IT news in your industry sector

When AIs go to war: Autonomous cyber weapons ‘inevitable’

CISOs must start thinking about how to engage with intelligent, adaptive, non-human attackers, says Trend Micro’s Rik Ferguson Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Dutch banks to work together in fight against money laundering

Dutch banks are sharing expertise and resources to help reduce money laundering through their accounts Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Justice system transformation sees delays and reduction of scope

“Ambitious” timescales and scope for £1.2bn modernisation of services had to be scaled back, says NAO report Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Fintech lender increases loan limit as customer demand accelerates

Small business lender Esme Loans has increased its loan limit to quarter of a million pounds as businesses are drawn to its simple and fast digital platform Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Industry opposition to no-deal Brexit hardens, says TechUK

A survey of TechUK members has found that 71% believe a no-deal Brexit at the end of October will negatively affect them in spite of their preparations Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

The right way to get on with building UK tech success is to get a Brexit deal now

The UK technology sector does not want a no-deal Brexit, and recognises the damage it would cause. If we're leaving the EU, the Prime Minister needs to get a deal Continue Reading

By

• Julian David, TechUK

Government seeks views on post-Brexit security alignment

The government has called for views on its proposals to align the UK’s post-Brexit cyber security policy to that of the European Union Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

A Cybercommunity Safety Partnership to address On-line Harms and Abuse

We need voluntary co-operation to join up cybercommunity safety across silo boundaries without waiting for governments, regulators and lobbyists Continue Reading

By

• Philip Virgo, Winsafe Ltd

Less than quarter of fintechs prepared for no-deal Brexit

A survey reveals that less than a quarter of UK fintech companies have their businesses prepared for the UK's exit from the EU Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

ICO to probe government over Gov.uk data collection plan

The ICO is to look into the government’s leaked data collection plans over fears they may breach the law Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

UN agency Unicef praised for response to accidental data leak

The UN’s children’s agency has disclosed an inadvertent leak of personal data belonging to users of its online learning platform Agora Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

5G takes off at Gatwick Airport

Vodafone’s 5G network goes live in airport’s South Terminal Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

CW Europe: Dutch authorities call temporary halt to datacentre construction

Two Dutch municipalities are putting all datacentre construction on hold while they put together a strategy to help them control developments. A local alderman said datacentres take up a lot of space and place a large burden on the electricity grid. Also read how France is racing ahead of Germany in making the most of service companies in India, and about Google’s plans for a new datacentre and technology training hub in Finland. Continue Reading

Mirai descendants dominate IoT threat environment

Attacks leveraging compromised IoT devices are growing in size, scale and frequency, report security experts at F-Secure and Trend Micro, with Mirai-related botnets a major source of trouble Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Bloomberg will move historic trading data to cloud in support of clients’ machine-learning ambitions

Bloomberg’s CIO for enterprise, Tony McManus, says its clients’ changing attitude to using cloud is changing the way the firm makes its real-time trading data available to the financial services community Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

Government departments urged to publish R&D spending roadmaps

Issues including funding concentration in the “golden triangle” of London, Oxford and Cambridge must be addressed, according to a Science and Technology Committee report Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Fintech Fluidly combines Google’s cloud and AI tech to ease SME cashflow management woes

London-based fintech Fluidly explains how its recent all-in move to the Google Cloud is supporting its continued growth, and delivers new features to customers faster Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

Could Boris Johnson and Dominic Cummings' ‘secret’ data sharing plan work?

Prime minister Boris Johnson and his controversial special advisor, Dominic Cummings, are “secretly” working on a plan to gather citizen data from across Whitehall to be used for targeting ... Continue Reading

By

• Bryan Glick, Editor in chief

UK consumers want biometrics but fear driverless cars and AI

Report also shows many adults across the country have never heard of the internet of things or big data Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

The emergence of the shopping centre-as-a-service model

Shopping centres have been morphing into wider entertainment, leisure and hospitality venues for some time, but their role is set to evolve yet further Continue Reading

By

• Ben Sillitoe

GDPR non-compliance worse than feared

Over half of UK businesses do not yet appear to be fully GDPR-compliant, and many have de-prioritised their compliance efforts Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

UK calls for cyber capacity-building at UN security group

The UK’s representative to a United Nations cyber security working group has called for increased investment in capacity around cyber security Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Spectra tilts at HSM with StorCycle storage management software

Spectra Logic unveils newly-developed storage management platform and two-tier file access and object storage with all data visible to all users for restore Continue Reading

By

• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

Tech startups can boost UK shipping market after Brexit

Increased connectivity and propositions based on tools such as AI and blockchain can provide opportunities to the shipping sector after Brexit, says report Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Brexit disrupts FCA exploration into data use in wholesale banking

The extra work for banks due to Brexit preparations has caused a delay to FCA work on the use of data in the wholesale banking sector Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Inside NatWest Ventures

NatWest Ventures is helping NatWest bank to remain relevant to its SME businesses customer community through digital innovation Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

BT gears up to take on rogue drones

BT’s Enterprise unit is offering customers an anti-drone security solution to protect their physical sites from intrusion Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Ctera launches hybrid cloud HC2400M at media use cases

Edge filer specialist hits up the media and entertainment market with its NAS-like hardware that caches data locally, syncs with other nodes and stages data to the cloud Continue Reading

By

• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

Ministry of Defence unveils innovation priorities

Artificial intelligence and 3D printing are among the key areas of focus for the Ministry of Defence's latest approach to emerging tech Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Is there substance in Boris Johnson’s full-fibre broadband vision?

The new prime minister made a bold promise to roll out full-fibre broadband across the country by 2025 – but it’s a challenging task that requires serious investment and planning Continue Reading

By

• Julian David, TechUK

Security Think Tank: The case for blockchain-based identity

What are the best and most effective ways information security professionals can use blockchain technology? Continue Reading

By

• Richard Hunt, Turnkey Consulting

A tech boost for social care

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we explore how local authorities across the UK have been looking at assistive technologies, ranging from collaborative robots to voice assistants, to support delivery of adult social care services. We also look into the ramifications of HMRC targeting 1,500 GlaxoSmithKline IT contractors. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Brain-computer interfaces: Promising tech needs regulating

Connecting a computer directly to the brain could revolutionise healthcare, but the tech giants might monopolise data and application areas Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

How UK councils are using technology to support adult social care

As budgets dwindle and central government delays the creation of an overarching strategy around the future of care, local authorities are looking into innovations such as robotics and voice assistant technologies to ease the pressure on resources. Continue Reading

Terror watchlist faces reform after court rules it violates rights of people entering US

A secret US terrorist database containing information on more than 1.2 million people – who face repeated interrogations, detentions and electronic searches – violates constitutional rights, a US judge said last week Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Commvault buys Hedvig in push for global storage player status

Backup player Commvault aims to bring together datacentre and multi-cloud operations with software-defined storage that can unify access to almost any storage medium, anywhere Continue Reading

By

• Yann Serra, LeMagIT

Social engineering a factor in virtually all cyber attacks, report claims

Almost every single cyber attack will, at some stage, require a human to be tricked into doing something, according to research by Proofpoint Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

IT leaders need to speak up about the voice channel

Voice assistants represent the next frontier, and a range of new skills will be needed to move beyond pilot projects to a true voice channel Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Loyal Dutch IT professionals not being rewarded enough, survey shows

Companies warned they could lose loyal IT staff because salary rises do not match those on offer from rival employers Continue Reading

By

• Kim Loohuis

Security Think Tank: Too soon to dismiss blockchain in cyber security

What are the best and most effective ways information security professionals can use blockchain technology? Continue Reading

By

• Maxine Holt, Omdia

Towns invited to bid for connectivity boost

Some 100 places in England are eligible to get resources from the £3.6bn fund aimed at creating local jobs and economic growth, with broadband as a key priority Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Telenor collaborates with Norwegian education providers on digitisation

Educational institutions in Norway are working with telecoms supplier Telenor to help businesses better understand technology Continue Reading

By

• Gerard O'Dwyer

Royal Navy readies autonomous technology push

A competition ran by new accelerator NavyX will seek to find mature ideas around the approach to improve operations and increase efficiency in maritime operations Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Security Think Tank: Use blockchain for integrity and immutability checks

What are the best and most effective ways information security professionals can use blockchain technology? Continue Reading

By

• Eoin Keary

Security pros doubt officials can enact effective security laws

Elected officials cannot be trusted to enact effective cyber security legislation and social media firms should be subject to strict privacy regulation, according to most information security professionals in a survey Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Cutting the cord: Negotiating cloud contracts with problematic customers

How accountable should cloud firms be for the actions of the customers that use their platforms, and how much thought should they give to aligning themselves with problematic brands before hosting them? Continue Reading

By

• Sooraj Shah

Tide Foundation aims to boost password security

While passwordless security remains just out of reach, a non-profit organisation has developed a mechanism that it says makes passwords exponentially more difficult to crack Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Latest Facebook security lapse exposes millions to account hijack

18 million UK users are among the more than 400 million at risk of account hijacking after phone numbers linked to their Facebook accounts were found in an open online database Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

National Rail Enquiries hit by rush hour real-time information outage on mobile app and website

National Rail Enquiries confirms it is waiting on a third-party supplier for an update on when access to real-time train departure and arrival information will be restored on its website and mobile app Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

Security Think Tank: Blockchain is not for everyone, so look carefully before you leap

What are the best and most effective ways information security professionals can use blockchain technology? Continue Reading

By

• Paddy Francis

EasyJet deploys Google’s natural language processing tech to bring voice search to airline app

Airline claims to be the first in the world to offer customers access to voice search capabilities within its mobile app Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

New funding announced to tackle online child abuse

Government announces £30m of new cash to tackle online child harm as part of Spending Review 2019 Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Executive interview: How Figleaves uncovers a data Eden

Online lingerie business that started out at the height of the dot com boom is now focused on using advanced analytics to reveal new data insights Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Check Point warns of Android phishing attacks

Researchers at Check Point have identified a security flaw in Android-based smartphones that exposes vulnerable users to phishing attacks Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Security Think Tank: Blockchain utility depends on business type and cost

What are the best and most effective ways information security professionals can use blockchain technology? Continue Reading

By

• Petra Wenham

Tandem Bank steps up its artificial intelligence training with appointment

Tandem Bank names seasoned artificial intelligence expert to drive its journey to personalise banking Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Businesses need to keep investing in tech and hope to avoid a no-deal Brexit

A no-deal Brexit could have serious consequences for the UK tech sector and skills base, making it more difficult to recruit technology specialists and hire freelancers Continue Reading

By

• Albert Ellis, Harvey Nash Group

Gartner: Eight ways blockchain can support governments

Distributed ledgers are not just limited to finance and smart contracts. Gartner explores how blockchain can tackle government inefficiencies Continue Reading

By

• David Furlonger, Gartner

TrickBot Trojan switches to stealthy Ostap downloader

Operators of the TrickBot banking Trojan have switched to a new downloader to evade detection and analysis for a high-volume malicious spam campaign targeting business, researchers warn Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Danish MobilePay app moves away from mainframe

Danske Bank’s popular mobile payment app moves from mainframe to open source DataStax Enterprise built on Apache Cassandra Continue Reading

By

• Alex Cruickshank

Nationwide Building Society harnesses low-code platform

Software development platform makes it quicker to build apps Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Cyber criminals tap into web social engineering toolkit 

Security researchers have discovered a web social engineering toolkit that enables cyber criminals to create fake update notification campaigns  Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

CISOs think cloud safer, but security fears remain

The majority of information security leaders think cloud is now safer than on-premise, but security fears remain, with recently breached and highly regulated organisations most concerned, poll reveals Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Allied Irish Banks selects cloud platform for digital transformation

Bank is streamlining its operations through a cloud platform from nCino Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

At least 47,000 servers vulnerable to remote attack

All organisations using Supermicro servers are being urged to update firmware to block remote attacks exploiting vulnerabilities in baseboard management controllers Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Samsung KX gives consumers and retailers a glimpse of the future

Samsung puts its Galaxy range, the internet of things and community events at the heart of its new central London consumer space – but don’t call it a store... Continue Reading

By

• Ben Sillitoe

Post Office changes IT leadership reshuffle decision

The Post Office has changed its IT leadership reshuffle weeks after announcing its original plan Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Security Think Tank: Risk mitigation is key to blockchain becoming mainstream

What are the best and most effective ways information security professionals can use blockchain technology? Continue Reading

By

• Mike Yeomans, Information Security Forum

Nearly £1m of EU funding to boost tech skills in UK SMEs

An initiative led by the Department for Work and Pensions will focus on enhancing skills in rural locations to unleash competitiveness in areas such as agritech and biorenewables Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Interim GDS boss gives preview of priorities

Alison Pritchard sets out key areas of attention for the digital service, from analytics to Brexit work Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

UK organisations join quantum comms pilot

Four UK companies are taking part in a pilot project to build the most secure communication infrastructure in Europe Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Dutch virtual reality can help reduce teacher shortage worldwide

Dutch lecturer uses virtual reality to improve teaching and developments are being watched by the Teachers Task Force of Unesco Continue Reading

By

• Kim Loohuis

TSB works with Silicon Valley tech firm to help SME customers take card payments

UK bank will offer its small business customers card-processing and point-of-sale technology by partnering with a fintech set up by Twitter CEO Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Security Think Tank: Blockchain – balance risk and opportunity for smart security

What are the best and most effective ways information security professionals can use blockchain technology? Continue Reading

By

• RV Raghu, ISACA

CISOs turn to AI, detection, response and education

Information security leaders are looking to artificial intelligence, better detection and response capabilities and user education in the face of cyber threats, but need more budget, a study shows Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

CIO interview: Simon McNamara, chief administrative officer, RBS Group

Brought in after a catastrophic IT failure that affected 6.5 million customers, the IT chief at Royal Bank of Scotland Group says the bank is now a leader in innovation. Continue Reading

GDS reveals details of digital identity pilot for passport data checks

The Government Digital Service (GDS) has published details of the planned pilot project for opening up passport data to companies that wish to offer digital identity services. GDS recently held a ... Continue Reading

By

• Bryan Glick, Editor in chief

Government confirms GDS minister

Simon Hart appointed minister for implementation, with responsibility for the Government Digital Service Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Location analysis expands Nordic telco’s range of services

Nordic telecoms company works with startup to offer services to businesses through location data analysis Continue Reading

By

• Alex Cruickshank

How to mitigate IoT security risks to tap business benefits

Security concerns are preventing many businesses from adopting IoT-based technologies, but with a bit of planning, the business benefits can be realised by mitigating the risk Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Social media and enterprise apps pose big security risks

The lack of security policies in many business applications is putting enterprise data at risk and social media apps are the biggest source of malware, a poll of IT professionals reveals Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Security Editor

UK gets first millionaire ethical hacker

Six months after the first millionaire ethical hacker was announced, five more have been recognised, including a Briton, who have collectively discovered nearly 5,000 vulnerabilities Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency hit by IT workers’ strike

DVSA tech staff are on a month-long strike over working conditions and expect their action to affect the IT workload at the government agency Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

UK firms getting on top of IT downtime costs

Despite data breach headlines, UK firms are generally improving in their data protection, business continuity, cyber preparedness and understanding of downtime costs, study shows Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Dutch regulator reveals potential Microsoft privacy breach

Netherlands privacy watchdog has revealed potential breaches while testing Microsoft software changes Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Government investigates matching geospatial data with AI

Report looks into the commercial opportunities of matching location data with a number of emerging technologies Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Targeted cyber attacks, including ransomware, on the rise

Governments and healthcare institutions are prime targets of ransomware operators, a report shows Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Gov.uk Verify’s £40m bill for losing Experian

The Government Digital Service (GDS) insists that its plans for Gov.uk Verify “remain on track” despite the withdrawal of three of the five remaining identity providers (IDPs) supporting the ... Continue Reading

By

• Bryan Glick, Editor in chief

Mitigating social engineering attacks with MFA

The growing frequency of social engineering attacks highlights the increasing need for organisations to take steps to mitigate the effects of phishing Continue Reading

By

• Peter Ray Allison

Building a 5G city: Bristol’s valuable lessons for the UK’s digital future

West of England Combined Authority is taking part in DCMS’s 5G Testbeds and Trials programme, exploring applications for tourism and entertainment. We find out how it is applying its learnings to life in Bristol and Bath Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

HMRC under fire over 'scaremongering' IR35 clampdown letters targeting GSK IT contractors

GSK contractors that have received “scaremongering” letters from HMRC, urging them to review their engagements with the company from an IR35 perspective, are being urged not to panic, as the missives have no legal basis, claim experts Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

Don’t upset the Apple Card

Apple has reiterated its searing contempt for the hoi polloi that uses its products by releasing a physical credit card you’re not supposed to put in your wallet. The titanium card is, in Apple’s ... Continue Reading

By

• Ryan Priest

CIO interview: Network Rail plans digital factory to accelerate modernisation

The operator will enhance its multimillion-pound IT strategy with a sharper focus on areas including mobile, data and cultural change for digital transformation Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Most UK firms ignore security in tech investments

Less than a quarter of UK firms prioritise security when investing in new technology, despite the threat of cyber attacks and data protection regulations, a survey reveals Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Ransomware has evolved into a serious enterprise threat

Ransomware has seen a resurgence since the start of 2019, with cyber criminals changing code and tactics to target enterprises and local authorities for higher ransom payments, McAfee researchers warn Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Employees, MSPs and developers top third-party risks

Employees, managed service providers and developers are the top sources of third-party risks in terms of data security, a survey reveals, highlighting the value of workplace monitoring Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Councils deliver savings through digital initiatives

Projects under the Digital Channel Shift programme reported fivefold return on investment Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Here’s to five years of the new NHS Spine

Like any milestone birthday it’s a time for reflection, writes Andrew Meyer, director of NHS Digital's Digital Delivery Centre. Have you achieved what you wanted in the time passed, are there ... Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Government to ease planning laws for mobile networks

Westminster is seeking input on four key proposals to make it easier to build and operate 5G mobile networks Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

IR35 reforms: HMRC defends off-payroll rules guidance against "woeful" IPSE jibes

HMRC promises there are more preparatory materials in the pipeline to help the private sector prepare for the April 2020 IR35 rules, after IPSE brands its current guidance "woeful" Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK