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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

Lords question ‘extensive’ government online safety powers

Digital minister Paul Scully defends government Online Safety plans to give secretary of state powers to direct Ofcom Continue Reading

Hive ransomware gang taken down after FBI hacks back

The FBI hacked into Hive’s servers, stole its decryption keys and then took down its servers in a major action that has successfully disrupted a prolific and dangerous ransomware operation Continue Reading

Royal Mail resumes some international parcel services from UK

Royal Mail has successfully stood up its International Tracked and Signed, and International Signed, services as it continues to recover from a ransomware attack Continue Reading

Final months of 2022 saw highest ever number of bank account switches

More people than ever before switched their current account provider using the government’s switching service Continue Reading

NCSC exposes Iranian, Russian spear-phishing campaign targeting UK

Spear-phishing campaigns likely linked to Iranian and Russian espionage activity are targeting persons of interest in the UK, warns the NCSC Continue Reading

Will mass big tech lay-offs affect employment prospects of IT contractors in 2023?

With some of the biggest tech firms in the world announcing mass redundancies, will the flood of new entrants to the jobs market affect the prospects of IT contractors already looking for work amid the cost-of-living crisis? Continue Reading

UK Treasury recruiting digital currency leader

The UK government’s investigation into the merits of a central bank digital currency gathers pace at it looks for a team leader Continue Reading

Arnold Clark cyber attack claimed by Play ransomware gang

A cyber attack that struck car dealer Arnold Clark prior to Christmas has been claimed as the work of the Play ransomware cartel Continue Reading

Boards struggle to resolve cyber risk in digital supply chains

Accelerated digitisation of supply chains is introducing more cyber risk for which many organisations seem unprepared, according to the BSI’s annual report on supply chain risk Continue Reading

Green storage: Savings to be made but tricky to achieve

Storage upgrades can bring energy savings. New hardware, the cloud and as-a-service procurement models all cut costs, but can need careful tweaking to get right Continue Reading

Chinese IoT suppliers expose UK businesses to espionage and data theft

Chinese companies supplying network components, known as IoT modules, post a greater long-term threat to UK security than the now banned 5G supplier Huawei, according to a study by a Chinese expert and former diplomat Continue Reading

UK insurers need to up their game on cyber gaps, says PRA

Gaps and limitations in how insurers respond to cyber risk need to be addressed, according to the Bank of England regulator, the Prudential Regulation Authority Continue Reading

IT’s shift to the cloud: Veeam’s data protection report in detail

With half of servers in the cloud, most backup and nearly all disaster recovery cloud-centric, the shift to the cloud is significant – but container backup is one area that is yet to settle down Continue Reading

Nationwide Building Society CIO to join Co-operative Bank

Gary Delooze to join Co-operative Bank as CIO after six years heading up Nationwide Building Society’s IT department Continue Reading

SSRF attacks hit 100,000 businesses globally since November

There has been a dramatic increase in attacks exploiting the ProxyNotShell/OWASSRF exploit chains to target Microsoft Exchange servers Continue Reading

Fake online contest makes Yahoo! most phished brand of Q4 2022

Yahoo! was the most frequently phished brand during the last three months of 2022, according to a report Continue Reading

SMEs keen on embedded finance, but more choice needed to increase take-up

Suppliers to small and medium-sized enterprises need to offer more choice when embedding financial products in their services if take-up is to increase Continue Reading

Executive interview: Andrew Roughan, CEO, Plexal

Plexal CEO Andrew Roughan talks about how tech startups collaborate with the government to transform public services, the barriers to entry, and how the process can be improved Continue Reading

CIO interview: Ed Higgs, group director of IT shared services, Rentokil Initial

The pest control provider has consolidated 77 datacentres globally to just three – but with a corporate culture of acquisitions, there’s still a lot more to do Continue Reading

NGX: Turkish arrays to challenge US mainstream storage vendors

Ankara-based NGX offers block, file and unified storage with use of cache and RAM to speed access. Software-defined storage, cloud and NVMe-over-fabrics are also coming Continue Reading

The rise of fraud in pop culture is impacting consumers’ digital trust

Shows such as The Tinder Swindler and Inventing Anna were big money-earners for Netflix in 2022, but Onfido’s Mike Tuchen says their popularity risks damaging consumer trust Continue Reading

Royal Society calls on public sector to pilot privacy tech

The Royal Society says public sector bodies should lead the way in piloting privacy-enhancing technologies to unlock the value of data without compromising privacy and data rights, but lack of standards and incentives mean adoption is slow Continue Reading

NCSC warning over cyber risk to charity sector

Cash-strapped charities without the resource to tackle their resilience deficit are increasingly at risk from malicious actors, says the NCSC Continue Reading

More than 1,000 tech roles chopped at Capital One

US bank makes tech job cuts as its digital transformation moves into a new phase Continue Reading

Cloud egress costs: What they are and how to dodge them

We look at how cloud providers charge to move data from their cloud, including to other providers and between storage in the same cloud, and what you can do to mitigate “bill shock” Continue Reading

Royal Mail making limited progress on ransomware recovery

Royal Mail asks customers to hold back from sending post overseas as some services get back on track, while a report warns that disruptive attacks on critical infrastructure are set to become more common Continue Reading

Barclays Eagle Labs awarded Digital Growth Grant over Tech Nation

Barclays Eagle Labs incubator to take over Tech Nation’s role in administering UK government digital growth grant amid backlash from startup ecosystem Continue Reading

DataCore software-defined storage helps car firm avoid breakdowns

Bontaz used to face regular IT outages that took too long to recover from. Then it got DataCore software-defined storage and the ability to rapidly recover from downtime Continue Reading

Veeam survey finds ransomware blocks digital transformation

Annual report shows secular trend to the cloud and increased use of containers, but prevalence of ransomware attacks means digital transformation is hindered Continue Reading

Atempo plots course to containerised backup with S3 storage

Containerised modularised backup services will allow integration with third-party systems and backup storage unified onto S3 object storage for cost and analytics purposes Continue Reading

Year-on-year growth down to more customers, says Ocado

As the customer landscape shifts, Ocado reports year-on-year revenue growth in the last quarter of 2022, bolstered by a successful Christmas Continue Reading

WhatsApp’s £4.8m fine raises questions for organisations using behavioural advertising

The Irish Data Protection Commissioner has fined WhatsApp, owned by Meta, in a case that will raise questions for organisations that rely on contracts rather than consent to comply with GDPR when offering behavioural advertising Continue Reading

International post resumes thanks to Royal Mail ‘workarounds’

Royal Mail has resumed limited international services after putting in place operational workarounds to bypass the impact of a ransomware attack Continue Reading

KFC, Pizza Hut parent shuts UK restaurants after cyber attack

A ransomware attack on Yum! Brands, the parent organisation of restaurants including KFC and Pizza Hut, was forced to shut approximately 300 outlets in the UK following a ransomware attack by an unspecified group Continue Reading

Fraudsters and cyber criminals stole more than £4bn in the UK through 2022

The amount of money stolen by fraudsters and cybercriminals in the UK saw a huge increase in 2022 Continue Reading

Mailchimp suffers third breach in 12 months

Email marketing service Mailchimp has suffered its third data breach in a year, but has been praised for being open about its latest attack Continue Reading

UK seeks to ban sharing ‘positive’ Channel crossing videos online

Under UK government amendments to the Online Safety Bill, video footage that shows people crossing the Channel in a ‘positive light’ could be added to a list of illegal content that all tech platforms must proactively prevent from reaching users, while senior managers could face further criminal sanctions Continue Reading

Newham Council rejects use of live facial-recognition tech by police

Live facial-recognition technology should not be used by police in Newham until biometric and anti-discrimination safeguards are in place, according to a motion passed unanimously by the council, but the Met Police and the Home Office have indicated they will not suspend its use Continue Reading

Outdated IT infrastructure poses growing risk to UK Security Vetting

Delays to UKSV’s important work in safeguarding the country’s national security are in part down to a legacy IT estate in dire need of modernisation, says the NAO Continue Reading

Swedish government launches accelerated digitisation plan

The Swedish government has launched a four-year plan which will help to digitally transform the country’s public sector Continue Reading

David Anderson KC to review UK surveillance laws

Home Office commissions independent review of the Investigatory Powers Act, known as the snoopers’ charter. It will include a review of bulk datasets and government access to internet connection records held by phone and internet companies Continue Reading

Oracle and CBI: companies cautious, selective in 2023 IT, business investment

Oracle and the CBI are seeing much the same picture of cautious technology investment of UK businesses in 2023, in the context of long Covid and the energy price inflation crisis Continue Reading

Advisory board goal for Post Office scandal victims to be returned to rightful financial position

The board set up to monitor the compensation scheme for Post Office scandal victims agrees goal of returning them to the financial position they would be in had the scandal never happened Continue Reading

Claim IR35 reform repeal and U-turn cost the government ‘nothing’ called into question

After responding to a question about the cost of the government’s repeal of the IR35 reforms and its subsequent U-turn on the decision, the financial secretary has come under fire for claiming no additional costs were incurred by its flip-flopping Continue Reading

Cloudflare urged to clamp down on pirates, counterfeiters

A whitepaper produced by brand protection specialist Corsearch calls on Cloudflare to do more to stop online content piracy and sales of counterfeit goods Continue Reading

UK fintech payments unicorn cuts back as Covid-19 boost wears off

Payments infrastructure firm Paddle downsizes as Covid-19-generated business boost runs out of steam Continue Reading

Crest throws support behind CyberUp CMA reform campaign

Cyber accreditation association Crest International has lent its support to the CyberUp campaign for reform to the Computer Misuse Act of 1990 Continue Reading

Fintech makes job cuts to workforce amid falling demand

Peer-to-peer lender cuts 14% of its workforce amid a rise in interest rates limiting the popularity of lending services Continue Reading

Royal Mail promises ‘workarounds’ to restore services after ransomware attack

Royal Mail CEO Simon Thompson apologises to customers whose businesses are being disrupted by a ransomware attack and promises a ‘workaround’ will be in place in the near future Continue Reading

StarHub to undertake major network transformation

Singapore telco StarHub is deploying a hybrid cloud architecture that will enable it to launch sovereign cloud services, among other capabilities Continue Reading

How PepsiCo works with tech startups to drive growth

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we talk to food and drinks giant PepsiCo about how it works with tech startups to drive growth and digital transformation. Our latest buyer’s guide examines the key elements of a composable business. And with all the chatter about ChatGPT, we look at the implications of generative AI. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Cash use rises for first time in 13 years as cost of living increases

The number of cash withdrawals increased last year, for the first time in 13 years, but remains below the pre-Covid-19 figure Continue Reading

The Security Interviews: Protecting your digital self

Our digital self – the virtual presence of who we are online – has a pervasive influence in the real world. People make judgements based on these digital depictions, so what can be done to ensure positive representation? Continue Reading

CIO interview: Matt Grest, Very Group

The Covid-19 pandemic changed many things, including an increase in remote working – so how is the Very Group approaching the workplace and talent post-Covid? Continue Reading

CW EMEA: Protecting the privacy of schoolchildren

In this month’s CW EMEA, we look at how schools in Germany have stopped using Microsoft Office 365 over lack of clarity over how data is collected, shared and used. We also delve into how former UK spy boss Richard Dearlove leaked names of MI6 secret agent recruiters in China to back an aggressive right-wing US campaign against tech company Huawei. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Experts concerned over silence around government obligation to review UK surveillance laws

The government is required to review the UK’s surveillance law, the Investigatory Powers Act, but experts say they are in the dark about its plans. The National Crime Agency’s operation Venetic has highlighted the need for urgent reforms Continue Reading

Ellison-founded sailing league SailGP plumps for Oracle NetSuite to expand

SailGP, a sailing racing league co-founded by Oracle chairman and CTO Larry Ellison, has picked Oracle NetSuite to expand its business Continue Reading

Government given until autumn 2023 to create technology roadmap to support net-zero strategy

Review into the government’s progress in hitting its 2050 net-zero greenhouse gas emissions goal highlights need for more action on the technology front Continue Reading

Cabinet Office looks to expand public data sharing for digital ID

Cabinet Office seeks feedback on proposed legislation to enhance data sharing across the public sector, in support of the UK government’s ambition to have a single sign-on identity-check system for all public services Continue Reading

Unionised contract workers who train Google’s AI win pay rise

Google contract workers employed at artificial intelligence training supplier RaterLabs have secured their first-ever pay rise, following collective demands that Google fulfil its own commitment to pay its extended workforce a minimum of $15 an hour Continue Reading

LockBit cartel suspected of Royal Mail cyber attack

The still-developing cyber incident at Royal Mail may be the work of the infamous LockBit ransomware operation Continue Reading

UK government completes trials of age estimation technology

Government-led trials of age estimation and verification technologies for the sale of alcohol in nightlife venues and supermarkets have been completed, with both government and retail lobbyists pushing for legislation that would allow retailers to adopt the tools for alcohol sales Continue Reading

Government accused of leaving umbrella company regulation in limbo by shelving enforcement body

The UK government is coming under pressure to reveal the state of its plans to regulate umbrella companies after it emerged that the enforcement body it promised to create is unlikely to materialise Continue Reading

Guardian confirms Christmas 2022 cyber attack was ransomware

Guardian Media Group bosses confirm the 20 December cyber attack that left staff locked out of its London office and disrupted several key systems was an untargeted ransomware attack Continue Reading

How Indian banks can drive automation in corporate banking

Banks should prioritise their processes for automation based on the level of human intervention, understand their processes thoroughly and put employees at the centre of their automation efforts Continue Reading

Royal Mail services hit by major cyber attack

UK postal service Royal Mail is asking customers not to send any overseas letters or parcels while it deals with the impact of an ongoing cyber attack Continue Reading

SMEs eye moving business to challenger bank

Known for their consumer banking success, challenger banks are now winning over hearts and minds in the small business sector Continue Reading

Internet shutdowns cost global economy $24bn in 2022

Deliberate disruption of people’s access to the internet by governments is having a substantial economic impact and contributing to a range of human rights abuses, primarily against protestors Continue Reading

Microsoft fixes EoP zero-day on January Patch Tuesday

On the first Patch Tuesday of 2023, Microsoft fixed an elevation of privilege vulnerability in Windows Advanced Local Procedure Call, which has been actively exploited in the wild and may be co-opted into ransomware campaigns Continue Reading

NHS data platform costing £480m to supersede Covid-19 data store underway

NHS England has invited suppliers to tender for a data platform that will supersede the Covid-19 data store controversial for the involvement of data analytics firm Palantir Continue Reading

Davos 2023: Pervasive cyber crime and cyber security gaps pose severe risk to organisations

Governments and organisations face tough trade-offs as they balance immediate problems caused by economic recession, energy shortages and rising interest rates with longer-term risks, including the impact of global warming Continue Reading

Latest Innovate Finance report reveals decrease in UK fintech investment, but like-for-like increase

Innovate Finance’s latest figures on fintech investment show reduction in UK, but report methodology leaves this open to change Continue Reading

Insurer Beazley introduces catastrophe bond to ease cyber risk

Insurance company Beazley says that its $45m cyber catastrophe bond will help to protect its balance sheet and enable it to offer more cyber insurance cover Continue Reading

Tech firms failing to address forced labour in supply chains

Subpar due diligence processes in the tech sector – including poor purchasing practices, sparsely implemented collective bargaining coverage, and a lack of redress for workers – is leaving supply chain workers open to abuse, says KnowTheChain Continue Reading

Belfast Harbour sails out with Oracle cloud applications

Belfast Harbour spies a more efficient and flexible future on the horizon as it sets sail with Oracle Fusion Cloud ERP Continue Reading

Former subpostmaster Alan Bates, who ‘pulled up trees and moved mountains’, turns down OBE offer

Alan Bates, who fought for decades to expose the Post Office Horizon IT scandal, says it would be inappropriate to accept an OBE when former Post Office CEO Paula Vennells still holds her CBE Continue Reading

JPMorgan ordered to face lawsuit over cyber attack on Ray-Ban maker

US banking giant JPMorgan forced to respond to accusations that it failed to inform a business customer about suspicious transactions Continue Reading

Vulnerable organisations to get free Cyber Essentials support

Charities and legal aid firms are among those to be offered free security checks and certifications from the National Cyber Security Centre Continue Reading

Proposed digital fraud refund rules risk excluding many victims

Proposals to establish a fraud refund mechanism in the UK risk excluding many victims of digitally enabled fraud, a major bank has warned Continue Reading

Vice Society cyber gang targeted multiple UK schools

The Vice Society ransomware gang has made a habit of attacking educational institutions, and now appears to have struck multiple schools, colleges and universities in the UK Continue Reading

Meta to appeal £345m fine for Facebook and Instagram privacy breaches

Social media company Meta is to appeal after the Irish Data Protection Commission fined the company for breaching GDPR Continue Reading

Cyber gang abused free trials to exploit public cloud CPU resources

A South Africa-based cyber crime gang exploited free trials and introductory offers to run cryptominers via public cloud services, then did a runner without paying Continue Reading

Fallout from Guardian cyber attack to last at least a month

The Guardian newspaper’s offices remained shut into the New Year following a supposed ransomware attack, with disruption likely to last some time Continue Reading

Cashless Denmark has no bank robberies in a year for first time

Denmark saw no bank robberies in a single year for the first time ever, but online fraud continues to increase Continue Reading

Securing low Earth orbit represents the new space race

The barriers to launching satellites into low Earth orbit are falling fast, and that brings new cyber security challenges Continue Reading

Top trends in tech, and retail’s early adopters

Computer Weekly identifies the retail industry’s early adopters of what McKinsey & Co deems the top tech trends Continue Reading

How technology is fuelling CommBank’s customer experience

The Commonwealth Bank of Australia has built up capabilities in cloud and microservices while empowering engineering teams to solve complex customer problems Continue Reading

Traditional banking under threat from platform-based alternatives

Banking as a service embedded in non-banking business offerings will take large chunks from traditional banks Continue Reading

Why India’s Mphasis chose West Yorkshire for tech hub

IT services firm Mphasis is moving more service delivery to the UK with around 1000 tech recruits planned for Northern England Continue Reading

Diversity and inclusion figures high in New Year Honours List 2023

The New Year Honours List 2023 hailed those in the technology community who promote diversity and inclusion Continue Reading

Test of digital ID tech at Surrey nightclub proclaimed success

The majority of visitors to a Camberley venue who piloted a digital identification app developed by 1account said they found it easy to use and preferred it to standard physical ID Continue Reading

CDO interview: Lisa Heneghan, global chief digital officer, KPMG

The advisory and consultancy firm’s former UK CDO has stepped up into a global role – with a whole new set of challenges and opportunities around taking digital transformation further Continue Reading

Top 10 information management stories of 2022

Data for good is a theme of the information management stories of 2022 selected here. From tracking space junk, through medical kits for Ukraine, to professionalising data science to benefit society Continue Reading

CDO interview: Barry Panayi, chief data and insight officer, John Lewis Partnership

Data science and analytics is an increasingly important function across the John Lewis Partnership, covering its retail, grocery and financial services brands Continue Reading

High tech meets agriculture in Denmark

Thanks to a few strategic investments, Denmark may one day become a major exporter of farming technology Continue Reading

NHS-funded AI diagnosis tool benefits stroke patients

NHS England hails Brainomix stroke diagnosis tool for a tripling of the number of patients recovering to perform daily activities from 16% to 48% Continue Reading

The importance of improving data quality at source

Data replication crises have struck government and scientific data quality efforts. A lack of scrutiny over data being used at source has led to oversights from national statistics to financial auditing Continue Reading

CIO interview: David Schwartz, vice-president, PepsiCo Labs

The food and drinks giant actively seeks out innovative tech startups and runs a programme to find creative ways to use their products to benefit the business Continue Reading

How Finland develops its national plan for investment in innovation

A small country with limited resources, Finland carefully chooses strategic technologies to lead it into the future Continue Reading