IT news in your industry sector

HDD support and Zoned Namespaces: Key takeaways about NVMe 2.0

We look at new capabilities in the most recent iteration of the NVMe flash storage standard Continue Reading

By

• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

UK government takes equity shares in more than 150 startups

Covid-support loans given to startups through the UK government’s Future Fund have given it stakes in more than 150 high-growth enterprises Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Cost of ransomware attack in financial sector exceeds $2m

Mid-sized financial services organisations worldwide spend an average of over $2m recovering from ransomware attacks Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

CCRC refers six more subpostmaster convictions for appeal

An additional six subpostmasters’ convictions have been referred for appeal in Post Office IT scandal Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Is 3D printing about to hit the mainstream?

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we find out about the emerging consumer services using 3D printing and ask if the technology is about to go mainstream. Our latest buyer’s guide looks at the importance of sustainable datacentres. And we analyse the risks of increasing contactless card spending limits and whether tech could help. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Smishing attacks up sevenfold in six months

Scam text messages are reaching pandemic proportions, thanks in part to the pandemic Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

How high can the contactless card limit go without two-factor authentication?

The spending limit for contactless cards has reached an eyebrow-raising triple-digit figure – £100 – raising questions about the need for user authentication Continue Reading

UK government’s new digital identity system to cost up to £400m

Cabinet Office is seeking £300m-£400m in funding to build its replacement for the failed Gov.uk Verify system, which itself cost over £220m Continue Reading

By

• Bryan Glick, Editor in chief

Delays to replacing legacy police IT puts access to information at risk, says NAO

National Audit Office says five-year delay to the Home Office’s project to create a National Law Enforcement Data Service, replacing two existing legacy IT systems, puts police access to vital information at risk Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

UK GDPR faces changes under planned reforms

DCMS is launching a major consultation on proposed changes to the UK’s data protection regime, under which several key elements of the GDPR are likely to change Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Five things you need to know about cloud file services

We look at cloud file services, which provide a file system-like architecture that gives users access to file data wherever they are, just as if it were a local NAS filer Continue Reading

By

• Stephen Pritchard

Government relies on tech to reduce NHS waiting lists

Health and social care secretary Sajid Javid aims to reduce NHS waiting list backlog through use of virtual wards, artificial intelligence and new surgical hubs Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

CW Europe: Dutch researchers build security software to mimic human immune system

In this issue of CW Europe, find out how researchers in the Netherlands are attempting to help IT systems fight certain cyber attacks in a similar way to the human immune system works. One of the team at Dutch research institute TNO was originally an immunologist, and saw parallels with the human immune system in the field of cyber security. Also in this issue, find out about the so-called “Klarna academy” in Stockholm, which has created the next set of Nordic fintech entrepreneurs. Continue Reading

Stolen credit card data worth about £13 on dark web, PayPal worth more

The average price of a stolen credit card on a dark web marketplace comes in at around $17.40, or £12.60, according to new data – but the real money for cyber criminals is in hacked PayPal accounts Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Estonian government opens its digital heart to tech testers

Tech startups are being invited to build and test their products and services on the Estonian government’s IT estate for free, in return for use of the software developed Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Dell, NetApp and Pure: Healthy results on Covid easing

Dell’s still top of the storage supplier pile with midrange arrays doing well, but meanwhile NetApp and Pure are making gains on the rise of public cloud Continue Reading

By

• Yann Serra, LeMagIT
• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

Procuring law enforcement tech needs greater scrutiny

Tech firms are playing a high-stakes game to drive adoption of artificial intelligence and surveillance technology in law enforcement Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Lords committee calls for evidence on digital regulation

House of Lords Communications and Digital Committee has called for evidence to inform its inquiry into the effectiveness of digital regulation Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Banking anti-fraud scheme blocks 65% more fraud

Scheme designed to protect vulnerable people against banking fraud has been expanded to include online scams Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Government opens £2bn chest for big data analytics

The Crown Commercial Service has published an early notification notice for a £500m per annum big data analytics procurement framework, which will run from 2022 to 2026 Continue Reading

By

• Brian McKenna, Enterprise Applications Editor

Highways England delivers a digital roadmap

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we talk to the CDIO of Highways England about her digital services and asset management plans. We explore SIEM and SOAR security tools. And we find out how McLaren Racing is using data analytics to build its cars more efficiently. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

NetApp and AWS launch fully managed Ontap cloud file storage

But hybrid cloud still limited, according to NetApp. Until containerisation is widespread, applications tend to be built for the cloud or work better in the datacentre Continue Reading

By

• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

Room for improvement in UK right to repair laws

The UK government introduced right to repair legislation earlier in 2021 to combat the growing issue of electronic waste, but data sanitisation firm Blancco says that while it’s a step in the right direction, there is definitely scope for improvement Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

China accused of cyber attacks on Norwegian IT systems

China-based cyber attackers have been blamed for multiple assaults on IT systems in Norway Continue Reading

By

• Gerard O'Dwyer

Apple workers challenge company on toxic workplace culture

Workers participating in the #AppleToo movement say they have collected nearly 500 testimonies from employees about their experiences of discrimination, harassment and abuse at Apple Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Applications for Tech Nation Global Talent Visa hit 4,000

Tech Nation, the endorsing body for the digital technology route of the UK’s Global Talent Visa, has reached a total of 4,000 visa applications since 2014 Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

How high can the contactless card limit go without two-factor authentication?

The spending limit for contactless cards has reached an eyebrow-raising triple-digit figure – £100 – raising questions about the need for user authentication Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

WhatsApp fined €225m over GDPR breaches

Irish data protection watchdog has issued one of the largest GDPR fines to date against Facebook-owned WhatsApp Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Finance firms faced up to £760,000 costs per DNS attack during pandemic

Financial services firms have been the focus of attacks by cyber criminals during the Covid-19 crisis Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Five key questions to ask about storage-as-a-service and consumption models

We look at important questions to ask providers of consumption-based storage procurement services, such as base costs and burst, usage measurement and upgrade paths Continue Reading

By

• Stephen Pritchard

Twitter tests auto-block feature for accounts at risk of abuse

Latest Twitter feature automatically blocks abusive users, and is intended to help victims regain control of their experience on the platform Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

National Highways sets out data-driven plan for Strategic Road Network

Digital twins, data sharing, predictive analytics and the use of drones all get a mention in Digital Roads five-year strategic plan Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

The Gulf is counting on its smart cities for a sustainable and profitable future

The countries in the Gulf region are leading the way in the development of smart cities as part of their economic diversification Continue Reading

By

• Alicia Buller

University of Sunderland applies technology through robot dog

Students will apply technologies such as artificial intelligence to robotic dog as part of their learning Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Tech sector spends nearly €100m a year lobbying the EU

Study on technology firms’ lobbying efforts in the European Union shows the sector spends more than any other in trying to influence policies and legislation Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

More NAND SSD in fewer hands as WD $20m Kioxia bid likely

The NAND flash market could soon go from six major players to four, but the fusion of Kioxia into WD and SK Hynix with Intel’s NAND business will still leave Samsung atop the pile Continue Reading

By

• Yann Serra, LeMagIT
• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

NHSX sets out digital guidelines for NHS organisations

The What Good Looks Like framework provides instructions on how NHS leaders should improve the use of digital in their organisations Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Subpostmasters demand more clarity on Horizon public inquiry before committing their support

Subpostmaster campaign group founder demands that financial redress for members be included in public inquiry before it ‘willingly’ participates Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Uber and GMB pledge to end driver exploitation

Pledge to end the exploitation of drivers who use ride-hailing apps was made ahead of Uber and GMB’s first meeting since signing a collective bargaining agreement in May Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Are proposed data protection changes a threat to UK citizens’ privacy?

Though changes are as-yet undefined pending an upcoming consultation, concerns are already being expressed over the government’s plan to liberalise data protection laws in the service of innovation and growth Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

McLaren Racing pursues car build efficiency with Alteryx

McLaren Racing selects Alteryx analytics software in pursuit of greater car build efficiency in face of Formula 1 cost cap, and to improve fan engagement Continue Reading

By

• Brian McKenna, Enterprise Applications Editor

Boots leading drive for ‘professionalisation of IT’ in retail

Boots becomes member of the BCS, the Chartered Institute for IT, as CIO Rich Corbridge accelerates drive for the ‘professionalisation of IT’ Continue Reading

By

• Ben Sillitoe

AI more likely to complement than replace predictive analytics

The discipline of predictive analytics is likely to increase in importance as it is complemented by artificial intelligence. NHS and National Express case studies prove the point Continue Reading

By

• Cath Everett

Tech giants commit to Biden's cyber security action plan

Some of the world’s most prominent tech giants have made a series of commitments to enhance the US’ national cyber security posture following a high-profile meeting with president Biden Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Government unveils post-Brexit data flow proposals

The government will pursue data partnerships with countries including Australia, South Korea and the US as part of a post-Brexit data regime that may also see substantial changes to the UK’s data protection law Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Scottish government launches £25m digital funding for SMEs

Money comes from the latest wave of the government’s DigitalBoost Fund, which offers small and medium-sized businesses in Scotland funding to invest in digital technologies Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

How 3D printing is growing one step at a time

We speak to a 3D printing firm that has expanded the reach of the technology by providing hardware and design software for customised insoles Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

CW Nordics: Klarna alumni energise Stockholm’s startup scene

Klarna, established in 2005, has not only grown into a well-known Swedish fintech brand, but former staff have gone on to create some of the Nordic region's new startup ventures that are currently riding a wave of growth. Find out more about the so-called ‘Klarna academy’. Also read in this issue why growing tech companies in Stockholm say the city's startup environment needs to diversify more. Continue Reading

NHS Scotland sets out recovery plan

Plan includes ensuring digital choices are always available, scaling up online consultation app and accelerating technology adoption in the NHS Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

NZ privacy lead John Edwards named new information commissioner

DCMS has named John Edwards, currently New Zealand privacy commissioner, to succeed Elizabeth Denham as UK information commissioner Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Algorithmic accountability needs meaningful public participation

Global analysis by Ada Lovelace Institute and other research groups finds algorithmic accountability mechanisms in the public sector are hindered by a lack of engagement with the public Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

UK loses £1.3bn to fraud and cyber crime so far this year

New figures from the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau show a threefold spike in reported financial losses to fraud and cyber crime in the first six months of 2021 Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Basel III: How fintech can provide allocated gold for banks

Banking rules that were over 10 years in the making as a response to the financial crisis have finally come into effect, marking a seismic shift for European banks and their dealings with gold – potentially completely altering the landscape of precious metal investment. Sylvia Carrasco, CEO of Goldex, explains Continue Reading

By

• Sylvia Carrasco

HMCTS discloses £12.5m HMRC tax bill over IR35 status contractor assessment errors

HM Courts and Tribunals Service has acknowledged IR35 status contractor assessment errors and paid HMRC £12.5m Continue Reading

By

• Brian McKenna, Enterprise Applications Editor

Half of MS Exchange servers at risk in ProxyShell debacle

Up to 50% of MS Exchange users in the UK are exposed to three vulnerabilities that are now being actively exploited Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

UCAS renews IT services contract with Infosys to drive automation

IT cost optimisation and enhancing services for students are among the main goals for the UK's Universities and Colleges Admissions Service Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Over a million opt out of NHS data-sharing

Failure to communicate benefits of data-sharing proposals and privacy concerns are prompting large numbers of people to opt out of a proposed NHS Digital scheme Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

How datacentre power growth is leaving Dublin in distress

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we look at the challenges faced by Dublin’s datacentre sector, as growth leaves the city’s electricity infrastructure creaking. We ask whether recent initiatives to close the UK’s digital skills gaps are working. And we examine the latest injustice to hit the Post Office Horizon scandal. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Campaign groups claim police have bypassed Parliament with plans for live facial-recognition tech

Civil society groups call for Parliament to scrutinise the use of live facial-recognition cameras Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Veeam survey: Big cloud impact on backup and disaster recovery

Backup specialist finds cloud eclipses on-site compute for all workloads while DR makes big strides in the cloud despite concerns about complexity and security Continue Reading

By

• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

Cities worldwide band together to push for ethical AI

The chief digital and technology officers of London and Barcelona speak to Computer Weekly about their joint initiative launched with other cities to promote the ethical deployment of artificial intelligence in urban spaces Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

IBM unveils Telum to combat financial fraud in real time

Completely new architecture means the AI accelerator chip does not need to pass data to and from the main processor, PCI bus or operating system Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

It’s time to reshape NHS innovation approach, says science and technology council

Council for Science and Technology sets out how the government should harness tech for the NHS through interoperable systems, building skills and capacity and developing an evidence base to underpin effective use of tech Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

CMA urges further scrutiny of Nvidia purchase of Arm

Competition and Markets Authority has decided an in-depth investigation should be mounted into the proposed acquisition of Arm by US chipmaker Nvidia Continue Reading

By

• Brian McKenna, Enterprise Applications Editor

Swedish IT industry braced for China’s response to Huawei 5G ban

Swedish IT and communications equipment suppliers fear economic backlash from China following Huawei ban Continue Reading

By

• Gerard O'Dwyer

How the pandemic transformed IAG’s Hangar 51 accelerator

Businesses of all shapes and sizes have had to take a different approach during the pandemic – Dupsy Abiola, head of global innovation at IAG, explains how IAG transformed its Hangar 51 accelerator during the coronavirus outbreak Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

Inside Estonia’s tech startup scene

Estonia is a Baltic tech tiger that is fast-gaining an international reputation for competently delivered government e-services at a level that surpasses most of its European and international counterparts Continue Reading

By

• Adrian Bridgwater

Pub apps harvesting swathes of customer data unnecessarily

Some pub and restaurant chain apps demand data such as gender and marital status, raising eyebrows among privacy campaigners Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

UN launches peacekeeping digital transformation strategy

United Nations strategy sets out the need for data-driven and technology-enabled peacekeeping, but also highlights potential risks that come with a digital world Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

How Bet365 addressed Apple’s iOS App Store policy changes

Apps on the iOS app store need to be more ‘Apple like’, with a common user experience. We find out how Bet365 achieved app portability Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Challenger banks make reputational gains in business banking

The business banking sector is a big target for digital challengers and some are already building good reputations in the market Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Bridging the Digital Skills Gap in Retail

GUEST BLOG: In this guest post, Laurent Homeyer, retail and hospitality industry advisor in EMEA & APJ at Workday, discusses the need for digital skills as physical retail starts to re-open.  ... Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

UK government criticised for proposed facial-recognition guidance

Privacy campaigners say the government's updated 'surveillance camera code of practice' does not do enough to mitigate abuses of facial-recognition technology Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

MoD seeks security tech to harden military systems

The Defence and Security Accelerator has launched a programme to root out technology that will reduce the military’s exposure to cyber attacks Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

A digital twin for farming

We speak to a company that has pioneered digital plant growth for indoor farming Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Thames Valley Police drops ERP system after spending £14m

Thames Valley Police exits tri-force programme to develop new enterprise resource planning software for the police Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Security Think Tank: Data privacy and ethics in a post-Covid world

The radical change caused by the pandemic requires new approaches to data privacy practice, says PA Consulting’s Daniel Gordon Continue Reading

By

• Daniel Gordon

CIO interview: Victoria Higgin, Highways England

The chief digital and information officer for digital services at Highways England discusses a roadmap for end-to-end data sharing and asset management Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Overturned convictions of subpostmasters mount up, but 555 victims no closer to justice

The government has failed to provide fair compensation to the subpostmasters who exposed the full extent of the Horizon scandal to the world Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

What will be the bank branch balance in the digital age?

Will the traditional banks be permanently disadvantaged by the need to retain bank branches or could they turn it to their advantage? Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Educational publisher Pearson fined for data breach cover-up

Securities and Exchange Commission says publisher misled its investors over the extent of a 2018 data breach Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

NAB partners AWS, global banks on open finance

Australia’s NAB teams up with three other banks and AWS to run an open global finance challenge that will see participating teams prototype new digital banking services Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, Informa TechTarget

ICO consults public on personal data in employment practices

The ICO has launched a public consultation on employers’ use of personal data to help it provide practical guidance for both businesses and workers Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Nearly half of retailers hit by ransomware in 2020

In the face of increasingly prevalent and sophisticated ransomware attacks, retail organisations need to develop alternative ways of restoring lost or encrypted data, as paying the ransom does not guarantee its return in almost a third of cases Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

UN special rapporteurs call for surveillance tech moratorium

In the wake of revelations about NSO Groups Pegasus spyware, a number of special rapporteurs from the United Nations are re-igniting calls for a global moratorium on the sale and transfer of surveillance technologies Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Hospitals see cyber security investment as a low priority

Almost half of hospitals have experienced an IT shutdown as a result of a cyber attack in the past six months, but just over one in 10 hospital executives see cyber security investment as a high priority Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

NCSC for Startups initiative launched with Plexal

National Cyber Security Centre and Plexal will support startups to develop products to address the government’s cyber security priorities Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Regulatory complexity hinders cloud adoption by financial services firms, Google study finds

Business leaders within the financial services space reveal details of what is holding up cloud adoption within their industry in latest Google poll Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

ICO consults on new international data transfer agreement

Information Commissioner’s Office to consult on its draft international data transfer agreement and guidance, which will replace standard contractual clauses to protect personal data during overseas transfers Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Social care digital revolution could lead to £127m in benefits

Analysis of NHS Digital’s social care programme shows new ways of working could reduce hospital admissions and visits to GPs, and improve people’s quality of life Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

CW Benelux: Netherlands sees increase in the number of women opting for an ICT career

The IT skills gap in the Netherlands could be about to narrow as more women take up jobs in the sector. Figures from last year revealed that the number of female ICT professionals grew by 6.5%, while the number of male ICT professionals increased by only 1.7%. Read more about it in this issue. Also find out why more openness about ransomware attacks in the Dutch business community could be the first step to defeating a growing problem. Continue Reading

LGA goes live with Digital Pathfinders Programme

Programme offers £20,000 in funding to councils that come up with ‘pioneering solutions’ for cyber security, digital inclusion and connectivity Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Singapore’s NUHS kicks off holomedicine research

Singapore neurosurgeons are testing the use of Microsoft’s HoloLens 2 mixed reality headset to locate brain tumours with higher precision and improve patient safety Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, Informa TechTarget

US wins bid to widen grounds of appeal in Julian Assange extradition case

The US government accused medical expert professor Michael Kopelman of misleading the court by failing to disclose details of Assange’s relationship  Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Hacker makes off with $600m in world’s largest crypto-heist

Despite bagging $600m worth of cryptocurrency in what has been described as the biggest decentralised finance hack, the hacker has already started returning the funds Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Four more subpostmasters set to have convictions overturned

A further four subpostmasters are set to have their wrongful convictions overturned in the latest development in the Post Office Horizon scandal Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Global fintech investments reach new heights

The global financial technology industry is emerging from the pandemic-triggered slowdown with record levels of investment to fuel further growth Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Banks could be blocked from closing branches through FCA legislation

UK financial services regulator the Financial Conduct Authority considers legislation that could block some bank branch closures to ensure citizens have easy access to cash Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Ransomware demands and payments hit new records

Ransomware groups continue to intensify their operations as ransom demands and payments increase alongside use of “quadruple extortion” tactics during first half of 2021 Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Third of finance firms accelerate use of artificial intelligence to detect money laundering

Financial services firms are stepping up their use of artificial intelligence and machine learning technology to fight increasing money laundering activity Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA