IT news in your industry sector

Questions raised after UK’s electrical grid shrugs off cyber attack

Attack on Elexon was resolved within hours with no impact on the national electricity supply, but it could have been much worse Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Contact-tracing app tests on the Isle of Wight show that technology is not the solution

The NHSX contact-tracing app has been in live testing on the Isle of Wight for over a week now, and already we can make one important conclusion – a conclusion that was surely self-evident anyway. ... Continue Reading

By

• Bryan Glick, Editor in chief

Royal Berkshire NHS Trust uses AI to speed up stroke treatment

Trust has deployed an artificial intelligence app to help read and interpret scans so that clinicians can treat stroke patients better and more quickly Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Law firm hackers threaten to release dirt on Trump

A new ransom demand of $42m has been made against New York law firm Grubman, Shire, Meiselas and Sacks, and it may be the largest ever, say security experts Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Government pushes towards digital to reignite housing market

Minister calls for more virtual viewings and greater use of online tools for planning as the UK prepares to get its housing and construction sector up and running again Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

NHS digital transformation ‘slower than expected’, says NAO

The digital transformation of the NHS has been plagued by insufficient funding, technical challenges and lack of clarity, according to the National Audit Office Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Harman seeks to bring private member’s bill over contact tracing

Chair of Human Rights Committee aims to put the proposed Contact Tracing (Data Protection) Bill 2020 before parliament as a private member’s bill if necessary Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

CW APAC: Trend Watch – business response to coronavirus

With countries the world over reeling from the Covid-19 coronavirus outbreak, which has meant sweeping changes both economically and socially, Computer Weekly looks at how firms in the Asia-Pacific region have adapted to what has so quickly become the new normal. Continue Reading

Coronavirus: Nearly £2bn of UK fintech investment lost so far

Investment into UK fintechs falls dramatically during Covid-19 pandemic as venture capitalists hold back Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Coronavirus: Asos launches See My Fit to replace model photoshoots

Online fashion brand’s augmented reality technology enables customers to see how an outfit might look on them Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

Deutsche Bank’s planned tech spend unaffected by global crisis

Deutsche bank is driving on with its ambitious IT investment plans, with the Covid-19 pandemic, if anything, adding fuel to it Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

China targeting Covid-19 researchers through IT suppliers, claims US

The US CISA says it is seeing targeting and attempted network compromise of Covid-19 research centres by China Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Surveillance capitalism in the age of Covid-19

Could the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic further consolidate surveillance capitalist practices and enterprises? Author Shoshana Zuboff warns Computer Weekly it is possible Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Government tells social media companies they must go further to address disinformation

House of Lords committee hears about government collaboration with social media firms to combat pandemic-related disinformation and online harms Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Report reveals inadequate cyber security at Schiphol Airport

A report has revealed problems with critical security systems in Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport Continue Reading

By

• Kim Loohuis

Google-powered algorithm set to modernise insurance brokering

Algorithm, developed in conjunction with UCL, drives a Lloyd’s of London syndicate electronically Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Coronavirus: Why the public sector must pursue IT transformation

It is clear that the current coronavirus crisis has had a major impact on digital transformation efforts in the public sector Continue Reading

By

• Chris Gledhill

Coronavirus: APAC organisations find scalability with cloud

Australia’s NSW Health and Indonesia’s HaloDoc are among a growing crop of Asia-Pacific organisations that are relying on cloud scalability to extend digital services to more users and customers Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, Informa TechTarget

Draft Covid-19 contact tracing legislation proposes formal oversight

Human Rights Committee chair Harriet Harman has outlined a proposed bill to guarantee the security and privacy of data generated by the UK’s Covid-19 contact tracing app Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

MPs take part in first live test of remote voting during Covid-19 debate

MPs will use phones and computers to vote from their homes in a House of Commons debate today in the biggest change in parliamentary procedure for 150 years Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Coronavirus: Retailers reach for tech to keep staff connected in the crisis

From fast-tracking home-working strategy, to conducting training and board meetings virtually, read about how retailers are keeping staff connected during the Covid-19 coronavirus crisis Continue Reading

By

• Ben Sillitoe

Coronavirus: Nationwide’s human expertise used to quickly build smart agent amid pandemic

Nationwide Building Society is the latest financial services company to quickly automate customer services related to Covid-19 Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Opportunity in times of crisis for Nordic tech startups

Nordic tech startups face some major challenges during the Covid-19 pandemic, but this could be the making of some of them Continue Reading

By

• Matthew Staff

Police failing to consult public on new technologies

A freedom of information campaign has revealed that UK police are largely failing to consult the public on their use of new technologies, with the potential to undermine the principle of policing by consent Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Cobots: From Robbie to Armar-6

In science fiction, robots work alongside people. Ocado Technology recently unveiled Armar-6, a robot that takes this concept a step closer to reality Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Smart thinking for modernised IT in the public sector

Far from lagging behind the private sector, many public sector organisations are embracing modern IT practices such as DevOps and agile methodologies Continue Reading

By

• Bola Rotibi

Government launches online portal to arrange coronavirus testing kits for care homes

UK care homes are now able to digitally arrange deliveries of Covid-19 test kits through the launch of an online portal Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Banks failing to protect customers from coronavirus fraud

Just 13 of the 64 banks accredited for the government’s Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme have implemented Dmarc protection Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Will the NHS’s Covid-19 contact-tracing app work?

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we get the expert reaction to find out if the NHS contact-tracing app will work. Staying close to clients is crucial through lockdown – we look at the importance of customer experience management. And imagine implementing a digital transformation plan in two weeks – one CIO explains how he did it. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

DWP takes centre stage in future of Gov.uk Verify

The Government Digital Service (GDS) has published its first blog post on Gov.uk Verify since July 2019. Given the dearth of communications about the troubled digital identity system, it tells a ... Continue Reading

By

• Bryan Glick, Editor in chief

Pitney Bowes hit by Maze in second ransomware attack in a year

Shipping services firm falls victim to Maze ransomware just seven months after a previous major attack Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Dell EMC launches PowerStore NVMe container-based storage array

PowerStore controller software is based on container modules for SAN and NAS storage, while the mid-range array is all-NVMe and aimed at performance-hungry use cases such as Splunk Continue Reading

By

• Yann Serra, LeMagIT

How Sage scrambled software development team for Job Retention Scheme module

Small team of Sage developers, testers and payroll specialists in race against time to help customers facilitate HMRC’s furlough scheme Continue Reading

By

• Brian McKenna, Enterprise Applications Editor

Scottish government launches tech sector review

Review, to be led by former Skyscanner COO Mark Logan, will look at how tech sector can help Scotland’s economy recover from Covid-19 Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

IT transformation steps pave the path to new ways to work

The CEO of Difrent discusses how her roles in local and central government have played a role in public sector IT transformation Continue Reading

By

• Rachel Murphy

Five pillars of public sector IT

Finding better ways for people to collaborate and share information digitally is the challenge government needs to embrace. We look at ways in which this can be achieved Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Who will fund Full-fibre roll out after Covid?

The time has come for Ofcom to regulate on price, quality of service (including the resilience required of a critical infrastructure utility) and behaviour and stop trying to predict costs and ... Continue Reading

By

• Philip Virgo, Winsafe Ltd

Storage 101: Replication vs backup, and synchronous vs asynchronous

Storage 101: Can replication replace backup? What are the pros and cons of synchronous and asynchronous backup? What’s the best way to mix backup and replication? Continue Reading

By

• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

HM Treasury tells GDS: No further online services can use Gov.uk Verify

The recent 18-month reprieve for Verify came with strict conditions – the digital identity scheme must not be added to any more services, and existing users must find alternatives Continue Reading

By

• Bryan Glick, Editor in chief

App launched to support social care workers through coronavirus

The Care Workforce tool will be rolled out to 1.5 million professionals as a hub for practical guidance and support Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Facebook announces oversight board members

New board will rule on freedom of expression issues and make policy recommendations to social media giant. Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

FBI search warrants reveal Trump aide’s messages to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange

FBI search warrants reveal Trump campaigner Roger Stone sent private messages to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange after the site published thousands of documents that damaged Hillary Clinton’s election campaign Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Digital skills for the future, today

The education sector’s response to the coronavirus crisis demonstrates how digital systems and skills will be essential to the future of learning Continue Reading

By

• Julian David, TechUK

Finland’s postal service targets new revenue streams through digitisation

Posti plans to use the new SisuID digital authentication method to accelerate business growth and opportunities Continue Reading

By

• Gerard O'Dwyer

CW Benelux: IT budgets up in the air as Covid-19 disrupts business

Computer Weekly's annual IT priorities survey, which was carried out before the arrival of Covid-19 disrupted business plans, found that more than half of the IT leaders in the Benelux region expected budgets to be higher this year than last, and digital transformation would be the main recipient of budget increases. Also find out in this issue why fintechs are attracted to the Netherlands, and how Estonia emerged from Soviet rule to become a digital nation. Continue Reading

Pure Storage FlashBlade OS v3.0 brings protected snapshots

Pure also adds remote replication and aims at storage use cases for high-performance computing and artificial intelligence workloads in its all-flash NAS and object nodes Continue Reading

By

• Yann Serra, LeMagIT

CIO interview: Andrew Lennon, CIO, Barings, on Covid-19, data science and mergers

Forget rogue traders, Barings is still going strong, and the investment bank's CIO is leading the way with data science and other enabling technologies Continue Reading

By

• Sooraj Shah

Criminal justice system is failing cyber crime victims

Victims of cyber crime face barriers to reporting, receiving support and achieving justice, says a Home Office-backed study Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Armar-6 shows how helper robots can work in Ocado warehouses

Collaborative robot is the result of the five-year SecondHands project with academia to develop a robot that can support human workers Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Re-purposing data and questionable effectiveness could undermine trust in NHS contact-tracing app

Experts call for greater clarity over how contact-tracing data will be used, while discussing the limitations of the coronavirus app Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Cash use to go below 5% of total spending in Middle East

Banks expect a rapid reduction of the use of cash in the region Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

HMRC tackles almost 300 coronavirus phishing websites

Of 292 websites removed since lockdown began on 23 March, 237 were proactively identified by HMRC and 55 were flagged by the public Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

End-users failing to protect themselves online

Remote workers and stuck-at-home consumers are taking silly risks with their security during the coronavirus pandemic, according to a report Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Tech firms risk cashflow issues due to pandemic

Analyst Gartner warns that some tech firms may go bust because of inadequate coronavirus planning, and CIOs will need to reassess IT supplier viability Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

How Blackwell's is responding to the coronavirus pandemic

Traditional bookshop chain Blackwell’s talked about adaptations to its business model, trends and IT operation during the coronavirus crisis Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Singapore to test 5G in Industry 4.0 trial

Trial, spearheaded by IMDA, IBM, Samsung and M1, will test the use of 5G, along with AI and IoT technologies, in manufacturing Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, Informa TechTarget

Coronavirus: NCSC issues urgent alert for healthcare sector

UK National Cyber Security Centre and US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency say they are seeing large-scale campaigns targeting healthcare bodies and medical research organisations Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Coronavirus: TSB develops smart agent to help staff during pandemic

TSB took just five days to design and implement a smart digital agent to answer customer questions during the Covid-19 pandemic Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Pizza Hut optimises pizza delivery platform during lockdown with data analytics

Pizza Hut Digital Ventures has been improving the company’s e-commerce performance before and during the coronavirus crisis Continue Reading

By

• Brian McKenna, Enterprise Applications Editor

AWS vice-president quits over firing of Covid-19 whistleblowers

Amazon’s dismissal of workers striking over unsafe working conditions during the coronavirus pandemic has caused AWS vice-president Tim Bray to quit in protest Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

EC calls on the UK to ensure UK-Ireland border customs IT systems are ready

The European Commission has warned that the UK must be ready for IT systems implementation at the Northern Ireland/Ireland border to handle goods Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Storage 101: Crash-consistent vs application-consistent snapshots

We look at crash-consistent and application-consistent snapshots and backup, how they are defined, the pros and cons of each and the benefits and limits of Windows VSS Continue Reading

By

• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

The role of AI in the war against pandemics

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we look at how AI and data science are supporting the global push to deal with the coronavirus pandemic. We reveal, and talk to, the man behind the world’s first computer virus pandemic, the Love Bug. And we examine how the IT services market will change as a result of the current crisis. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Don’t get too excited about ‘immunity passports’ just yet

As the UK government starts trials of its contact-tracing app in the Isle of Wight, attention will soon shift towards another potential app-enabled solution to help ease lockdown requirements and ... Continue Reading

By

• Bryan Glick, Editor in chief

Assange extradition hearing to take place in September following coronavirus lockdown

An extradition hearing against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has been delayed by four months, after defence and prosecution lawyers said the Covid-19 lockdown would make it impractical to hold a fair hearing in May Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

StorageOS v2 puts ‘mini brains’ in Kubernetes storage volumes

StorageOS persistent software-defined storage for Kubernetes distributes control plane decisions to volumes in a cluster and takes away the impact on centralised scheduler Continue Reading

By

• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

Coronavirus: UK finance regulator gives more time for payment security compliance

Financial Conduct Authority has extended the deadline for payment processors to meet payment security standard Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

NatWest Bank shutters its app based bank after five months

NatWest is closing its consumer-facing, app-based bank and increasing its focus on mobile business bank Mettle Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Coronavirus: Using computer simulation to minimise cross-infection

The architects behind China’s largest makeshift hospital turned to computer simulation to model the airflow regulated by ventilation systems in a bid to minimise cross-infection Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, Informa TechTarget

Changing realities of digital transformation in the public sector

Digitisation of citizen service delivery and government operations has accelerated during the coronavirus outbreak, despite legacy constraints Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

The People vs Amazon: ‘They will have to answer to all of us’, says fired employee Christian Smalls

Former Amazon employee Christian Smalls speaks to Computer Weekly about his termination and how the company is trying to silence dissent as it reports massive sales Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

University of Oxford embarks on cloud-fuelled AI research push with AWS

University collaborates with Amazon Web Services to accelerate the pace of technology innovation in a range of artificial intelligence-related fields with the help of cloud Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

Treasury gives Gov.uk Verify 18-month reprieve due to coronavirus

The government's troubled digital identity system was due to end funding in April 2020 but surge in use due to Universal Credit applications has brought a temporary reprieve Continue Reading

By

• Bryan Glick, Editor in chief

No going back to packed workplaces after Covid-19

A recent project by IT service providers outlines how, in a post-coronavirus world, businesses like Barclays Bank will reduce their reliance on skyscrapers packed with people Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Why you should think before you Zoom

Feel free to use Zoom during the coronavirus lockdown, but think before you discuss anything confidential Continue Reading

By

• Dai Davis, Percy Crow Davis & Co

Subpostmasters receive their ‘inadequate’ damages over Horizon IT scandal

Subpostmasters who had their lives ruined by the Post Office’s faulty IT system have received their damages after a High Court victory Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Amazon commits to reinvesting $4bn of projected second-quarter profit into coronavirus response

Online retail giant Amazon sees revenue surge, but profits drop during first quarter of 2020 following surge in reinvestment to ready its business for Covid-19-induced uptick in consumer demand for online orders Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

HMCTS deploys video platform for remote hearings during Covid-19

Magistrates’ and crown courts will use platform to conduct remote criminal hearings during the coronavirus pandemic Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Coronavirus: UKCloud and VMware join forces to meet public sector demand for remote desktops

Public sector-focused IaaS provider UKCloud forges closer ties with VMware to meet the public sector demand for “government-grade” remote desktop technology Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

UK government secures Microsoft Azure discounts for public sector

Procurement chiefs at the Crown Commercial Service have secured an addendum to a long-standing Microsoft preferential pricing deal that now includes Azure public cloud services Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

Mobile banking customers at risk from new EventBot trojan

Customers of Barclays, HSBC, Santander and many other banks should be alert to a dangerous new trojan Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

GPs embrace virtual consultations to navigate Covid-19 outbreak

The majority of GPs across England are now operating with video meetings and more virtual services are being developed Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Coronavirus: Government under pressure to give limited company IT workers more financial support

IT contractors who provide services through their own limited companies and pay themselves in dividends are largely uncatered for by the goverment's various coronavirus-focused business support packages, and are facing financial difficulties Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

Privacy International puts Palantir in the dock for NHS data analysis work

Civil liberties campaigner questions role of US data analytics specialist in health service’s data work in battle against Covid-19 Continue Reading

By

• Brian McKenna, Enterprise Applications Editor

Coronavirus: GCHQ gets access to NHS data to beef up security

Health secretary gave GCHQ emergency powers to obtain information relating to the security of its networks and IT systems at the beginning of April, it has emerged Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Coronavirus: Cash use plummets during UK lockdown

Consumers are switching to digital payment methods amid the current global pandemic crisis Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Retail must weigh up high street versus online investments after coronavirus lockdown

Larger retailers that have a significant online presence will need to decide whether to innovate on the web or on the high street Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Coronavirus: Call for extension to European payment security standard deadline

Payment processors across Europe want more time to meet the SCA payment security standard Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

NHSX on track for May launch of Covid-19 contact-tracing app but challenges remain

Leading UK scientific experts assure MPs that much-anticipated application will be ready for launch in May but concede that challenges exist on achieving meaningful uptake Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Snapshots 101: Array vs backup software

We run the rule over snapshots in storage arrays and backup software and find a range of capabilities that go from mere support to fully snapshot-centric approaches Continue Reading

By

• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

Worcestershire County Council turns to low code in coronavirus response effort

The county council of Worcestershire is using the OutSystems low-code platform to develop five apps to support internal staff and external volunteers during the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Podcast: The Computer Weekly Downtime Upload – Episode 55

In this week’s episode of the Computer Weekly Downtime Upload podcast, Caroline Donnelly, Clare McDonald and Brian McKenna talk about real-time video call transcription, as offered by OtterAI, the loan charge double whammy afflicting some contractors, Green Flag’s digital transformation, online food delivery developments under lockdown, and using AI to save coral reefs Continue Reading

By

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

Met Police assessing evidence of potential perjury in Post Office IT trials

Force examines information about evidence given in court by Fujitsu staff on the Horizon IT system before deciding whether to investigate further Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Covid-19 will decimate fintechs, but those that survive will prosper

The coronavirus will wipe out some fintechs, but those that get through it will share in the next growth phase of the industry's development Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Scottish Tech Army seeks out IT experts to combat Covid-19

Tech workers who find themselves out of work are being asked to volunteer their time to help build digital technology to support coronavirus efforts Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

When IT met Covid: The World Changed

This the first plague where predictions of its likely local impact reached rulers/politicians/journalists before their subjects/voters/readers starting falling ill and/or dying in large numbers ... ... Continue Reading

By

• Philip Virgo, Winsafe Ltd

Julian Assange extradition hearing postponed amid coronavirus lockdown

Julian Assange’s lawyers say they have been unable to communicate or share legal documents with the WikiLeaks founder to enable them to prepare a defence in time for a planned extradition hearing in May Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

UK tech companies launch online safety body

Online Safety Tech Industry Association unites 14 technology companies to drive conversation and policy around online safeguarding Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Public sector IT: The road to digital

Progress to digital transformation is patchy in the public sector, but some CIOs are embracing the strategy Continue Reading

By

• Mark Samuels

GP Connect to enable patient information sharing in Covid-19 outbreak

Past and present medical details will be shared across primary care during the emergency period Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari