IT news in your industry sector

How Formula 1 plans to digitise fan experience

For a sport built on advanced technology, Formula 1 has lacked a truly digitally enabled fan experience – but that could be about to change Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

NHS urged to spend extra cyber defence funds wisely

The NHS has been urged to invest wisely in cyber defences after the government announced plans to increase data security funding by millions of pounds in response to the Caldicott review Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Encryption keys too predictable, warn security researchers

Encryption keys are not as random as most people think, which means encrypting data is often not as secure as it could be, according to security researchers Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

HPE and CSC merger wins confidence of Zurich

Zurich Insurance has demonstrated confidence in CSC's merger with HPE through a contract extension Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Visa encourages US businesses to go cashless with £500,000 in hard cash

Card giant offers small US businesses financial support to upgrade their payments technology if they agree to abandon cash Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Ofcom sets up Openreach Monitoring Unit

Telecoms regulator Ofcom is setting up a dedicated unit to keep a watchful eye on Openreach Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

HMRC’s customs IT system may not be ready before Brexit

National Audit Office is concerned that customs declaration service will not be ready in time for the UK’s departure from the EU because significant challenges remain Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Cognizant opens London lab to help customers with digitisation

Cognizant has opened its latest digital development centre in London, where it will work with customers and partners on digital business challenges Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

CW Middle East: How women can fill the tech skills gap

The growth of the IT sector continues to drive both innovation and employment in the Gulf, but women – as with all industries in the region – are under-represented in technology by significant margins, and could help to fill the tech skills gap. Also in this issue, read about growing threats in Saudi Arabia’s cyber sector, and how Dubai is becoming a world leader in smart city developments. Continue Reading

Verizon denies data loss but admits potentially huge breach

Verizon has responded to reports of millions of customer records being exposed to the internet by saying no data was accessed by malicious third parties, but the incident raises thorny issues Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Criminal law: Are Twitter threats taken seriously?

As threats of violence become increasingly common online, law enforcement is taking stronger action against the perpetrators Continue Reading

By

• John F Marchiano

NVMe flash blocked by array architecture, says Kaminario CTO

Flash pioneer CTO says array controllers are built for a different era and must scale-out as clusters to provide the CPU power needed to allow NVMe to realise its potential Continue Reading

By

• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

MoJ electronic monitoring programme fails to achieve value for money, says NAO

National Audit Office slams severely delayed MoJ electronic tag project for series of failures, including being too ambitious, not delivering benefits and procurement shambles Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

UK ranked as top 10 digital economy

The UK has been ranked among the top 10 nations in terms of digital capabilities Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Cisco to build O2’s public Wi-Fi network for City of London

O2 enlists Cisco to help build out the multi-million pound public Wi-Fi network currently taking shape in London’s Square Mile Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Legal & General picks HomeServe’s IoT LeakBot to protect homeowners

Insurance firm partners with HomeServe to deploy its internet of things LeakBot technology and lower customer premiums Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Met Police signs £8m digital forensics deal

MASS wins seven-year contract to supply a digital forensics managed service to London’s Metropolitan Police Service Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Cryptocurrencies: a niche pursuit?

Cryptocurrencies are on the rise, but why have digital currencies yet to reach the mainstream market? Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Mobile operators must act soon as 5G business models emerge

Full deployment of a commercial 5G mobile network is still at least two years away, but new business models are already beginning to crystallise around the technology, and operators would be wise to start preparations soon, a new report claims Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Experian admits mobile and online issues after system upgrade

Some customers of credit referencing company are having problems accessing a service they pay for following an IT upgrade and large customer migration to a new system Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Second phase of Dubai Health Authority’s electronic records implementation to start in August 2017

Unified electronic medical record (EMR) system to be rolled to more medical facilities across Dubai Continue Reading

By

• Edward Banda

Citizens Advice calls for roll-out of Universal Credit to be paused

A report by the advisory charity highlights issued around making and managing claims online, lack of digital skills and problems with identity verification through Gov.uk Verify Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Europe takes measured approach to 5G, driven by ROI concerns

European operators may be more concerned with getting the maximum value for money from their 3G and 4G networks than rushing to roll out 5G Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Sainsbury’s Group sales grow as Argos boosts performance

Group reports 8% increase in online grocery business and 10% rise in online Argos sales as total like-for-like sales jump 2.3% in first quarter Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

Why now is the time to appoint a chief agility officer

Companies need to innovate and find new ways of getting products to the market more quickly. Appointing a chief agility officer to the board will help Continue Reading

By

• Simon Masters and Tess Bregman

Virgin Media fails to deliver on broadband speed claims, says investigation

An investigation by the BBC’s Watchdog programme accuses ISP Virgin Media of over-promising and under-delivering on the claims it makes about its fibre-based broadband services Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Sweden trials blockchain for land registry management

Swedish land registry is trying out blockchain as a means of proving ownership Continue Reading

By

• Eeva Haaramo

Nando's technology director explains using cloud to digitally disrupt its own business

Nando’s technology director, Richard Atkinson, describes how the restaurant chain is using cloud to get closer to its customers and build stronger ties with its 14,000-strong workforce Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

Royal Free and Google DeepMind data sharing not compliant with DPA, ICO rules

Information Commissioner’s Office finds that the controversial NHS data-sharing deal with Google DeepMind did not fully comply with the Data Protection Act Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Why immutable buckets are a worthy risk management tool

Immutable buckets offer businesses benefits in terms of data compliance, backup, archiving and security Continue Reading

By

• Michael O'Dwyer

Danish shipping giant Maersk recovering from major Petya cyber attack

Company confirms attack took down its IT system across multiple sites and business units, but has now been contained Continue Reading

By

• Eeva Haaramo

Security Think Tank: Focus on high risk by automating low-risk patching

How should organisations address the need to keep software up to date with security patches without it costing too much or being too labour intensive? Continue Reading

By

• Gabe Chomic

Key lessons from ‘Petya’ ransomware attack

While the cyber security community is still working to understand the latest ransomware attack that has reportedly hit 60 countries, there are key lessons to be learned Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

App-based banking continues its ascent in the UK

The number of people banking from their mobile phones is increasing as more services are made available through the channel Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Dear Caroline Nokes, a few items for your digital government to-do list

I feel a little sorry for Caroline Nokes, announced this week as the latest minister responsible for digital government - the third to take on that mantle in less than a year. She’s clearly a ... Continue Reading

By

• Bryan Glick, Editor in chief

Security Think Tank: Patching is vital and essentially a risk management exercise

How should organisations address the need to keep software up to date with security patches without it costing too much or being too labour intensive? Continue Reading

By

• Paddy Francis

Policing should embrace IoT opportunities

The internet of things brings more opportunities than challenges for the UK’s police forces, according to a TechUK report that urges the police to embrace digital technologies Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

DVLA aims to slash IT costs by moving to public cloud and open standards

Agency’s IT strategy for 2019/20 will see a concerted move to deprecate legacy systems, deploy applications in the cloud and develop in-house IT Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Finnish government scraps paper and digitises archives

The government in Finland is digitising 94 shelf kilometres of documents to save millions of euros and make the information easier to access Continue Reading

By

• Eeva Haaramo

Co-op digital chief Mike Bracken quits to focus on digital government consultancy

The former GDS chief is leaving the Co-op to work on advising governments around the world on their digital strategy Continue Reading

By

• Bryan Glick, Editor in chief

Will mobile networks cope with the end of roaming charges?

In this week’s Computer Weekly, while mobile users are celebrating the end of roaming charges in the EU, mobile networks have to deal with the consequences – we examine the industry challenges. We also look at the future plans for Openstack, the open source cloud environment. And we learn how European law enforcement is working with business to tackle organised cyber crime. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Palo Alto Networks confident of taking security into SaaS era

Security platforms could make it easier to take products to market and improve firms’ security posture by making innovative products easier to consume, but the biggest winners could be the platform providers Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Interview: Louise McCarthy and Valeria Della Rosa, EBRD

Two women are at the helm of the European Bank of Reconstruction and Development’s technology change programme – the bank’s first-ever digital transformation Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

News UK dumps tape for backup with Zadara cloud storage

News publishing corporation saves up to 40% on hardware and software costs by switching in-house hardware for a cloud-first policy, using Zadara cloud storage as a backup target Continue Reading

By

• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

Swedish fintech Klarna gains full banking licence

Swedish online payments provider Klarna becomes one of “the largest banks in Europe” after being granted an EU-wide banking licence by the Swedish Financial Supervisory Authority Continue Reading

By

• Eeva Haaramo

Voice biometrics still relatively unheard

Authentication system could help reduce UK fraud by making it hard for fraudsters to glean information from contact centres Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Waitrose joins John Lewis for Jlab 2017

The 2017 JLab will see Waitrose, John Lewis and JLP Ventures band together to mentor and develop several retail technology startups Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

Microsoft admits Windows 10 disables third-party security software

Microsoft has admitted Windows 10 disables some third-party security software, but claims this is purely because of compatibility issues Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Queen’s Speech highlights digital charter and data protection

Government confirms plans to create a digital charter to ensure the UK is “the safest place to be online”, and a new law protecting personal data Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

The human apprentices behind robotic automation

IT apprentices are helping large businesses transform their back-office processes through software robots Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Tesco customers miss out on deliveries due to tech fault

A glitch in the supermarket’s store-side systems has meant Tesco’s deliveries to customers have been delayed Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

Web hosting firm agrees to pay $1m ransomware demand

South Korean hosting firm Nayana agrees to pay more than $1m to restore data that was encrypted by a ransomware attack on its Linux servers on 10 June 2017 Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Why did British Airways’ datacentre crash?

In this week’s Computer Weekly, after an IT outage at British Airways left passengers stranded at airports, we examine the possible causes and ask what BA’s official explanation really means. We analyse the challenges for digital government now the UK election is over. And we hear how the charity Barnardo’s is leading an initiative for a data platform to improve children’s social care services. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

NTT Docomo turns to SAP Hana to boost customer experience

Japanese telco NTT Docomo rolls out in-memory database in eight months to analyse data from retail outlets and customer call centres in a bid to improve service levels Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, Informa TechTarget

Abu Dhabi uses surveillance tech to protect Grand Prix

Police use surveillance technology and monitoring software to ensure public safety when Formula One visits the UAE each year Continue Reading

By

• Alicia Buller

The Macedonian surveillance scandal that brought down a government

Macedonia has been accused of using surveillance technology for covert spying - the subsequent political protests were instrumental in the ruling party losing power after 10 years Continue Reading

By

• Tena Prelec

South African game reserve goes digital to save the rhino

Dimension Data and Cisco have teamed up to protect rhinos living on a private game reserve in South Africa with the latest networking and IoT sensor technology Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

10 ways to prevent breaches and minimise impact

Attackers are continually adapting to security technologies to fly under the radar, but taking action in 10 key areas can reduce the risk of breaches and minimise their impact, according to a resilience expert Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Finnish mobile operators opt-out from free EU roaming

Finnish mobile operators have been exempted from new European Union data roaming rules for now Continue Reading

By

• Eeva Haaramo

PaloAlto Networks partners with US Girl Scouts on security skills

Palo Alto Networks is partnering with the Girl Scouts of the USA to develop cyber security badges to foster knowledge of the topic and support interest in the profession Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

British Airways to outsource contact centre work

British Airways is evaluating technologies from an outsourcing company as an option to replace contact centre staff Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Microchips implanted in hands could be in use for payments in 20 years

UK consumers are becoming more accepting that biometric authentication will become the norm for payments Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Palo Alto Networks set to drive new era in security innovation

Palo Alto Networks announces a cloud-based application framework the company claims will enable its security platform to disrupt and change the security industry completely within a decade Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

HR technology essential to cutting-edge customer service, say big businesses

If you can’t get your internal HR systems right, the business will suffer – Jaguar Land Rover, Lufthansa and Russia’s Sberbank explain why Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Tips for buying hyper-converged systems

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we examine the growing market for hyper-converged infrastructure - combining processing, storage and networking into an integrated design - and assess the options available to IT leaders. We ask mature users of the cloud what’s next for their migration to off-premise systems. And we analyse how retail supply chains are developing to keep up with online and mobile shopping trends. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Wickes customers hit by ‘system-wide’ online ordering problems

Computer Weekly understands a “system-wide” issue is affecting the home improvement firm's online delivery bookings, as well as its click-and-collect services Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

No Wi-Fi on board? Ryanair is making a costly mistake

Ryanair boss Michael O'Leary is making a costly mistake by ruling out in-flight Wi-Fi, argues iPass' Patricia Hume. It’s just under a year since the United Nations declared that internet access ... Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Theresa May appoints Damian Green as Cabinet Office minister in reshuffle

Green takes on responsibility for digital government after Ben Gummer lost his seat in last week’s general election Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

CIO interview: James Robbins, CIO, Drax Group

Power company is embarking on a technology change programme, aiming to create a more diverse IT set-up and exploit new technologies Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Infosec17: Society needs to address encryption dilemma

There needs to be a discussion about how to balance the interests of privacy, security and the tech industry, says Infosecurity Europe Hall of Fame inductee Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Patent group prepares for tough data protection laws by moving HR to the cloud

CPA Global to replace ERP-based HR system as it gears up to comply with the General Data Protection Regulation Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Yet more uncertainty ahead for digital government after minister ousted in election

Amid all the chaos, recriminations and excitement on the morning after the General Election, the future of digital government is far from the minds of anyone other than those of us with a personal ... Continue Reading

By

• Bryan Glick, Editor in chief

Islamic State supporters shun Tails and Tor encryption for Telegram

Confidential communications show terror group’s supporters are turning to simple mobile phone messaging apps to exchange messages and distribute propaganda Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Smart farming, IoT only way to feed growing population, says Beecham report

A report from IoT sector analyst Beecham says the agricultural industry will need to embrace smart farming methodologies to support the growing human population Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Dubai Airports automates resource planning

Airports in Dubai are using automation software to co-ordinate resources such as check-in gates and aircraft stands Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Ethical fears hinder growth of artificial intelligence in France

In this issue, read how France’s relatively slow adoption of artificial intelligence is partly the result of public confusion, and partly due to the way the French have approached the ethical debate around AI. Also, read now organisations in Europe are failing to address the most important risks because they do not have a structured approach to complying with the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation. And find out why, after 17 years, Dutch university TU Delft is saying goodbye to its legacy learning management system. Continue Reading

Challenger bank technology arm hires former ABN Amro IT executive as CIO

Bank and banking technology supplier Fidor hires an experienced banking CIO to support its international expansion Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Malaysia’s Cyberjaya to get smart city boost

Tipped as Malaysia's Silicon Valley, the Cyberjaya township will pilot a slew of smart city projects, including e-payments and mobile bus ticketing Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, Informa TechTarget

Lloyds bank staff will move to IBM in outsourcing deal

About 1,500 IT staff at Lloyds Banking Group will join IBM as part of an IT infrastructure outsourcing agreement Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

HSBC launches global social network for businesses

HSBC Bank is helping its business customers connect with potential partners through a digital hub Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Virtual reality as a healthcare tool

Virtual reality is being used as a treatment tool across healthcare, tackling issues such as mental health, phobias and chronic pain management Continue Reading

By

• SA Mathieson

Mainframe blindspots expose companies to insider threats

More than three-quarters of CIOs say their mainframe is more secure than other systems, but most admit they are still exposed to insider threats Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

British Airways IT glitch caused by human error, says IAG CEO

Airline’s datacentre power failure was caused by an engineer accidentally switching the power off and on again, says parent company Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Digital economy to contribute 7% of Australia’s GDP

Besides improving living standards, digital technologies could also lead to a resurgence of manufacturing in Australia Continue Reading

By

• Beverley Head

UK firms stockpiling bitcoins for ransomware attacks

Large UK firms are prepared to pay out more than £136,000 on average to cyber criminals who launch ransomware attacks, a survey has revealed Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Europe faces shortage of 350,000 cyber security professionals by 2022

European companies are expected to go on the world’s biggest cyber security hiring spree in the next 12 months, driving demand for cyber talent that will far outstrip supply, a report has revealed Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Telefónica increases use of renewable energy to fight climate change

Telecoms operator behind UK’s O2 mobile network doubles down on existing commitments to renewable energy sources in the fight against climate change Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

GDPR about change management, says startup DPO

There are threats and risks associated with the GDPR, but one data protection officer believes organisations should focus on the business opportunities instead Continue Reading

Whoever wins election 2017, it's time for a digital minister with real authority

You would expect, of course, that a publication such as Computer Weekly would call on whoever wins the 2017 general election to put the digital economy on its list of immediate priorities. While ... Continue Reading

By

• Bryan Glick, Editor in chief

IR35 reforms: HMRC denies claims that online tax status assessment tool returns unreliable results

HM Revenue & Customs hits back at research that suggests its IR35 online assessment tool is hindering public sector organisations in determining the tax status of off-payroll staff Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

Enterprises struggle with emergency patching

Companies are struggling to maintain emergency patch cycles, despite the fact that enterprise reliance on legacy systems often means emergency patches are an everyday fact of life, a survey shows Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Australia’s Icon Group taps IBM Watson to boost cancer care

Watson for Oncology will provide oncologists with medical information and treatment options to support clinical decision making Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, Informa TechTarget

WannaCry shows validity of risk-based security, says RSA head

WannaCry and other recent cyber attacks underline the importance of adopting a risk-based approach to security, says RSA president Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Hundreds of sub-postmasters have applied to join IT-related legal action since March

The number of sub-postmasters who claim to have suffered as a result of a faulty Post Office IT system has reached 1,300 Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

IR35 reforms: NHS revises stance on contractor tax status assessments

National Health Service’s U-turn over IR35 assessments could prompt other public sector bodies to follow suit, say experts Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

Norwegian bakery chain gets the taste of mobile reporting

Baker Brun, a bakery company in Norway, is modernising its business processes through the latest technologies Continue Reading

By

• Eeva Haaramo

Shadow Brokers prepares zero-day subscription service

Businesses may face an onslaught of zero-day attacks soon as the group that leaked the NSA exploits used in the WannaCry ransomware attacks prepares to release more stolen code Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Singapore to pave the way for tech startup IPOs

The agreement between the Singapore government and the local bourse will lower barriers to capital markets and make the city-state a more attractive destination for startup fundraising Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, Informa TechTarget

ICC brings drones, smart bats and virtual reality to international cricket

International Cricket Council teams up with Intel to transform the cricketing experience for fans and players with drones, smart connected bats and virtual reality Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Quantum computing drives the future for Volkswagen

In this week’s Computer Weekly, Volkswagen’s global CIO explains how the car giant is using quantum computing to drive the future of transport. We examine how to make data analytics programmes work and deliver business value. And SAP’s CEO reacts to controversy around the software supplier’s indirect licensing policies that led to recent high-profile court cases. Read the issue now. Continue Reading