitive data from Royal Mail and will leak it later this week if its demands go unmet Continue Reading

APP fraud reimbursement proposal is ‘fundamentally flawed’, say MPs

MPs claim the involvement of a bank-sponsored organisation in reimbursing victims of APP fraud would be a conflict of interest Continue Reading

‘Profound’ digital pound decision faces policymakers

The UK Treasury has launched a consultation paper to help lay the foundations for a ‘profound decision’ over a digital currency Continue Reading

NetApp adds QLC C-series, new A-series and subscription upgrades

NetApp C-series QLC-based array family offers flash speed with capacity, while Advance adds subscription upgrades to owned hardware, as well as a new entry-level A-series array Continue Reading

UK altnets slam Ofcom BT wholesale tariff approval

UK’s independent full-fibre providers express fear that likely regulatory green light for new wholesale pricing from market leader threatens competitiveness of UK gigabit sector Continue Reading

Benelux CIO interview: Marijn Grevink, leader of digital transformation, Mars

In an interview with Computer Weekly, the digital head at Mars, Marijn Grevink, takes the wrapper off digital transformation at the company in the Netherlands Continue Reading

The one problem with AI content moderation? It doesn’t work

The use of artificial intelligence for content moderation is likely to become more pronounced with the passage of the Online Safety Bill, but practitioners and experts question the efficacy of this approach Continue Reading

TSB pilots pods as branch replacements

TSB joins Barclays in adopting banking pods to ensure customers have access to physical banking services as the number of high street branches declines Continue Reading

Online banks still riddled with cyber security flaws, report says

Online bank Virgin Money was found to have the weakest online and application security measures in a Which? study but Nationwide, TSB and The Co-Operative Bank all failed on multiple points, too. Continue Reading

Why is sustainable marketing important?

On a grand scale, sustainable marketing brings awareness to environmental and social issues. On a business level, this practice can improve brand loyalty and worker engagement. Continue Reading

Making IT security training stick

In this week’s Computer Weekly, our latest buyer’s guide looks at IT security training, and asks whether gamification could be the secret to making it stick. We examine how the metaverse might change the way we work in real life. And we find out how job cuts across the tech sector affect employment opportunities for IT contractors in 2023. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Estonian anti-money laundering platform used to fight APP fraud

A real-time data-sharing platform originally built to identify money laundering is also being applied to the fight against authorised push payment fraud Continue Reading

Post Office branches struggling after Royal Mail cyber attack

Royal Mail has restored almost all of its international services to some extent, but remains unable to accept parcels bought over the counter in a Post Office branch Continue Reading

MoD needs to transform to succeed with digital strategy, says PAC

A Public Accounts Committee (PAC) report says the department is ‘not well setup’ to effectively implement its digital change, and calls for both a cultural and organisational shift at the Ministry of Defence (MoD) Continue Reading

Executive interview, Eric Muntz, Mailchimp

We speak to Intuit Mailchimp’s former CTO about how the company manages IT engineering and supports different ways of working Continue Reading

Cloud Print ISVs to watch in 2023

Quocirca's list of Cloud Print ISVs to watch in 2023 Continue Reading

The Security Interviews: How to overcome data protection compliance challenges

Complying with the vast swathe of data protection legislation around the world is complex, especially for smaller organisations without the necessary expertise. Could the compliance process be simplified, and if so, how? Continue Reading

Ransomware operator turns their fire on two-year-old VMware bug

A vulnerability in VMware ESXi servers that users should have patched in 2021 is now being exploited to spread ransomware Continue Reading

Backup maintenance: Make sure backups can deliver

Deploying backup but overlooking the need to make sure it works is a common error. We look at the why and how of backup maintenance to help ensure you can recover from your backups Continue Reading

How artificial intelligence is playing a role in insect farming

An AI engine developed by Singapore startup EntoVerse is helping cricket farmers improve yield by optimising environmental and other conditions Continue Reading

UK seeks head of quantum office

A vacancy on the civil service jobs site suggests the UK’s new quantum strategy is about to be rolled out – and there’s going to be a new chief Continue Reading

Finance regulator finding more misleading promotions quicker through improved digital tools

UK finance regulator able to find and block misleading promotions faster through improved digital tools Continue Reading

LockBit gang confirms Ion cyber attack as disruption continues

The LockBit ransomware cartel has taken responsibility for this week’s attack on financial software firm Ion, and is threatening to leak stolen data on Saturday 4 February Continue Reading

FCA cracks down on misleading promos by social media influencers

Social media is becoming a major part of the FCA’s work in clamping down on misleading financial advertising and promotions, with multiple influencers rapped for their behaviour Continue Reading

Security Think Tank: In 2023, we need a new way to cultivate better habits

Regular, small adjustments to behaviour offer a better way to keep employees on track and cultivate a corporate culture of cyber awareness, writes Elastic’s Mandy Andress Continue Reading

Record fibre growth fails to halt mixed Q3 for BT

Strategy of focus on fibre and 5G vindicated in financial results showing leading UK telco buffeted by inflationary headwinds – but also seeing benefit of growing investment in fixed network infrastructure Continue Reading

BDx to open fourth datacentre in Hong Kong

Big Data Exchange’s upcoming HKG8 facility will provide hyperscale and enterprise customers with fail-safe resiliency and connectivity in one of the region’s fastest-growing datacentre markets Continue Reading

MEPs vote to amend platform worker directive

MEPs have voted in favour of amendments to the European Commission’s platform worker directive that would introduce a presumption of employment and increase algorithmic transparency Continue Reading

Goodbye NHS Digital – a new era of NHS technology is upon us

As NHS Digital is officially merged into NHS England, Computer Weekly takes a look at the history of the organisation and what the merger could mean for the future of NHS IT Continue Reading

Security Think Tank: Getting the training and development mix right

Rob Dartnall, CEO at SecAlliance and chair of Crest’s UK Council, describes the need for formal, varied and continuous development in the cyber security sector Continue Reading

North Korea’s Lazarus gang exposes itself in opsec failure

WithSecure researchers linked a campaign of cyber attacks targeting medical research and energy firms to North Korea’s infamous Lazarus APT after a group member accidentally screwed up Continue Reading

Suspected LockBit ransomware attack causes havoc in City of London

A suspected LockBit ransomware attack on trading software firm Ion has caused chaos for City of London traders Continue Reading

UK government announces plans to protect consumers through cryptoasset regulation

UK government wants feedback on its plans to regulate organisations operating in the cryptoasset sector Continue Reading

Arnold Clark customer data was stolen in Play ransomware attack

Arnold Clark confirms data leaked on dark web was stolen from its systems in ransomware attack Continue Reading

Cisco fixes two bugs that could have led to supply chain attacks on users

Two vulnerabilities uncovered in Cisco hardware could have opened the door to serious supply chain cyber attacks, according to the Trellix researchers who found them Continue Reading

Cloud security top risk to enterprises in 2023, says study

A PwC study finds senior executives expect cyber attacks on cloud services to increase significantly this year Continue Reading

Innovative Technology deploys age estimation tech in shops and pubs

A company involved in Home Office-led trials of biometric age estimation technologies has begun rolling out its hardware to UK shops and pubs so they can use its facial recognition algorithm to assure customers’ ages Continue Reading

Malware variant can block contactless payments

Kaspersky warns that the latest variant of the Prilex malware can block contactless payments to force people to insert cards, enabling criminals to steal money Continue Reading

NASA works with IBM on foundational data model for Earth science

Using IBM’s foundational model for artificial intelligence, NASA plans to offer researchers a way to access the vast troves of data it collects about Earth Continue Reading

UK Cyber Council and ISACA launch audit, assurance programme

The UK Cyber Security Council has teamed up with ISACA to partner on a new audit and assurance programme for security pros Continue Reading

Tips on improving cyber training for home workers

How better security training can help firms tackle new cyber threats facing remote workers Continue Reading

Reaping green dividends with data management

Getting data management right has been pivotal for Singapore IoT startup SensorFlow to optimise energy consumption and reduce carbon emissions for its hotelier clients Continue Reading

Tech Nation to shutter after more than a decade

Tech Nation due to shutter after losing core funding to Barclays Eagle Labs, which will take over its role in supporting UK technology startups and scaleups Continue Reading

Cyber training firm launches £20k data protection scholarship

Training specialist Freevacy has launched a £20,000 scholarship fund to train data privacy and protection professionals Continue Reading

Russian DDoS hacktivists seen targeting western hospitals

A swathe of attacks by the Putin-supporting DDoS operation known as Killnet has targeted hospitals and other infrastructure in several Nato countries, with the UK thought to be at risk Continue Reading

Crédit Agricole tests quantum in finance

The corporate and investment bank has run experiments with Pasqal and Multiverse to demo quantum computing in finance Continue Reading

GitHub warns Desktop, Atom users after code-signing certificates pinched

Threat actors stole encrypted code-signing certificates for GitHub’s Desktop and Atom applications in December 2022, prompting warnings for users Continue Reading

MI5 unlawfully collected and held millions of people’s data

Secretive court finds MI5 knowingly acted unlawfully in use of bulk surveillance warrants, and the Home Office continued granting warrants despite information the agency was operating outside the law Continue Reading

Three outsourcing trends to look out for in 2023

ISG's Andreas Fahr outlines three IT sourcing trends to look out for in the coming year. Continue Reading

Digital banking changing the high street forever as banks close branches and open alternatives

Banks are reshaping their channels as customers move to digital services, with physical innovation complementing digital strategies Continue Reading

Royal Mail recovers more International Tracked services

Royal Mail is making further progress in recovering IT systems hit by a ransomware attack, and has re-enabled another tranche of international export services Continue Reading

MPs warned of AI arms race to the bottom

Expert tells Parliamentary committee that tech companies developing artificial intelligence are cutting corners and placing safety on the backburner, opening up ‘enormous risks’ for the future of AI Continue Reading

ATO renews major Macquarie deal

The contract renewal will enable the Australian Tax Office to tap Macquarie’s security operations centre, among other services, to secure its IT environment and protect sensitive data Continue Reading

How the cost-of-living crisis is affecting IT

In this week’s Computer Weekly, with major tech companies announcing thousands of job cuts, we examine what the cost-of-living crisis means for IT leaders and tech professionals. We analyse what you need to consider when reversing systems out of the cloud and back on-premise. And Very Group’s CIO talks about the post-pandemic challenges facing online retailers. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Mark Logan on his vision for a Scottish technology ecosystem

The Scottish Government’s entrepreneur advisor speaks to Computer Weekly about the philosophy behind an ambitious technology ecosystem strategy Continue Reading

BT tests out high-altitude flying antenna

The trial with Stratospheric Platforms may lead to hydrogen-powered drones being used to provide 4G and 5G rural coverage Continue Reading

Tiger’s hybrid cloud storage targets medical imaging

Tiger Bridge targets vertical sectors that find it hard to migrate to the cloud by allowing data storage in the cloud while using files locally as if stored on-premise Continue Reading

Former Fujitsu staff under police investigation to face Post Office IT scandal inquiry

Two former Fujitsu IT professionals being investigated for potential perjury will face Post Office Horizon public inquiry in May Continue Reading

Data of 10 million JD Sports customers accessed in cyber attack

Data on 10 million people who shopped online at JD Sports over a two-year period was accessed and potentially stolen in a cyber attack Continue Reading

Noventiq eyes APAC IT services market

IT services provider Noventiq has been expanding its presence in APAC through several acquisitions in India, and is eyeing a bigger slice of the region’s IT services pie Continue Reading

How to make the most of a composable enterprise architecture

Enterprise software is shifting away from highly integrated stacks to cloud-native architectures that use best-of-breed and in-house components Continue Reading

Economic slowdown cannot stop IT's ESG progress

An economic slowdown may be inescapable, but IT leaders must maintain focus on ESG initiatives. Discover why IT operations should continue to strive for sustainability. Continue Reading