IT management

Government sets out implementation plan for genomics strategy

The 2021-22 implementation plan for government’s 10-year Genome UK strategy includes improving diversity of genomics data, rolling out whole genome sequencing to rare diseases patients, and delivering a proof of concept for a next-generation approach to cancer treatment Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

GDPR-readiness of EU Cloud Code of Conduct wins backing of European data protection authorities

The EU Cloud Code of Conduct, which aims to help IT buyers source GDPR-compliant cloud services, has found favour with the European Data Protection Board Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

Subpostmaster campaign group to meet Post Office scandal inquiry chair

The subpostmaster campaign group JFSA refused to cooperate with initial inquiry because it ‘lacked teeth’, but is now willing to talk after it was put on a statutory footing Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Malicious scans for at-risk systems start minutes after disclosure

Statistics collated by Palo Alto Networks reveal malicious actors begin scanning the internet for systems at risk of new CVEs within minutes Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Throwback Thursday: Even data fragmentation has gone virtual

If there’s one thing that our report Storage Anywhere and Everywhere from eight years ago reminds us, it’s that the risks of uncontrolled data growth are nothing new. As our contribution to the bit ... Continue Reading

By

• Bryan Betts, Freeform Dynamics

5G-enabled sales to surpass €400bn and offer huge green gains by 2030

Commissioned by global telco, study in five European geographies finds hugely positive socio-economic impact from 5G roll-out in terms of enabled sales, employment and reduced greenhouse gas emissions Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

The National Security and Investment Act: What datacentre operators and investors need to know

The incoming National Security and Investment Act will give the UK government enhanced powers to pre-screen and intervene on datacentre M&A deals, prompting concerns it could dampen the sector's soaraway growth rates Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

UK government publishes framework on automated decision-making

The framework focuses on making the use of algorithms and automated decision-making systems within the public sector more ethical, transparent and accountable Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Edging closer to composable business

Covid-19 forced organisations to try radical new things. Building apps from pre-built functions is one that Mulesoft believes has longevity Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

‘Nothing off the table’ in statutory Post Office scandal inquiry

The government confirmed that the inquiry into the Post Office Horizon IT scandal will be given statutory status and wider scope Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Reports of stolen Irish health service data being leaked online

Leaking of deeply confidential and personal information on patient healthcare marks a new low for the criminal Conti gang Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Barclays first bank to publish online scam refund details

All banks must be transparent about the proportion of victims of authorised push payment fraud they refund, says consumer rights organisation Which? Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Legacy data and IT issues ‘laid bare’ during Covid-19, says NAO

The pandemic has exposed challenges with legacy data and IT systems in government, and has made the government response more challenging, says the National Audit Office Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Paying for IT

For much of IT history, your options for acquiring IT solutions were pretty limited. It was a choice between a one-off capital charge, combined with annual maintenance fees, and a three year lease ... Continue Reading

By

• Tony Lock, Freeform Dynamics

Post Office Horizon inquiry set to be given statutory status with wider powers

The government inquiry into the Post Office Horizon scandal is set to be made statutory with the power to call witnesses under oath and compel provision of evidence Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Microsoft EU Data Boundary dubbed ‘smoke and mirrors’

Data protection experts claim Microsoft’s decision to create an EU Data Boundary is a tacit admission that it routinely transfers and processes the personal data of European citizens outside the bloc Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Santander says sorry for weekend tech outage

Bank’s customers were unable to access multiple banking channels because of technical problems Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Cisco acquires Kenna Security amid security expansion

Cisco announces a new acquisition alongside service enhancements around XDR and SASE in support of its security customers Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Irish High Court dismisses legal bid by Facebook over EU-US data transfers

Latest twist in long-running legal battle sees Facebook lose legal bid to prevent the Irish Data Protection Commissioner suspending its transfer of data about European citizens to the US Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Australian budget lends support to digital economy

Australia’s A$1.2bn Digital Economy Strategy ticks most of the right boxes, but some industry experts say areas such as broadband infrastructure and artificial intelligence are still underfunded Continue Reading

By

• Stephen Withers

The real-life consequences of ransomware attacks

In this week’s Computer Weekly, after a ransomware attack shut a major US oil pipeline, we examine the real-life consequences for organisations facing similar threats. We ask the experts for their top tips in reducing datacentre running costs. And we hear how data science skills are helping government make better decisions. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Post Office scandal: The rise of computers and the decline of English justice

The Post Office prosecuted its subpostmasters up and down the country with a zeal that would not have embarrassed the Inquisition Continue Reading

By

• Paul Marshall

Half of UK workforce lacks essential digital skills for work

A ‘hidden middle’ of more than 17 million people do not have the abilities needed to participate and contribute to the digital world in life and at work, study says Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Conti ransomware syndicate behind attack on Irish health service

More details continue to emerge of the significant ransomware attack on Ireland’s HSE Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

IR35 reforms: Government gifted roadmap to umbrella regulation by ex-senior policy adviser

Rebecca Seeley Harris, a former senior policy adviser to the Office of Tax Simplification, has joined forces with Offpayroll.org founder James Poyser to pen a draft policy to help the government fast-track its umbrella market regulation plans Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

NCSC study to probe disability and neurodiversity in cyber

National Cyber Security Centre and KPMG have launched a new diversity study aiming to capture benchmarks on disability and neurodiversity in cyber Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Government seeks input on supply chain security

Amid concerns that too few companies are addressing vulnerabilities in their supply chain, DCMS is opening a consultation on new measures to enhance security Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Why new EU rules around artificial intelligence are vital to the development of the sector

Shawn Tan, CEO of global AI ecosystem builder Skymind, explains why the European Union’s new rules on artificial intelligence are a good thing Continue Reading

By

• Shawn Tan

How M1 is striving to be a digital telco

Singapore’s M1 is dialling up its digital chops by monetising its data, building more personalised services for subscribers, and going beyond connectivity as it evolves into a digital telco Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Container-native storage: A definition, and what to ask suppliers

We look at container-native storage – aka cloud-native storage – what defines it, and its benefits as a way of bringing persistent Kubernetes storage to containerised applications Continue Reading

By

• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

Transparency is essential as we enter the era of ‘government by algorithm’

The public sector is increasingly allowing algorithms to make vital decisions that affect people’s lives – but how do we know those algorithms work or what they do? Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Rees, Reform

The right tech choices for hybrid workers

Various studies give a mixed reaction to businesses returning to office work, but what is apparent is that support for remote working will continue Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Colonial Pipeline paid $5m ransom, reports say

Colonial Pipeline may have paid a significant ransom within hours of being attacked, it has emerged, but it’s unlikely the story ends here Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Irish health service hit by major ransomware attack

IT systems in hospitals across Ireland have been switched off following a significant ransomware attack Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Digital bootcamp initiative could kickstart new thinking about technology skills

The government’s digital bootcamps initiative could help begin to shift the way we think about the roles of technology professionals Continue Reading

By

• Bev White, Nash Squared

More former subpostmasters have criminal convictions quashed

Two former subpostmasters pushed to the brink of suicide after being convicted for financial crimes finally have their names cleared Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Dutch police used deep learning model to predict threats to life

Dutch police developed a deep learning model in their EncroChat investigation to predict which messages contain serious threats to life Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor
• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Cabinet Office launches climate challenges for startups

The Cabinet Office has partnered with government technology accelerator Public to run a programme for startups developing innovative digital and data technologies that can help with some of the most pressing climate issues Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

The shape of fraud and cyber crime: 10 things we learned from 2020

While a pandemic-driven increase in cyber crime and an exacerbation of existing fraud trends were, to a large extent, to be expected, the LexisNexis Risk solutions UK cybercrime report 2020 still contained a few surprises Continue Reading

By

• Neira Jones

Mars expands Microsoft strategy to drive business agenda

Mars plans to drive new data insights and AI across its supply chains to optimise production and lower its carbon footprint Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Portworx gets container-native array management for Pure hardware

Container storage player Portworx builds in container-native functionality to allow discovery, provisioning and management from inside Kubernetes cluster, but only on Pure arrays so far Continue Reading

By

• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

Publishing exploit code does more harm than good, says report

Disclosing exploit code before patches are available gives malicious actors a ‘massive’ head-start, says Kenna Security Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Too many disconnected systems in government, says minister

Cabinet Office minister Julia Lopez wants to address issues with legacy systems, improve digital skills across government and improve department collaboration, including in procurement Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Biden beefs up public-private security cooperation

Joe Biden has signed a new Executive Order to harden US cyber security and government networks, with an emphasis on information sharing Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

CW Benelux: Netherlands university launches centre of expertise in applied AI

Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences has launched a centre of expertise in applied artificial intelligence, and students from all faculties of the university will learn how to apply AI in their field of study. Also in this issue, read why a training ‘roadmap’ is needed to get Netherlands police officers up to speed with tackling cyber crime. Continue Reading

CISOs weathered the pandemic well, but at personal cost

Over 80% of CISOs think their existing security capabilities stayed strong during the worst of the Covid-19 pandemic, but now face stress and burnout on an unheard-of scale Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Verizon DBIR underscores year of unprecedented cyber challenge

Verizon 2021 Data Breach Investigations Report draws predictable conclusions as the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic continues to be felt Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Kaizen (continuous improvement)

Kaizen is an approach to creating continuous improvement based on the idea that small, ongoing positive changes can reap significant improvements. Continue Reading

By

• Diann Daniel, Executive Editor

NHS Digital replaces system for collection of GP data

New system designed ‘with interests of patients at its heart’ will provide near-real-time primary care data to support improvements in healthcare and help research Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

UK government publishes Online Safety Bill draft

Bill builds on previous commitments by the government, which has added new measures to uphold democracy and freedom of speech while making tech giants more accountable Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Openreach extends analogue switch-off to further 700,000 homes and businesses

UK broadband provider ramps up the pace of its plan to stop selling copper-based broadband and traditional voice services across the UK by 2025 Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Fujitsu bags £3bn in public sector contracts while software errors wreck the lives of subpostmasters

The supplier at the centre of the Post Office Horizon scandal has so far escaped the ramifications of its role in the biggest miscarriage of justice in UK history Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Inside DarkSide: Researchers share intel on break-out cyber gang

Security researchers swap information on the newly famous DarkSide ransomware gang, the group that doesn’t appear to understand what ‘being a criminal’ actually means Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

CyberUK 2021: NCSC encourages startups to invest in cyber

National Cyber Security Centre is launching bespoke cyber security guidance aimed at the UK’s valuable startup community Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

UK to fund national cyber teams in Global South

Government will commit millions of pounds to supporting vulnerable countries in establishing cyber capacity Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Microsoft fixes four critical bugs on lighter Patch Tuesday

Four critical RCE vulnerabilities put users of various Microsoft products at risk, and should be patched right away Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

The Security Interviews: Why helpful bots could hurt vaccine roll-outs

Earlier this year, spikes in traffic to websites containing information about Covid-19 vaccines were attributed by Imperva to automated bots scraping data. Why is that a problem? Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Running a bees and spirits business on low-code

We look at how a small honey and gin producer has adapted and grown its business without requiring external software development expertise Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Queen’s Speech approaches key themes for UK tech

From online safety to skills for the future, the speech contained several points that are relevant to the industry for the year Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Why the Post Office Horizon scandal kept me awake at night

Reverend Richard Coles tells Computer Weekly why there needs to be a statutory public inquiry into the Post Office Horizon scandal Continue Reading

By

• Rev Richard Coles

UK Plc invited to sign up for Early Warning of cyber incidents

The launch of the Early Warning incident notification service is among the enhancements being made by the NCSC to its service packages Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

NCSC cyber guidance targets cloud and home working

The NCSC’s refreshed cyber security guidance for larger organisations places particular emphasis on cloud, home working and ransomware Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Collaboration key to success of UK’s Cyber Security Council

The founders of the UK’s Cyber Security Council have been setting out their plans to professionalise the cyber sector at the NCSC’s CyberUK 2021 event Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Government to reform Computer Misuse Act

Home secretary Priti Patel will explore reforming the Computer Misuse Act as calls mount for the 31-year-old law to be updated to reflect the changed online world Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

How OAG has adapted data services for return to airline travel

Covid-19 led to radical changes across the travel sector. Despite lower passenger flows, global travel data provider OAG reworked its data offerings to prepare for a return to normal Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

SolarWinds CEO calls for collective action against state attacks

SolarWinds CEO tells NCSC’s CyberUK conference he is exploring the possibility of collaborating with other companies on collective cyber action against attacks backed by nation states Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Swedish court finds ambiguities in hacked EncroChat cryptophone evidence

Defence lawyer claims evidence obtained by hacking the EncroChat encrypted phone network has ‘no legal’ value following Swedish appeal court ruling Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly
• Sara Nkwe Assarsson

Colonial Pipeline ransomware attack has grave consequences

The ramifications of a major ransomware attack against a US fuel pipeline operator could spread far and wide Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

UK lagging in post-Covid AI-driven business recovery

Senior IT decision-makers across Europe see artificial intelligence adoption accelerating, but the UK is in the slow lane Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

IBM doubles down on AI and hybrid cloud

IBM is beefing up its core technology capabilities in artificial intelligence and hybrid cloud to speed up application modernisation and improve AI adoption Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Chip supply shortages are hitting hard

In this week’s Computer Weekly, a shortage of semiconductors is affecting industries beyond just IT – we examine the implications. We talk to the CIO of pharmacy chain Boots about how tech helped in being an essential retailer during lockdown. And we look at the prospects for young people entering the IT sector post-pandemic. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

CIO interview: Richard Corbridge, Boots

Boots has been hugely successful in its transition to e-commerce and the Covid-19 pandemic has seen several digital initiatives spun up to continue offering services to customers. Continue Reading

Server-side licensing leads to hike in public cloud prices

Changes made over the last year or so to protect open source revenue streams is starting to impact public cloud managed service costs Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

HMRC facing calls to do more to tackle mini umbrella fraud in wake of BBC investigation

Contracting stakeholders are calling on HMRC to take more ‘visible action’ against mini umbrella companies, after a BBC Radio 4 File on 4 report claimed the UK is losing ‘hundreds of millions’ in tax each year through these firms Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

Miscarriages of justice are the potent tip of Post Office scandal

The miscarriages of justice involving subpostmasters are the most disturbing element of the Post Office Horizon scandal – but it goes much deeper Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

NCSC Active Cyber Defence blocks surge of pandemic scams

The NCSC responded to a surge in online scams last year as it moved to protect both the general public and critical national services during the pandemic Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

IBM: Another chip in the wall

Big Blue has developed technology it hopes will support semiconductor developments for the next decade Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

APAC career guide on cloud computing

Besides having engineering chops and certifications, aspiring cloud professionals should have curiosity and soft skills to succeed in the evolving cloud computing landscape Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

How do I get my users to pay attention to security training?

As cyber security risks grow daily, businesses must educate staff about these through cyber awareness training. But how can they ensure this is taken seriously by employees? Continue Reading

By

• Nicholas Fearn

NCSC, CISA publish new information on Russia’s Cozy Bear

New intelligence from UK and US cyber agencies suggests that APT29, or Cozy Bear, has been switching up its tactics Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

NCSC publishes smart city security guidelines

Guidance for local authorities, IT and cyber professionals aims to ensure the security of connected, smart city projects Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Post Office contacts over 500 subpostmasters potentially wrongly prosecuted for financial crimes

The Post Office has contacted hundreds of people it might have wrongly prosecuted for financial crimes Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Cyber accreditation to improve legal standing of security pros

Institute of Cyber Digital Investigations Professionals will help incident responders and cyber investigators get the professional recognition they deserve Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Reddit enlists HackerOne to run public bug bounty programme

Online community platform is opening up its HackerOne bug bounty programme to any ethical hacker who cares to have a look under the bonnet Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Nordic real estate industry moves digital

The Nordic real estate is investing in technologies like IoT to prepare the sector for the changing demands from customers post-Covid Continue Reading

By

• Gerard O'Dwyer

Minister promises ‘fair and speedy’ compensation for 555 subpostmasters who defeated Post Office

Government says it wants to ensure a fair pay-out for the 555 subpostmasters who defeated the Post Office in a legal battle but were then excluded from the resulting compensation scheme Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Government urged to add scam protections to Online Safety Bill

Group of organisations calls for the government to use the Online Safety Bill to protect people from cyber scams Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Tech startups turn to digital PR platform for media exposure

Digital PR platform Newspage helps early-stage tech startups with limited resources increase their visibility to journalists and news organisations Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Scammers accidentally reveal fake Amazon review data

More than 13 million records relating to an organised fake review scam have been found on an unsecured ElasticSearch database, implicating hundreds of thousands of people in unethical behaviour Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Google to introduce mandatory MFA for users

In future, holders of Google accounts will have no option but to use multifactor authentication if they want to use the firm’s services Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Netherlands to build new national supercomputer

The Netherlands has laid out plans for its next national supercomputer, to be known as Snellius Continue Reading

By

• Kim Loohuis

Helping staff to work in a hybrid mode

A recent survey of 50 of the UK’s biggest firms conducted by the BBC, has reported that 24 have no plans to have staff return to their offices. Many workers do not feel compelled to return to the ... Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Wipro’s AI platform to improve vaccine safety

Wipro is partnering a stem cell technology firm on the use of its Holmes artificial intelligence platform to help researchers ascertain the safety and potency of vaccines Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Why ITAM can aid IT-fuelled business recovery

As a sense of normality returns, we look at why IT asset management is the stealth tool for clearing a path towards greater digitisation Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Dysfunctional cyber, network teams disrupt digital transformation

Despite shared goals, combative and dysfunctional relationships within specialist tech teams are putting digital transformation projects at risk, according to a report Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Sophos: How timely intervention stopped a ProxyLogon attack

A recent incident at an undisclosed customer sheds new light on how malicious actors exploit unpatched Microsoft Exchange servers Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Delivering international talent to Helsinki’s tech ecosystem

Finland’s capital is the envy of the world as a tech hub, but it still faces challenges in attracting skills in a highly competitive global market Continue Reading

By

• Matthew Staff

How GCHQ proposes to implement and use ethical AI

The rise of cyber crime and the escalating threat vectors facing the UK have led GCHQ to invest in automated threat detection and response systems to meet this challenge, as well as liaising with the private sector for the first time Continue Reading

By

• Peter Ray Allison

Post Office dishonesty in Horizon scandal is reason enough for statutory public inquiry

Subpostmasters, MPs and the public call for a full statutory judge-led public inquiry into the Post Office Horizon scandal, following another damning court judgment Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Executive interview: Juergen Mueller on SAP’s tech strategy

SAP CTO Juergen Mueller offers a glimpse into the company’s thinking around delivering business applications as microservices, among other areas and updates in its technology strategy Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget