News

IT for government and public sector

• March 18, 2024 18 Mar'24

  Government needs ‘realistic plan’ for adopting AI, says NAO

  Benefits of artificial intelligence in public sector will only be realised if government ensures overall programme for adoption is supported by realistic plan to tackle range of longstanding barriers

• March 17, 2024 17 Mar'24

  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

• March 15, 2024 15 Mar'24

  UK government calls on comms firms to limit installation of telegraph poles

  After public demonstrations, minister urges communications industry to ‘do whatever it takes’ to share existing infrastructure to avoid ‘inappropriately or unnecessarily throwing up’ new telegraph poles

• March 15, 2024 15 Mar'24

  London Mayor’s Office reprimanded over data breach

  The London Mayor’s Office has been reprimanded by the ICO after an internal error exposed the data of people who had made complaints against the Metropolitan Police

• March 15, 2024 15 Mar'24

  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

• March 15, 2024 15 Mar'24

  Government pumps £1.1bn into tech skills training

  Government funding will be used to allow more than 4,000 students to pursue PhDs in technologies such as artificial intelligence, quantum computing and 6G

• March 15, 2024 15 Mar'24

  Controversial Post Office Capture software was completely rewritten in 1994

  MP demands that the Post Office put effort into fully explaining the development and use of error-prone software used before Horizon in the 1990s

• March 14, 2024 14 Mar'24

  Home Office plans to give UK police forces auto-redaction technology

  The department has funded a market review of redaction tools and aims to deliver AI-powered automated redaction tools to the police as quickly as possible

• March 14, 2024 14 Mar'24

  MPs will attempt to amend law on overturning Post Office scandal convictions

  Business and trade select committee chair says the job is not done with legislation to overturn wrongful subpostmaster convictions and provide financial redress

• March 14, 2024 14 Mar'24

  Children of Post Office victims to hold Fujitsu boss to his word

  The children of victims of the Post Office scandal have formed a group that will hold Fujitsu’s European boss to his promise of support

• March 13, 2024 13 Mar'24

  US authorities move a step closer to banning TikTok

  Lawmakers in Washington DC have moved a step closer to enacting a broad national ban on controversial video app TikTok in the US, with global ramifications

• March 13, 2024 13 Mar'24

  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

• March 13, 2024 13 Mar'24

  British Library opens up over ransomware attack to help others

  The British Library has opted for full transparency after experiencing a devastating ransomware attack, publishing details of the intrusion, its response and the lessons it has learned

• March 13, 2024 13 Mar'24

  UK gets funding boost through EU Horizon chip initiative

  Signing up to the Chips Joint Undertaking means the UK will receive up to £35m to support chip development

• March 13, 2024 13 Mar'24

  Unprecedented bill to exonerate hundreds of wrongly convicted Post Office workers arrives

  Unprecedented legislation that will see hundreds of former subpostmaster convictions for fraud and theft overturned begins its journey through Parliament

• March 12, 2024 12 Mar'24

  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

• March 12, 2024 12 Mar'24

  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

• March 12, 2024 12 Mar'24

  Industry partnerships and data key to better public services

  Using public-private partnerships and improving the use of data are key to improving public services and the government’s ‘science and technology superpower’ ambitions, says digital secretary Michelle Donelan

• March 12, 2024 12 Mar'24

  UK and German governments sign up to greater R&D collaboration

  Declaration aims to build on joint R&D efforts, as well as support artificial intelligence, quantum computing and clean tech

• March 12, 2024 12 Mar'24

  Current subpostmaster account shortfalls reveal extent of Post Office’s pre-2019 neglect

  Hundreds of current subpostmasters might have been hounded for money or prosecuted had the Post Office not been forced to change its ways in 2019

• March 12, 2024 12 Mar'24

  Digitally transforming government: MoJ and GDS on using mobile devices and GenAI to help people

  During a fireside chat at the Tech Show London, GDS CEO Tom Read and the Ministry of Justice CDIO Gina Gill swapped stories on how their teams are using technology to improve the quality of life for citizens

• March 11, 2024 11 Mar'24

  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

• March 11, 2024 11 Mar'24

  TechUK calls for next government to introduce ‘industrial strategy’ for AI

  Trade group TechUK publishes blueprint calling for winner of next election to boost tech startups, digitise government services and accelerate technology R&D

• March 07, 2024 07 Mar'24

  PSNI chief denies ‘industrial’ use of surveillance powers against journalists

  PSNI chief constable Jon Boutcher has agreed to provide a report on police surveillance of journalists and lawyers to Northern Ireland’s policing watchdog

• March 07, 2024 07 Mar'24

  CCS U-turns on G-Cloud 14 insurance requirements after supplier backlash

  The government procurement agency has reversed previous plans for a £20m increase in insurance cover that threatened to deter smaller suppliers from bidding for cloud computing contracts

• March 07, 2024 07 Mar'24

  Government insists it is acting ‘responsibly’ on military AI

  The government has responded to calls from a Lords committee that it must “proceed with caution” when it comes to autonomous weapons and military artificial intelligence, arguing that caution is already embedded throughout its approach

• March 07, 2024 07 Mar'24

  Fujitsu should pay half of Post Office scandal costs, says select committee chair

  Select committee chair says Fujitsu should pay half of the costs to repair damage caused by Post Office scandal

• March 07, 2024 07 Mar'24

  NI Policing Board pressed to open inquiry into PSNI spying on journalists’ phones

  Amnesty International and the Committee on the Administration of Justice have asked Northern Ireland’s policing watchdog to open an inquiry into the Police Service of Northern Ireland’s use of surveillance powers against journalists

• March 07, 2024 07 Mar'24

  MPs call for Post Office exclusion from compensation schemes, as trust hits rock bottom

  Former subpostmasters and MPs do not trust the Post Office to do the right thing for victims of the Horizon IT scandal

• March 06, 2024 06 Mar'24

  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

• March 06, 2024 06 Mar'24

  ‘Brutal’ decisions required to sort out Post Office mess, says select committee chair

  Liam Byrne, chair of the business and trade select committee, tells Computer Weekly about the group’s focus on getting Horizon scandal victims what they are owed

• March 06, 2024 06 Mar'24

  Post Office prosecutions during Horizon go-live phase are ‘frightening’

  The Post Office used subpostmasters as guinea pigs to test its software and take the rap for its errors

• March 05, 2024 05 Mar'24

  Open Rights Group accuses LiveRamp of ‘unlawful’ data processing

  Privacy campaigners at Open Rights Group have submitted formal complaints to UK and French data regulators about allegedly unlawful data processing by online advertising firm LiveRamp

• March 05, 2024 05 Mar'24

  Derby City Council extends AI project with multi-million deal after saving £200,000 with chatbots

  Following on from the success of its initial pilot project using artificial intelligence, Derby City Council claims to have found 54 other ways the technology can save it money

• March 05, 2024 05 Mar'24

  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

• March 04, 2024 04 Mar'24

  Perverting course of justice and contempt of Parliament: a week in post-drama Post Office scandal

  As another week in the post-drama Post Office scandal passes, Computer Weekly looks at some of the key moments

• March 04, 2024 04 Mar'24

  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

• March 04, 2024 04 Mar'24

  Amazon lobbyists banned from European Parliament

  Amazon lobbyists have had their access badges to the European Parliament revoked, following allegedly repeated refusals to engage with lawmakers on issues around working conditions and rights

• March 04, 2024 04 Mar'24

  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

• March 01, 2024 01 Mar'24

  Scottish government opens Techscaler hub in Silicon Valley

  The Scottish Techscaler programme is piloting its first overseas hub, which will have space for 12 startups wanting to grow their businesses

• March 01, 2024 01 Mar'24

  KC names Post Office staff he believes conspired to pervert the course of justice

  Leading KC names Post Office staff he believes perverted the course of justice when crushing subpostmasters in court

• March 01, 2024 01 Mar'24

  MPs demand Fujitsu be ‘nailed down’ on financial promise to Post Office scandal victims

  Select committee hears that government is talking to Fujitsu about its contribution towards the costs of the Horizon scandal but it is not yet negotiating

• February 29, 2024 29 Feb'24

  Home Office GPS tagging of asylum seekers breaches data protection law

  The Information Commissioner’s Office has issued an enforcement notice against the Home Office after finding its programme to tag asylum seekers with GPS monitors breaches data protection law

• February 29, 2024 29 Feb'24

  DSIT publishes results of public digital identity trust consultation

  Report from Department for Science, Innovation and Technology shows UK public wants government to be accountable and transparent, and views trust and inclusivity as key

• February 29, 2024 29 Feb'24

  Government sets out research plans for 2024

  Department for Science, Innovation and Technology highlights cyber security, artificial intelligence and telecoms as areas where it would like to build evidence and bridge knowledge gaps in current research

• February 29, 2024 29 Feb'24

  Post Office CEO’s claim to be ‘working hard’ on Capture investigation in doubt

  The Post Office hasn’t even contacted Capture Software users brought to its attention, but CEO claimed, under oath, that the organisation has been ‘working hard’ on the cases for five weeks

• February 29, 2024 29 Feb'24

  Police arrested journalists as part of surveillance operation to identify confidential sources

  Three police forces took part in surveillance operations between 2011 and 2018 to identify sources that leaked information to journalists Trevor Birney and Barry McCaffrey, the Investigatory Powers Tribunal hears

• February 28, 2024 28 Feb'24

  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

• February 28, 2024 28 Feb'24

  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

• February 28, 2024 28 Feb'24

  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