IT news in your industry sector

Online makes up a quarter of retail sales in January 2023

Online shopping makes up a quarter of all retail volumes in the first month of 2023, but retail is still rocky as the cost of living rises Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

HMRC slammed for ‘needlessly’ pursuing CEST-assured outside-IR35 contractor

HMRC stands accused of needlessly drawing out an IR35-related investigation into an engineering contractor’s tax affairs by ignoring the findings of its own Check Employment Status for Tax tool Continue Reading

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• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

Average consumer spent more than £3,300 using contactless payments in 2022

The amount of money spent using contactless payment technology continues to rise as consumers take advantage of higher allowable spending limits Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Veeam bundles backup products into Veeam Data Platform

Backup and data protection specialist Veeam upgrades and rebrands, with a focus on the challenges of ransomware and rapid recovery, and a claimed 500 new functions Continue Reading

By

• Yann Serra, LeMagIT
• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

Twitter 2FA changes bring more risks than benefits

Twitter’s approach to nudging users away from insecure SMS-based 2FA is being questioned over its logic Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

App-based Zopa bank buys BNPL fintech

App-based Zopa bank is adding a buy now, pay layer platform to its technology stack through its first acquisition Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

CIO interview: Hans van der Waal, director of global IT, Travelex

Travelex has weathered a storm that saw it sink into administration, before emerging to solidify its digital foundations for the future Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Mock crime prediction tool profiles MEPs as potential criminals

Developed by Fair Trials, the example crime prediction tool uses the same information as police systems to assess the likelihood of someone committing a crime in the future Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Financial advisory firm Succession Wealth probes cyber attack

Aviva-owned wealth consultancy and financial advisory practice Succession Wealth was hit by an undisclosed security incident on 8 February Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Security Think Tank: New trends and drivers in cyber security training

Self-paced, interactive, bite-sized learning is becoming the optimum path for cyber security training in the workplace, says John Tolbert of KuppingerCole Continue Reading

By

• John Tolbert, KuppingerCole

Home Office partners with BAE Systems on border analytics

BAE Systems wins three-year contract worth £38m to help Home Office develop Cerberus, a project to secure UK borders through advanced data systems and analytics Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Multi-purpose malwares can use more than 20 MITRE ATT&CK TTPs

Report warns of the development of increasingly sophisticated, multi-purpose malwares, and calls on defenders to play close attention to the MITRE ATT&CK framework to ward them off Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

What charities should know about ransomware and reputational threats

The NCSC recently called for charities to elevate their cyber security practice. Find out why charities are a soft target for cyber criminals, and what they can do to fight back Continue Reading

By

• Rob Shapland and Adam Monks

Microsoft fixes three zero-days in February update

February’s Patch Tuesday update contains fixes for three previously unpublicised zero-days in Microsoft Office, Windows Graphics Component and Windows Common Log File System Driver Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Royal Mail refused to pay £66m LockBit ransom demand, logs reveal

Leaked chat logs reveal Royal Mail has supposedly refused to pay a £66m ransom demand from the LockBit ransomware gang Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

UK saw fintech investment collapse in 2022, but is still a world leader

Fintech investment in the UK sees steep drop, but the country was still a top destination for capital Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

MWC 2023: A critical time for CSPs to make wise investment decisions

As the telecoms sector gathers in Barcelona for the annual Mobile World Congress, communications services providers face a turbulent market that will require careful investments to be made Continue Reading

By

• Andy Walker

Vidar, nJRAT re-emerge as prominent malware threats in January

Trojans and infostealers once again dominate the list of most commonly observed threats, according to Check Point’s latest telemetry Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

UK authorities clamp down on illegal crypto ATMs

The Financial Conduct Authority and West Yorkshire Police have disrupted a number of illegal crypto ATMs Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

‘Buy now, pay later’ crackdown in the making

The finance regulator has proposed bringing ‘buy now, pay later’ providers within its regulatory remit Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Payment tech provider opens Finnish tech hub

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

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

UAE central bank programme to accelerate digital transformation

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

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Researcher exposes crypto scam network exploiting YouTube

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

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

A passion for information

Barry Panayi, chief data and insight officer at John Lewis Partnership, explains why data science and analytics is an increasingly important function, covering its retail, grocery and financial services brands. Continue Reading

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

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

Where next for NHS IT?

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

How to protect your business from fraud during a recession

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

By

• PJ Rohall

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

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

By

• Simone Bateson

KPMG launches metaverse and digital twin hub in Saudi Arabia

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

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

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

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

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Hycu aims at universal SaaS backup with R-Cloud

Hycu’s R-Cloud aims to provide an API-driven backup product for any software-as-a-service application for enterprise customers, based on a simple low-code development environment Continue Reading

By

• Yann Serra, LeMagIT
• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

Security buyers lack insight into threats, attackers, report finds

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

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Killnet DDoS attacks disrupt Nato websites

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

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Police tech needs clear legal rules, says biometrics regulator

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

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

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

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

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Porsche revs up Formula E team with NetApp hybrid cloud

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

By

• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

Northern Ireland integrated care record set to go live in November

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

By

• Lis Evenstad

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

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

By

• Jerry Fishenden

Committee launches digital exclusion inquiry

The Lords Communications Committee has launched an inquiry to investigate how the UK can tackle digital exclusion during the cost-of-living crisis Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

Anything can happen so IT teams need to be ready, says Kyiv City Council CIO

Kyiv City Council’s IT team has experienced challenges faced by no other tech department and is determined to use what it has learnt to take Ukraine forward when the war is over Continue Reading

CW EMEA: Kyiv is ready for anything

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

BNPL accounted for 12% of UK online spending in January

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

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Social media platform Reddit breached in phishing attack

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

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

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

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

By

• Bryan Glick, Editor in chief

New Border Force unit to deploy more surveillance tech in Channel

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

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Deutsche Bӧrse signs decade-long deal with Google Cloud

German financial exchange firm Deutsche Bӧrse is expanding its long-standing partnership with Google Cloud as part of a push to ‘economise and concentrate’ its cloud strategy Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

Cost-of-living crisis creates appetite to switch banks

As millions of Brits struggle with their finances, many view tailored financial services as beneficial Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

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

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

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Consumers want tech-driven clothing stores

As consumers increasingly visit stores as the pandemic subsides, NTT Data finds that technology in shops could persuade consumers to return to physical shopping Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

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

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

By

• Ellie Hurst, Advent IM
• Mike Gillespie

Russian hacking group Seaborgium targets SNP MP Stewart McDonald

Scottish National Party MP Stewart McDonald says his personal emails have been hacked by a group linked to the Russian state in a targeted phishing attack Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Cisco unveils toolkit for greater network visibility and control

Tech giant introduces cloud services in Operations Dashboard to increase industrial asset visibility and provide industrial IoT customers with path to cloud automation for Operational Technology Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Campaigners lament lack of movement on Computer Misuse Act reform

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

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Augmented reality in retail: The second coming

H&M, Avon, Very and others’ usage of augmented reality in retail could mean we’re reaching tipping point for the technology in 2023 Continue Reading

By

• Ben Sillitoe

Rakuten targets big edge deployments with Symworld Cloud

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

By

• Yann Serra, LeMagIT
• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

Container storage platforms: Big six approach starts to align

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

By

• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

UK government sets up dedicated department for science and technology

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

By

• Bryan Glick, Editor in chief

LockBit cartel finally claims Royal Mail ransomware attack

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

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

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

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

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

‘Profound’ digital pound decision faces policymakers

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

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

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

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

By

• Pat Brans, Pat Brans Associates/Grenoble Ecole de Management

TSB pilots pods as branch replacements

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

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Cops make arrests and seize drugs after hacking Exclu encrypted messaging app

Police in the Netherlands, Belgium and Poland raided 80 addresses after covertly intercepting messages from the Exclu encrypted messaging app Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Online banks still riddled with cyber security flaws, report says

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

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Making IT security training stick

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

Estonian anti-money laundering platform used to fight APP fraud

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

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Post Office branches struggling after Royal Mail cyber attack

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

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

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

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

By

• Lis Evenstad

The Security Interviews: How to overcome data protection compliance challenges

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

By

• Peter Ray Allison

Backup maintenance: Make sure backups can deliver

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

By

• Stephen Pritchard

UK seeks head of quantum office

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

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Finance regulator finding more misleading promotions quicker through improved digital tools

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

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

LockBit gang confirms Ion cyber attack as disruption continues

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

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor
• Valéry Rieß-Marchive, Rédacteur en chef

FCA cracks down on misleading promos by social media influencers

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

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

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

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

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• Mandy Andress, Elastic

Fixing the tech sector

Apple’s Q1 2023 filing shows a 5% decline from last year. Meanwhile Amazon reported its operating income decreased to $12.2 bn in 2022, compared with $24.9 bn in 2021. Alphabet, the parent company ... Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

MEPs vote to amend platform worker directive

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

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

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

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

By

• Lis Evenstad

Security Think Tank: Getting the training and development mix right

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

By

• Rob Dartnall, SecAlliance

Government plans to catch tax fraudsters with help of AI

Cabinet Office signs a deal with data analytics company Quantexa, aiming to use data and artificial intelligence to tackle public sector fraud Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

North Korea’s Lazarus gang exposes itself in opsec failure

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

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Suspected LockBit ransomware attack causes havoc in City of London

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

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

UK government announces plans to protect consumers through cryptoasset regulation

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

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Arnold Clark customer data was stolen in Play ransomware attack

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

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Romance fraudsters stole £65m from Brits since 2020

Online romance fraudsters have scammed Brits out of £65m in the past three years, according to retail bank TSB Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

NCSC for Startups inducts four companies into programme

Four more startups are set to join the NCSC accelerator, which helps the UK government develop technology and approaches to pressing cyber security challenges Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Cloud security top risk to enterprises in 2023, says study

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

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

PayPal slashes 2,000 jobs in face of tough economic outlook

Fintech giant making thousands of redundancies as global economic outlook remains poor Continue Reading

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• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Innovative Technology deploys age estimation tech in shops and pubs

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

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Malware variant can block contactless payments

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

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

UK Cyber Council and ISACA launch audit, assurance programme

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

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Reaping green dividends with data management

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

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Toyota Way

The Toyota Way is a comprehensive expression of the company's management philosophy, which is based on the two foundational pillars of Continuous Improvement, also known as kaizen, and Respect for People. Continue Reading

By

• Ben Lutkevich, Site Editor
• Ivy Wigmore

Tech Nation to shutter after more than a decade

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

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Crédit Agricole tests quantum in finance

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

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

MI5 unlawfully collected and held millions of people’s data

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

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Zurich Insurance Group plots multiyear move to AWS public cloud

Multiline insurance firm Zurich is plotting a move to the AWS public cloud to help revamp its customer offerings Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

meta description tag

A meta description tag is a snippet of HTML code in a web page header that summarizes the content that's on the web page. Continue Reading

By

• Kinza Yasar, Technical Writer

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

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

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Royal Mail recovers more International Tracked services

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

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor