IT news in your industry sector

IR35 reforms: Confusion over who pays employers’ NI leaves IT contractors out of pocket

Litigators are circling as thousands of contractors realise that the 2017 roll-out of IR35 reforms to the public sector may have resulted in unlawful tax deductions – and the private sector could be next Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

NCSC beefs up support for education sector after spate of attacks

Refreshed guidance from the NCSC recommends a defence-in-depth strategy as schools and universities face a renewed wave of cyber attacks Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Scottish government AI strategy majors on ethics and inclusion

Scottish government announces artificial intelligence strategy that involves the creation of a Scottish AI Alliance to be drawn from across society, including trade unions and companies Continue Reading

By

• Brian McKenna, Enterprise Applications Editor

Commission calls for adult social care to get digital revamp

A commission on adult social care has called for the government to fund a personalised social care innovation programme, as well as invest £450m to replace outdated care and housing technology infrastructure Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

UK defence strategy strengthens AI, cyber and satellite spies

The nature of warfare is changing. Electronic warfare will need to be a key component of the UK’s defence strategy Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Interview: Ivan McKee, Scottish innovation minister

Scotland’s innovation minister talks to Computer Weekly about the country’s new digital strategy, the importance of inclusion, and why the strategy is underpinned by ethical thinking Continue Reading

Home Office completes transfer of all business apps to Oracle Cloud

Home Office has completed its deployment of Oracle’s Cloud Applications suite to all its functions across 35,000 staff, ahead of other government departments Continue Reading

By

• Brian McKenna, Enterprise Applications Editor

Security Think Tank: Attacks on CNI – an evolving frontier in warfare

In the light of increasing cyber attacks on critical national infrastructure, what are the immediate risks to industrial control systems and other operational technology, and what steps can be taken to address them? Continue Reading

By

• Asaf Weisberg, ISACA board of directors

CIO interview: David Walmsley, chief digital and omni-channel officer, Pandora

The Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic could have been a disaster for the jeweller, but due to its digital transformation programme, it was ready to carry on serving its customers online Continue Reading

Would the UK really nuke a cyber attacker?

In this week’s Computer Weekly, did the UK’s defence and security review really suggest a nuclear response to a cyber attack? Data visualisation has been widely used to explain the Covid-19 pandemic, but not always that effectively. And jewellery retailer Pandora explains how it kept the personal touch as customers went online. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Post Office staff instructed to shred documents that undermined its claims Horizon was robust

Barrister advising the Post Office in 2013 stated that destroying documents would "amount to a conspiracy to pervert the course of justice" Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

$50m ransomware demand on Acer is highest ever

Record-breaking double-extortion cyber attack saw REvil gang exfiltrate financial data from Taiwan-based PC manufacturer Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Unionised drivers call on Microsoft to suspend Uber’s Face API licences

Unionised private hire drivers in the UK are calling for Microsoft to suspend Uber’s licences to use its Face API technology after claims the ride-hailing firm’s ID-checking system has led to drivers losing their jobs and having licences revoked Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

QLC flash storage: What it costs and its best use cases

QLC flash brings high capacities at costs coming down close to spinning disk. So what are the use cases for QLC solid state, which make best use of its relatively low endurance Continue Reading

By

• Maxwell Cooter

Security Think Tank: Back to square one – ground-up CNI protection

In the light of increasing cyber attacks on critical national infrastructure, what are the immediate risks to industrial control systems and other operational technology, and what steps can be taken to address them? Continue Reading

By

• Matthias Reinwarth, KuppingerCole

A real-life example of the self-distribution supply chain model

A self-distribution approach to supply chain management can help a company lower the risk of disruption. Learn how Ahold Delhaize USA is doing just that. Continue Reading

By

• Linda Rosencrance

Government bids final goodbye to Gov.uk Verify

Cabinet Office parliamentary secretary Julia Lopez confirms launch of “discrete” successor to Gov.uk Verify Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Post Office IT scandal executive forced out of job at Football Association of Wales

Angela van den Bogerd has left her role at the Football Association of Wales, following criticism of her part in Post Office IT scandal Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Security Think Tank: Properly protecting CNI demands specificity

In the light of increasing cyber attacks on critical national infrastructure, what are the immediate risks to industrial control systems and other operational technology, and what steps can be taken to address them? Continue Reading

By

• Paddy Francis

Coronavirus: How PCs in quarantine and intensive care units can be managed remotely

NHS IT staff generally have limited access to deployed devices, especially if that device is in an operating theatre or intensive care unit Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Tech sector is key to the success of Global Britain

The maturity of its technology sector puts the UK in a good position to reimagine its role on the international stage post-Covid Continue Reading

By

• Andrew Roughan, Plexal

Vaccine passports cannot put basic rights at risk, warns BCS

BCS warns of challenges to come as the government presses on with its plans for Covid-19 vaccine passports Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Government to bail out Post Office which can’t afford to pay compensation to subpostmasters

The Post Office does not have enough money to pay compensation to the subpostmasters it wrongfully prosecuted Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Reshaping the women-in-tech debate in Denmark, from the top down

Tech Nordic Advocates adopts a different approach to closing the gap between women and men in the Danish tech startup sector Continue Reading

By

• Matthew Staff

NHS will get shared care records by September 2021, says Matt Hancock

The health secretary sets September 2021 target for shared care records roll-out, and wants to explore potential of moving patient data being held in proprietary systems to the cloud Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Survey: Backup failures hit a high as pandemic working hits home

Veeam survey finds distributed working plus operations that span on-prem and the cloud the background to high numbers of failures in backup and restore, with 40% of SLAs not met Continue Reading

By

• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

Subpostmasters in Court of Appeal to end 20-year torment

Subpostmasters heading to Court of Appeal to clear their names in what is potentially the biggest miscarriage of justice in English legal history Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Eastern Health reports ‘cyber incident’, takes systems offline

Australian healthcare provider Eastern Health takes IT systems offline as a precaution while it looks into a cyber incident Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Security Think Tank: Take a realistic perspective on CNI cyber attacks

In light of increasing cyber attacks on critical national infrastructure, what are the immediate risks to industrial control systems and other operational technology, and what steps can be taken to address them? Continue Reading

By

• Andrew Morris, Turnkey Consulting

Digital Green Certificate proposed for travel in Europe

Digital Green Certificates will supposedly help re-establish freedom of movement within the European Union Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Uber classifies drivers as workers after Supreme Court ruling

Ride-hailing firm will pay its UK drivers minimum wage following court ruling, but has diverged from the court’s interpretation that drivers should be paid from when they log in, not just when passengers are on board Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Capita restructures to simplify its business

Business services supplier creates two core units that focus on public sector and commercial enterprise customers and will sell off non-core assets Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Security Think Tank: CNI operators must focus on core issues

In the light of increasing cyber attacks on critical national infrastructure, what are the immediate risks to industrial control systems and other operational technology, and what steps can be taken to address them? Continue Reading

By

• Petra Wenham

Cyber sector welcomes PM’s defence review

Security commentators approve of measures to improve the UK’s cyber resilience, strengthen its R&D and skills base, lead on the development of new technology and promote a free, open, peaceful and secure global internet Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Nordic healthcare digitisation drives medtech growth

Nordic medtech is growing rapidly as the healthcare sector adopts technologies such as artificial intelligence and the internet of things Continue Reading

By

• Gerard O'Dwyer

Children’s learning held back by digital schooling, NAO report finds

Children’s socio-economic status has affected their experiences with digital learning, and most teachers consider their pupils to be, on average, three months behind where they would be expected to be Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

One-fifth of all UK tech investment went to just 10 scaleup firms in 2020

Annual Tech Nation report shows UK technology firms saw record levels of investment in 2020, but a significant proportion of it was concentrated in a small number of scaleup enterprises Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Insurers unable to fill a quarter of tech roles

Insurance companies need to fill tech skills gaps if they are going to prosper in the age of insurtech Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Uber and Ola ordered to hand over more data to drivers

A Dutch court has rejected Uber and Ola’s claims that drivers collectively taking action to access their data amounts to an abuse of their individual data access rights, laying the ground for drivers to form their own union-controlled data trust Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

MoD partners playing fast and loose with confidential data

Clear spike in data breach incidents at defence partners may reflect better reporting standards, claims MoD Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Banks still lack tech skills at the top

Banks have made progress in adding IT knowledge in their boardrooms, but they need more as digital transformation accelerates Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Government calls for input into Covid-19 vaccine passports

Evidence gathering exercise will inform the development of the UK’s proposed Covid-19 vaccine passport scheme Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

UK plans ‘full spectrum’ approach to national cyber security

PM Boris Johnson expands on proposed National Cyber Force and plans to set up a north of England Cyber Corridor Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

5 COVID-19 vaccine rollout lessons for supply chain leaders

The effort and coordination required to deliver COVID-19 vaccines to people across the globe provides powerful lessons. Here are five. Continue Reading

By

• George Lawton

Judges refuse EncroChat defendants’ appeal to Supreme Court

Experts suggest Parliament and Investigatory Powers Tribunal need to consider the implications of a court decision on police use of data from the EncroChat phone network Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Parliamentary PACA Committee slams Gove over Covid-19 data failures

Parliamentary Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee publishes report critical of government accountability regarding data behind the decisions taken during the coronavirus pandemic Continue Reading

By

• Brian McKenna, Enterprise Applications Editor

IR35 private sector reforms: IPSE warns of UK contracting talent exodus unless start date delayed

Association of Independent Professionals and the Self-Employed research into what contractors plan to do once the IR35 reforms come into play highlights growing risk of talent shortages Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

Government plans for fresh AI strategy

The government wants to “unleash the power of AI” and be “the most pro-tech government ever”, according to digital secretary Oliver Dowden Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Mace Group uses RealWear to support Covid-safe site inspections

Construction consulting business is using augmented reality headsets to enable people on Microsoft Teams to inspect building sites remotely Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Security Think Tank: CNI operators are in an unenviable position

In the light of increasing cyber attacks on critical national infrastructure, what are the immediate risks to industrial control systems and other operational technology, and what steps can be taken to address them? Continue Reading

By

• Mike Lloyd, RedSeal

India is becoming a hotspot for IoT

India is set to be a cradle for internet of things deployments thanks to its vibrant economy and its potential to play a bigger role in global manufacturing Continue Reading

By

• Pratima Harigunani

Arrest warrants issued for Canadians behind Sky ECC cryptophone network used by organised crime

The US has issued arrest warrants for the CEO of Sky Global and a former distributor for racketeering, aiding and abetting the distribution of illegal drugs by supplying encrypted phones to criminals Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Ski firm dumps ‘motley’ storage for DataCore software-defined

Eurogroup cuts power usage by 70% and rackspace from 84U to 7U as it consolidates multiple physical servers and storage protocols onto SANsymphony software-defined storage Continue Reading

By

• Yann Serra, LeMagIT
• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

PAC slams Home Office digital border programme

The Home Office has failed to acknowledge and be transparent about Digital Services at the Border programme problems, according to the Public Accounts Committee Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Amazon Go – is now the right time?

In the beginning of 2021, Amazon launched a physical store in London, but is it the right time to be investing in offline? Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Baldwin, Freelance editor and journalist

Brewer Molson Coors targeted in cyber attack

Cyber criminals have disrupted beer production at Molson Coors, one of the world’s largest brewers Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Interview: Uber driver Yaseen Aslam on his Supreme Court battle and what’s next for gig workers

Private hire driver and union organiser Yaseen Aslam speaks to Computer Weekly about his legal battle with Uber and what the UK Supreme Court ruling means to workers in the gig economy Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

UK technology business created every 30 minutes in 2020

New figures on UK business creation show surge in entrepreneurs setting up technology businesses during 2020, while the sector’s hiring efforts climb back to pre-pandemic levels Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

CW Innovation Awards: Fighting fake Covid-19 vaccines with blockchain

A blockchain-based system developed by Singapore-based Zuellig Pharma can help governments and healthcare providers weed out fake vaccines and manage vaccine distribution and administration Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Why the London Data Charter could be a foundation stone in the city’s recovery

London First’s director of connectivity and competitiveness, David Lutton, explains why data is at the core of the capital’s recovery plan Continue Reading

By

• David Lutton

Potential miscarriages of justice of Scottish subpostmasters move to full review

The Post Office Horizon scandal gets bigger as subpostmaster prosecutions in Scotland are reviewed Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

UK digital regulators set out plans to strengthen cooperation

Digital Regulation Cooperation Forum outlines plans for the coming year, marking a shift towards a more collaborative regulatory approach Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Scotland launches digital strategy

Updated strategy aims to equip Scotland for technological transformation post-coronavirus and focuses on building an ethical digital nation Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Data-driven innovation needs trustworthy governance

The pandemic has given us a glimpse of what data-driven technology can do for society – and we cannot go back to the status quo Continue Reading

By

• Edwina Dunn, Computer Weekly

CW Europe: Nordic tech startups create blueprint for post-Covid working environment

Business can learn lessons from Nordic tech startups to prepare employees to return to the office after Covid restrictions end. Also read why Netherlands police need a training ‘roadmap’ to get them up to speed to tackle cyber crime. Continue Reading

Scottish farm subsidy body slashes dev time with Pure all-flash

Rural directorate ditched hybrid flash EMC SAN for Pure all-flash storage and cut developer time in half, while beta testing Cloud Block Store and planning container project Continue Reading

By

• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

Digital knowledge must be integral part of Dutch police training

 Continue Reading

UK launches fellowship to attract tech talent to government

Programme jointly run by Number 10 and Government Digital Service will see 10 leaders enlisted to address key challenges in the public sector Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Met Police chooses Capgemini as strategic IT infrastructure services provider

Capgemini has a history of providing the force with day-to-day technology services, and will now deliver its infrastructure services under the Pegasus programme Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Welsh FA boss linked to recruitment of controversial former Post Office executive to step down

Football Association Wales CEO Jonathan Ford is stepping down after losing a vote of no confidence triggered by the controversial appointment of Angela van den Bogerd, who was involved in the Post Office IT scandal Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Government’s refusal of freedom of information request about Post Office scandal ‘deeply concerning’

MP condemns department’s ‘bizarre’ rejection of freedom of information request linked to Post Office IT scandal Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Police crack world’s largest cryptophone network as criminals swap EncroChat for Sky ECC

Belgian and Dutch police have breached the encryption of users of Sky ECC, the world’s largest cryptophone network. There are significant parallels with the international police operation against the EncroChat cryptophone network which led to hundreds of arrests Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

How biotech firm Luminex manages field service

Technicians at Luminex work remotely, but their schedules, spare parts for repairs and customer site visits need to link to tech support and the CRM Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Hybrid working, diversity progress – Computer Weekly Downtime Upload podcast

In this episode of the Computer Weekly Downtime Upload podcast, Caroline Donnelly, Clare McDonald and Brian McKenna discuss hybrid working, progress in diversity and data in healthcare Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor
• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK
• Brian McKenna, Enterprise Applications Editor

Belgian police raid 200 premises in drug operation linked to breach of encrypted phone network

More than 1,600 police and law enforcement officials conduct drug raids after the compromise of an encrypted mobile phone network that has parallels with EncroChat Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

NHS datacentre transformation projects continue apace during pandemic

NHS trusts have continued to invest in their datacentre estates throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, but the nature of their upgrade projects continues to evolve Continue Reading

By

• Fleur Doidge

UK's Starling Bank reaches unicorn status

UK app-based bank Starling reaches unicorn status following its latest round of funding Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

EBA restores services after Microsoft Exchange attack

European Banking Authority was breached through vulnerabilities in Microsoft Exchange Server, but is now back online Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Prime minister yet to respond to serious subpostmaster concerns over Horizon IT scandal inquiry

Subpostmaster victims who have spent millions bringing the Post Office IT scandal to light have received no reply to their concerns from Boris Johnson Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Private equity house buys McAfee enterprise business

Deal to sell off enterprise unit will see McAfee become a pure-play consumer organisation Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Goldman Sachs CEO comments highlight need for home working balance

The remote working revolution has been prominent in the banking sector and organisations have a balancing act to perform once the pandemic passes. Continue Reading

Are you ready to return to the office?

In this week’s Computer Weekly, a year after lockdown began, we look at employers’ changing attitudes to returning to the workplace. We find out how the software developer community has coped during the Covid-19 pandemic. And we examine the cyber security concerns prompted by latest social media craze, Clubhouse. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Wipro makes its biggest acquisition ever with $1.45bn takeover

Indian IT services supplier Wipro makes biggest acquisition in its history as it bolsters consultancy offering Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

US teases retaliation over state-backed cyber attacks

Consequences for alleged perpetrators of the SolarWinds attack are expected within the next few weeks Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Foreign Affairs Committee launches inquiry into tech and the future of UK foreign policy

Committee looks for evidence on how the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office can respond to opportunities and challenges brought by new and emerging technologies Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Cumbria and Nottinghamshire care homes pilot diagnostic telemedicine

Two care homes trial telemedicine system that allows GPs to carry out detailed patient assessments without leaving the surgery Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Government to change unfair private prosecution rules used to prosecute innocent subpostmasters

Government agrees to change private prosecution rules that were abused by the Post Office in its pursuit of subpostmasters wrongly accused of financial crimes Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Nordic innovators change emphasis on gender equality in society

Female technology innovators in the Nordics take a different approach to trying to improve opportunities for women Continue Reading

By

• Matthew Staff

Williams F1 car launch disrupted by data leak

Williams Formula One team forced to pull augmented reality app it had planned to use to launch its 2021 car at the last minute after an apparent cyber attack Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Nottinghamshire schools suspend online learning following cyber attack

Cyber attack on central trust that manages secondary schools in Nottinghamshire leaves them unable to access IT systems and deliver remote lessons Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Sarah Wilkinson, most influential person in UK tech 2021 – winner’s speech

In this video from Computer Weekly’s annual UKtech50 event, in partnership with Spinks, Sarah Wilkinson, CEO of NHS Digital, gives her acceptance speech as the 2021 most influential person in UK tech Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Innovation underpinned by trustworthy governance, says CDEI

Public support for greater use of digital technologies such as AI depends on how much trust people have in its governance, says report Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Bank of Ireland to reduce branch network by almost half

Bank of Ireland is latest bank to pin its future on digital channels as customers change their banking habits Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

UK contactless payment limit more than doubled

UK increases the amount that can be spent in one go using a contactless payments card to £100 Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Parliament bill to create the UK's Advanced Research and Invention Agency

The ‘high-risk, high-reward’ UK equivalent of ARPA will be provided with powers to fund and develop projects, including exemption from freedom of information requests and 10 years to prove its own success Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Budget 2021: Tax relief for data and cloud, digital skills for SMEs, more IT firepower for HMRC

Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced a slew of tech-related measures in this year's Budget, which also included a visa review for highly-skilled IT professionals and a £375m fund for innovative businesses Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Glitch signs collective bargaining agreement with unionised workers

US software startup’s ‘milestone’ agreement with employees focuses on job security and labour rights rather than salaries and benefits Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Pandemic brings good online sales growth for smaller retailers

IMRG data shows smaller retailers did ‘astronomically well’ in online sales growth after Covid-19 took hold last year Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

UK’s Arkivum up for €4.8m EU science data archive project

CERN-led multi-petabyte scale research data archive bid will use Google cloud and compete with AWS-based and open source designs from other providers Libnova and Onedata Continue Reading

By

• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

IR35 private sector reforms: Hays calls on Treasury to delay April 2021 start date by a year

UK and Ireland managing director of recruitment giant Hays writes to HM Treasury to demand a delay and review of the government’s plans to roll out the IR35 reforms to the private sector from April 2021 Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK