Huge data breach. Personal details of 150 million MyFitnessPal app users stolen by hackers
TECHNOLOGY POWERING BUSINESS
March 2018
Microsoft Restructuring Sees Exit Of Veteran Terry Myerson
Another Nadella shakeup at Redmond sees focus on “intelligent cloud and intelligent edge”
Poor Broadband Hinders Education Of 1.2 Million Children
Digital poverty line. Poor broadband line speeds see 1.2 million children falling behind, survey finds
IT Life: Tim Thurman, Paysafe Group
Paysafe chief digital officer Tim Thurman talks about blockchain, the Internet of Things and why he loves cooking
Double Fibre Network Rupture Downs Online Services Across The UK
Two separate network breaks cut off access to data centres run by cloud firm Iomart, affecting a wide range of customers
Apple Updates Data Privacy Controls As GDPR Looms
New software adds privacy information to mobile gadgets, with web-based controls on the way for managing data
Cambridge Analytica Parent Worked For Ministry Of Defence
Parent firm SCL had 'routine access' to secret government information and worked with the Ministry of Defence on psychological operations, say whistleblower papers
Post WannaCry, NHS Seeks New Cyber-Security Deputy
Government seeks candidate to lead £200m programme to sharpen cyber security resilience of the NHS
TalkTalk Slated For Tardy Response To Website Flaw
How long? TalkTalk failed to fix cross-site scripting error until this week, despite being informed two years ago
Facebook Cuts Ties With Data Brokers
Damage limitation continues as social giant axes ties to data brokers after Cambridge Analytica scandal
Bristol To Develop Smart Operations Centre Data Services
The council wants to use data gathered by the new Smart City Operations Centre to improve urban services
Tesla Shares Plunge Amidst Federal Probes, Credit Downgrade
Two US federal agencies have sent teams to investigate a fatal California highway crash and the vehicle fire that followed
Samsung To Establish Massive AI Research Facility In France
The centre is to be Samsung's third biggest after those in South Korea and the US, with more than 100 researchers
Emergency Network Delayed By Agile Development Methods, MPs Told
Agile delivery techniques take longer but mean 'less risk', permanent secretary Philip Rutnam tells MPs
Facebook Tweaks Privacy Tools After Cambridge Analytica Scandal
As crisis continues, Facebook announces new privacy tools to give people 'more control' over their data
Government Sets 2020 Deadline For Universal Broadband
The government has given Ofcom two years to put its 10 Mbps Universal Service Obligation plan into place
Privacy International Warns About Police Access To Smartphone Data
Police should obtain a warrant to download a person's data held on a mobile device, campaign group warns
Huawei’s P20 Pro Smartphone Launches With Triple Camera
The Chinese firm's latest flagship has three rear-facing cameras and can see in the dark
Firefox Plug-In To Halt Facebook Data Scraping
Mozilla aims to halt Facebook's collection of data via its network of trackers across the web
Theresa May Surrenders BlackBerry For Apple iPhone
Prime Minister finally hands over beloved BlackBerry in favour of an Apple iPhone
Zuckerberg Declines To Appear Before Parliamentary Committee
Facebook founder refuses to attend parliament’s Digital, Culture, Media and Sport committee
Cyber-Attack Now Largest Threat For Swiss Banks
Swiss watchdog FINMA warn that cyber-attacks now pose the biggest risk facing banks in Switzerland
BT Admits ‘Whole Home Wi-Fi’ Mesh Connectivity Bugs
Users of BT's Whole Home Wi-Fi mesh network say the devices stopped working properly after BT released a firmware update
FCC Chairman Looks To Bar Federal Spending On Chinese Gear
FCC chair Ajit Pai said a new proposal will seek to block federal broadband subsidies from being spent on products from 'certain Chinese equipment providers'
France Looks To Move Into ‘Pole Position’ On AI
France's president has promised major investments into artificial intelligence, as the country looks to compete head-on with the US and China
Government Aims To Promote Cyber Security Exports
A new Cyber Security Export Strategy outlines plans to promote British expertise abroad
US Regulator To Probe Facebook Over Data Concerns
News of the latest investigation has wiped 5 percent off Facebook's share price, as the Cambridge Analytica data row continues to grow
Information Commissioner ‘Assessing’ Evidence From Cambridge Analytica Raid
Data protection enforcement officers searched the firm's premises into the early hours of Saturday morning as Facebook data probe continues
Cyber Banking Mastermind Arrested By Police In Spain
Mastermind suspected of stealing £870m (€1bn) arrested for Carbanak, Cobalt banking malware campaigns
Kim Dotcom Wins Damages From Human Rights Tribunal
Megaupload founder wins human rights court battle and promptly declares extradition case to US is over
Facebook Denies Secret Android Metadata Collection
Troubled social network forced to deny claims it surreptitiously collected Android call, text data for years
GitHub Inspection Discovers 4 Million Flaws In Public Code
Bug hunting. First inspection run of public code libraries reveals four million vulnerabilities
Report Alleges IBM Age Discrimination With Layoffs
Big Blue allegedly flouts rules against age bias, axing mostly older staff and moving jobs overseas
Outdated Cyber Defence Puts Organisations At Risk, Says Webroot
Adapt or die. Outdated cyber defences are putting organisations at risk from constantly changing online threats
Government Boosts Fintech Sector With Cryptocurrency Task Force
The government's first Fintech Sector Strategy aims to boost domestic financial tech companies ahead of Brexit
Data Regulator’s Cambridge Analytica Raid Delayed
The Information Commissioner's Office has had to wait for a warrant to search Cambridge Analytica's offices for controversial Facebook data after a judge adjourned the application
Google Ramps Up Cloud Security With New Features
The company may also be working on a blockchain-style digital ledger to further secure the Google Cloud
Webroot Finds Trickbot Banking Trojan Variant
Veteran banking trojan refreshed with ransomware capabilities if victims don't yield financial data
Best Buy Pulls Plug On Huawei Smartphones – Report
National security move as largest US electronics chain in America is to cease stocking phones from China's Huawei
Zuckerberg Apologises For ‘Mistakes’ In Data-sharing Fiasco
Facebook boss finally breaks radio silence over Cambridge Analytica data-sharing scandal
Salesforce’s £4.6bn MuleSoft Buy Underscores The Rise Of Data
Salesforce said it would use MuleSoft's application network platform to power its own Integration Cloud
Slingshot Malware ‘Was US Special Operations Spy Tool’
Malware discovered by Kaspersky Lab was developed by an elite group within the US military to spy on militants, officials say
AMD To Release Fixes For Shock Chip Flaws
Start-up CTS Labs went public with the bugs in AMD's chips last week, after giving the company less than a day's notice
EU Unveils ‘Interim’ Online Tax Proposals For Tech Giants
Tech tax. Facebook, Apple, Google, and Amazon to be impacted by proposed three percent tax on revenues
Kaspersky Lab Plots Swiss Data Centre To Allay Russia Concerns
Russian firm to open 'transparency centre' in Switzerland to handle US and European data
Cambridge Analytica CEO Suspended
Facebook data sharing row continues after boss of firm at centre of controversy is suspended
Norfolk Council Testing Alexa Devices For Social Care
The county wants to use voice-activated Amazon gadgets to help social care recipients stay independent
GrayKey Device ‘Can Unlock Latest iPhones’
Researchers argue the stand-alone device, aimed at US law enforcement, could present a security risk if it ends up in the wrong hands
IBM Targets Businesses With Watson Voice Assistant
IBM now plans for Watson to power digital assistant apps from retailers, banks, hotels, cars and home gadgets
UK Police Cyber Training Spend Revealed
Is that all? British police spent just £1.3m on cyber training for staff in the last three years
BlackBerry, Microsoft Sign Security Agreement
BlackBerry partners Microsoft to provide secure environment for Microsoft Office apps
Kim Dotcom Demands Obama Appearance In NZ Court
Megaupload founder files for personal appearance by former President Obama in a New Zealand courtroom
Information Commissioner Seeks Warrant In Cambridge Analytica Probe
The company allegedly exploited the personal data of 50 million Facebook users to sway the US presidential election
Microsoft Forces Use Of Edge Browser In Windows 10 Preview
A test feature would oblige users to open Edge in some situations, regardless of whether it's set as default
Camelot Warns Lottery Account Holders After ‘Low-Level’ Attack
Users have been warned to change their passwords after attackers accessed dozens of online lottery accounts
Micro Focus Shares Plummet Over Revenue Warning
Shares traded as much as 56 percent down amidst lower-than-expected turnover and the departure of chief executive Chris Tsu
Uber Suspends All Autonomous Vehicle Tests After Fatal Accident
Uber said it would temporarily stop all its autonomous vehicle testing while it investigates a fatal crash in Arizona
EE Tackles More Not-Spots To Extend 4G Coverage
Operator installs more mobile masts and upgrades 4,000 existing sites to further spread of its 4G network
US Lawmakers Take Facebook To Task Over Data Controversy
Lawmakers across the political spectrum have called for closer scrutiny of internet firms following allegations over the illegitimate use of Facebook users' data
Quarter Of IT Leaders Unsure Of Regulatory Compliance Needs
Managing compliance is above the pay-grade of humble IT management, Pulsant survey finds
Apple Begins MicroLED Screen Development – Report
Watch out Samsung, Sharp etc, as Apple reportedly begins development of MicroLED screens in the US
Google Renames Android Wear ‘Wear OS’ As Industry Mutates
Smartwatch sales have surged in recent months, but so far the main company to benefit hasn't been Google
Poisoned BitTorrent Client Hits 400,000 Windows PCs With Malware
Attackers used a counterfeit software update to launch the massive Windows malware campaign
New Intel Chips To Fix Meltdown, Spectre Flaws
Hardware changes in chips shipping later this year aim to replace performance-draining software patches
IoT Smart Devices Easy To Hack, Researchers Warn
A simple Google search can show how to hack IoT devices such as baby monitors, web cameras, doorbells, and thermostats
BlackBerry Extends John Chen’s Contract With $130m Sweetener
Nice little earner. Five year extension as CEO in return for compensation valued at close to $130 million
US Blames Russia For Energy Grid Attacks
United States officials have for the first time publicly blamed the Russian government for two years of cyber attacks on the US power grid
Stoke-On-Trent To Roll Out City-Wide Fibre Network
Stoke-On-Trent City Council has kicked off a fibre network pilot project as the government announces a voucher scheme for ultrafast connections
Crimeware ‘Cloud’ Takes Cues From Enterprise Services
The BlackTDS malware distribution network automates attacks with ease-of-use inspired by legitimate cloud platforms
Popular VPNs Leak User IP Data, Researchers Claim
Sensitive user IP data is being leaked by three popular VPNs, security researchers find
Perform is going global
We’re really excited to announce the launch of our inaugural Perform Europe at the W hotel Barcelona, May 22 – 24.
Microsoft Azure Expands Into Switzerland, Middle East
Along with expansion in Germany, Microsoft said it's planning new data centres for Switzerland and its first cloud facilities in the Middle East
EU, France Take Action Against ‘Abusive’ Google, Apple App Stores
The European Commission has drafted stricter rules for app stores, e-commerce sites and search engines, while French legal action targets 'abusive business practices'
ICO Investigates Gwent Police Over Data Breach
Data protection act violation? Welsh police force may be in trouble after it fails to notify people of potential data breach
WhatsApp Agrees Not To Share Data With Facebook… For Now
The messaging app maker has said it won't share data with its parent company, as the Information Commissioner concludes its privacy probe
Firefox 59 Speeds Loading Times, Improves Privacy
The new Firefox browser release builds on the speedy Quantum rendering engine that debuted in November - the 'most significant update since 1.0'
Quicker Raspberry Pi 3 Arrives With Model B+ Launch
The new kit features an updated board, a faster processor, gigabit Ethernet, better thermal management - and the same $35 price tag
Start-Up Warns Of AMD Chip Flaws In Unusual Publicity Campaign
A small security firm has warned of embarrassing flaws affecting AMD chips, giving the chipmaker only 24 hours to respond
Tech Industry Pays Tribute To Stephen Hawking
Rest in peace. The world has lost one of its finest minds with the passing of Professor Stephen Hawking
Chancellor Names Local Fibre Schemes In Spring Statement
Local full-fibre projects move forward, while Hammond also indicates the government may increase taxes on tech giants such as Google and Apple
Salesforce Targets SMB Market With Essentials Offering
Entry-level offering...simplified sales and customer service software that can scale as small businesses grow
Microsoft ‘To Open Two German Data Centres’
The software giant is reportedly set to open two data centres in Germany in a move that would keep customers' cloud data within the country
London Authority Seeks Views On Personal Data And ‘Smart London’
The public survey will look for opinions on how personal data should be exploited, in the wake of earlier data protection scandals
Microsoft Hit By 238 Discrimination, Harassment Complaints
Not just Google. Microsoft female staff have filed over two hundred complaints in six year period
Ofcom: 5G Auction Begins Next Week
After fighting off legal challenges from BT and Three, the regulator aims to sell off airwaves 'as quickly as possible', avoiding the delays that plagued earlier sales
US Blocks Broadcom-Qualcomm Deal, Citing National Security
The US president has banned what would have been the tech sector's biggest deal to date, citing fears it could give China an opening in the race to 5G
Microsoft Touts Progress Of Teams Chat App
Slack now has some competition, Microsoft claims, as usage of its enterprise comms app Teams nearly doubles
Government Confirms Delay For Online Porn Age Checks
The deadline for the government's age verification tool has been pushed back to the end of the year over security and privacy fears
‘Dereliction Of Duty’: Tech Firms Face Tougher Rules, London Mayor Warns
Twitter, Facebook and others must take on a 'stronger duty of care' or face tighter state controls, Sadiq Khan is to say at South by Southwest
Sophisticated ‘Slingshot’ Malware Remained Undetected For Years
Kaspersky Lab has uncovered a highly complex - and probably state-backed - malware strain that infects users via compromised routers
Sir Tim Berners-Lee Slams Tech Giants On Web’s 29th Birthday
The British web inventor has called for affordable internet access, while questioning the online control exercised by big tech players
Government Awards £41m To Help UK’s 5G Gain An Edge
Six small and medium-sized organisations are to trial next-generation wireless projects in healthcare, tourism, rural productivity and other areas
Day-Long Oculus Rift Outage ‘Due To Administrative Error’
Facebook's Oculus Rift VR headset was rendered unusable for more than 15 hours after the company forgot to renew a security certificate
Hampshire County Council Trials Amazon’s Alexa For Social Care
The council says smart speakers such as Amazon's Echo can improve clients' quality of life and cut councils' costs
US Lacks Co-ordination Against Russian Cyber Aggression, Admits Top General
Washington lacks 'effective' co-ordination against Russian cyber attacks, says NATO Supreme Commander
Gozi Banking Malware Returns, Backed By ‘Dark Cloud’ Botnet
The infamous Gozi banking Trojan is being used in targeted attacks deployed over surprisingly sophisticated botnet infrastructure, finds Cisco
Olympic Destroyer Malware Used False Flags – Kaspersky Lab
Malware that disrupted the Winter Olympic games was disguised to look as if the attack had come from the usual suspects, finds Kaspersky's probe
San Francisco Appeals Court To Hear Net Neutrality Challenge
Appeals court in San Francisco selected to hear legal challenges to FCC's decision to reverse net neutrality
Microsoft Builds AI Into Windows 10 With Spring Update
The Windows ML artificial intelligence platform will help Windows gadgets carry out machine learning tasks themselves, instead of sending them to the cloud
SAP Admits ‘Misconduct’ In South African Deals
An internal investigation of the German software giant's South African public sector deals has uncovered 'indications of misconduct'
EU Proposes Cross-Border Crowdfunding Regime In Fintech Push
The plan would create a single regulatory scheme across Europe for crowdfunding platforms, as the EU prepares for Brexit
Apple Audit Finds Serious Violations Among Suppliers
Expanded audit finds higher number of serious labour and environmental violations, but overall compliance has improved
Google Previews ‘Android P’ For Next-Generation Gadgets
The successor to Android 8.x 'Oreo' supports an iPhone X-style notch, along with improved indoor location, a new notification panel and more
US Senators Quiz Vendors Over Russian Access To Voting Machines
Have the Russians sneaked a peak at the source code used in e-voting machines, ask US Senators
Google Offers UK Free Phone Calls Via Home Speaker
Who needs a phone? Google offers free UK telephone calls via Home and Home Mini smart speakers
Vodafone, Three Face Ofcom ‘Throttling’ Investigation
The UK regulator has launched an inquiry into the 'traffic management practices' of Vodafone and Three amidst an ongoing debate over net neutrality
US Broadcom Probe Cites Fears China Could Dominate 5G
The US warns Broadcom's hostile takeover of Qualcomm could give China an opportunity to take over next-generation networking standards
US State Passes Law To Block FCC Net Neutrality Vote
More headaches for Aji Pai as Washington State passes law to stop ISPs offering two speed Internet access
Government Guidelines Aim To Secure Smart Devices
A draft code of practice would encourage manufacturers to remove default device passwords and make communications less easy to hack
BlackBerry Sues Facebook Over Instagram, WhatsApp Tech
Facebook's tools use technology and interface patents from the once-popular BlackBerry Messenger platform, claims the Canadian company's lawsuit
NATS To Develop Drone Air Traffic Control System
New systems to ensure no more near misses of drones and aircraft, and improved tracking of drone deliveries
Fintech Consortium To Tackle Cybersecurity Issues
A new consortium led by the World Economic Forum aims to bolster the financial industry's battle against a growing range of cyber threats
Google Chip Takes Aim At ‘Quantum Supremacy’
The 'Bristlecone' quantum chip may become the first to demonstrate quantum systems' theoretical performance edge over conventional supercomputers
PornHub Owner Unveils Age Verification Tool For The UK
Online smut control? AgeID will be help Brits comply with the Digital Economy Act 2017 from April
Google Patches ‘Critical’ Android Flaws
Google has patched 11 serious bugs in the platform, plus dozens of less severe security issues
Microsoft Customises Cloud, Offline Azure Services For US Government
Microsoft has released a government edition of the Microsoft 365 bundle, with Azure Stack set to link to the Azure Government cloud
Data Centre Heists: Raiders Steal Hundreds Of Bitcoin-Mining Servers In Iceland
Eleven suspects have now been arrested in connection with the crime spree, the biggest in Iceland's history
Tech Giants Face EU Tax On ‘2 To 6 Percent Of Turnover’
A major change to the way the European Union taxes companies such as Google and Amazon is coming within 'weeks', says French economy minister
Government To Seek Post-Brexit EU Data Protection Agreement
Tech firms said they welcome the government's latest data protection plans, which could see an ongoing EU-level role for Britain's information commissioner
‘Evolutionary’ AI Tricks Classic Video Game Q*bert Into Delivering Points Overdrive
New research demonstrates evolutionary techniques may hold promise for training artificial intelligences of the future
Google Stung By Lawsuit Alleging Recruitment Bias
Workforce diversity at Google is under the spotlight again, as a former recruiter alleges bias against white and Asian men
Microchip Pays £7bn For Microsemi Amid Frenzied Start For Tech Deals
This year has seen the fastest start to tech mergers and acquisitions since 2000, the height of the dot-com bubble
Equifax Data Breach: Firm Confirms More Customer Data Stolen
Oh dear. Millions more customers have had their data compromised, Equifax confirms
High Court Urged To Force Urgent Changes To Surveillance Law
Campaigners want changes to Snooper's Charter in place by July after court found portions 'incompatible' with EU law
Data Governance Conference Europe – MDM Summit Europe 2018
GitHub Briefly Taken Offline In Largest-Ever DDoS Attack
The popular code-hosting site was taken offline for 10 minutes after being targeted by a massive 1.35Tbps DDoS attack
Facebook Says No Russian Interference In UK Brexit Vote
No evidence the Russians used social media to influence British vote to exit European Union, says Facebook
London Mayor Announces £7m Boost For Tech Skills Education
A new scheme backed by Bloomberg, Google and Amazon aims to improve diversity in the tech workforce
Banks Trade £22m Using Blockchain Platform
Sign of the future? Two banks have successfully completed a securities lending transaction using blockchain
US Government Contractor Cellebrite ‘Can Unlock Latest iPhones’
Even the most recent iOS gadgets and software may not be safe from prying eyes, according to claims by Israel-based Cellebrite
WhatsApp Yet To Resolve EU Data Sharing Concerns
Irish data regulator confirms WhatsApp has still not proposed measures to settle European data sharing concerns
Spotify Files To List Shares, Valuing Itself At More Than $23bn
The leading music streaming service admits it has stiff competition from the likes of Apple, Amazon and Google