IT news in your industry sector

Welsh shared electronic record project is far from realising ambition, says auditor

Welsh Community Care Information System roll-out, originally due in 2018, is taking longer and costing more than expected, and the prospect of a full take-up among local organisations is still uncertain Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Spanish court to question witnesses over ‘illegal surveillance’ of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange

The Spanish National Court in Madrid is to hear evidence from information security expert Andy Müller-Maguhn and two lawyers who were subject to ‘illegal surveillance’  of their meetings with Julian Assange at the Ecuadorian Embassy in London Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly
• Ter García

Services Australia taps AI in document processing

Services Australia and Capgemini have developed an AI engine to classify and extract information from claim documents in a pilot project Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Cloud data protection keeps the Crick’s medical research Covid-secure

Cloud data management services from Rubrik gave the Francis Crick Institute a data protection edge and have helped keep its vital work going through the pandemic Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

The splitting up of IBM is unlikely to end here

Thirty years ago, the UK IT scene was led by two dominant suppliers – the global giant, IBM; and the British tech champion, ICL. Snapping at their heels were Hewlett-Packard (HP), Digital Equipment ... Continue Reading

By

• Bryan Glick, Editor in chief

UK regulators lack the skills and expertise to cope with increasing use of algorithms

MPs told that multiple regulators will be needed to govern the ever-growing use of algorithmic systems in all areas of the economy and public sector Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Emerging tech can improve regulatory processes, says BEIS report

Regulators should take a best-practice approach to the use of emerging technologies but need to be aware of the challenges, according to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Post Office races to solve IT error under gaze of public and banks

The Post Office is focusing urgently on fixing an IT error suffered by a subpostmaster amid the ongoing IT scandal Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Hackney services still offline in ongoing cyber attack

Services remain disrupted two days after council was hit by a serious incident, as residents are warned to be on their guard Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Public sector security failings leave UK at risk, says think tank

Reform report urges adoption of new policies in the next version of the UK’s National Cyber Security Strategy Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Unions urge government to improve conditions for Amazon workers

Unions have urged the UK government to leverage its position as a client of Amazon to improve conditions for workers Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

US Elections: Malicious internet domains spike as campaigns heat up

Internet domains related to the US presidential election are 56% more likely to be malicious than regular ones Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

The codecracker suite

It was the summer of 2017, and a stock photo taken in Girona two years earlier was about to go global. That same summer, an Atlanta photographer walked through the doors of a dance studio to help ... Continue Reading

By

• Ryan Priest

NHS England issues integrated cloud ERP procurement advice call

NHS England is calling on software suppliers for advice concerning the feasibility of moving and integrating its ERP systems in cloud infrastructure Continue Reading

By

• Brian McKenna, Enterprise Applications Editor

Fintech ‘unicorn’ Klarna probed over data misuse

Online bank blames misuse of user data on human error as Information Commissioner’s Office weighs in Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Rémy Cointreau migrates SAP to S/4 Hana on Google Cloud

Cloud-based deployment speeds up scalability and provides integration with Salesforce and e-commerce systems Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

The future of storage

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we examine emerging technologies in storage such as helium disks and DNA. Ransomware is becoming more sophisticated and the attackers more tactical. And as the EU’s top court challenges the UK over surveillance, we ask what this means for data privacy after Brexit. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

GMB Union boss calls for Dido Harding to resign from NHS Test and Trace

Following the news that a technical glitch caused 16,000 coronavirus cases to go unreported, the GMB Union has called for Test and Trace chair Dido Harding to quit Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Government minister’s plea for subpostmasters to take part in review of IT scandal rejected

Government minister met with former subpostmaster online in an attempt to get victims of the Post Office Horizon scandal involved in government review Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Hackney Council services offline after ‘serious’ cyber attack

Services to residents of the London borough of Hackney are being disrupted by a cyber attack Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

HMRC signs five-year £169m contract with Fujitsu for VME platform

Supplier will host 13 HMRC applications on its virtual managed environment platform, following its role as an incumbent provider to the department under two different contracts Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Challenger bank accessing latest anti-money laundering technology through fintech

Challenger banks works with fintech to support its anti-money laundering efforts Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Five Eyes spy group again demands access to private messages

Spooks are once again calling for the tech industry to break end-to-end encryption in messaging platforms Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Robots delivering the goods for retailers

Amazon is investing in autonomous robot delivery in the UK, adding to pioneering work undertaken by Co-op and Starship Technologies Continue Reading

By

• Ben Sillitoe

UK economy could see blockchain boost worth £57bn by 2030

Blockchain could provide major economic benefits by being used to track and trace products and services Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Regional Covid-19 lockdowns will leave digitally excluded ‘stranded’

Charity calls on government to do more to level up digital skills as it warns that tougher regional lockdowns in the Midlands and the North will hit digitally excluded people the hardest Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Government gives update on post-Brexit customs systems

Cabinet Office’s Border and Protocol Delivery Group provides further clarity on the readiness of the UK’s post-Brexit border IT systems Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Facebook critics’ webpage removed over false phishing allegations

Real Facebook Oversight Board alleges Facebook is trying to censor it for speaking out against the social media company’s behaviour Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Major tech companies respond to lawsuit over mining deaths

Multinational technology companies accused of knowingly benefiting from human rights abuses in the Democratic Republic of Congo have responded to a lawsuit seeking to hold them accountable for the deaths of Congolese children in their cobalt supply chains Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Morrisons and Pret join UK retail’s growing subscription economy

Morrisons and Pret A Manger join growing UK retail movement towards subscription models – a space frequented by technology-led players such as Gousto Continue Reading

By

• Ben Sillitoe

Magecart strikes website of school payments service Wisepay

Magecart credit card skimmer harvested financial data of users of Wisepay’s platform over a two-day period Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Even GDS is telling GDS to shut down Verify

The ailing Gov.uk Verify digital identity system was given a Frankenstein’s monster-like burst of energy back in April, when the lockdown-induced surge in Universal Credit applications brought ... Continue Reading

By

• Bryan Glick, Editor in chief

NCSC relaunches SME security guide with home working focus

The NCSC is issuing an updated version of its guide to security for SMEs, reflecting the long-lasting changes to the world of work seen in 2020 Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Excel is the hammer for too many businesses’ nails

Excel is a fine piece of software, but as Public Health England found out, its ubiquity and ease of use does not make it the ideal tool for every job that involves data Continue Reading

By

• Tim Worstall, Adam Smith Institute

Care Quality Commission enquiries into IT scandal CEO continue

NHS regulator continues enquiries about the appointment of former Post Office CEO at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust as more damning details emerge Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Edinburgh sets out plans to become a smart city

Three-year digital plan includes empowering people to become ‘smart citizens’, introducing sensor technology, 5G and smart public transport, and moving most of the council’s systems to the cloud Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Tesco hires 16,000 staff to cope with Covid-19 shopping habits

After an increase in online sales as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, supermarket Tesco made 16,000 temporary staff permanent to cope with the shift in customer behaviour Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

Crown Prosecution Service suffers 1,600 data breaches in 12 months

CPS sees a spike in data security incidents, many of them serious enough to be reported to the Information Commissioner’s Office Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

CW Middle East: Egypt’s datacentre plans take a step forward

While it builds an IT services industry, Egypt is also investing in infrastructure and now plans to develop a datacentre industry. Read in this issue how, as part of this plan, Egypt’s parliament has passed a data protection law. Also read how the Europe, Middle East and Africa region has seen traditional IT outsourcing deals reduce in value by 21%, while the business process outsourcing market fell by 9%. Continue Reading

Carhartt shifts old data to the cloud with Komprise

US-based workwear manufacturer cuts storage costs from $1 to $0.25 per gigabyte as it deploys data management software and shifts old files to Microsoft Azure Blob and Cold storage Continue Reading

By

• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

US lawmakers release big tech antitrust report

House Democrats have published a report on the monopoly power wielded by big tech companies and how to restore competition in digital markets Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Department for Education failed to protect data on millions of children, says ICO

The Department for Education’s National Pupil Database, which contains millions of items of data on the UK’s schoolchildren, was found to be non-compliant with data protection regulations across the board Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Consumers find new payment methods during pandemic

Non-cash payments have grown at their fastest rate for a decade and due to Covid-19 restrictions, more people are discovering different ways to pay Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

UK accounts for 45% of Europe’s card fraud as criminals target online transactions

Payment card fraudsters steal €1.5bn, with card-not-present attacks accounting for three-quarters of this sum Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Track and trace: please call in the IT experts

At the end of September, 15,841 cases of coronavirus, over an eight day period, were lost due to an IT glitch. The bug meant that there were long delays in contact tracing staff reaching people who ... Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Three steps to harden supply chains

The coronavirus has shone a spotlight on the fragility of modern supply chains and the risk of having a single point of failure Continue Reading

By

• Nelson Petracek

Government to provide 100,000 devices for remote learning

The Department for Education is offering education providers access to additional devices to help with remote learning during the coronavirus pandemic Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

Government deaf to loud calls for statutory public inquiry into Post Office scandal

MPs are demanding the government holds a full statutory public inquiry into the Post Office IT scandal Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Scotland seeks views on digital government

Scottish government consults on how to build a digital Scotland, ahead of plans to deliver a new digital strategy for the country Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

NVMe-over Fabrics: How NVMe-oF revolutionises shared storage

NVMe brought super-fast flash storage to the datacentre, but it needs NVMe-oF to allow it to bring the benefits of rapid access and low latency to SAN and NAS shared storage Continue Reading

By

• Stephen Pritchard

Scotland digital identity prototype pilot successful

Digital Identity Scotland’s 10-week test of its digital identity prototype finds that users understand the concept of two-factor authentication and using the same credentials across services Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

UK government coronavirus data flawed and misleading

Government Covid-19 coronavirus data has been a miasma of inexactitude, often basically flawed and misleading Continue Reading

By

• SA Mathieson

Cambridge to host UK’s most powerful supercomputer

The Cambridge-1 supercomputer, based on technology from Nvidia, will be used for AI-powered drug discovery and analysis of NHS datasets Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

The Most Influential Women in UK Technology 2020

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we announce our annual list of the Most Influential Women in UK Technology, and talk to this year’s winner, Stemettes CEO and diversity campaigner, Anne-Marie Imafidon. Meet our five Rising Stars and the latest entrants to our women in tech Hall of Fame. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Veeam buys Kasten to get a boost in Kubernetes backup

Virtual machine backup pioneer sees $150m purchase of Kasten and the addition of Kubernetes backup to its portfolio as key to becoming a ‘$2bn company’ Continue Reading

By

• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

Facebook critics launch ‘Real Facebook Oversight Board’

Organisation formed as an ‘emergency response’ to address the ‘immediate risk’ posed by Facebook’s role in the US election Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Fake news tops list of online concerns worldwide

Receiving false information is a greater worry than other online risks such as cyber bullying and fraud, says the Lloyd’s Register Foundation Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

HMRC warns locked-down freshers of ‘wave’ of tax scams

New university intake may be being targeted by cyber criminals amid Covid-19 confusion Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Regulator wants fintechs to address pandemic financial challenges

UK financial services regulator is supporting fintechs in addressing some of the challenges consumers and small businesses face amid the current pandemic Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

NHS trusts across Greater Manchester embark on diagnostic imaging project

Eight NHS trusts will all get a region-wide, cloud-based picture archiving and communication system (PACS) and a new supplier-neutral archive from Sectra, allowing them to share images across the region Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

FBI seized ‘legally privileged’ material from Ecuador Embassy, claims Julian Assange’s lawyer

The US struck a secret deal with Ecuador to seize WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange’s property from the Ecuadorian Embassy in London days before his arrest. The haul included legally privileged documents, says his solicitor Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Technical glitch causes nearly 16,000 Covid-19 cases to go unreported

According to Public Health England, a technical glitch led to 15,841 positive results between 25 September and 2 October not being included in reported coronavirus cases Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

How the supply chain is handling Covid-19

Cost-cutting habits have left supply chains chasing their tails in the wake of the pandemic. We take a look at how they’re coping Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

TSB mobile banking problems a reminder of risk of reliance on digital

TSB customers have had problems accessing the mobile banking app just days after the bank announced it was closing 164 branches Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

WikiLeaks led the way for newsrooms to use encryption to protect sources, says Italian journalist

Stefania Maurizi says in written evidence that Julian Assange pioneered the use of encryption by journalists to protect sources. Her work shows that the US put pressure on Italy to stop the extradition and prosecution of CIA officers responsible for the extrajudicial kidnapping and torture of an Egyptian cleric Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Benelux ports use blockchain in major efficiency drive

Belgian startup T-Mining develops application based on blockchain technology to make container handling safer and more efficient Continue Reading

By

• Kim Loohuis

Honesty is the best policy: Forging a security culture in the NHS

Clinician and technologist Sam Shah helped set up NHSX in 2019. Now he’s helping advance digital transformation in healthcare from the outside, and a big part of that is addressing security in the sector Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Future UK-EU data sharing put at risk by Brexit legislation

When the Brexit transition period ends, UK ministers will have the power to forge new data-sharing arrangements that risk undermining the viability of future data transfers with the European Union Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

How CH Robinson is embracing IoT to transform supply chains in the pandemic

Logistics giant has partnered with Microsoft to sophisticate its approach to digitisation and better serve its clients with more visibility and crucial insights for decision-making Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Justice for subpostmasters as wrongful criminal convictions are set to be quashed

The Post Office has chosen not to contest 44 out of 47 appeals, meaning most are likely to have their names cleared, but others still face a Court of Appeal battle for justice Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Backup audit: What is a backup audit and why do we need them?

Backup and recovery are vital components to protect against data loss, whether technical or causes such as ransomware. So how can a backup audit help protect our key assets? Continue Reading

By

• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

How a Singapore startup is disrupting logistics management

Portcast’s cloud-based logistics management platform uses machine learning and big data to improve supply chain visibility for logistics companies, shipping lines and manufacturers Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Judge to give verdict on Julian Assange’s extradition after Christmas

Judge Vanessa Baraitser said today that she would make a ruling in early January on whether WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange should be extradited to the US Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

How AXA Investment Managers supports user experience through the ‘confinement’

The head of AXA IM’s proximity services discusses the importance of creating a digital experience during the lockdown in France Continue Reading

By

• Christophe Verducci

WikiLeaks revelations ‘shed light of truth’ on war on terror, court hears

WikiLeaks disclosures led to ‘revelations of extraordinary journalistic importance’ about detention in Guantanamo Bay and civilian casualties in Iraq and Afghanistan Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Children’s debit card provider Gohenry banks on Google Cloud to ease IT infrastructure growing pains

The CTO and COO of child-focused, parent-controlled debit card service provider Gohenry discusses how moving to the Google Cloud has helped its IT infrastructure avoid user-related growing pains Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

Government on the hunt for GDS CEO

Whitehall is recruiting for a Government Digital Service CEO who will report to the government chief digital officer, offering £168,000 a year for the role Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Most people are happy to see their GP virtually, survey shows

Research from healthtech company Visionable finds there has been a significant rise in GP video consultations, and that attitudes to communication technology have changed during the pandemic Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Trust in government technology is key to adoption

Panellists at GovTech Summit 2020 speak about the need to build trust in government digital services, as the pandemic has created room for increased use of technology in the public sector Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Blackbaud admits hackers stole banking details, passwords

Software firm paid off a ransomware gang, believed its hackers when they said they had destroyed the data, and has now discovered the cyber criminals accessed even more sensitive information than it thought Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

‘American friends’ spied on Julian Assange in Ecuadorian Embassy, court hears

Two former employees of UC Global, which provides security services to the Ecuadorian Embassy in London, claim the company shared surveillance footage with the US of the WikiLeaks founder meeting with lawyers and other visitors Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Norway leaves door open to Huawei

Government gives telecoms companies responsibility to choose their equipment suppliers, which could include Huawei Continue Reading

By

• Gerard O'Dwyer

Julian Assange would be held with convicted terrorist Abu Hamza in supermax prison, court hears

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange would be held alongside convicted terrorist Abu Hamza in a supermax federal prison in Colorado, isolated from other prisoners, if he is extradited to the US, Old Bailey told Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Red Hat rivals VMware and Nutanix with hyper-converged OCS 4.5

Red Hat’s OpenShift 4.5 extended container orchestration to virtual machines. The arrival of OCS 4.5 moves the solution into the realm of hyper-converged systems Continue Reading

By

• Yann Serra, LeMagIT

Coronavirus has changed perception of healthtech, say ministers

German health minister Jens Spahn and UK health secretary Matt Hancock say Covid-19 has accelerated healthcare technology adoption across Europe and changed attitudes towards tech in the healthcare system Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Over two million Brits using open banking

Data shows more than two million people in the UK are now taking control of their financial data through open banking Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

NatWest offers online banking customers free security services

Bank responds to a surge in cyber crime targeting users of online banking services Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Ryuk attack downs private health provider in major incident

Private healthcare provider UHS has been been hit by a major big game hunting cyber attack that infected its systems with the Ryuk ransomware Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Subpostmasters still in the dark about live Horizon errors

Subpostmasters still not being told about all the known errors in the controversial Post Office branch accounting and retail system that they use Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Can banks solve money laundering puzzle through technology?

Banks face a huge challenge in identifying and stopping money laundering without interfering with police investigations. Continue Reading

How supply chain management is changing after Covid-19

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we examine the profound changes in supply chain management as a result of the global pandemic. We find out how digital experience platforms can help deliver an omni-channel web presence. And we look at the role of technology in cracking down on international money laundering. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Universal Credit algorithm fails people in need, says Human Rights Watch

The human rights charity says the government’s flagship benefits system is “flawed” and that the means-testing algorithm used causes “irrational fluctuations and reductions in how much benefit” claimants receive each month Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Julian Assange would be held in ‘solitary confinement’ in US jail

WikiLeaks founder would be held in a cell the size of a parking space for 22 or 23 hours a day without contact with other inmates before trial Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Erasure coding vs RAID: Data protection in the cloud era

Erasure coding has come to prominence with its use in object storage and, by extension, in the cloud. We run the rule over its pros and cons vs RAID data protection Continue Reading

By

• Stephen Pritchard

UK and US marked down on responsible AI

The UK and US have been rated as leaders in government use of artificial intelligence, but the Nordics and Baltics attained the highest scores for responsible AI Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Sustrans opens door to NCSC cyber certification via the cloud

Sustainable transport charity turned to Qualys to help it attain needed certifications to bid for government work Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Government launches new genomics strategy

Genome UK strategy sets out plans to harness technological and science advances to create the “world’s most advanced genomic healthcare system” Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Government updates data ethics framework

The new data ethics framework was created to better reflect how projects are run in practice after finding there was “little awareness” of the previous framework across the public sector Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

TikTok ban stayed after last-minute court case

TikTok’s lawyers have staved off an imminent ban for the time being, after successfully arguing that it infringed rights guaranteed under the Constitution of the United States Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Case Study: Douglas and Gordon uses video to make house searching safer

Estate agent Douglas and Gordon has made videos of prospective properties to make it safer and easier for house hunters to find their new home during the coronavirus pandemic Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor