IT for consulting and business services
Companies in the consulting and business services industries often have specialist needs that require effective use of IT. Law firms, consultancies, accountants, recruitment firms and other advisory services use innovative technology to deliver business benefits, and you can read our news and analysis of the key trends and what they mean to you
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News
03 Jan 2024
Artificial intelligence to the front in Sweden’s National Technology Strategy
Sweden focuses in on artificial intelligence in its latest far-reaching national IT strategy Continue Reading
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Feature
07 Sep 2023
Interview: Ashish Gupta, head of EMEA, HCLTech
It’s not just enterprises that changed their operating models during and after Covid, but also the suppliers that took them on the journey, HCLTech Europe’s head explains Continue Reading
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News
02 Nov 2020
Finnish government rolls out digital projects to support SMEs
Finland is set to create network of technology hubs that will support SMEs in the country, as well as create links across the EU Continue Reading
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News
26 Oct 2020
Dutch government ‘unambitious’ in digital
The Netherlands has been working at home as much as possible since the outbreak of Covid-19, but its dependence on technology and connectivity does not seem to be reflected by the government’s approach to digitisation Continue Reading
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News
26 Oct 2020
Cooperation between Norway’s security agencies planned following cyber attack on parliament
Government seeks to develop enhanced national IT infrastructure with an embedded early warning system and defence shield to protect the IT systems of public and private organisations Continue Reading
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News
22 Oct 2020
Nordic countries in denial over IT industry equality
Arriving in Denmark to find she was the only woman on a computer science master’s course was a shock to Plamena Cherneva Continue Reading
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Podcast
20 Oct 2020
Podcast: Cybersecurity Awareness Month, Covid-19 and storage
We look at how organisations can use Cybersecurity Awareness Month as an opportunity to revisit their handling of data and compliance, especially with changes brought by Covid-19 and home working Continue Reading
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News
30 Sep 2020
Norway leaves door open to Huawei
Government gives telecoms companies responsibility to choose their equipment suppliers, which could include Huawei Continue Reading
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Feature
24 Sep 2020
Top five ways backup can protect against ransomware
Ransomware threatens to put your data beyond reach, so the best way to prepare is to have good-quality data you can restore from backup. We look at the key things to consider Continue Reading
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News
23 Sep 2020
Over half of firms intend to continue US data transfers despite Schrems II
Survey shows many organisations do not intend to significantly change their data-sharing practices, at least until there is more guidance from regulators or governments Continue Reading
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Opinion
23 Sep 2020
Top 10 skills to include in your IT CV
Find out what skills and keywords you should include on your CV to stand out as an IT professional in a competitive market Continue Reading
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News
21 Sep 2020
CIO interview: Julie Berry of Saffery Champness advances business advisory role for IT
Julie Berry, IT director at accountancy firm Saffery Champness, describes how her team has enhanced its advisory role to the business, in part through the implementation of a cloud-based document management system Continue Reading
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News
17 Sep 2020
Loan charge under review: Government’s tax policy set to be challenged under EU law
A fresh attempt to judicially review the government’s controversial disguised remuneration policy is being launched, and its backers have already secured 85% of the £180,000 needed to test whether the loan charge breaches EU law Continue Reading
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News
09 Sep 2020
Abu Dhabi government launches peer-to-peer coding campus
Abu Dhabi government launches a specialist programming school that uses peer-to-peer teaching methods and gamification Continue Reading
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News
04 Sep 2020
Virtual London Tech Week is a sign of the future
London Tech week's virtual event is another sign of how the Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated digital transformation Continue Reading
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News
01 Sep 2020
Here East CEO advises startups to generate own revenue streams
In a time of deep uncertainty, startups with their own streams of revenue independent of investors and large corporates will have more options and be in a much stronger negotiating position Continue Reading
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News
19 Aug 2020
Loan charge MPs urge chancellor to get HMRC to soften contractor settlements
Co-chairs of Loan Charge All Party Parliamentary Group write to Rishi Sunak to seek a fairer deal for contractors caught by HMRC’s disguised remuneration policy Continue Reading
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News
17 Aug 2020
Coronavirus: Government faces renewed calls for extended support for self-employed
The second phase of the government’s income support scheme for the self-employed goes live today, prompting renewed calls for the eligibility criteria to be broadened so that more people can benefit Continue Reading
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Opinion
13 Aug 2020
A CIO’s journey through the Covid-19 crisis
FDM’s IT chief takes us through the challenges of responding to the coronavirus pandemic, and the future opportunities that the changes introduced now present Continue Reading
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News
11 Aug 2020
Looming threat of Covid-19 and IR35 reform conspire to keep contractor confidence dampened
Quarterly data on how confident freelancers feel about their job and earning prospects highlights the negative impact Covid-19 and the government's looming tax reforms are having on the sector Continue Reading
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News
05 Aug 2020
Egypt’s datacentre plans take key step forward
Government lays the foundations for a datacentre industry with its new data protection law Continue Reading
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News
22 Jul 2020
New opportunities for Nordic startups post-Covid-19 as virtual offices become the norm
As companies adjust to digital office life in the pandemic era, a host of Nordic startups are already helping them convert these short-term fixes into long-term strategy Continue Reading
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Opinion
21 Jul 2020
Challenging times and transformational opportunities for the outsourcing industry
Every area of the technology sector has been affected by the uncertainty of the coronavirus pandemic, but the outsourcing industry could be well-placed to take advantage of the opportunities it presents Continue Reading
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News
16 Jul 2020
What do Accenture’s UK job cuts mean to the IT services industry?
Accenture's decision to reduce its UK workforce by 8% will not be the last in an IT services sector hit hard by the Covid-19 disruption. Continue Reading
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News
16 Jul 2020
Room for improvement in Dutch digital skills
The Netherlands has good telecommunications and IT networks that can be used safely and reliably, but there is room for improvement in digital skills among the Dutch Continue Reading
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News
15 Jul 2020
Huge declines in traditional outsourcing as Covid-19 puts a stop on deals
Traditional IT outsourcing deals value plummets in the last quarter as contracts dry up amid Covid-19 disruption Continue Reading
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Feature
07 Jul 2020
Auditing for algorithmic discrimination
Despite the abundance of decision-making algorithms with social impacts, many companies are not conducting specific audits for bias and discrimination that can help mitigate their potentially negative consequences Continue Reading
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Podcast
07 Jul 2020
Women in tech, loan charge woes and automation – The Computer Weekly Downtime Upload Podcast
In this week’s episode of the Computer Weekly Downtime Upload podcast, Clare McDonald, Caroline Donnelly and Brian McKenna discuss the publication of the long list for the 2020 Most Influential Women in UK Technology, the latest developments in the IR35 private sector reforms, and the impact of AI-driven automation on journalists and other knowledge workers Continue Reading
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News
07 Jul 2020
MSP Xchanging attacked in ransomware incident
Specialist managed services provider is restoring customer access to systems after an unspecified ransomware incident Continue Reading
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News
11 Jun 2020
Tech firms respond to Nordic government calls
Nordic firms are working with tech suppliers to help them get back up and running after Covid-19 Continue Reading
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News
10 Jun 2020
CogX 2020: Rethinking technological innovation
Innovation processes and relationships must be fundamentally restructured to bring in more stakeholders, and spread the benefits of technological change as far as possible Continue Reading
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News
05 Jun 2020
London Tech Week to go ahead through Zoom
London Tech week will go ahead next week, with the tech industry attending through Zoom Continue Reading
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News
04 Jun 2020
Dutch organisations invest heavily in compliance – but in vain
Despite the fact that companies in the Netherlands have invested heavily to comply with GDPR legislation introduced two years ago, 90% of them are still discovering fundamental weaknesses in their IT environment Continue Reading
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News
01 Jun 2020
Employees must be consulted on technologies monitoring the return to work
Experts say the workforce must be ‘in the room’ and given a meaningful say about technologies introduced to monitor their return to work following the Covid-19 pandemic Continue Reading
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News
01 Jun 2020
How Saudi Arabia is using cloud to navigate the Covid-19 downturn
Organisations in Saudi Arabia are using cloud computing services to help them navigate challenges caused by the coronavirus pandemic Continue Reading
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News
01 Jun 2020
Inside India: The world’s IT powerhouse
The Covid-19 pandemic is turning out to be a big fork in the road for many companies. But what about the industry that keeps the lights on for them? Continue Reading
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News
21 May 2020
Coronavirus: Dutch work on XR technology shows promise in pandemic scenario
Netherlands leads the way in the development of extended reality technology, which could prove its value in a crisis such as Covid-19 Continue Reading
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News
20 May 2020
Serco exposes contact tracers’ data in email error
Error saw almost 300 coronavirus contact tracers’ email addresses made visible to other recipients of the message Continue Reading
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News
19 May 2020
Sodinokibi cyber criminals plot to ‘auction’ Madonna data
The cyber criminal gang behind a recent attack on a New York law firm is planning to auction off its client data, one person at a time Continue Reading
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News
15 May 2020
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
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E-Zine
14 May 2020
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
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News
01 May 2020
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
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News
24 Apr 2020
How likely are IT service providers to offer discounts in an unprecedented global recession?
As the global economy slows, businesses are trying to cut costs, with IT services one of the first stops – but what are the chances of a happy outcome? Continue Reading
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News
20 Apr 2020
Dutch organisations address business email compromise fraud
Public-private partnership in the Netherlands works to break the chains used by fraudsters to carry out BEC attacks Continue Reading
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News
16 Apr 2020
Coronavirus: India eases lockdown restrictions for IT service providers
Indian government allows IT services firms to bring half their staff back to delivery centres Continue Reading
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News
08 Apr 2020
IR35 private sector reforms: Blanket bans on limited company contractors hold firm despite deferral
While many firms have seized on the government’s decision to delay the roll-out of the IR35 reforms to rethink their approach, others are sticking by their decision to ban limited company IT contractors from their workforce Continue Reading
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News
24 Mar 2020
IR35 private sector reforms: Coronavirus prompts calls for fairer deal for self-employed IT workers
ContractorCalculator CEO Dave Chaplin says the deferral of the IR35 reforms should be upgraded to a cancellation, as the response of employers to coronavirus highlights glaring inequalities between treatment of inside IR35 contractors and employees Continue Reading
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News
19 Mar 2020
Loan charge under review: Cross-party group of MPs slams government inquiry into tax policy
The government’s independent inquiry into the loan charge disguised remuneration policy has been criticised in a report by a cross-party group of MPs for being ‘fundamentally flawed’ Continue Reading
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Feature
19 Mar 2020
How Oxeva delivered budget analytics with Pure Storage flash NAS
Web hosting provider Oxeva thought the consultants were mistaken and that what suited the web giants for analytics/big data wasn’t necessarily what was needed for enterprise customers Continue Reading
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News
18 Mar 2020
IR35 private sector reforms: Coronavirus prompts Treasury to delay start date to April 2021
HM Treasury confirms roll-out of IR35 reforms to the private sector will be halted for a year to ease the pressure on businesses in the face of the coronavirus outbreak Continue Reading
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News
11 Mar 2020
Fintech workers called to share their experiences of microaggression
Fintech workers were asked to share upsetting workplace incidents as part of an anonymous study Continue Reading
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News
11 Mar 2020
International Women’s Day provides platform for Nordic women in tech
International annual event reminds tech industry that work needs to be done to reduce inequality, but organisations must work towards this on a daily basis Continue Reading
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Opinion
03 Mar 2020
EC publishes approach to human and ethical implications of AI, but what will UK do?
The European Commission has published a guide to the EU’s approach to the human and ethical effects that artificial intelligence might bring Continue Reading
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News
02 Mar 2020
HMRC CEO denies it is ‘deliberately misleading’ public over loan scheme promoter arrests
HMRC CEO Jim Harra has “strongly rejected” claims made on social media by the Loan Charge All Party Parliamentary Group of cross-party MPs that it is “deliberately misleading” the public about its recent loan scheme-related enforcement activities Continue Reading
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News
27 Feb 2020
IR35 private sector reforms: Treasury review concludes no delay needed to April 2020 start date
Contracting groups describe HM Treasury’s highly anticipated review into the implementation of the IR35 reforms as “recklessly inadequate” as it concludes roll-out should proceed as planned Continue Reading
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News
26 Feb 2020
Thousands of UK entrepreneurs register businesses in Estonia since Brexit referendum
UK entrepreneurs are registering businesses in Estonia to make sure they can continue to trade freely in the EU Continue Reading
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News
24 Feb 2020
IR35 private sector reforms: First year of enforcement won't be ‘heavy-handed’, claims chancellor
New chancellor Rishi Sunak has moved to assure business leaders that HMRC will not be heavy-handed in enforcing the new IR35 rules Continue Reading
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News
10 Feb 2020
Two-thirds of workers at risk of robot-driven redundancy are unaware of the threat to jobs
People who do jobs that are most likely to be automated through technology are unaware and unprepared of the impending threat to their livelihoods, with Nesta calling on the government to do more to up-skill those at risk Continue Reading
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News
07 Feb 2020
IR35 private sector reforms: HMRC confirms last-minute tweak to incoming off-payroll rules
The government is rolling out a tweak to the IR35 private sector reforms that it claims will give businesses more time to prepare, but stakeholders are unconvinced Continue Reading
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News
31 Jan 2020
Estonian CIO gives UK IT professionals hope as Brexit removes rights
Tech chief says Estonia’s door is open to UK IT professionals if they want to continue enjoying an EU lifestyle Continue Reading
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News
17 Jan 2020
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
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News
15 Jan 2020
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
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Feature
23 Dec 2019
Top 10 storage deployment stories of 2019
Here are ComputerWeekly’s top 10 storage deployment stories for 2019, which see quite a move away from traditional SAN and NAS to hyper-converged, software-defined storage and object storage Continue Reading
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News
18 Dec 2019
How Saudi Arabia plans to become the Silicon Valley of the Middle East
With its young and educated population, Saudi Arabia has the potential to become a hub for tech innovation Continue Reading
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News
11 Dec 2019
How can CIOs in Europe turn innovation into a competitive advantage?
CIOs across Europe are under pressure to innovate to help businesses grow and must think differently as a result Continue Reading
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News
09 Dec 2019
Cloud computing surges in the UAE in 2019
Cloud computing take-up saw a significant acceleration in the Middle East throughout this year Continue Reading
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News
05 Dec 2019
Cyber Girls First volunteers encourage girls to think high-tech
More than 80 schoolgirls spent a day learning about computer hackers and rocket science – Cyber Girls First hopes they will become the next generation of technologists Continue Reading
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News
02 Dec 2019
Private sector warned off delaying IR35 reform prep as Conservative Party promises review
The Conservative Party has followed in the footsteps of the Liberal Democrats, The Labour Party and the Scottish National Party by committing to a review of the IR35 reforms Continue Reading
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News
28 Nov 2019
Finnish tech firm aims to create scalable general-purpose quantum computer
University spin-off is attempting to take quantum computing capabilities to multiple business sectors Continue Reading
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Opinion
26 Nov 2019
The super-resilient IT function
IT functions don’t have to continue taking the blame for organisational failures, they can take the lead in transforming the business Continue Reading
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News
26 Nov 2019
Revamped HMRC IR35 status checker tool still lacks key functionality, contractor groups claim
HMRC releases an updated version of its IR35 tax status checker tool, CEST, to accommodate the onset of the tax avoidance reforms being rolled out to the private sector, but contracting stakeholders claim it still lacks basic functionality Continue Reading
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News
20 Nov 2019
Mimecast blocked 99 billion suspicious emails in third quarter
Latest threat intelligence report reveals the scale of the threat posed by malicious emails, with the transport, legal and financial sectors hit hardest Continue Reading
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News
15 Nov 2019
Loan charge under review: The 20-year retroactive tax policy pushing IT contractors to the brink
Thousands of IT contractors are at risk of financial ruin as HMRC pursues them for tax it claims they owe on work they did up to two decades ago and were reimbursed for via loan remuneration schemes. Computer Weekly investigates Continue Reading
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Podcast
12 Nov 2019
Podcast: The Computer Weekly Downtime Upload – Episode 36
In this week’s episode of the Computer Weekly Downtime Upload podcast, the team pick talk about General Election tech, HMRC's “war” on IT contractors, diversity in STEM and how organisations can fight back against fake online reviews Continue Reading
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News
04 Nov 2019
IR35 tribunal rules HMRC wrong to pursue ex-DWP IT contractor for £240,000 in unpaid employment tax
HMRC has vowed to appeal against the outcome of an IR35 tribunal that ruled it should not be pursuing an ex-DWP and Accenture IT contractor for more than £240,000 in unpaid tax as his engagements classify him as self-employed Continue Reading
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News
31 Oct 2019
IR35 reforms: Concerns raised over private sector’s lack of preparedness for April 2020 start date
As the countdown towards the IR35 reforms coming into force in the private sector continues, research by recruitment firm Hays draws concerns over an apparent lack of awareness and preparation amongst enterprises Continue Reading
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News
29 Oct 2019
Reykjavik: An IT ecosystem beyond the ice
Iceland is a small island between Europe and the US, and that is one of several reasons why it is attracting tech startups to its capital Continue Reading
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News
17 Oct 2019
IR35 private sector preparation: What the banks’ take on the reforms means for IT contractors
With six months until IR35 tax avoidance reforms are extended to the private sector, a number of financial services firms are thinning out their contractor workforce – is that the way to ensure compliance? Continue Reading
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Podcast
14 Oct 2019
PCI DSS: Credit card data and what to expect from version 4.0
We preview October’s PCI Europe Community Meeting where attendees will discuss credit card payment data, with topics covered likely to include the cloud and point-to-point encryption Continue Reading
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News
07 Oct 2019
UKtech50 2019 – help us find the most influential people in UK technology
Computer Weekly’s annual search for the 50 most influential people in UK technology reaches its 10th anniversary – let us know who you would like to nominate for this year’s list Continue Reading
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News
18 Sep 2019
Emotet phishing botnet returns from summer vacation
The Emotet phishing trojan-turned-botnet is back in action after a three-and-a-half month break, say threat researchers Continue Reading
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Opinion
17 Sep 2019
The five software testing techniques every software developer should know about
Five simple testing techniques that will help developers test their software systematically, thoroughly and quickly Continue Reading
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News
17 Sep 2019
Ecuador citizens’ data breach holds lessons for enterprises
What caused the mass breach of Ecuadorian citizens’ data, and what can businesses learn from it? Continue Reading
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News
13 Sep 2019
Ditch hoodies and hackers to encourage diverse security recruitment
The cyber security industry needs to address a systemic image problem if it is to succeed in recruiting more diverse teams Continue Reading
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News
13 Sep 2019
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
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News
13 Sep 2019
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
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News
12 Sep 2019
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
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News
11 Sep 2019
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
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News
10 Sep 2019
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
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News
09 Sep 2019
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
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News
09 Sep 2019
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
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Feature
05 Sep 2019
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
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Opinion
04 Sep 2019
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
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News
23 Aug 2019
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
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News
22 Aug 2019
A helping hand from the Nordics in the eye of the GDPR storm
Nordic IT companies are well suited to supporting enterprises in their data protection projects, even though openness is more natural to them Continue Reading
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News
20 Aug 2019
Buyers think SD-WAN is too expensive and complicated
Building and maintaining an SD-WAN is perceived as a complicated endeavour, and the industry’s messages are not getting through, says a new report Continue Reading
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Feature
13 Aug 2019
What 5G applications will transform your business?
The UK’s mobile network operators have started work on their 5G roll-outs, but what applications are most likely to gain enterprise traction for the new standard? Continue Reading
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News
31 Jul 2019
Middle East businesses welcome Amazon Web Services region launch
Bahrain AWS region, with three datacentres, links Middle East to AWS's global network and will help to accelerate digital transformation Continue Reading
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News
15 Jul 2019
Organisations turn to AI in race against cyber attackers
Businesses are racing to automate their defences as hackers and nation states launch increasingly sophisticated cyber attacks Continue Reading
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News
12 Jul 2019
SD-WAN in play: How software-defined solves core business challenges
For foodservice business HMSHost International and chemical products firm Element Solutions, both customers of networking supplier Aryaka, software-defined wide area networking technology is proving its mettle when it comes to solving core business challenges. Find out how. Continue Reading
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News
11 Jul 2019
Draft finance bill dims hopes of private sector reprieve on April 2020 roll-out of IR35 reforms
Publication of the draft IR35 private sector reform legislation dims hopes the government might announce a delay to rolling out the changes in April 2020 Continue Reading
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Feature
11 Jul 2019
Securing your mobile estate – best practice for CIOs
The prevalence of mobile devices in every part of daily life is shaping how enterprises make choices about software and network infrastructure, but how do businesses go about securing these vast new endpoint estates? Continue Reading