IT news in your industry sector

Subpostmaster group calls for prime minister to pause Horizon ‘whitewash’ inquiry

Subpostmasters call for Boris Johnson to pause and reshape the government’s Horizon inquiry Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Industry concerns over government digital identity plans risk a confusing outcome for users

A flurry of recent activity suggests the government is ramping up its plans for the long-awaited demise of Gov.uk Verify, its failed attempt to produce a digital identity system for online public ... Continue Reading

By

• Bryan Glick, Editor in chief

Rogue drones beware: We’re here to ground you

Eugene Kaspersky exclusively lifts the lid on a mysterious, shiny device that’s been sitting in his office Continue Reading

By

• Eugene Kaspersky, Kaspersky

XDR makes cyber a Stroll in the park for Aston Martin F1

Aston Martin Cognizant Formula One team will run SentinelOne’s Singularity XDR platform under the bonnet Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Post Office Horizon and the subpostmasters’ justice fight – Computer Weekly Downtime Upload podcast

In this episode of the Computer Weekly Downtime Upload podcast, Karl Flinders joins Caroline Donnelly, Clare McDonald, and Brian McKenna to discuss the Post Office Horizon system that brought havoc to the lives of subpostmasters and subpostmistresses Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA
• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK
• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

BBVA teams up with Google Cloud for IT security strategy revamp

Spanish bank banking giant BBVA is forging even closer ties with long-standing technology partner Google Cloud to bolster the security posture of its IT infrastructure Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

CyberScotland offers centralised security resource hub

Newly launched partnership brings together security resources for individuals and organisations across Scotland Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Computers in space – managing a datacentre on the ISS

In this week’s Computer Weekly, as the International Space Station gets a datacentre upgrade, we look at the challenges of system maintenance in space. As nation states increase their cyber attacks, we assess the risk for businesses. And our latest buyer’s guide looks at the colocation market. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Malaysia government intervenes to drive 5G forward

The government of Malaysia pledges to spend 15bn ringgit to set up an entity that would be granted spectrum and operational scope to manage 5G roll-outs Continue Reading

By

• Edwin Yapp

UK government set to offer fintech visa

The importance of immigrant workers to the UK's fintech sector highlighted by government planned fintech visa Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Startup founders worried about proposed capital gains tax changes

British technology startups are concerned about proposed changes to widen the UK’s capital gains tax, with just over four in five saying they would consider moving their enterprise abroad Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Microphones, smartphones, laptops among items stolen from BBC

A total of 105 devices have been stolen from the BBC in the past two years, some of which may have been spirited away by remote workers Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Pandemic has exposed fractures in cyber fraud strategy

RUSI report urges a bolder and more coordinated response to cyber-enabled fraud as the pandemic lays bear the scale of the problem Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

UK to launch 'high-risk, high-reward' research agency, dubbed ARIA

Backed by £800m of public investment, the Advanced Research & Invention Agency (ARIA) will identify and fund groundbreaking science and technology Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Fixing government digital transformation – lessons from the early days of GDS

As a new organisation is formed to lead UK digital government, three former government digital leaders share the lessons they learned from the early days of the Government Digital Service Continue Reading

By

• Jerry Fishenden, James Duncan and James Findlay

European Commission proposes UK data adequacy agreement

The publication of two draft data adequacy decisions brings the UK closer to a final positive decision, which will enable the continued free flow of data between the EU and the UK if green-lit by member states Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Interview: From healthcare to healthcare IT provider

One route into IT is to take your knowledge of a certain sector to an IT firm that specialises in it. This is Katy Cain’s story Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Uber drivers should be classified as ‘workers’, UK Supreme Court confirms

Supreme Court ruling brings Uber’s four-year legal battle to have its drivers classified as self-employed to an end, and could see its drivers in line to receive thousands of pounds in compensation Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

Biden will act on cyber security to fix SolarWinds mess

US will take action to modernise its defences in the wake of the SolarWinds attack, says US government cyber lead Anne Neuberger Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Fujitsu bosses knew about Post Office Horizon IT flaws, says insider

A former senior developer who worked for Fujitsu on the Post Office IT system that led to subpostmasters being falsely accused of fraud, has claimed bosses knew of fundamental flaws before going live Continue Reading

By

• Nick Wallis

Data lake storage: Cloud vs on-premise data lakes

The data lake is a fundamental concept of data management. But what type of storage do you need to build a data lake on and what are the pros and cons of on-premise vs the cloud? Continue Reading

By

• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

Swedish police fined for unlawful use of facial-recognition app

Sweden’s data watchdog has found that Swedish police failed to conduct the data protection checks required by law before using controversial facial-recognition tool Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

HMRC accused of 'utter hypocrisy' over use of IT contractors enrolled in tax avoidance schemes

Campaign group calls for HMRC to face an investigation, while accusing the department of ‘utter hypocrisy’ for using IT contractors enrolled in disguised remuneration schemes Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

City of Helsinki adopts MyData principles to improve digital services

Principles on the use of personal data for the benefit of society will guide Finnish capital’s ambitious digital plans Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Fingerprints will help payment cards retain relevance

Biometric payment cards using fingerprint technology could add billions to global banking revenues, says UBS Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Assessing UK law enforcement data adequacy

Data protection experts discuss the consequences of achieving data adequacy between the UK and EU for the UK’s intelligence services and criminal justice sector Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Finnish IT sector demand increases after months of decline

IT sector in Finland sees small signs of recovery as demand increases after months of Covid-19-related decline Continue Reading

By

• Gerard O'Dwyer

Healthcare digitisation at point financial services was in 1990s

For all the talk about digitised healthcare, the sector is only where banking was in the 1990s. How can it catch up? Can the Covid-19 pandemic crisis be a catalyst? Continue Reading

By

• Jamil El-Imad

Vaccine passports highlight social impact of systems design

Vaccine or immunity passports are an opportunity to advance the design of trustworthy digital systems, but much more work still needs to be done Continue Reading

By

• Carsten Maple

HMRC denies misleading House of Lords over IT contractors’ use of tax avoidance schemes

MPs from Loan Charge All-Party Parliamentary Group write to HMRC CEO Jim Harra to demand the department be investigated for breaching the civil service code Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

Swedish central bank extends digital currency project

Sweden's central bank has extended its pilot of a digital currency for at least another year Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Law firm and cyber criminals clash over source of stolen data

Cyber attack victim Jones Day says its data was stolen in a supply chain attack, but the gang holding it to ransom disagrees Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Defra to lead creation of cloud-focused IT sustainability standard for use across government

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs continues its work to help government departments clean up their IT supply chains by creating a ‘cloud sustainability’ workstream Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

NHSX set to become part of new NHS England 'transformation directorate'

Latest plans for the National Health Service’s central digital strategy arm are currently at the proposal stage Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

TransferGo to harness Google-inspired tech capability

Payments fintech TransferGo chooses cloud-native core banking platform to build a digital wallet and expand its services Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Covid-19: Risk model identifies 800,000 vulnerable individuals

Research funded by the National Institute for Health Research has resulted in the development of a new coronavirus risk assessment model Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

C40, C60 R3, go! Pure adds to FlashArray//C QLC flash range

Hybrid storage killers: Pure Storage adds entry-level FlashArray//C40 R3 QLC array plus re-CPUed C60 R3 that will scale to 5PB or more Continue Reading

By

• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

Qatar regulator launches platform to monitor human understanding of financial crime

Qatari financial services regulator works with global body to provide digital platform to assess whether financial services workers understand how to prevent financial crime Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Central government should promote data policy compliance, say civil servants

Most civil servants want the government to gain additional powers to promote data policy compliance to ensure better use of data, according to research Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

IR35 private sector reforms: HMRC reminds firms to use ‘reasonable care’ when applying new tax rules

As the countdown to the IR35 reforms being rolled out to the private sector continues apace, HM Revenue and Customs issues compliance guidance for firms in-scope of the new rules Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

How Covid-19 has hit IT salaries and job prospects

In this week’s Computer Weekly, our salary survey reveals the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on IT professionals’ wages and job security. A potentially deadly cyber attack on a US water plant highlights the risks to critical infrastructure. And we find out how NHS Scotland is using tech to support its vaccine roll-out. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Digital investments will add £232bn to UK economy by 2040

The UK economy could grow by £232bn over the next two decades if investments in digital technologies continue Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Post Office to offer digital ID services to customers

Post Office partnership with Yoti is intended to expand customer choice as to how people prove their identity when accessing services Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

NCSC recognises UK’s top cyber schools

National Cyber Security Centre CyberFirst Schools initiative has handed out 14 gold, silver and bronze awards recognising excellence in cyber security teaching Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Government to impose new digital identity system across all Gov.uk services

Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove writes to Whitehall departments mandating the use of a new digital identity system that will allow citizens to be tracked across the Gov.uk website Continue Reading

By

• Bryan Glick, Editor in chief

University benefited from early virtual desktop investments when pandemic struck

Edinburgh Napier University was able to react quickly to some of the main challenges brought by the Covid-19 pandemic Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

UK border surveillance regime highly privatised, says Privacy International

Research from Privacy International raises concerns about the deep involvement of technology companies in the development and deployment of various technologies throughout the UK’s border regime, along with the lack of scrutiny they receive Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

The government’s ‘blue skies’ funding agency lacks purpose, MPs find

The £800m research and development funding agency announced in December 2019, lacks a clear purpose so far, according to the Science and Technology Committee Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Effective IT recovery in small/midsize businesses, 10 years on? Maybe tomorrow...

Disaster recovery is important for every business, large or small. But how can small businesses with limited resources protect themselves? Especially as a ‘disaster’ doesn’t have to be caused by a ... Continue Reading

By

• Tony Lock, Freeform Dynamics

Hacked Finnish therapy business collapses

Vastaamo, the Finnish psychotherapy centre whose patients were blackmailed by a cyber criminal gang, has filed for bankruptcy Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Goldman Sachs reopens UK digital savings account

US banking giant resumes online account for UK savers after temporarily withdrawing it in response to high demand Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Government launches digital identity trust framework

The government’s draft framework, which aims to set out rules for the use of digital identities, will be tested with industries, services, users and organisations ahead of a final version being published Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Nordic states launch joint drone development initiative

Nordic Drone Initiative backed by 16 public and privately owned organisations in Sweden, Finland, Norway and Denmark to probe the efficient use of airspace for drones Continue Reading

Nationwide Building Society kicks off search for tech apprentices

Nationwide is working with local organisations to boost tech skills Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

CW Benelux: Is reluctance to report cyber crimes in the Netherlands helping the criminals get away?

According to an academic study in the Netherlands, only one in seven Dutch people report a cyber crime to the police when it happens - feeling it is better to sort the problem out themselves because they don’t think the police will do anything. This is storing up trouble as cyber crime is an increasing problem in the country. Also in this issue, read why Dutch bank ABN Amro is selling its head office. Continue Reading

Dating app users warned to watch out for scammers

A vast amount of money was lost to romance scammers last year, and with millions of people isolated in lockdown the problem is getting worse, according to a report Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

HelloKitty almost certainly behind CD Projekt ransomware attack

Theories that the cyber attack on a high-profile gaming studio was orchestrated by players who are disappointed in a videogame are likely wide of the mark, according to analysis Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Société Générale adopts work-from-home policy

French bank formalises remote working policy after discussions with labour unions Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

TCS to recruit 1,500 UK tech professionals this year

Indian IT service provider Tata Consultancy Services commits to recruiting UK IT professionals Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Tech sector calls for renewed cooperation in global digital tax talks

Industry groups want renewed multilateral negotiations between countries about taxation of the digital economy in the wake of Joe Biden’s election as US president Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Century-old insurer uses low code as digital demands increase

Lloyds of London insurance and reinsurance broker Miller breaks from the past by adopting low-code software development platform Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Oracle claims major win in Australian public sector

Australian Data Centres will deploy Oracle’s Dedicated Region Cloud@Customer to host cloud services for the federal government Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, Informa TechTarget

Facebook sued for data-sharing practices with third parties

Data protection claim filed in London against social media giant for its alleged failure to give at least one million users in England and Wales meaningful control over their personal data Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Government launches review of use of health data for research

The review, which will be led by Ben Goldacre, will look at home-efficient and safe use of health data for research and analysis Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

IR35 private sector reforms: Deloitte confirms post-April 2021 ban on PSCs

Consultancy giant confirms that contractors will only be able to engage with it via a third-party umbrella or employment agency after April 2021, as part of its IR35 compliance strategy Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

IBM refreshes entry-level FlashSystem arrays with a little NVMe

Big Blue refreshes three entry-level systems – the 5200, 5035 and 5015 – with the flagship of them gaining all-NVMe flash storage capability and cluster scaling to 10s of PB Continue Reading

By

• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

Experian to close more than two million Gov.uk Verify accounts

Gov.uk Verify’s largest identity provider is closing down its accounts, telling users to re-register with one of the two remaining providers by the end of March 2021 Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Cyberpunk 2077 developer refuses to pay up after ransomware attack

Polish video game developer CD Projekt has released details of a ransomware attack on its systems Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

‘Batman Begins’ cyber attack is a warning to CNI providers

A thwarted cyber attack in a Florida town that could have resulted in the poisoning of the water supply is a timely reminder of the vulnerability of critical services Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

NHS reports fewer phishing emails in 2020

The NHSmail email service saw a steady decline in suspected phishing emails during the course of 2020 Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Russia’s Sber launches international AI contest for children

Children from across the world invited to take part in artificial intelligence competition launched by Russian bank-turned-tech business Continue Reading

By

• Vladimir Kozlov

Big data platform to speed up DNA analysis

Belgium’s Interuniversity Microelectronics Centre has developed a big data platform that can analyse DNA data up to 16 times faster than current techniques Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, Informa TechTarget

Audi fine-tunes its digital performance to boost online car sales

In this week’s Computer Weekly, the digital chief at Audi UK discusses how the carmaker is tackling the slump in new car sales. One of the largest global malware botnets has been taken down, but how much of a blow will it be for cyber criminals? And we hear how one county council made huge savings on its SAP installation. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Interview: Robert Opp, chief digital officer, United Nations Development Programme

Chief digital officer of the United Nations Development Programme talks about the relationship between digital technologies and sustainability, and how it can be used for a more environmentally-friendly and inclusive future Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

NHSX backs mobile app to detect kidney disease

The app, which is being funded by the AI in Health and Care Award programme, turns a smartphone camera into a clinical-grade tool to help detect kidney disease Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

North-West England ‘perfect’ growth area for tech startups

Industry groups mapping the UK’s technology landscape say the North-West of England is a hotspot for growing tech firms, which benefit from increasing investment and geographic proximity to academic and business support networks Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Data of thousands of Dutch citizens leaked from government Covid-19 systems

Weak access controls and outdated systems blamed for leaking of the personal details of thousands of Dutch citizens tested for Covid-19 Continue Reading

By

• Kim Loohuis

EncroChat: Appeal court finds ‘digital phone tapping’ admissible in criminal trials

Appeal Court decides EncroChat-encrypted phone records can be used in criminal trials. Critics say the decision means phone tapping no longer has a ‘clear meaning in the digital age’ Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Mayor of London launches digital inclusion initiative

Taskforce focused on increasing digital inclusion in London will promote digital skills and increase access to devices and connectivity Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

Government R&D funding fails to maximise ‘catapult’ potential

Barriers in the UK’s research and development funding system mean technology and innovation centres, also known as catapults, are prevented from maximising their potential economic impact Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Financial regulatory body bombarded with malicious emails

New disclosures reveal the FCA’s systems bounced almost a quarter of a million malicious emails in a three-month period Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Security firm Stormshield loses source code in cyber attack

Source code from two products developed by French cyber security firm was compromised in a December 2020 incident Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

UKRI should speed up Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund approval processes, says NAO

Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund’s lengthy approval process leads to delays in funding projects and could be a deterrent, according to the National Audit Office Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Five key points about unstructured data storage on-prem and cloud

We look at unstructured data, the myriad forms of data it comprises and the key storage options available, which include NAS and object storage on-prem and in the cloud Continue Reading

By

• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

Revolut rewrites policy to include permanent remote working

Challenger finance firm Revolut is redesigning its office spaces and introducing permanent remote working policies Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Woodland Trust hit by cyber attack in December

Conservation charity is investigating what it describes as a ‘sophisticated’ cyber attack but has waited nearly two months to inform its members Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Boeing outsources to Dell affecting 600 IT jobs

US aircraft manufacturer contracts hundreds of IT roles to Dell as it accelerates outsourcing plans Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

SolarWinds chases multiple leads in breach investigation

Investigators at SolarWinds are exploring multiple theories as to how the company’s systems were compromised Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

CCS goes live with £800m NHS IT framework

Digital Capability for Health framework covers development and IT management services for health and social care organisations Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Fraud and cyber crime still vastly under-reported

The scale of digitally enabled crime in the UK is dramatically under-reported, new statistics indicate Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Let’s build on the innovation shown by UK tech during pandemic

The UK’s technology sector has innovated and shown leadership through the Covid-19 crisis, particularly with developments in AI. It is now time to maintain and build on that progress, so the UK remains a global force in tech innovation Continue Reading

By

• Bev White, Nash Squared

CDEI: Local government data use must keep up Covid momentum

The Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation says momentum in local authority data use during the Covid-19 pandemic is in danger of being dissipated without central government investment and support for data skills development Continue Reading

By

• Brian McKenna, Enterprise Applications Editor

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

By

• Mark Samuels

Has Covid-19 made bank branch closures easier to sell?

Big banks continue to close branches and invest more in technology as the Covid-19 pandemic makes a case for digital banking Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Healthcare and life sciences dominate 2021 DataIQ 100 list

NHS England’s managing director of data and analytics, Ming Tang, joins data leaders from pharmaceutical companies AstraZeneca and GSK in the top 10 of this year’s DataIQ 100 list Continue Reading

By

• Brian McKenna, Enterprise Applications Editor

Venture capital trusts lobby for relaxed state aid rules

Venture Capital Trust Association chair speaks to Computer Weekly about how the UK’s exit from the EU means state aid rules can be rewritten to allow for the expansion of funding mechanisms used by tech startups Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Google grows cloud sales as parent’s profits top $40bn

Alphabet announces massive overall profits and increased Google cloud sales Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

‘Classic’ Cerber ransomware targets health sector in high volumes

Cerber ransomware-as-a-service seems to have re-emerged as one of the most critical cyber threats facing healthcare organisations, reports VMware Carbon Black Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

SolarWinds patches two critical CVEs in Orion platform

New vulnerabilities disclosed as SolarWinds reels from December 2020 Solorigate/Sunburst attack – but do not appear to have been exploited yet Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

CIO interview: Deryck Mitchelson, director of digital, NHS Scotland

We speak to NHS Scotland’s head of digital about the IT to help ease the pressure on the health service, which has intensified during the Covid-19 pandemic Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor