Top IT stories this week: TalkTalk, Larry, and Microsoft's 'playful' Win 10 nag tactics
Our top seven stories from the past seven days. Now, what could be number one?
Truly it was a bad week for the unfortunate TalkTalk, with half of our most-read stories this week dedicated to the hacking of customers' details and the inept handling of its aftermath.
7. TalkTalk demonstrates that technology-inept CEOs are a potential liability
Could a key factor in the TalkTalk hack be that the CEO has no clue about technology - and what exactly is a "sequential attack" anyway?
6. RBS becomes largest ever Facebook At Work customer
The bank began to pilot the business version of the social network in July and aims to roll it out to 30,000 employees by the end of March 2016 before deploying it to all 100,000 employees by the end of next year.
5. Fifteen-year-old boy arrested over TalkTalk hack
A 15-year-old boy was arrested in Northern Ireland on Tuesday in connection with the TalkTalk cyber attack. The boy was arrested on suspicion of having commited crimes under the Computer Misuse Act, and was interviewed under caution at County Antrim police station.
The arrest belies claims made last week by TalkTalk CEO Dido Harding that the company had been attacked by "cyber jihadis", who had demanded a ransom of £80,000 in bitcoin.
4. Microsoft explains Windows 10 upgrade nags as 'playful, light approach to informing customers'
Following rising customer ire over its methods to "encourage" Windows 7 and 8 customers to embrace their free Windows 10 upgrade Microsoft explained its thought process.
"We're taking a playful, light approach to informing customers about the free upgrade offer for Windows 10 and providing helpful product information about why we think it is the most personal and most secure Windows version we've ever shipped," a Microsoft spokesperson told Computing.
But referring to the accusation from users that Microsoft is renaming and re-releasing Windows 10 components that download automatically in the background, the company remained tight-lipped. "We have nothing to share," was the spokesperson's reply.
3. Larry Ellison: We don't pay attention to SAP or IBM as they're nowhere to be seen in the cloud
Larry slags off competitors. We're shocked. Whatever next?
2. TalkTalk customers' bank details potentially compromised in 'sustained cyber-attack'
When the story broke TalkTalk had repeatedly denied reports that there was something seriously wrong at the telco, in spite of its website and other services having been down for two consecutive days. Eventually, though, they had to fess up, with managing director Tristia Harrison saying that it was possible that customer details may have been stolen in the attack.
"There is a chance that some of the following data has been compromised: names, addresses, date of birth, phone numbers, email addresses, TalkTalk account information, credit card details and/or bank details," she admitted.
1. TalkTalk cyber-attack - incompetence or an inside job?
Prior to the arrest of the 15-year-old boy, rumours swirled as to why TalkTalk had failed so spectacularly to keep its customer details safe. Was it a dastardly group of cyber criminals or could it, as one security expert suggested, have been an inside job by a disgruntled employee?
Neither, it would appear.