IT for retail and logistics

Roadchef exits IBM Global Services for direct supplier relationships

Motorway services firm Roadchef ended an outsourcing deal with IBM Global Services when its IT was up for refresh and moved to SAP Continue Reading

Wearable tech must comply with privacy laws, warns ICO

Wearable technology must comply with UK data privacy laws, warns the ICO Continue Reading

Google begins complying with European takedown requests

Google has begun removing search results in response to takedown requests from European citizens Continue Reading

Oracle set to boost retail business with $5bn Micros acquisition

Oracle is expected to acquire internet-enabled point-of sale-specialist Micros Continue Reading

YouTube to block indie labels unwilling to join paid service

YouTube plans to drop music videos from independent record labels unwilling to join its new subscription music service Continue Reading

Domino’s breach underlines value of personal data, say experts

The latest cyber breach to hit a high-profile brand underlines the high value of personal data, say security experts Continue Reading

Travel group Expedia aims to predict your holiday plans

Travel group Expedia is developing technology that will predict the needs of its customers before they call about their travel plans Continue Reading

Microsoft admits running out of IP addresses for Azure

Microsoft has assured US Azure customers data remains in the US, despite running out of US-registered IP addresses at times Continue Reading

EE drives mobile phone deals with CRM software implementation

Mobile phone operator Everything Everywhere claims a 400% increase in phone deals after rolling out customer relationship management software Continue Reading

IT departments unprepared for internet of things

Only 41% of IT professionals are working on projects to prepare their business for the internet of things Continue Reading

Turing Test 2014 marks historic milestone in artificial intelligence

A computer program has made history by passing the artificial intelligence test set by computer science pioneer Alan Turing Continue Reading

Microsoft retaliates to China’s Windows 8 spying claims

Microsoft has launched a social media campaign against China’s claims that Windows 8 is being used for US spying Continue Reading

Unilever appoints Jane Moran as global CIO

Former CIO of Thomson Reuters, Jane Moran, has joined Unilever as its new global CIO Continue Reading

CIOs should 'leave innovation to marketing'

CIOs should focus on managing the technical infrastructure and leave innovation to other parts of the business – conclusion of a major study. Continue Reading

Cyber threats hiding in plain sight, says Palo Alto Networks

Cyber attackers exploit commonly used business applications to bypass security controls, research shows Continue Reading

UK shoe retailer Office hit by data breach

Data breach at UK shoe retailer Office prompts calls for online firms to beef up security around customer details Continue Reading

IT supplier insolvencies fall for first time as economy recovers

Technology companies have reached a turning point as insolvencies fall for the first time in 2014 Continue Reading

Google launches right-to-be-forgotten application form

Google has introduced an online application form for Europeans who want personal data to be removed from online search results Continue Reading

Targeting the digital customer

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we go behind the scenes of John Lewis’s £40m e-commerce transformation plan to find out how to target the digital customer. Starbucks’ European CIO talks about the coffee chain’s IT strategy. And we evaluate three big suppliers’ plans for virtualised networking. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Android Outlook app has privacy issues, warn researchers

Microsoft’s Outlook.com app for Android is exposing users' data, warn security researchers Continue Reading

eBay under fire over handling of data breach

eBay is coming under increasing criticism over its handling of the data breach that exposed millions of user records Continue Reading

eBay reveals major security breach and urges users to change passwords

eBay has revealed it was hit by a major cyber attack earlier this year, and is urging users to change their site passwords. Continue Reading

US cyber criminal jailed for 20 years

US authorities have jailed a cyber criminal for 20 years, for trading in stolen credit cards and identities Continue Reading

Internet of things security is relevant to business, says researcher

Internet of things is relevant to enterprise information security professionals, says researcher Continue Reading

Minnesota passes mobile kill switch law to stop theft

Minnesota has become the first US state to introduce legislation aimed at reducing the theft of smartphones Continue Reading

Net neutrality under threat from US plan

The US telecoms regulator has approved proposals that opponents believe will quash the principle of net neutrality Continue Reading

Orange data breach underlines need for encryption, say experts

The theft of 1.3 million customer records from Orange, France underlines the need for encryption, say experts Continue Reading

Internet privacy could thwart data security, warns expert

Steps to improve online privacy could thwart data security, warns security expert Hugh Thompson Continue Reading

CIO interview: Robert Teagle, European IT director, Starbucks Coffee

Robert Teagle leads IT across the 30 markets that Starbucks owns and operates in Europe, the Middle East and Africa Continue Reading

City University London launches data science and cyber security courses

City University London will this year begin its first post-graduate courses in data science and cybersecurity. Continue Reading

Infosec 2014: Threat knowledge is key to cyber security, say experts

Business should improve awareness of cyber risks to stay ahead of criminals, say experts Continue Reading

Software developers suffer as IT companies endure rising insolvencies

Increase in the number of IT insolvencies expected as the economy improves Continue Reading

Case study: How big data powers the eBay customer journey

With 50TB of machine-generated data produced daily and the need to process 100PB of data, eBay has an astronomic data challenge Continue Reading

UK and Ireland cyber attacks up 300% in 2013, says FireEye

UK and Ireland enterprises were hit by an average of more than 70 new infections a day in 2013, a report shows Continue Reading

Cyber threat detection paramount, says SANS fellow

Cyber threat prevention is ideal, but detection is a must, says Eric Cole, SANS Institute fellow Continue Reading

Heartbleed prompts tech firms to pledge open-source support

Top tech firms have joined forces to support open-source software to help prevent future bugs like Heartbleed Continue Reading

Facebook reports strong quarter driven by mobile ads

Facebook has beaten analyst expectations with first-quarter profits of $642m and revenues of $2.5bn, up 72% Continue Reading

Are retailers using data analytics to their advantage?

Computer Weekly looks at the challenges the retail sector faces in taking advantage of data analysis Continue Reading

Endless aisle solution helps Crocs cope with small retail space

Footwear retailer Crocs has implemented an endless aisle solution in its 200-plus stores in the US which helps overcome small store space Continue Reading

Microsoft halts Windows 8.1 update for businesses due to bug

Microsoft has suspended the Windows 8.1 update for business users because of a bug. Continue Reading

TCG releases TPM 2 specification for improved security

The Trusted Computing Group has published an updated specification for the Trusted Platform Module Continue Reading

Workday sees opportunity for cloud financial management in Europe

Workday plans to push cloud finance and accounting services to enterprise in Europe, but observers say its background in HR technology may prove an obstacle Continue Reading

Haatch and Eccomplished launch retail tech startup investor forum

Retail technology accelerator Eccomplished and digital innovative and investment hub Haatch have launched an investment forum for retail technology startups Continue Reading

John Lewis and Waitrose move to Google Apps for collaboration

John Lewis and Waitrose have adopted Google Apps for sharing ideas, managing information and receiving real-time updates on the business Continue Reading

Study alleges deeper NSA influence on RSA

RSA adopted a second NSA-developed encryption tool, increasing the agency's spying capabilities, a study claims Continue Reading

UK update to copyright law imminent

The UK is to update its 1988 copyright law for the digital age in line with a nearly three-year-old review Continue Reading

M&S uses social media to make customers happy and drive sales

Marks and Spencer has been using social media to engage with its customers and has seen a significant increase in sales from its marketing campaigns Continue Reading

Google says government data requests are up 120% since 2009

Government requests for information about Google customers, have increased by 120% since 2009 Continue Reading

Security an unnecessary expense, say one in six techies

One in six IT professionals see security as an unnecessary expense, a study has revealed Continue Reading

Target data breach: Why UK business needs to pay attention

Late last year, US retailer Target was hit by one of the biggest data breaches in the industry's history. So what happened and why is it relevant to UK businesses? Continue Reading

Customer privacy an ongoing challenge, says Unilever

Unilever has set up a programme to address the continually evolving challenge of privacy issues relating to customer data Continue Reading

Pirated software malware to cost business $491bn in 2014, study shows

Malware deliberately loaded into pirated or counterfeit software is expected cost enterprises $491bn in 2014 Continue Reading

Firms urged to take tough action on Unix-based cyber attack

Security researchers have urged businesses to take action on a cyber criminal campaign that has seized control of 25,000+ Unix servers worldwide Continue Reading

Case study: How John Lewis conquered the web

An in-depth look at the inside story of John Lewis' £40m e-commerce strategy. Continue Reading

SMEs believes they are immune to cyber attack

Most SMEs believe they are not at real risk of cyber attack, a survey has revealed Continue Reading

Hacktivism: good or evil?

IT lawyer Dai Davis looks at the rise of hacktivism and its impact on business and international politics Continue Reading

Case study: Footwear company Deckers takes e-commerce sites into the cloud

The company behind shoe brands including Ugg Australia and Teva is using a cloud-based digital commerce platform to support global expansion Continue Reading

More than 162,000 WordPress sites used in DDoS attack

Security researchers have uncovered a DDoS attack that used more than 162,000 legitimate and unwitting WordPress websites Continue Reading

Tim Berners-Lee calls for internet users’ "bill of rights"

World Wide Web creator marks its 25th anniversary by calling for a “free, open and truly global internet” enshrined in a "bill of rights" Continue Reading

Dark web key enabler for cyber criminals, say McAfee researchers

The dark web is a key conduit for the malware industry to refine and distribute its products and services, say security researchers Continue Reading

John Lewis sees omni-channel growth in yearly results

John Lewis has seen growth from both its in-store, online and mobile channels across its John Lewis and Waitrose branches. Continue Reading

MasterCard and Syniverse launch geolocation card verification service

MasterCard and Syniverse have launched a number of mobile and payment services for mobile users to use while travelling abroad Continue Reading

Mobile responsible for 32% of online sales

One third of all UK online sales were made using a mobile device in the last quarter of 2013 Continue Reading

Microsoft takes aim at passwords

Microsoft says it is determined to solve the problem of ineffective authentication that relies on usernames and passwords Continue Reading

Tech-savvy Mothercare boss quits

Mothercare announces the resignation of chief executive Simon Calver Continue Reading

Employee mobiles expose firms to attack, says Webroot

Employees mobile devices expose companies to malicious applications and attacks, according to the latest mobile threat report from Webroot Continue Reading

UK firms see 1,000+ internal data breaches a day, study finds

Internal threats are not a high priority for UK firms despite more than 1,000 internal data breaches a day Continue Reading

NHS England puts patient database on hold

NHS England is to delay by six months the roll-out of its controversial Care.data scheme for sharing patient records through a central database Continue Reading

Cut Microsoft admin rights to mitigate 92% of threats, study shows

Removing Microsoft admin rights from employees mitigates 92% of critical vulnerabilities reported in 2013 Continue Reading

Online sales up 18% on last year

Post-Christmas online sales have exceeded forecasts, growing by 18% year on year Continue Reading

Poundland founder launches Poundshop online website

The co-founder of the bargain store Poundland is to launch a Poundshop online store Continue Reading

Rights groups call on White House to open privacy review

A coalition of 25 rights groups is calling for a 90-day US government review of big data and the future of privacy to be opened up to the public Continue Reading

UK among targets of 'Mask' advanced cyber espionage campaign

The UK has been hit more than 100 times in an advanced global cyber espionage campaign that has gone undetected for more than five years Continue Reading

Barclays bank leaks thousands of customer records

Regulators investigate Barclays after a whistleblower claims the bank leaked 27,000 customer records Continue Reading

UK critical infrastructure at risk of cyber attack, says IET report

UK critical national infrastructure is at risk of cyber attack, says a report by consultancy Atkins for the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) Continue Reading

B&Q owner Kingfisher dumps Raid rebuilds and saves 40% on disk with X-IO

Kingfisher puts X-IO drives behind IBM SVC storage virtualisation to save 40% disk costs and dispenses with Raid rebuilds in £120,000 project Continue Reading

NHS site malicious redirects are a warning to developers

A coding error that redirected NHS website visitors to malicious content should be a warning to developers, say security experts Continue Reading

Hackers access Yahoo Mail with stolen passwords

Yahoo has revealed that hackers have tried to access some Yahoo Mail accounts with stolen passwords Continue Reading

Amazon shares fall despite strong Q4 results

Amazon reported record revenues of $25.6bn in the fourth quarter of 2013, up 20% on the previous year, but below analyst expectations Continue Reading

Cyber security quest strong in UK, says Isaca

There is a strong interest in cyber security in the UK, says Rob Stroud, international president-elect for Isaca Continue Reading

New Snapchat security measure easily by-passed, says researcher

A new Snapchat security measure to verify users are human is easily by-passed, says researcher Continue Reading

US startup aims to turn tables on hackers

US startup Shape Security is turning the tables against hackers by using one of their own techniques against them Continue Reading

CERT-UK to drive international cyber security collaboration

The UK’s new national computer emergency response team (CERT-UK) is set to drive international cyber security collaboration once it becomes operational Continue Reading

Tesco signs deal with Verizon for ‘single global network’

Tesco will link its network across 12 countries over a single infrastructure provided by Verizon Continue Reading

Post Office seeks contractors for network and back-office work

The Post Office is looking for IT services firms to provide back-office IT applications and networking technologies in contracts worth hundreds of millions of pounds Continue Reading

Top European IT initiative to support business in 2014?

Expanding IT to support business growth is one of the biggest areas of focus for IT departments in 2014, so what does this mean? Continue Reading

Security Think Tank: Information security strategy should support the business

How should Edward Snowden's revelations about the NSA and GCHQ influence future information security strategies in the UK? Continue Reading

Infosec Skills, BCS announce winners of Cyber Security Challenge

Stuart Pringle, Simon Robinson and Robert Wyllie have won over £2,000 of training and a place in the semi-final of the current UK Cyber Security Challenge Continue Reading

Yahoo claims malicious ads under control

Yahoo says the situation is under control after its advertising network served up malware to thousands of visitors last week Continue Reading

FireEye acquires Mandiant in $1bn deal

Security firm FireEye has bought Mandiant in a deal worth just over $1bn Continue Reading

Facebook faces lawsuit over monitoring private messages

Facebook is facing a lawsuit that claims it scans the contents of private messages to profile the user’s online activity Continue Reading

Retailers must distinguish between smartphones and tablets, says IBM

Mobile and online shopping increased this Boxing Day, according to IBM’s Digital Analytics Benchmark. Continue Reading

Top 10 IT privacy stories of 2013

Stories related to whistleblower Edward Snowden’s revelations about internet mass surveillance programmes by the US and the UK have dominated this year Continue Reading

User acceptance testing needs real training, not just a short course

In spite of its importance, user acceptance testing (UAT) is often chaotic, problematic and ineffective Continue Reading

Research reveals widespread mobile app hacking

The top 100 paid Android apps and 56% of the top 100 paid Apple iOS apps have been hacked, research has revealed Continue Reading

Thirteen plead guilty to Anonymous DDoS attack on Paypal

Thirteen people have pleaded guilty to taking part in DDoS attacks on eBay’s Paypal, organised by the Anonymous hacker group in 2010 Continue Reading

Ransomware looks set to increase, warns Sophos

Cyber criminals are planning to produce new forms of ransomware on an unprecedented scale, according to IT security firm Sophos Continue Reading

Computer system failure delays hundreds of UK flights

Hundreds of flights at several UK airports were delayed or cancelled at the weekend because of a computer failure at National Air Traffic Services (NATS) Continue Reading

Realising the benefits of a totally connected world

The internet of things will transform everyday life, from managing airports’ passenger flow to heating buildings and caring for the elderly. Continue Reading

Skills and supporting businesses top Autumn Statement 2013 agenda

Supporting young businesses and fixing the skills gap was a recurring theme during today’s Autumn Statement in the House of Commons Continue Reading