Healthcare and NHS IT

IT is becoming increasingly critical for healthcare delivery. Vital initiatives such as electronic medical records, patient administration systems and telehealth are receiving growing investment in the NHS and elsewhere. Key technologies such as mobile, tablets and cloud are also essential for improving the healthcare industry with digital healthcare technology. Read the latest news about NHS IT and find resources on the broader world of healthcare IT with the news, case studies and advice in this topic section.

News 16 Apr 2024
CISOs not yet convinced to invest in AI

CISOs say their eyes are fixed firmly on threats like ransomware and supply chain attacks, and while AI is becoming a threat that needs to be dealt with, it’s not yet an immediate spending priority Continue Reading
News 16 Apr 2024
NHS England scouts for national CCIO

The new national chief clinical informatics officer (CCIO) role comes with a salary offer of up to £146,000 and includes leading NHS England’s Transformation Directorates digital clinical informatics team Continue Reading

News 16 Apr 2024

CISOs not yet convinced to invest in AI

CISOs say their eyes are fixed firmly on threats like ransomware and supply chain attacks, and while AI is becoming a threat that needs to be dealt with, it’s not yet an immediate spending priority Continue Reading
News 16 Apr 2024

NHS England scouts for national CCIO

The new national chief clinical informatics officer (CCIO) role comes with a salary offer of up to £146,000 and includes leading NHS England’s Transformation Directorates digital clinical informatics team Continue Reading
Opinion 15 Apr 2024

Threat actors look to stolen credentials

In 2023, threat actors wrought havoc on corporate networks by logging in through valid accounts, and as bad actors begin investing in AI to help them identify priority targets, this problem is only expected to worsen in the future Continue Reading
News 10 Apr 2024

IR35: HMRC rushing to restore CEST source code deleted from Github ‘in error’

HMRC has confirmed online repository containing code underpinning maligned IR35 status-checker tool has been taken down ‘in error’ by team working to decommission legacy platform that used to host platform Continue Reading
News 09 Apr 2024

UK plc failing on multiple cyber measures

Government report shows 50% of businesses and 32% of charities reported a cyber attack or breach in the past 12 months and organisations across the UK are failing on multiple cyber measures Continue Reading
News 09 Apr 2024

Labour promises digital red book and smartphones for children with diabetes

The Labour Party has announced plans for children’s health records to be put on parents’ NHS App, while also partnering with Virgin Media O2 to give children with type 1 diabetes smartphones to check their blood sugar Continue Reading
News 08 Apr 2024

UK vet network CVS hit by cyber attack

Operations at UK-based veterinary network CVS have been disrupted by a cyber incident of an as-yet undisclosed nature Continue Reading
News 05 Apr 2024

UKtech50 2024 – help us find the most influential people in UK IT

Computer Weekly’s annual search for the 50 most influential people in UK IT is on – let us know who you would like to nominate for this year's list Continue Reading
Opinion 03 Apr 2024

Security Think Tank: Banning ransomware payments is not so straightforward

In the wake of renewed calls for lawmakers to consider enacting legal bans on ransomware payments, the Computer Weekly Security Think Tank weighs in to share their thoughts on how to tackle the scourge for good. Continue Reading
News 03 Apr 2024

RDP abused in over 90% of cyber attacks, Sophos finds

Threat actors continue to see great success using simple, tried and tested methods, and many defenders are failing to do the basics Continue Reading
Opinion 02 Apr 2024

Security Think Tank: How to tackle the scourge of ransomware?

In the wake of renewed calls for lawmakers to consider enacting legal bans on ransomware payments, the Computer Weekly Security Think Tank weighs in to share their thoughts on how to tackle the scourge for good. Continue Reading
Opinion 01 Apr 2024

Security Think Tank: Ransomware lessons from the armed forces

In the wake of renewed calls for lawmakers to consider enacting legal bans on ransomware payments, the Computer Weekly Security Think Tank weighs in to share their thoughts on how to tackle the scourge for good. Continue Reading
News 29 Mar 2024

Organisations getting better at spotting identity fraud

As the barriers to committing identity fraud continue to drop, organisations should consider more sophisticated technical measures to successfully up their game, according to a report Continue Reading
News 27 Mar 2024

Ransomware gang leaks data stolen from Scottish NHS board

Data stolen from an earlier attack on NHS Dumfries and Galloway has been leaked by a ransomware gang that claims to be in possession of much more content Continue Reading
News 27 Mar 2024

HMRC’s online IR35 status checker tool CEST not updated in five years, FOI confirms

Despite a previous pledge that HMRC’s IR35 online status checker tool will be continually updated as employment cases and tribunals occur, a freedom of information request confirms CEST has not been updated since October 2019 Continue Reading
News 27 Mar 2024

Cyber spies, not cyber criminals, behind most zero-day exploitation

Analysis from Google has found that zero-day vulnerabilities are much more heavily exploited for espionage purposes than for financially motivated cyber crime Continue Reading
News 26 Mar 2024

Shareholders win when businesses do better at cyber

The more advanced a company’s cyber security performance, and the more engaged its board is with security issues, the greater the return for shareholders, a report has found Continue Reading
News 26 Mar 2024

NHS SBS launches digital advisory framework

The Digital Health Advisory Services framework agreement aims to provide a way for health and care organisations to get help with digital transformation and skills Continue Reading
News 21 Mar 2024

NCSC guidance to help CEOs work through cyber incidents

The NCSC has published in-depth guidance on how business leaders should respond to a cyber attack or data breach. Learn about some of the key steps you will need to follow Continue Reading
News 21 Mar 2024

IR35 reforms: IT contractors urged to reclaim tax they may have overpaid in off-payroll settlements

With the government set to fix the settlements offset issue from 6 April, contractor insurance firm Qdos is urging individuals who worked for non-compliant IR35 organisations to see if they can reclaim any money they have overpaid Continue Reading
News 20 Mar 2024

UK’s cyber resilience stagnates as more fall victim to attacks

The government is calling on businesses to ramp up their cyber protections as study shows improvements to resilience are stagnating amid an ever-growing volume of attacks Continue Reading
News 18 Mar 2024

The Security Interviews: Alex Yampolskiy, SecurityScorecard

Alex Yampolskiy conceived the idea for risk management specialist SecurityScorecard after getting stung by a SaaS supplier that was being cavalier with its customer data. He tells his story to Computer Weekly Continue Reading
News 18 Mar 2024

CCS slammed over errors in G-Cloud 14 data protection documents

The government’s procurement arm is under fire again, after prospective suppliers to the G-Cloud 14 framework raised complaints about CCS’s quality control procedures Continue Reading
News 18 Mar 2024

Liverpool to get AI hub for health and social care

Artificial intelligence platform set to use NHS Integrated Care System Data to make better and decisions for patients in Liverpool, with a focus on mental health services Continue Reading
News 17 Mar 2024

UK’s AI ambitions pointless while cyber security is still neglected

The UK’s AI ambitions may be at considerable risk without stronger cyber defences across the private and public sectors Continue Reading
News 15 Mar 2024

NHS to extend use of AI to cut waiting times and missed appointments

Following a pilot of AI software predicting likely missed appointments at Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust, 10 further trusts will deploy the system Continue Reading
News 14 Mar 2024

Questions raised over NHS deletion of thousands of emails during whistleblower tribunal

NHS doctor Chris Day has won the right to challenge a tribunal ruling that found no procedural unfairness when an NHS trust deleted thousands of emails. The case that raises wider questions about the use of electronic evidence Continue Reading
News 13 Mar 2024

Microsoft AI-powered cyber service to go live in April

After a year being previewed by beta customers, Microsoft’s much vaunted Copilot for Security service is about to go on general release, promising time savings and improved accuracy for hard-pressed security pros Continue Reading
News 12 Mar 2024

March Patch Tuesday throws up two critical Hyper-V flaws

Two critical vulnerabilities in Windows Hyper-V stand out on an otherwise unremarkable Patch Tuesday Continue Reading
News 12 Mar 2024

Labour will use AI to grow the economy by 0.5%, says shadow tech secretary Peter Kyle

The Labour Party plans to promote the use of artificial intelligence in small businesses and across government to grow the economy, but transparency and building trust with the public will be key Continue Reading
News 11 Mar 2024

Government not facing up to CNI cyber risks, committee warns

The Joint Committee on the National Security Strategy has accused the government of burying its head in the sand over the cyber threat to UK critical infrastructure Continue Reading
Blog Post 07 Mar 2024

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt gives the magic technology tree a shake

During her ill-fated 2017 general election campaign, prime minister Theresa May told an audience of voters on the BBC that there was no “magic money tree that we can shake to get everything we ... Continue Reading
News 06 Mar 2024

Chancellor targets £36bn productivity boost with £4.2bn digital transformation plan

In his 2024 spring budget, Jeremy Hunt announced funding to use tech to improve productivity across the public sector, with most of the cash focused on digital initiatives in the NHS Continue Reading
News 05 Mar 2024

ALPHV/BlackCat gang vanishes amid ransomware ‘turmoil’

Mystery surrounds the apparent disappearance of the ALPHV/BlackCat cyber crime gang amid reports that a prominent US victim paid a $22m ransom Continue Reading
News 05 Mar 2024

Banning ransomware payments back on the agenda

The idea of banning ransomware payments to cyber criminals is back on the agenda, with former NCSC chief Ciaran Martin arguing that tougher measures need to be taken Continue Reading
News 04 Mar 2024

Jeremy Hunt to deliver tech-laden Spring Budget

The chancellor’s 2024 Budget will cover a £800m funding package to boost public sector productivity through technology, with cash for police tech, the justice system transformation programme and the NHS Continue Reading
News 04 Mar 2024

G-Cloud 14 insurance requirements ‘under review’ by CCS after SME supplier backlash

CCS has confirmed to Computer Weekly the insurance requirements for Lots 1 to 3 of the G-Cloud 14 framework are under review, as SME-focused minister pledges to investigate matter Continue Reading
Feature 01 Mar 2024

Ivanti vulnerabilities explained: Everything you need to know

A series of vulnerabilities in Ivanti products have caused concern worldwide. Delve into some of the key issues arising from the Ivanti disclosures, looking at the vulnerabilities and their impact, what affected users should do, and learn about new developments Continue Reading
News 28 Feb 2024

New version of ALPHV/BlackCat ransomware hits victims

An updated version of the ALPHV/BlackCat ransomware has been spotted in the wild amid a series of attacks on American healthcare providers, prompting a new alert from the authorities Continue Reading
News 28 Feb 2024

75% of third-party breaches target software, IT supply chains

Data drawn from SecurityScorecard’s telemetry reveals how supply chain breaches are becoming a weapon of choice for threat actors Continue Reading
News 28 Feb 2024

Users love their cyber teams, but find them frustrating

Despite strong support for security teams, a good number of ordinary workers see them as obstructive to business goals, and would like to see them operate more transparently Continue Reading
News 28 Feb 2024

CCS accused of pricing G-Cloud SMEs out of framework with £20m insurance cover hike

The Crown Commercial Service’s commitment to helping SMEs win more government cloud deals is being called into question again, following news that it is planning to up the insurance cover required by G-Cloud 14 suppliers by £20m Continue Reading
News 27 Feb 2024

Black Basta and Bl00dy ransomware gangs exploiting ConnectWise vulns

More ransomware gangs have been observed exploiting two dangerous vulnerabilities in ConnectWise ScreenConnect software, prompting new warnings for users to get patching Continue Reading
News 27 Feb 2024

VulnCheck bug listing to help track new threats quicker

Exploit intelligence firm VulnCheck launches a proprietary Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalogue in hopes of improving end-user access to intel on emerging threats and reaching those that the likes of CISA do not Continue Reading
News 27 Feb 2024

Majority of UK employees ‘willingly gamble’ with security

Human-centric threats originating from employees continue to damage organisations both financially and reputationally, according to a report Continue Reading
News 27 Feb 2024

Cozy Bear and other APTs changing tack as cloud adoption increases

A change in APT tactics has been observed resulting from greater adoption of cloud-based services, according to the NCSC Continue Reading
News 23 Feb 2024

ConnectWise users see cyber attacks surge, including ransomware

ConnectWise ScreenConnect users who have yet to patch against a critical vulnerability are now being targeted by a barrage of cyber attacks, including ransomware Continue Reading
Opinion 23 Feb 2024

Navigating digital transformation in healthcare

Beverley Bryant, The CDIO of of Guy’s and St Thomas NHS Foundation Trust and King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, shares insights from their joint digital transformation journey: the Apollo project Continue Reading
Opinion 22 Feb 2024

How can we adapt work practices to protect CISO mental health?

Cyber leaders are finding it harder to keep up with security requirements than just two years ago, risking a domino effect of dissatisfaction, burnout and eventually, resignation Continue Reading
News 22 Feb 2024

Mid and South Essex sets out plans for shared care record

The Essex-based integrated care system is developing a shared care record for health and social care, aiming to go live in spring 2024 Continue Reading
News 21 Feb 2024

CVE volumes set to increase 25% this year

The number of reported Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures is likely to grow significantly in 2024, hitting a new high of almost 35,000, according to Coalition, a cyber insurance specialist Continue Reading
News 16 Feb 2024

Government awards £10m to medtech developers

The government has awarded £10m to eight technology companies to create innovative medical devices and bring them to market Continue Reading
News 14 Feb 2024

Microsoft patches two zero-days for Valentine’s Day

Two security feature bypasses impacting Microsoft SmartScreen are on the February Patch Tuesday docket, among more than 70 issues Continue Reading
News 13 Feb 2024

Hunter-killer malware volumes seen surging

Latest Picus Security report on malware tactics, techniques and procedures reveals an increasing focus on disabling security defences Continue Reading
News 13 Feb 2024

DSIT pumps £100m into biotech projects

The funding will be given to six engineering biology mission hubs, aiming to pioneer new technologies and address global challenges Continue Reading
News 13 Feb 2024

NHS England awards £1m for wireless tech trials

The funding is split between seven trusts, which will be running wireless technology pilots aimed at improving patient care and improving connectivity Continue Reading
News 09 Feb 2024

Europe carves out niche in quantum computing

As the US, China and Europe accelerate investment in quantum computing, Europe is beginning to develop its own unique position in the fledgling global ecosystem Continue Reading
News 08 Feb 2024

University Hospital of Wales launches digital cardiology test requests

The Cardiff-based hospital is switching from a paper-based system to a digital service, which is integrated into the Welsh Clinical Portal Continue Reading
News 07 Feb 2024

NCSC warns CNI operators over ‘living-off-the-land’ attacks

Malicious, state-backed actors may well be lurking in the UK’s most critical networks right now, and their operators may not even know until it is too late, warn the NCSC and its partners Continue Reading
Opinion 07 Feb 2024

Security Think Tank: The phishing forecast for 2024

Egress' Jack Chapman and James Dyer explore how phishing attacks are set to grow in their scope and sophistication this year, with generative AI playing a big role Continue Reading
News 06 Feb 2024

UK’s McPartland Cyber Review to probe trust in technology

The UK government has launched a cyber security review that will investigate how best to give businesses the confidence they need to use new technologies Continue Reading
E-Zine 06 Feb 2024

Generative AI – an early adopter’s experience

In this week’s Computer Weekly, as IT leaders start to implement GenAI in their organisations, we look at the experiences of one early adopter. Our latest buyer’s guide examines the key security trends for 2024. And Microsoft’s head of identity talks about a future without passwords. Read the issue now. Continue Reading
News 25 Jan 2024

Bugcrowd sees surge in vulnerability submissions, led by public sector

Crowdsourced vulnerability disclosure and bug bounty platform Bugcrowd says it saw a 151% uptick in submissions related to government and public sector organisations in 2023 Continue Reading
News 25 Jan 2024

Tony Blair Institute calls for creation of NHS Data Trust

The NHS would have a majority stake in the data trust, with additional investment from private sector companies, harnessing anonymised data as a competitive asset, proposes the think thank Continue Reading
News 24 Jan 2024

WebKit vulnerability sparks Apple’s first major security update of 2024

A zero-day in the open source WebKit browser engine that powers Safari has sparked Apple’s first major patch roll-out of the new year Continue Reading
News 24 Jan 2024

AI will heighten global ransomware threat, says NCSC

The benefits of artificial intelligence to cyber criminals being well-known, the NCSC now assesses it’s likely AI will soon be widely used to enhance ransomware attacks Continue Reading
News 23 Jan 2024

Treat cyber risk like financial or legal issue, says UK government

UK government and NCSC launch proposed code of practice on cyber security governance to help directors and business leaders toughen their defences Continue Reading
News 23 Jan 2024

Leak of 26 billion records may prove to be ‘mother of all breaches’

The discovery of a dataset comprising 26 billion stolen records may prove to be record-breaking in both its size and the danger it poses to ordinary people Continue Reading
Feature 17 Jan 2024

Biometric revolution in IAM: The future of authentication

The IAM landscape is experiencing profound change thanks to the advent of biometrics. Learn about the latest advantages and key benefits of biometrics in identity Continue Reading
Opinion 16 Jan 2024

The human toll of ransomware: how IT pros suffer during incidents

Any ransomware attack causes significant challenges for a business or organisation going through such incident. But ransomware attacks also have tremendous impact on the staff – especially IT teams – working on mitigating the attack’s effect Continue Reading
News 15 Jan 2024

IT failure caused weekend chaos at Sussex hospitals

The critical incident at University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust, caused by IT issues on Sunday night, has now been resolved Continue Reading
News 11 Jan 2024

MHRA launches roadmap for medtech regulations

The roadmap covers plans for regulations on medical technologies, including implantable devices, artificial intelligence and healthcare software, with core elements of a new framework to be in place by 2025 Continue Reading
News 11 Jan 2024

Cisco fixes high-impact flaw in unified comms platform

Cisco unified comms customers are urged to patch a critical vulnerability in Unity Connection, a messaging and voicemail product Continue Reading
News 10 Jan 2024

Windows Kerberos, Hyper-V vulns among January Patch Tuesday bugs

Microsoft starts 2024 right with another slimline Patch Tuesday drop, but there are some critical vulns to be alert to, including a number of man-in-the-middle attack vectors Continue Reading
News 09 Jan 2024

Babuk Tortilla ransomware decryptor made available

A joint effort between Cisco Talos, Avast and the Dutch police will bring relief to many victims of a variant of the Babuk ransomware known as Tortilla Continue Reading
News 09 Jan 2024

Wales makes headway with electronic prescriptions roll-out

Electronic prescribing will be deployed in both primary and secondary care, while a shared medicines record will be live by the end of March 2024 Continue Reading
News 08 Jan 2024

Government to push NHS roll-out of digital pathology

Department for Health and Social Care wants to increase use of digital pathology in cancer screening, following a recommendation by the UK National Screening Committee Continue Reading
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
Feature 28 Dec 2023

Decoding zero trust in endpoint security: A practical guide for CISOs

The exponential increase in endpoints has vastly expanded the average organisation’s attack surface – address this by applying zero-trust best practice to endpoints Continue Reading
News 21 Dec 2023

Top 10 cyber crime stories of 2023

Ransomware gangs dominated the cyber criminal underworld in 2023, a year that will prove notable for significant evolutionary trends in their tactics Continue Reading
Opinion 20 Dec 2023

Beyond the office walls: Safeguarding remote workers from attack

Remote working has enabled people to work from almost anywhere but has piled pressure on cyber pros. Three years after Covid, how are best practices evolving and what can we expect going forward? Continue Reading
Opinion 20 Dec 2023

Zero-trust principles: Your gateway to securing remote workers

Remote working has enabled people to work from almost anywhere but has piled pressure on cyber pros. Three years after Covid, how are best practices evolving and what can we expect going forward? Continue Reading
Opinion 20 Dec 2023

Evolving best practice: What next for securing remote work?

Remote working has enabled people to work from almost anywhere but has piled pressure on cyber pros. Three years after Covid, how are best practices evolving and what can we expect going forward? Continue Reading
News 20 Dec 2023

ALPHV/BlackCat operation down, but maybe not out

Multinational law enforcement has targeted the operations of the notorious ALPHV/BlackCat cyber extortion gang, but the group’s members appear to remain defiant Continue Reading
Feature 20 Dec 2023

Levelling the playing field: Could a UK cloud strategy weaken the hold of the hyperscalers?

Over time, global hyperscale has taken a majority share of the UK market. How best could the government respond to Ofcom’s review to sustain local industry while best serving customers? Continue Reading
News 20 Dec 2023

Top 10 NHS IT stories of 2023

In the year we said goodbye to NHS Digital, the NHS has made some serious strides in digitising the health service, but many challenges remain. We look back at the stories that made the headlines in 2023 Continue Reading
Opinion 19 Dec 2023

Security Think Tank: Testing to improve remote worker security

Remote working has enabled people to work from almost anywhere but has piled pressure on cyber pros. Three years after Covid, how are best practices evolving and what can we expect going forward? Continue Reading
News 19 Dec 2023

Top 10 information management stories of 2023

Generative AI was inescapable as the leading theme of the information management stories of 2023 gathered here. But also selected are pieces about data and healthcare, and the inexorable rise of the CDO Continue Reading
Opinion 19 Dec 2023

Security Think Tank: Anytime, anywhere access is achievable

Remote working has enabled people to work from almost anywhere but has piled pressure on cyber pros. Three years after Covid, how are best practices evolving and what can we expect going forward? Continue Reading
Feature 18 Dec 2023

Interview: Ex-UKCloud chairman airs economic fears over growing dominance of US hyperscalers

More than a year has passed since UKCloud went into liquidation - its former chairman outlines his concerns about the economic impact of the UK cloud market floundering in the face of the US hyperscalers Continue Reading
News 13 Dec 2023

Microsoft’s Christmas present for cyber teams: no zero-days

Barely 30 vulnerabilities, and no zero-days, have been fixed in the final Patch Tuesday drop of 2023 Continue Reading
News 13 Dec 2023

Critical UK infrastructure a ‘hostage of fortune’ to ransomware

A lack of ransomware planning and preparedness at the highest levels of government is leaving UK operators or critical national infrastructure dangerously exposed, according to a Joint Committee report Continue Reading
News 05 Dec 2023

Majority of GPs now give patients online access to records

NHS England is close to reaching its target of having nine in 10 GPs offering patients access to their primary care records online Continue Reading
News 04 Dec 2023

Rhysida ransomware gang hits hospital holding royal family’s data

Ransomware gang boasts of having stolen data on the royal family in an attack on a private London hospital Continue Reading
News 01 Dec 2023

The Security Interviews: Mark McClain, SailPoint Technologies

SailPoint founder and CEO Mark McClain reflects on how the concept of identity has evolved over the past 20 years, and points to rapid evolution still to come Continue Reading
News 27 Nov 2023

India's Hexaware creates hundreds of jobs in UK

Hexaware opens IT services operation in Birmingham, with a plan to recruit 250 people in the region by 2025 Continue Reading
News 23 Nov 2023

Microsoft bans SME partners from selling its services via government's Cloud Compute 2 framework

Microsoft is under fire after documents leaked to Computer Weekly revealed it has banned reseller partners from selling its services via the government’s soon-to-be launched Cloud Compute 2 framework Continue Reading
News 22 Nov 2023

Palantir awarded NHS FDP data contract

NHS England has awarded a £330m, seven-year contract to US data specialist Palantir, prompting concerns from data privacy practitioners Continue Reading
News 22 Nov 2023

NHS England renews FutureNHS cloud-based collaboration hosting deal via G-Cloud for £1.67m

NHS England has renewed its long-standing hosting and support contract for the FutureNHS platform with SME cloud provider Kahootz Continue Reading
News 20 Nov 2023

NHS England hits 90% target for electronic patient records

Some 90% of trusts in NHS England have adopted electronic patient records in hospitals, ahead of government schedule Continue Reading