IT news in your industry sector

Augmented reality can improve efficiency for retailers

Augmented reality has been positioned as a way to extend digital experiences onto the retail shop floor – but it has far more uses behind the scenes Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

ICO could use new GDPR powers in Facebook probe

UK privacy watchdog is considering using new powers in its investigation of Facebook, while the government is considering new laws to police social media firms Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

NCSC calls for greater interaction with UK business

The UK’s cyber security agency has called for greater interaction with business, particularly when it comes to cyber security incidents Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Most UK marketers GDPR ready, but not all firms have a plan

Most UK marketers believe they are ready for GDPR, but a worrying number believe their employers may not be, as businesses are urged to embrace the positives a week before the compliance deadline Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

IR35 reforms: Government invites feedback on plans to extend tax avoidance rules to private sector

The government is pushing ahead with its plans to explore the possibility of extending the controversial IR35 tax avoidance reforms to the private sector, much to the chagrin of stakeholders Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

BYOD in UK SMEs linked to security incidents

Bring your own device practices have been identified as a cyber security risk for six in 10 SMEs in research published a week ahead of the GDPR compliance deadline Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

GDS seeks advice on migration from Public Services Network

The Government Digital Service has started the process of moving public sector organisations away from the Public Services Network Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Use GDPR to propel business forward, says ICO

GDPR is about a new way of doing things that businesses can use to their advantage, and cyber security is a key element, according to the Information Commissioner’s Office Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Government to get new digital visa service

The Home Office has signed up to a deal with Sopra Steria for a visa service allowing people to use biometrics and digital files as part of their application Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

GlaxoSmithKline R&D creates data platform using Hadoop for the internal sharing of scientific data

GlaxoSmithKline is making better use of the data it has about the development and trials of medicines through a Hadoop-based platform Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

DWP IT engineering is ‘dysfunctional’ and lacks ‘ability to deliver’, claims report

Internal report produced for DWP CTO details challenges faced by department in moving to more agile ways of working Continue Reading

By

• Bryan Glick, Editor in chief

Nothing compares 2U89X

The government announced this month a brand new method for submitting divorce applications: it can now all be done online! The digital route is intended as a less stressful option than the fusty ... Continue Reading

By

• Ryan Priest

Blockchain technology lacks enough use cases to be disruptive, says Worldpay

Worldpay's Jason Scott-Taggart says although the company is looking at blockchain, there are too few strong use cases for the technology at present Continue Reading

By

• Zach Emmanuel, Computer Weekly

UK tech sector growing 2.6 times faster than overall economy

The latest Tech Nation report on the UK’s IT sector reveals strong growth and positivity, but fears around Brexit in London’s tech engine Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

GDPR impact on Whois data raising concern

The negative impact of the GDPR on internet domain registration information is raising concern in cyber security circles because the data is key to cyber crime fighting operations Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

European cyber attacks up nearly a third in first quarter 2018

The volume of cyber attacks hitting digital transactions in Europe was up by almost a third in the first quarter of 2018 compared with same period a year ago, a report reveals Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

CW ASEAN: Connect your people with UC

Unified communications has changed the way we access information and make decisions. However, the adoption of UC varies across Southeast Asia, with Singapore and Malaysia ahead of the curve, followed by Indonesia and Vietnam. In this issue of CW ASEAN, we take a closer look at how ASEAN enterprises are embracing UC tools, factors that organizations should consider when developing a UC strategy, and the emergence of start-ups that have been shaking up the marketplace. Download the ezine now. Continue Reading

CIO interview: Phil Lewis, director of digital experience, Boden

Fashion retailer Boden is going through a transformation process, using digital elements across the business and fostering innovation Continue Reading

By

• Mark Samuels

CW ANZ: Australian firms connect people in new ways

Australian organisations such as BPay are turning to unified communications (UC) to create workplaces where employees operate in a flexible and open work environment. But IT and user experiences can differ greatly. What has been the journey of ANZ enterprises when delivering a seamless UC experience for employees? In this issue of CW ANZ, we look at how companies are approaching UC, the state of the market and what organisations need to do to be successful. Download the issue now. Continue Reading

Tier 2 visa refusals paints grim picture for UK tech skills

More than 3,000 visas for people skilled in science, technology, engineering and maths (Stem) roles were refused entry to the UK since December 2017 Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

Most firms see GDPR as an opportunity

A growing number of organisations consider the GDPR to be an opportunity to improve the way they handle data privacy and security, while leaders are using it as an opportunity for full business transformation, a study shows Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Morgan Stanley uses Amazon Alexa to inform customers

US investment bank Morgan Stanley is giving customers important information about the market via Amazon's voice assistant Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

BT and EE to converge fibre broadband, 4G networks

BT’s consumer unit has launched a network convergence strategy designed to make the most of its national fibre and 4G network assets Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

NHS England on the cusp of launching first citizen identity pilot

The NHS will begin trialling its identity verification system with a non-clinical service shortly, with 20 other services in the pipeline, according to NHS England chief digital officer Juliet Bauer Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Saudi-con Valley? Kingdom’s bid for global tech leadership

Has Saudi Arabia got what it takes to build the latest Silicon Valley? Continue Reading

By

• Alicia Buller

US considers UK-style cyber defence model

The US is considering adopting a similar cyber defence model to the UK’s in recognition of the growing threat to all levels of society Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Nordic banks plan major digital transformation of operations

Banks in the Nordic region are set to accelerate their spending on technology as digital services take-up accelerates Continue Reading

By

• Gerard O'Dwyer

GDS aims for path of least embarrassment as it shifts strategy on Gov.uk Verify

Last week, the Government Digital Service (GDS) dedicated a whole day to talking about what it’s up to, at its first Sprint event in two years. About time too, many observers said, since GDS seemed ... Continue Reading

By

• Bryan Glick, Editor in chief

How airlines are gearing up for the digital shift

Asian carriers are counting on personalised services, blockchain-enabled loyalty programmes, automation and predictive maintenance to lower costs and improve passenger experience. Continue Reading

SMEs more worried about GDPR’s threat to reputation than fines

SMEs are more worried about the damage GDPR non compliance will do to their reputations than their wallets Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Credential theft a top priority, Rapid 7 report shows

Credential theft is still a top priority for organisations to address in terms of making it more difficult for cyber attackers to gain unauthorised access to their networks, report reveals Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Cross-site scripting a top vulnerability, hackers find

Despite the much-publicised advances in cyber attack techniques, a well-known, well-documented and avoidable vulnerability is still the most popular for attackers to exploit – along with others like it that are often overlooked, white hat hackers reveal Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Cage director Rabbani heads for Supreme Court after appeals court rules password demands lawful

Muhammad Rabbani, director of campaigning group Cage, will appeal to the Supreme Court after Court of Appeal rules that police did not act unlawfully by demanding his computer and mobile phone passwords under Section 7 of the Terrorism Act Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Enterprise cyber threat remediation ineffective, study shows

Enterprise cyber threat remediation needs to improve in several key areas, according to an analysis of common remediation strategies Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

The NHS is failing to deliver 'basic IT', says Matthew Swindells

NHS England’s national director for operations and information calls for the NHS to get to grips with data, and says it won’t be able to deliver an integrated health and care system without getting the basics right Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

A strong UK-India bond on tech can benefit us all

The UK tech sector can benefit from the government’s work to forge closer ties with India’s burgeoning digital economy Continue Reading

By

• Julian David, TechUK

Higher interest rates would tempt me even though TSB has just had an IT disaster

I would be tempted to move to a bank that offered higher interest rates even though it had just had an IT disaster Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

TSB refused help from Lloyds as IT meltdown began

TSB turned down an offer of help from Lloyds Banking Group as the migration of customers accounts to its new banking system went wrong Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Vodafone CEO Colao steps down

Long-serving Vodafone CEO Vittorio Colao will step down in October after just over a decade in charge Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Santander latest traditional player to open digital bank

Santander is the latest traditional bank to follow an industry trend and develop a digital banking unit Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Openreach starts countdown to the end of analogue phone services

Openreach has started a consultation on the future of telephony services as its parent signals plans to switch off analogue PSTN phone services in seven years' time Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Brexit is coming, but is the government technologically ready?

Brexit requires huge IT and technology changes across government, but as departments seem to be struggling to get to grips with the workload, Computer Weekly looks at how preparations are going Continue Reading

Will government IT be ready for Brexit?

In this week’s Computer Weekly, as the UK government struggles to get new IT systems up and running before Brexit, we examine the challenges ahead and the departments with the biggest problems. We look at serverless computing and ask why this emerging cloud technology is so important for IT leaders. And we discuss the latest best practice in mobile strategy for SMEs. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

No need to panic about Efail attacks

Initial reports about vulnerabilities in email encryption technologies have urged organisations to disable encryption tools, but some security experts are taking a more balanced approach Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Steadily declining retail footfall confirms shifting consumer behaviour

Footfall in the UK highstreet is on the decline, according to figures by the British Retail Consortium, confirming the consumer shift towards more digital behaviour Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

It’s not too late to get GDPR ready

With the GDPR compliance deadline on 25 May 2018, there is little time to get ready, but it is not too late, according to the IAPP, which provides a checklist to help organisations ensure they are in the best position possible for the deadline Continue Reading

By

• Paul Jordan, International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP)

MPs demand 4G mobile network coverage obligation for rural areas

The Rural Business All-Party Parliamentary Group has written to Matt Hancock calling for the government to put legally binding targets in place for 4G mobile network coverage Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Technology continues to transform crime, warns NCA

The UK’s National Crime Agency warns that developments in technology will continue to transform the future crime landscape, in its latest report on serious and organised crime Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Visiting a bank branch made me question my own conceptions

I had to rethink my conceptions about the future of bank branches after I visited one Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

IoT and personal devices pose huge security risk to enterprises

After years of speculation about the risk IoT and personal devices pose to enterprise security, research has revealed the threat is “immense” and probably greater than most firms realise Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Police Scotland did not inform public of mobile phone searches

Members of the Scottish Parliament heard that Police Scotland did not conduct impact assessments or give explanations to the public when they were accessing private data on their mobile phones Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

WannaCry’s EternalBlue exploit still a threat

A year after the global WannaCry attacks, the EternalBlue exploit that was a key enabler for the malware is still a threat to many organisations, and many UK firms have not taken action, security researchers warn Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Will Brexit stymie government’s digital transformation ambitions?

There’s rather a lot going on in government IT at the moment. Last year’s ambitious transformation strategy set challenging aims of overhauling back-office systems across Whitehall, building an ... Continue Reading

By

• Bryan Glick, Editor in chief

GDS looks at potential for using voice technology on Gov.uk website

The government has begun using machine learning to build a taxonomy hierarchy on Gov.uk and is looking at the possibility of deploying voice interactions Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Do ISPs need to do more to protect their users from scams?

Are Britain’s internet service providers (ISPs) coming up short when it comes to helping their less tech-savvy users protect themselves against the scourge of telephone scams and online fraud? In a ... Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Building a tech future between the UK and India

A new tech partnership between the UK and India will benefit the digital economy in both countries, says secretary of state for digital, culture, media and sport Matt Hancock Continue Reading

By

• Matt Hancock, HM Government

GDS wants to take 'hands off control' on digital identity, says Gov.uk Verify boss

Gov.uk Verify boss Nic Harrison says GDS wants to take its “hands off the controls” of identity, as he confirms target of 25 million Verify user accounts “won’t all be created by government” Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

EFF welcomes backdoor-blocking US bill

International digital rights organisation welcomes proposed US legislation that will prevent the government from forcing a company to build backdoors into encrypted products and services Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Beats, shoots and leaves

Electronic music producer Arca has partnered with a leather company to create some BDSM headphones. It’s a big moment for experimental music, after a week that saw one of its own go so far as ... Continue Reading

By

• Ryan Priest

Government must support SMEs, says Oliver Dowden

The minister for implementation, Oliver Dowden, provides further details on the GovTech competition and talks about GDS’s role as an “innovation incubator”, losing data policy to DCMS and the importance of SMEs Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Hacking the internet of things just got easier – it’s time to look at your security

Are you taking security for internet-connected devices seriously enough? Continue Reading

By

• Dan Mosca, PA Consulting

Connectivity problem hits thousands of Post Office branches

Post Office branches unable to connect to Horizon computer system for several hours after morning opening time Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Barclays to set up biggest office outside UK in India

Bank is expanding its presence in India with plans for an office for 8,000 staff in Pune Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

BT to shut London HQ and cut 13,000 jobs

Another round of cuts comes as BT struggles to reposition itself for sustainable long-term growth Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

UK railways to save billions of pounds through digital signalling

Network Rail hails digital transformation plans as “a turning point in the history of our railways” Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Belgian police share Cryakl ransomware keys

 Continue Reading

CW Benelux: Rotterdam charts course to become world’s smartest port

The Port of Rotterdam in the Netherlands is using internet of things and artificial intelligence technology from IBM in a bid to become the world’s smartest port. Also read how companies in the Netherlands are only partly ready for the country’s version of the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), and why the European Central Bank thinks cash will remain in use in the Eurozone for a very long time. Continue Reading

Government launches GovTech competition

Implementation minister Oliver Dowden will launch competition for UK tech firms to help solve the country’s social challenges, using funding from the £20m GovTech challenge fund Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

CNI providers face hefty fines for cyber security failings

UK providers of critical national infrastructure face hefty fines for cyber security failings from 10 May 2018 Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Equifax breach lessons not learned

Businesses are still downloading vulnerable versions of the software that was at the heart of the Equifax data breach and failing to update to safe versions, a security firm has revealed Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Justice system transformation programme faces 'daunting challenge', says NAO

Government’s £1bn project to overhaul courts through use of technology has hit delays, with unresolved funding gaps and “significant risk” that it won’t deliver on time, NAO report finds Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Vodafone becomes largest next-gen broadband player in Europe

Vodafone has acquired the operations of Virgin Media parent Liberty Global in four European markets, giving it access to 110 million homes and businesses Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

NatWest fintech investments bear fruit as SME loans platform goes live

Online lending platform enables small businesses to apply for loans of up to £150,000 in 10 minutes Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Breach disclosure time still high, report shows

Companies are getting faster at disclosing breaches, but the average is still too high in the light of the GDPR and other breach disclosure regulations, a report shows Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

HSBC launches open banking app

In line with open banking regulation, HSBC has launched an app that enables users to see accounts from 21 different banks in one place Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Security Think Tank: Five tips for killing the campers on your network

Why is reducing cyber attacker dwell time important and how should this be tackled? Continue Reading

By

• Adrian Davis, (ISC)²

Brexit is coming, but is the government technologically ready?

Brexit requires huge IT and technology changes across government, but as departments seem to be struggling to get to grips with the workload, Computer Weekly looks at how preparations are going Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Nordic CIO interview: Helena Skarle, Handicare

Swedish CIO believes more women might get the top IT jobs if organisations look beyond IT skills Continue Reading

By

• Lindsay Clark

Met Police to get integrated policing system from Northgate

Five-year contract covers integrated IT system to be used across the Metropolitan force, two years after it went out to tender Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Salford gets chief digital officer

Jon Corner has been appointed the city’s first chief digital officer to lead Salford’s smart city and digital technology work Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Nigerian cyber attackers up their game

Nigerian cyber attackers have modernised their approach to cyber crime, security researchers warn Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

TSB offers interest rate sweetener as IT issues continue at the bank

TSB is offering customers higher interest rate to go towards making up for the problems its core banking system migration caused customers Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Financial sector cyber-related laws are a bellwether, says Deloitte

As the regulatory landscape becomes more complex, organisations should look to the financial sector to see what else is coming, as well as focus on three key areas of GDPR compliance, according to Deloitte Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Virtual tripwire to keep elephant poachers out of Zambian national park

Cisco and Dimension Data are working to protect Zambia’s at-risk elephant population after a successful pilot project in South Africa Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Crypto gold rush days are numbered

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we find out how cryptocurrency miners are using colocation providers to help scale up their operations, drive profits and boost resiliency – for however long the boom may last. We also look at the changes SAP has made to its licensing model to clarify the issue of indirect access and consider what the cloud domination of Amazon, Google and Microsoft means for smaller cloud suppliers. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Majority of security professionals favour shorter disclosure deadline

Google’s Project Zero unit’s 90-day deadline for software suppliers to disclose vulnerabilities has always been controversial, but a survey reveals that most security professionals feel even that is too long Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Security Think Tank: More time equals more opportunity for cyber attackers

Why is reducing cyber attacker dwell time important and how should this be tackled? Continue Reading

By

• Rory Alsop

Security pros must avoid hype, demonstrate value, says RBS CISO

Security professionals must avoid over-hyping cyber threats, and penetration testers need to reinvent themselves to demonstrate value to businesses to remain relevant, says RBS CISO Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Twitter password security bug underlines need for industry change

Twitter has revealed that a bug in its systems resulted in some passwords being stored in a log in clear text, underlining the need for alternative authentication methods, say industry commentators Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Britons used contactless for 42% of card payments in 2017

Paymentsense survey confirms rapid growth of contactless payments, but £30 limit is preventing further dominance Continue Reading

By

• Zach Emmanuel, Computer Weekly

Most CIOs not interested in “massively hyped” blockchain, finds Gartner

Despite the noise surrounding blockchain technology, not many CIOs are using it or planning to do so in the near future, finds Gartner Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Fibre network breakthrough has implications for data security

Researchers have devised a new protocol that they claim vastly extends the range of quantum key distribution over fibre networks Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

City Police use Lego simulation to teach businesses cyber security

City of London Police are offering to train business leaders and IT security in cyber security using a Lego simulation that is surprisingly close to real life Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

TalkTalk worst for broadband customer satisfaction

Ofcom has released statistics on communications service provider customer service metrics, and TalkTalk does not come out of it well Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Netherlands to harness blockchain for waste management operations

Authorities are trying out blockchain to automate many of the processes related to waste transportation in the EU Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Lewisham GP practices to get virtual health assistant app

Thirty-eight GP practices in London borough plan to launch app that includes advice, symptom checker and appointment booking Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Redscan warns of GDPR phishing scams

Cyber criminals are using fake GDPR-related privacy notices to trick recipients into disclosing personal data and spread malware, a security firm warns Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Cambridge Analytica closure will not halt probe, says ICO

The London-based data mining firm at the heart of the Facebook data exploitation scandal has announced it is closing, but the ICO says the probe into its actions will still go ahead Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

TSB IT team could get slaughtered in May

TSB's IT project will go under the microscope as the company attempts to get to the bottom of what went wrong after massive problems. Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Security Think Tank: Prevention and detection are key to limit dwell time

Why is reducing cyber attacker dwell time important and how should this be tackled? Continue Reading

By

• Emma Bickerstaffe, Information Security Forum (ISF)