IT technical skills

CIO interview: Petra Tesch, Vizrt

Straight-talking when it comes to getting her messages across to the wider company, Vizrt CIO Petra Tesch revels in transformation and communication Continue Reading

Ancient MoD IT systems could cause supply issues for frontline troops

Deliveries of inventory to the front line are being put at risk due to legacy IT systems and poor data, according to the National Audit Office Continue Reading

Whitehall only capable of ‘piecemeal’ digital transformation, says PAC

The Public Accounts Committee is unconvinced government will achieve its digital transformation ambitions as progress is thwarted by staff shortages and a lack of senior leadership engagement Continue Reading

UK boardrooms and CISOs increasingly aligned on cyber risks

Board members and CISOs in UK organisations seem to be working together much better, but while this is an encouraging sign, there remain some areas of concern over how the two relate to each other Continue Reading

Women in tech – is retention currently more important than hiring?

Women make up a small proportion of the tech sector despite accounting for almost half of the UK workforce – but are efforts to attract more women into the sector a distraction from trying to keep the women the sector already has? Continue Reading

Government AI taskforce appoints new advisory board members

An initial progress report published by the Taskforce provides detail on new appointments to its external advisory board as well as rebrand to focus on “frontier” artificial intelligence Continue Reading

The search for sustainable UK tech talent

The UK has plans to become a tech superpower by the end of the decade, but the region still has problems with attracting and retaining talent – so how are these issues being addressed? Continue Reading

More than two million now work in UK tech, says CompTIA

Millions now work in tech in the UK, but there are still widespread skills gaps. How do salaries and diversity play into increasing the talent pool? Continue Reading

Girls taking GCSE computing rises for second year in a row

The number of girls taking GCSE computing has risen for the second year this year after a few consecutive years of declining numbers Continue Reading

Met Police data platform £64m over budget

A freedom of information request has revealed that the Met’s Connect integrated record management system is running tens of millions over budget, and has already generated more than 25,000 support requests so far Continue Reading

Singapore to bolster OT security capabilities

Cyber Security Agency of Singapore teams up with Dragos and the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency to bolster the country’s OT security capabilities Continue Reading

Alternative perspectives: relational and virtue ethics in tech

In the second of three essays, Marc Steen explores the benefits of grounding ethical considerations in an understanding of social and power dynamics, and how relational and virtue ethics can help Continue Reading

Can low code/no code ease developer skills shortages?

In this week’s Computer Weekly, organisations are increasingly turning to low-code/no-code tools to enable “citizen developers” among staff – can this help to ease software developer skills shortages? SAP says it will restrict availability of its advanced AI capabilities – we examine the implications. And we go behind the scenes of the University of East Anglia’s digital transformation plans. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Cyber Explorers programme reaches 50,000 11-14 year olds in 18 months

The government-backed Cyber Explorers programme has reached 50,000 students in its first 18 months, and more schools are being invited to sign up for the Autumn Term Continue Reading

Number of girls taking A-level computing still fewer than 3,000

Gender split in A-level computing has been on the rise, but the growth in girls taking the subject is moving at a snail’s pace Continue Reading

Top marks for graduates of CIISec vocational cyber course

132 young people who sat the UK’s first Extended Project Qualification in Cyber Security have received their results today Continue Reading

Number of women in tech dipped last quarter, ONS data shows

Figures from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) show fluctuations in both the number of women in tech and the number of people working in tech over the past 12 months Continue Reading

Online safety message failing to get through to women

The security community could be doing a lot more to make its advice and guidance more accessible to women, according to a study Continue Reading

How does your salary stack up?

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we reveal our annual salary survey, comparing IT professionals’ pay and attitudes to their job – how does yours stack up? The new digital chief at the Department for Work and Pensions discusses AI, data modernisation and shaking up the tech behind the benefits system. And we examine the likelihood of further consolidation in the UK datacentre sector. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Why technology jobs are proving resilient

The clamour for technology professionals has become less frenetic in recent months but demand for IT skills remains high Continue Reading

Vote: Who should be the 2023 Most Influential Woman in UK Tech?

Each year, we ask our audience who should be named the most influential woman in UK technology. Tell us what you think – the deadline for voting is 7 September Continue Reading

Most Influential Women in UK Tech: Computer Weekly’s Hall of Fame

Computer Weekly’s Hall of Fame showcases the great women who have made a lifetime contribution to the technology sector Continue Reading

A non-conventional career journey into IT security

GCSEs and A-levels are not the only route to higher education. We speak to an IT security expert who left school with no formal qualifications Continue Reading

CTO interview: Gavin Rea, Gulf Bridge International

GBI ensures service continuity of submarine cable networks, which bring high-speed internet to the Gulf states, supporting the region’s ambitious plans to be one of the world’s leading poles for technological innovation Continue Reading

MPs warn about growing prevalence of tech-enabled domestic abuse

The UK government must take action to prevent perpetrators from being able to use connected or smart technologies to conduct their domestic abuse, a select committee has warned Continue Reading

Most influential women in UK tech: The 2023 longlist

Hundreds of women have been nominated to be considered as this year’s Computer Weekly most influential woman in UK tech. Here is a list of all the women put forward in 2023 Continue Reading

Ethics as a process of reflection and deliberation

In the first of three essays, Marc Steen outlines a three-step process for how organisations can practically integrate ethics into their IT projects and how different ethical perspectives can inform tech development Continue Reading

India’s booming IT market driving up wages

Majority of India’s IT pros expect their pay to increase in the next 12 months, underscoring the country’s tight IT labour market fuelled by a booming tech sector, study finds Continue Reading

Hiring women could close tech skills gap, say tech professionals

Firms sometimes struggle to find the technology talent they need, but encouraging women into the sector could help them to find the skills they’re looking for Continue Reading

Splunk .conf23: The dangers of party planning as a woman in tech

Why should women in tech seek mentors, mentees and male allies – and avoid party planning? Some of the women at Splunk and its customers explained at .conf23 Continue Reading

UK organisations lack confidence to carry out basic cyber tasks

Amid a shortfall of more than 10,000 cyber pros, UK businesses are still finding it difficult to fill their cyber security skills gaps, with even those in charge of security saying they lack confidence in themselves Continue Reading

Hello ChatGPT, RIP software developer?

How generative AI will change the lives of software developers and the shape of the IT department Continue Reading

Almost 60% of people seeking a new role are doing so for cash

There are many reasons someone may choose to seek a new role or job at another company, but this year’s Computer Weekly/TechTarget IT salary survey found that a majority do so for a higher salary Continue Reading

CW APAC – Tech Career Guide: Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence roles abound in the era of digitisation. In this handbook, focused on AI in the Asia-Pacific region, Computer Weekly looks at AI ethics, how to make it as a machine learning engineer, Accenture’s push for tech talent and cyber security research lab advice. Continue Reading

More ASEAN IT pros staying in their jobs

Global economic uncertainty and staff retention efforts by employers are keeping the region’s IT professionals longer in their jobs Continue Reading

Renowned hacker and social engineer Kevin Mitnick dead at 59

Famed hacker and social engineer Kevin Mitnick, who was at one time one of the most wanted cyber criminals in the world, has died peacefully at the age of 59 from complications arising from pancreatic cancer, following a 14-month illness Continue Reading

AI and data experts to be brought into government through secondment programme

The government has announced plans for a secondment programme designed to bring digital experts into government departments Continue Reading

We have lift off… The opportunities and risks of generative AI

How you can use AI to benefit your business while navigating the risks Continue Reading

Five non-traditional talent pools that will help CIOs plug skills gaps

Some alternative ways for CIOs to fill talent gaps when its hard to find people with the right technology skills in the jobs market Continue Reading

Police Scotland use cloud for biometric data despite clear risks

Police Scotland confirms it has stored significant volumes of biometric data on a cloud-based digital evidence sharing system despite major ongoing data protection concerns, bringing into question the effectiveness of the current regulatory approach and the overall legality of using hyperscale public cloud technologies in a policing context Continue Reading

Civil society groups call on EU to put human rights at centre of AI Act

Dozens of civil society groups are calling on EU institutions to prioritise people and human rights in AI legislation as secretive negotiations begin Continue Reading

CaixaBank adds hundreds more IT professionals to support digital transformation

CaixaBank is recruiting 200 more IT professionals in Spain to support its ongoing digital transformation Continue Reading

Digital public services ‘riddled’ with problems, says TUC

The UK’s increasingly digitised public services are plagued by design, governance and workplace issues that are undermining the government’s stated goal of improving efficiency, but can be alleviated by giving public sector workers a greater say in how new technologies are being developed, deployed and controlled Continue Reading

Hackers: We won’t let artificial intelligence get the better of us

AI is changing how ethical hackers go about their work, and will continue to do so, but the community is convinced the technology will never be able to replicate the creativity of a flesh-and-blood hacker Continue Reading

FutureDotNow debuts roadmap to guide UK through closing digital skills gap

Industry coalition FutureDotNow has joined forces with several government departments and more than 20 businesses to shape a roadmap it hopes will support the UK in closing the digital divide Continue Reading

Nominate: Most Influential Women in UK Technology 2023

Tell us who you think should be included in Computer Weekly’s 2023 list of the top 50 most influential women in UK technology Continue Reading

‘Political lethargy’ to blame for digital exclusion, says Lords

A House of Lords report about digital exclusion across the UK has blamed slow and undedicated government intervention for the extent of digital exclusion Continue Reading

BBVA launches tech job portal as it continues to add talent

Spanish bank BBVA ramps up its tech recruitment strategy with new online portal and target of 2,600 more people Continue Reading

AI can never be given control over combat decisions, Lords told

Artificial intelligence is technically incapable of distinguishing between the complex contextual factors of combat situations, and will likely never be able to, according to legal and software experts Continue Reading

3,600 potential cyber security experts apply to government scheme

The UK government’s Upskill in Cyber programme is reporting great success just a month after launch, with almost half of applicants women Continue Reading

A tenth of kids claim they could hack you

More and more young people are at risk of being drawn into cyber criminality, and parents must shoulder some of the blame, according to a report Continue Reading

ANZ IT pros get salary bump this year

Over half of IT professionals in Australia and New Zealand received a higher salary this year, underscoring the tight IT labour market Continue Reading

APAC career guide on AI

The multidisciplinary nature of artificial intelligence offers career opportunities not only in builder roles like engineering and data science, but also in AI ethics and applied AI Continue Reading

Could social media revolutionise war crimes trials?

Computer Weekly speaks with open source investigators about how they use social media to gather evidence of war crimes, and the trouble with using such evidence in legal proceedings Continue Reading

ICO under fire for taking limited action over serious data breaches

The ICO has come under fire from lawyers and data protection specialists for just issuing written warnings to two public bodies over serious data breaches that placed people’s lives at risk Continue Reading

Why low code/no code opens doors but no panacea for skills shortages

Citizen development is not without risk but it has a bright future in the enterprise, especially as a way to handle skills gaps Continue Reading

Aalto University: The startup’s starting place

Helsinki's Aalto University is at the heart of one of the world's most productive tech startup hotbeds Continue Reading

ServiceNow’s Bill McDermott: a ‘work in progress’

Bill McDermott, president and CEO of ServiceNow, speaks to Computer Weekly about his vision for the company and the technology industry, which he believes to be in the throes of exponential change Continue Reading

Dutch government puts up €123m to address shortage of ICT workers

Financial injection aimed at improving cooperation between vocational education and business in the Netherlands, and making the tech professions more attractive Continue Reading

Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030: Progress report

Halfway into its plan to give the country a makeover by 2030, Saudi Arabia’s emphasis on technology is starting to pay off Continue Reading

AWS GetIT competition aims to encourage girls into tech

Winners of this year’s GetIT competition, designed for introducing girls to the world of STEM, have been announced Continue Reading

How an ML engineer cut his teeth in AI

Machine learning engineer Saurabh Agarwal talks up his career journey in artificial intelligence and what it takes for one to succeed in the field Continue Reading

Artificial intelligence creates 40,000 new roles at Accenture

Accenture is planning to add thousands of AI experts to its workforce as part of a $3bn investment in its data and artificial intelligence practice Continue Reading

Delivery charges and slow payments have customers abandoning baskets

Customer expectation has been on the rise, both on and offline, and no-code automation firm Primer finds there are several reasons why consumers are choosing not to checkout Continue Reading

(ISC)² and CIISec set out to make cyber language more inclusive

Newly published guide on appropriate use of language in cyber security aims to help make the profession more inclusive for all Continue Reading

Why are ethnic minorities struggling to reach the top?

The technology industry has a reputation for struggling with diversity and inclusion, especially at the C-suite – what is standing in the way of ethnic minorities making it to the top? Continue Reading

CDEI publishes portfolio of AI assurance techniques

The UK’s Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation has published a variety of case studies to show how different assurance techniques can build and maintain trust in artificial intelligence systems Continue Reading

Bishop Fox’s Vinnie Liu talks offensive security skills

There is growing demand for offensive security testing, but it needs a multi-layered skillset that can be hard to quantify. Bishop Fox’s CEO and co-founder explains why and some potential mitigation strategies Continue Reading

Google launches hacker-backed SME security training scheme

Citing research that shows almost half of SMEs are struggling to recruit cyber security specialists, Google is launching a programme designed to upskill more people to fill thousands of vacant roles Continue Reading

Discovering the Diversity Process Flow in cyber

The UK Cyber Security Council's Simon Hepburn explains the Council's new Diversity Process Flow framework, and outlines its potential implications for ethnic minorities in the cyber sector Continue Reading

Is cyber training all the same old? Shift your perspective and get stuck in

Getting your cyber smarts only from books or presentations just isn’t going to cut it anymore – the only way we can get ahead of the cyber criminals is to get into their heads, and you can only achieve this by doing and changing your way of thinking. Continue Reading

Tech salaries on the rise, says Aspire

Tech salaries are still on the rise for many roles as firms continue to battle for talent Continue Reading

Singapore government teams up with Google Cloud on AI

The Singapore government and Google Cloud will make AI capabilities, including developer tools and AI models, available to public sector agencies through a locally hosted AI platform Continue Reading

Cisco joins growing Manchester cyber security hub

Networking kingpin signs up to Greater Manchester Digital Security Hub to support centre’s work on security resilience and skills Continue Reading

Bumbling IT security analyst convicted of blackmail offences

A Hertfordshire man has been convicted of blackmail and other offences after piggybacking on an in-progress ransomware attack to try to defraud his employer, but failing to cover his tracks in any meaningful way Continue Reading

Diversity in tech 2022: Explaining employee resource groups

In this video from Computer Weekly’s annual diversity event, in partnership with Nash Squared, panel members discuss employee resource groups (ERGs), what they are, why they are needed, and how to support them. Continue Reading

Visa to recruit 1,500 tech staff in Poland

Visa’s latest global tech hub will recruit up to 1,500 staff, with focus on artificial intelligence, cyber security, and resilience in payments and ecommerce sectors Continue Reading

Diversity in tech 2022: Mehdi Mobayen-Rahni, Tyl by NatWest

In this video from Computer Weekly’s annual diversity event, in partnership with Nash Squared, Mehdi Mobayen-Rahni, chief technology officer of Tyl by NatWest, reflects on the progress of diversity and inclusion initiatives over the last few years, and how we can progress. Continue Reading

Amazon’s Apprenticeship fund will support 300 SME roles this year

The apprenticeship fund launched by retail tech giant Amazon in 2021 is set to fund 300 more across the next year Continue Reading

National semiconductor strategy: Balancing skills, migration and security

The UK government is putting £1bn into semiconductor research and design over the next 10 years to develop a robust chip sector Continue Reading

CIO interview: Ravi Malick, Box

Ravi Malick has always been a technologist at heart, and via political science, startups and consultancy, landed in his current role at Box Continue Reading

No10 Innovation Fellowship Programme ramps up AI focus

Second round of the programme, run jointly by Number 10 and the Government Digital Service, focuses on AI and automation Continue Reading

Interview: Rachel Phillips, vice-president UK&I, Okta

Hybrid working is the new normal for many, but while it offers many benefits, it has also introduced complications, explains Okta’s Rachel Phillips Continue Reading

Tech jobs are on the rise, but soft skills are most coveted, says WEF

Research by the World Economic Forum has found technology jobs are currently some of the fastest growing, but firms still want employees to have transferable skills Continue Reading

Icelandic researcher advocates for an overhaul of artificial intelligence

While technologies such as ChatGPT provide a glimpse of what may lay ahead, they are still a long way from real intelligence Continue Reading

UK Cyber Security Council launches certification mapping tool

Cyber careers body aims to offer clarity for professionals seeking to advance through security certification Continue Reading

Cyber security and analytics propel jobs boost in Scotland’s tech sector

A tech industry survey from ScotlandIS indicates the country’s tech sector is set to grow, with cyber security as the hottest domain Continue Reading

CISOs under-supported, under pressure, Trellix finds

The vast majority of CISOs say they are finding it difficult to get sign-off on the resources they need to do their job Continue Reading

From Nokia to Merge Mansion: Helsinki’s tech expertise is sparking a new era for global gaming

Helsinki has a reputation as the go-to place for game development, and now the city’s tech community is taking gaming into new areas Continue Reading

Biases keep Dutch girls out of STEM and IT

Unconscious stereotypes and bias still ensure few girls in the Netherlands choose to study engineering or IT. Government, education and businesses need to make significant steps to turn this around Continue Reading

Tech’s gender pay gap begins to return to pre-pandemic levels

The pandemic has eased some of the pay gaps that exist in the UK’s technology sector, including those between men and women, and the north and the south Continue Reading

#MumsWhoCode recognises tech employers supporting new parents

Campaign #MumsWhoCode, made up of Code First Girls and the MotherBoard Movement, has published a list of tech firms making an effort to support employees with families Continue Reading

Good Friday Agreement key to growth of Northern Ireland cyber hub

Now 25 years since the historic Good Friday Agreement ended the Troubles, Northern Ireland has become a flourishing centre of cyber security excellence and has ambitions to grow further Continue Reading

CyberUK 23: Irresponsible use of commercial hacking tools a rising threat

Commercial cyber tools and hackers-for-hire pose a growing threat to organisations and individuals worldwide, according to an NCSC report Continue Reading

IR35 a ‘threat’ to UK’s bid to become science and tech superpower, contracting authority warns

After the government set out plans to become a science and tech superpower, Qdos CEO warns its ambitions could come to nothing if fundamental flaws in IR35 remain unfixed Continue Reading

CyberUK 23: NCSC conference centres cyber collaboration

The NCSC’s annual CyberUK conference gets underway in Belfast this week, with collaboration and cooperation high on the agenda Continue Reading

Women looking for new roles want equal progression opportunities

According to Skillsoft, many women in tech are happy at their current employer, but those seeking new roles are mainly doing so to gain equal opportunities Continue Reading

HMRC defends removing names of known tax avoidance schemes from public list

HMRC under fire over 'ridiculous' legislation that means it has to remove names of known tax avoidance scheme operators 12 months after publication Continue Reading

Top 8 in-demand cybersecurity jobs for 2023 and beyond

Cybersecurity is a challenging career path, filled with professional opportunities. Learn about the top cybersecurity jobs and the training and background they require. Continue Reading

CW EMEA: Under attack and stressed out

In this month's CW EMEA, we look at how cyber attacks are taking a toll on security professionals, damaging their mental health and forcing some to quit. We also look at Finland's allure for tech entrepreneurs, how software is enabling a new business model for a Swedish car manufacturer, and the importance of backup testing. Read the issue now. Continue Reading