IT news in your industry sector

Government should not be allowed to dismiss subpostmasters’ claims over Horizon IT scandal

Subpostmasters are stepping up their fight for justice after their huge court victory, with Westminister replacing the High Court as the battleground Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Aeris gears up for connected vehicle joint venture with VW

Connected technology provider forges joint venture with leading automotive manufacturer to improve service flexibility and speed, operational efficiency and customer experience Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Making gigabit broadband a reality for everyone in the UK

As the new government introduces its first legislation to boost full-fibre broadband, digital minister Matt Warman looks ahead to delivering on the Conservatives’ election promises Continue Reading

By

• Matt Warman, Digital minister

Singapore updates model AI governance framework

Second edition of Singapore’s artificial intelligence governance framework includes new guidance, use cases and a self-assessment guide Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

IR35 private sector reforms: Recruitment industry urges chancellor to halt April 2020 roll-out

Major players from the UK recruitment industry want the government to delay plans to roll out the IR35 reforms to the private sector so enterprises have more time to prepare Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

Real digital modernisation – a once-in-a-generation opportunity for the new UK government

A new UK government with a decisive majority offers a unique opportunity to finally introduce public services for the digital age – if the Conservatives are willing to take it Continue Reading

By

• Mark Thompson, Exeter Business School and DIGITLab

Podcast: The Computer Weekly Downtime Upload – Episode 43

In this week’s episode of the Computer Weekly Downtime Upload podcast, Caroline Donnelly, Clare McDonald and Brian McKenna talk about the loan charge review that is bearing down on IT contractors, the Tech Talent Charter, Windows 7, and combating loneliness among remote workers Continue Reading

By

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

Loan charge under review: HMRC to invest £200,000 in readying IT systems for planned policy changes

Tax collection agency counts costs of having to upgrade IT systems to prepare for incoming changes to its controversial loan charge disguised remuneration policy, which has left thousands of IT contractors facing financial ruin Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

Nicky Morgan says new government will be pro-tech

DCMS minister outlines five key ways the government aims to support technology going forward, including being “unashamedly” pro-tech Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

High-tech firms provide boost to consulting industry

Data privacy and the shift to service-based models are some of the areas where companies such as Google and Apple are turning to consultants for support, according to a new report Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

What are the key issues facing healthcare CIOs?

Six healthcare IT leaders give their views on the major challenges for digital transformation across the NHS. Continue Reading

Don’t become the next Travelex: Get ready for ransomware

With Travelex’s IT still in disarray and banks and travellers left without access to funds more than a week after it was hit by a ransomware attack, we ask what others can learn from the foreign exchange services company’s response to the incident. Continue Reading

How to avoid becoming the next Travelex

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we look at the lessons learned from the ransomware attack on Travelex and how other firms can avoid the same fate. As Microsoft ends support for Windows 7, we examine the issues for the many remaining users of the operating system. And healthcare CIOs explain the tech challenges facing the NHS. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

UK government strengthens ties with African tech firms

Plans announced to develop startups in Africa as part of the announcements around the first UK-Africa investment summit Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

NHS Digital launches login toolkit

Self-service package can be integrated into healthcare apps and platforms Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Norway’s government to upgrade digital in school curriculum

Primary and secondary schools in Norway will introduce more digital learning, following the latest government reforms Continue Reading

By

• Gerard O'Dwyer

CAA debuts aviation cyber security assurance scheme

Civil Aviation Authority and Crest announce the first companies to be accredited under the CAA’s new cyber security oversight scheme, Assure Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

IR35 private sector reforms: Blanket bans ‘devalue’ IT contractor contributions to digital projects

James Poyser, CEO of contractor-focused online accountancy firm InniAccounts, claims large firms that are failing to assess contractors fairly will lose out in productivity, reputation and talent retention Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

Cabinet Office launches data handling review

Oliver Dowden issues statement explaining the New Year Honours list leak and announces new practices after the publication of personal details of over 1,000 public figures Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Do you use cloud storage for these use cases yet?

We look at the use cases most suited to a quick transition to the cloud: backup, archiving, disaster recovery, file storage and cloud bursting – cloud storage’s low-hanging fruit Continue Reading

By

• Stephen Pritchard

NHS SBS launches consumer-style procurement hub

NHS Shared Business Services’ cloud marketplace The Edge4Health kicks off with four major NHS organisations to transform the way the health service buys products and services Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

UK’s phone and internet bulk data surveillance unlawful, says EU court opinion

The Advocate General of the European Court of Justice issues legal opinions finding that the UK, French and Belgian bulk surveillance regimes are unlawful Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Lloyds Banking Group to create digital workplace with Microsoft

Bank is transforming how its staff work as part of a multibillion-pound digital transformation Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Big storage meets cloud in the datacentre 'as-a-service' revolution

Cloud is mainstream but the datacentre’s here to stay. This has resulted in a trend towards as-a-service in the datacentre where big storage array makers and the cloud giants meet Continue Reading

By

• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

CIO interview: Merck Healthcare’s Alessandro da Luca on supply chain automation era

The CIO of Merck Healthcare, Alessandro da Luca, talks about how his organisation has automated its supply chain using machine learning software from Aera Continue Reading

By

• Brian McKenna, Enterprise Applications Editor

Windows 7: Don’t cry for me

It may have gone unnoticed with the January 14 end of support deadline for Windows 7, but Microsoft’s 10 year old OS, had one last Patch Tuesday update. And , surprise, surprise, this included a ... Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Lorca announces new cohort of 20 security scaleups

20 scaleups will focus their attention on automation, zero trust and supply chain security Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

TSB signs up IBM Services and announces Edinburgh tech hub

TSB has contracted IBM to provide hybrid cloud services as part of its £120m digital transformation plans, which will see more tech jobs in Scotland Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Travelex warns customers to be alert to phone scams

Under-fire forex provider warns that criminals may try to take advantage of its predicament to scam customers Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Bristol University uses Oracle Cloud Infrastructure to speed up smoking cessation drug discovery

Scientists from the University of Bristol used Oracle Cloud Infrastructure to speed up research into how nicotine causes addiction by binding to specific receptors in the brain Continue Reading

By

• Brian McKenna, Enterprise Applications Editor

Loan charge under review: IT contractors slam government's planned policy revamp

The IT contractor community shares its verdict on the UK government's plans to revamp its controversial loan charge policy, which has left thousands of people facing life-changing tax bills and financial ruin Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

LGBTQ+ social app Grindr accused of breaching GDPR

Norwegian Consumer Council files complaints about LGBTQ+ social networking app, alleging it is in breach of the General Data Protection Regulation Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Gates Foundation mobile money projects in developing world to go live this year

Mobile money projects aim to give millions of the world’s poorest people access to financial services Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

AWS to request temporary halt to Microsoft’s work on $10bn JEDI cloud contract

Amazon to file temporary restraining order with the US federal court to prevent Microsoft undertaking any substantial work relating to its delivery of US government’s JEDI cloud contract Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

Case study: How Trainline keeps customers satisfied

The Trainline is encouraging customers to discover cheaper rail fares for the same journey with its AI-enabled SplitSave option Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Dasa awards AI warship contracts

First wave of £4m funding aims to transform defence platforms and tackle issues such as information overload faced by crews Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Government distances itself from Post Office decisions in Horizon IT litigation

Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy says it did not make decisions in the Post Office’s recent court battle Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Royal Bank of Canada gives Mencap a ‘leg-up’ in automating processes

UK charity gets help from Canadian bank in a collaboration aimed at creating a robotic workforce Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

NSA Windows 10 security disclosure raises questions

In an unprecedented move, the NSA has got out in front of a critical cryptographic flaw in Windows 10, but in doing so has raised multiple questions Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Asos trials AR tool to give customers idea of fashion fit

Online fashion brand Asos has launched an augmented reality trial to help customers see how garments will fit their body type Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

Two-thirds of UK healthcare organisations breached last year

The majority of healthcare organisations in the UK experienced a cyber security incident during 2019, with almost half the result of viruses and malware introduced on third party devices Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Podcast: The Computer Weekly Downtime Upload – Episode 42

In this week’s episode of the Computer Weekly Downtime Upload podcast, Caroline Donnelly, Clare McDonald and Brian McKenna greet the new decade with reflections on the Travelex ransomware attack and Dominic Cummings’ call for data science to rejuvenate Whitehall. And they take stock of the retail sector’s grim 2019, while remembering to mention the big story of the moment: Harry and Meghan Continue Reading

By

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

Building the internet of the future

In this week’s Computer Weekly, Cisco unveils the $5bn platform that it believes will be the future of the internet – we look through the details. The McLaren Formula One team discusses how IoT and data analytics have been key to its revival on the track. And we examine the importance of diversity in software development. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Why subpostmasters are calling on the government to pay Horizon trial costs

The damages that subpostmasters will receive after their court victory against the Post Office fall well short of their calculated losses Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

IfG warns systems needed after Brexit transition are “impossible to deliver”

The IT required to be operational after December 2020 is almost certainly undeliverable, according to Institute for Government report Continue Reading

Secure data erasure is needed to ensure more people recycle their tech

A dedicated team of IT recycling experts offers free data erasure to give people confidence that their old tech can be safely disposed of Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Travelex to begin restoring foreign exchange services two weeks after ‘Sodinokibi’ attack

Travelex says it is making “good progress” in its recovery and is to begin restoring electronic foreign exchange services, but is silent about whether it has agreed to pay hackers a $6m ransom to decrypt computer files Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

$5bn buy-out set to make backup giant Veeam a US company

Veeam’s founders are out as investment fund gets its hands on a pioneer of virtual machine backup. Now it will be a US company and eligible to target US government customers Continue Reading

By

• Yann Serra, LeMagIT

UK urged to take centre stage in global digital trade

Trade association TechUK sets out vision to liberalise digital trade policy, under principles such as the opposition to data localisation in exchange for market access to fend off the trend towards digital protectionism Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

US, South Korea to drive 5G to reach 1.5 billion users by 2025

Aggressive pricing strategies and extensive device support, especially in the US and Korea, set to drive an explosion in 5G uptake over the next five years Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

National Lottery hacker jailed for nine months

Small-time cyber criminal jailed for his role in a cyber attack on lottery operator Camelot that netted him just £5 Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Subpostmaster group calls for government to pay legal costs for Horizon trial

The group of subpostmasters that defeated the Post Office in court over a faulty IT system are calling for the government to pay the costs of the legal action Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Learning from the Travelex cyber attack: Failing to prepare is preparing to fail

The key lesson to take from the Travelex breach is that an effective response to a breach is a critical business function and no longer the sole province of the IT department Continue Reading

By

• Brian Honan, BH Consulting

The UK civil service is broken and needs reform to deliver true digital government

Boris Johnson’s special adviser, Dominic Cummings, has attracted criticism for his plans to overhaul Whitehall culture, but one former government digital chief argues that he is absolutely right Continue Reading

By

• Paul Shetler

Travelex hackers threaten to sell credit card data on dark web

Sodinokibi cyber gangsters have threatened to sell Travelex customers’ private data on a Russian underground cyber crime forum if it fails to pay a $6m ransom Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Retail group Dixons Carphone fined £500,000 over data breach

Dixons Carphone receives maximum possible pre-GDPR fine from the ICO following a 2018 data breach Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Automation could help resolve store shortfalls, says Capgemini

As consumers become more receptive to in-store technology, introducing automation to improve the retail experience could increase footfall, says Capgemini Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

New Cabinet Office junior minister takes over GDS duties

Jeremy Quin is the seventh minister to be responsible for the digital service since Francis Maude's departure in 2015 Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Don’t become the next Travelex: Get ready for ransomware

With Travelex’s IT still in disarray and banks and travellers left without access to funds more than a week after it was hit by a ransomware attack, we ask what others can learn from the foreign exchange services company’s response to the incident Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

PowerTrick backdoor used to target high-value businesses

Threat actors are exploiting a PowerShell-based backdoor called PowerTrick to go after high-value targets, warns SentinelLabs Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Can fintech succeed where schools and parents have failed?

Young people in Britain are unprepared to manage their finances when they leave home and, as a result, many run into serious problems Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

CW Middle East: Digital leads the way for Abu Dhabi oil giant

The state-owned Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc) is transforming its business through digital projects that range from deciding where to drill for oil and gas, to helping the company decide where to sell its final products. Also find out in this issue why the UAE is setting up a university dedicated to artificial intelligence, and read an interview with Mohamed Sater, head of IT at Bahrain sovereign wealth fund Mumtalakat. Continue Reading

CES 2020: IBM grows Q network collaborators

ExxonMobil hopes quantum computing will enable it to model processes at the atomic scale – something that cannot be achieved today Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Sadiq Khan calls for evolution of London Datastore

As the initiative reaches its 10th anniversary, City Hall wants data to be a key tool in tackling the capital's challenges and outlines future opportunities Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Interview: Abdul Nasser Al Mughairbi, head of digital, Abu Dhabi National Oil Company

 Continue Reading

Why the banking industry needs an IT makeover

UK banks face huge challenges keeping their service availability levels at 99.99% Continue Reading

By

• Sascha Giese

Here we go again - strap yourself in for the next 10-year ride in digital government transformation

There’s a new UK government, one with a comfortable majority, and it’s clear it wants to use that advantage for radical change. The new prime minister says the government has “a mission to ... Continue Reading

By

• Bryan Glick, Editor in chief

Half of UK citizens want tighter data regulations

Over 50% of UK citizens believe the gathering and use of personal data should be subject to more stringent government oversight, according to Fujitsu Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Deliveroo exceeds tech recruitment target in Edinburgh

Food delivery firm has increased the number of technology staff it wants in its Edinburgh hub Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Five ways that backup has changed since the days of tape

Back in the day, all this was tape, but times have changed, with cloud-to-cloud backup, cloud storage, virtual and physical backup appliances and myriad endpoint hardware Continue Reading

By

• Rene Millman

Fujitsu must face scrutiny following Post Office Horizon trial judgment

While the Post Office has suffered financial and reputational damage after losing its court battle with subpostmasters, the supplier of the IT system at the centre of the dispute has major PR challenges ahead Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Implementing a 21st century approach to digital identity

The government’s attempts at digital identity have failed – it is time for a new, modern approach Continue Reading

By

• Jerry Fishenden

Scale’s HE150 the first of a big push to small edge HCI hardware

Scale Computing aims to scale to micro-sized hyper-converged with a lightweight operating system it claims its competitors can’t match for edge and remote location deployments Continue Reading

By

• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

Facebook to ban deepfake videos

New policy closes some loopholes around misinformation, but seems to leave others wide open Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Bus open data portal to go live in January 2020

The service will start by publishing route and timetable data and will evolve to provide fare and real-time location data in 2021 Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Broadcom flogs Symantec enterprise security unit to Accenture

Acquisition is set to make Accenture a global leader in managed cyber security services Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Met Police to upgrade command and control system

Metropolitan Police Service signs Leidos to renew command and control setup under a 10-year programme Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Swede’s war on cancer moves to a digital battlefield

One man’s blog in Sweden turned into a healthcare app to support cancer sufferers and is now expanding globally Continue Reading

By

• Matthew Staff

Digital fashion for sustainable consumption

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we look at fashion for online personas, report on a programme to get more young women into cyber security, and examine edge computing as the new data frontier and how cloud-native platforms and AI might transform the datacentre. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Cyber gangsters demand payment from Travelex after ‘Sodinokibi’ attack

Cyber criminals are demanding payment to decrypt Travelex’s computer files after a devastating malware attack. New questions have been raised about the security of Travelex’s computer network after it emerged the company waited eight months to patch vulnerable VPN servers Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Highways England uses robot to speed up roadworks

A machine equipped with precise positioning technology carried out, in a few hours, road marking work that usually takes a week Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Personal transport as a service drives across Nordics

New mobility-as-a-service projects are gaining traction in major cities across Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden Continue Reading

By

• Alex Cruickshank

The Post Office computer problem that destroyed the lives of pillars of the community

The Post Office’s refusal to believe subpostmasters were suffering losses due to computer system errors was incompetent and cruel Continue Reading

By

• James Arbuthnot

Iran likely to hit back with cyber attacks, security experts warn

The possibility of cyber attack by threat groups acting on behalf of the Iranian government has dramatically increased following US actions in Iraq Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

UK cyber security boss Ciaran Martin to step down

NCSC chief Ciaran Martin will leave his post in the summer of 2020 Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Holy grail of digital banking is, at first glance, a new channel, not a new concept

Details of Google’s plans in the financial services sector have emerged with nothing groundbreaking so far, but the sector is guessing what comes next. Continue Reading

Government injects £40m into single sign-on NHS programme

The government has put aside funding to speed up login times. Additional funding has been announced to support adult digital health services Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Survey about Swedish people’s attitude to the internet reveals growing distrust of social media

Swedish citizens are becoming more concerned about the activities of social media companies and are reducing their online interaction with them as a result Continue Reading

By

• Gerard O'Dwyer

Cummings issues recruitment call for data scientists to reshape Whitehall

Government’s most senior adviser appeals to data scientists to step forward to refashion how the UK state works Continue Reading

By

• Brian McKenna, Enterprise Applications Editor

Suspected ransomware attack causes worldwide disruption for Travelex

Travelex switches off computer systems and resorts to cash-only currency sales after malware attack. Insiders claim the currency exchange chain has been hit by ransomware which has left critical files containing customer data encrypted Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Google Health pioneers breast cancer AI scanning

An algorithm developed by Google Health promises to reduce the likelihood of patients being wrongly diagnosed, and improve abnormal mammogram scan identification Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Call for former Post Office CEO to step down from public roles after IT court battle lost

Conservative peer is calling for former Post Office CEO to step down from high-profile public roles for her part in Horizon IT scandal Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Processors re-imagined: Will cloud and AI lead mean all change in the datacentre?

We look at the changes cloud-native platforms and artificial intelligence could bring about in the datacentre. Continue Reading

By

• Daniel Robinson

Virtuous circles: Skilling up for an ethical web

Tim Berners Lee’s Contract for the Web aims to drive the internet in a more ethical, open and human-centred direction. What does this mean for the future of IT skills and governance? Continue Reading

By

• Jim Mortleman

UK satellite data to spearhead fight against climate change

The Universities of Edinburgh and Leeds have joined forces in a £5m government-backed programme to use satellite data to combat climate change Continue Reading

By

• Brian McKenna, Enterprise Applications Editor

How to optimise remote workforces while tackling loneliness

Remote working is very common in tech companies and IT departments. How can it be managed to optimise productivity and keep employees socially connected to their companies? Continue Reading

By

• Cath Everett

Top 10 NHS stories of 2019

Here are Computer Weekly’s top 10 NHS stories of 2019 Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Overcoming the infrastructure and connectivity challenges of cloud gaming

The cloud gaming market has a number of infrastructure challenges to overcome to reach its potential, and the supplier community is intent on helping it address them Continue Reading

By

• Arti Loftus

Top 10 enterprise IT in the Benelux region stories of 2019

Here are Computer Weekly’s top enterprise IT stories from the Benelux region over the past year Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Top 10 government IT stories of 2019

Computer Weekly looks back at the main stories related to government IT this year Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari