News

IT for government and public sector

• March 07, 2018 07 Mar'18

  Cyber security is a team sport, says NCSC

  The UK’s national cyber security agency aims to help organisations understand the need to act collaboratively and collectively against the cyber threat, urging them to raise the bar

• March 06, 2018 06 Mar'18

  G-Cloud 10 launch date confirmed for June 2018

  The Crown Commercial Service (CCS) confirms it will start accepting new bids from suppliers wanting to join the tenth iteration of the G-Cloud framework from April 2018, in anticipation of the next version going live in June

• March 06, 2018 06 Mar'18

  US defence chiefs cut $1bn cloud contract with AWS partner amid anti-trust complaints

  The US Department of Defense confirms it is revising down the cost and scope of a billion dollar cloud deal awarded to an AWS partner, after critics picked holes in the procurement process

• March 06, 2018 06 Mar'18

  Essex, Herts Councils expand smart city pilot scheme

  Essex and Hertfordshire County Councils have joined forces to run a number of pilots assessing the socioeconomic benefits of smart city technologies

• March 06, 2018 06 Mar'18

  Local councils call for government funding for GDPR compliance

  National Association of Local Councils is concerned complying with GDPR puts financial strain on local authorities and calls on government to help with funding

• March 06, 2018 06 Mar'18

  Microsoft courts US government cloud users with Azure Stack integration promise

  Microsoft is stepping up its efforts to get the US government using its cloud in anger, with the promise of a forthcoming Azure Stack integration and new datacentre regions to house “secret” classified data

• March 05, 2018 05 Mar'18

  Government aims to complete genome sequencing project by end of 2018

  The government-funded 100,000 Genomes Project, originally due to be completed by the end of 2017, has reached the halfway point and aims to have mapped 100,000 genomes by the end of the year

• March 05, 2018 05 Mar'18

  Interview: Andy Street, mayor of the West Midlands

  West Midlands mayor Andy Street talks about why digital is key to the region’s economic growth, his hunt for a chief digital officer, and the importance of skills and collaboration

• March 02, 2018 02 Mar'18

  UK will need data protection agreement with EU as part of Brexit deal, says PM

  Prime minister Theresa May's Brexit speech highlights need for data protection deal with EU, “advanced” border IT systems, and re-confirms UK won’t be part of the EU digital single market

• March 02, 2018 02 Mar'18

  New privacy fears as IT challenges delay surveillance oversight body by a year

  IT challenges have delayed government plans for an independent body to authorise requests to access the public’s internet and phone records by nearly a year, raising new legal and privacy concerns

• March 01, 2018 01 Mar'18

  Contractor confidence in HMRC’s IR35 online assessment tool remains low

  Research suggests contractors still have misgivings about using HM Revenue & Customs' IR35 online assessment tool, one year on from launch

• March 01, 2018 01 Mar'18

  NHS to pilot ID verification platform this spring

  NHS roadmap for digital services sets out plans for launching a joined-up NHS app, piloting its citizen ID platform and moving across to the new NHS.uk website

• March 01, 2018 01 Mar'18

  Security fears delay roll-out of national e-voting system in Finland

  Project enters problem-solving phase to identify advanced, effective and best practice solutions to develop a secure internet-based voting system

• February 28, 2018 28 Feb'18

  Salary is not top way to attract cybersec pros, report reveals

  Salary is not the highest priority for cyber security professionals, a report on hiring and retaining top cyber security talent shows

• February 28, 2018 28 Feb'18

  Government must rewrite illegal sections of Snoopers’ Charter, court told

  A court has been asked to give ministers until July 2018 to rewrite powers to require phone and internet companies to retain data on the population. The government acknowledges parts of surveillance regime are unlawful

• February 27, 2018 27 Feb'18

  King’s College dumps legacy SAN for Nimble hybrid flash

  Cambridge college triples storage capacity for VMware virtualised environment and adds Veeam backup. Nimble hybrid flash ensures rapid data access with Sata bulk storage behind

• February 27, 2018 27 Feb'18

  Understanding the cyber threat key to UK defence, says NCSC

  Understanding cyber threats is key to defending the UK and ensuring it is a safe place to do business, says the National Cyber Security Centre

• February 26, 2018 26 Feb'18

  London councils set aside more than £1.2m for GDPR

  London councils have spent over £1.2m in preparation for new EU data protection laws, a think tank report has revealed

• February 26, 2018 26 Feb'18

  Surveillance watchdog investigates security risks of GCHQ IT contractors

  The investigatory powers commissioner is reviewing the security arrangements for IT contractors that have access to live computer systems at GCHQ holding highly sensitive records on the UK population

• February 26, 2018 26 Feb'18

  Cyber criminals catching up with nation state attacks

  The trickle-down effect of advanced “military-grade” tools is seeing the gap between cyber criminal and nation state attack capabilities closing, outpacing many organisations’ defence capabilities

• February 26, 2018 26 Feb'18

  Estonia wants to introduce special visa for digital nomads

  Baltic state’s next digital development could be a visa targeted at people who work online and are location independent

• February 26, 2018 26 Feb'18

  Legacy lock-in and lack of skills hamper public sector cloud adoption

  Migrating from legacy lock-in and the ability to manage workloads in cloud infrastructure are among the major challenges that are slowing down public sector cloud adoption

• February 23, 2018 23 Feb'18

  West Midlands Mayor on the hunt for chief digital officer

  The mayor wants to appoint a chief digital officer to drive forward the region’s digital strategy and help West Midlands grow as a leading tech hub

• February 22, 2018 22 Feb'18

  Farming gets £90m tech boost

  The government is pushing high tech into agriculture and farming as it fleshes out its Industrial Strategy

• February 22, 2018 22 Feb'18

  Emergency Services Network progress ‘deeply unsatisfactory’, says PAC

  A Home Office review of the Emergency Services Mobile Communications Programme will not be finished before the end of July, the Public Accounts Committee has been told

• February 22, 2018 22 Feb'18

  MPs run the rule over digital currency to identify risks and opportunities

  MPs are taking a close look at the potential opportunities and risks associated with the UK adoption of cryptocurrencies and the technology that underpins them

• February 21, 2018 21 Feb'18

  CityFibre launches consumer broadband partnership in Aberdeen

  CityFibre and Vodafone are preparing to launch a consumer FTTP broadband service in Aberdeen

• February 21, 2018 21 Feb'18

  People worried about data security in public sector, survey finds

  Majority of people are concerned with the security of the data they share with public sector organisations, according to a report

• February 21, 2018 21 Feb'18

  Economic impact of cyber crime is significant and rising

  Cyber attacks are becoming easier to carry out while defences remain inadequate, study shows

• February 21, 2018 21 Feb'18

  VX Fiber brings Swedish open access full-fibre broadband model to UK

  Flush with success in its home market, Swedish open access full-fibre broadband specialist VX Fiber is launching in the UK, with plans to shake up service delivery to users by helping local councils monetise their network assets

• February 21, 2018 21 Feb'18

  AI a threat to cyber security, warns report

  Artificial intelligence is being incorporated into a range of cyber security products, but the technology may also introduce new threats, a report warns

• February 21, 2018 21 Feb'18

  UAE makes artificial intelligence leap

  The UAE is investing in becoming a global pioneer in the use of artificial intelligence technology in various sectors of its economy

• February 21, 2018 21 Feb'18

  Digital economy to make up 60% of APAC’s GDP by 2021

  The surge in GDP contribution will come as more organisations shift from digital transformation initiatives aimed at shoring up productivity towards digital product development

• February 20, 2018 20 Feb'18

  4G IoT network may ease aviation sector fears over drone safety

  Vodafone is testing mobile and internet of things network technology to protect commercial aircraft from badly flown drones

• February 20, 2018 20 Feb'18

  UK local councils under huge cyber attack pressure

  Investigation underlines importance of security automation and employee awareness training

• February 20, 2018 20 Feb'18

  Government must invest in efficient IT to support food trade post-Brexit, say MPs

  Inefficient IT and infrastructure at the border could cause perishable foods to spoil, says committee, which calls for the government to ensure the right IT is in place for prompt export and import

• February 20, 2018 20 Feb'18

  CIO interview: Theo Blackwell, London chief digital officer, Mayor of London’s Office

  London CDO Theo Blackwell talks about cross-council collaboration, London’s role as a data-driven city and the importance of ensuring the capital won’t lose out on talent post-Brexit

• February 20, 2018 20 Feb'18

  NHS Digital plots Office 365 and NHSmail integration to boost collaboration in healthcare

  NHS Digital outlines delivery timeline for integrating NHSmail with Microsoft Office 365, as it strives to improve collaboration between health and social care stakeholders

• February 20, 2018 20 Feb'18

  CIO interview: Matthew Wallbridge, head of ICT, Croydon Council

  Croydon’s ICT boss talks about why being “good” isn’t good enough and building a new ICT delivery model

• February 19, 2018 19 Feb'18

  Lauri Love can stay in UK: prosecutors will not appeal extradition ruling

  Crown Prosecution Service gives undertaking to Lauri Love that it will not appeal against a court decision not to extradite him to the US – but prosecutors are seeking leave to appeal over part of the court ruling on extradition procedure

• February 19, 2018 19 Feb'18

  Church spires to become mobile coverage hotspots

  Following successful trials in East Anglia, DCMS and Defra plan to encourage rural vicars to host broadband connectivity hotspots in their churches

• February 16, 2018 16 Feb'18

  US sentences two Russians for huge data breaches

  The US has sentenced two Russian cyber criminals who targeted major payment processors, retailers and financial institutions around the world, as the US joins the UK in condemning Russia for the 2017 NotPetya attacks

• February 15, 2018 15 Feb'18

  Briton jailed for two years for product testing for hackers

  A Briton has been jailed for two years for running a product-testing service for hackers

• February 15, 2018 15 Feb'18

  UK Foreign Office minister condemns Russia for NotPetya attacks

  The UK has attributed to Russia the NotPetya malware that caused significant disruption globally, based on an assessment by the NCSC

• February 14, 2018 14 Feb'18

  Cyberthreat 2018 aimed at UK cyber security techies

  Cyberthreat 2018 is aimed at growing the UK’s network of cyber defenders, filling a key gap in the UK cyber security conference calendar and bridging the public-private sector divide

• February 13, 2018 13 Feb'18

  Trust is key to sharing personal data, ODI research finds

  People are more comfortable sharing personal data if they have been told how it will be used, according to the Open Data Institute

• February 13, 2018 13 Feb'18

  Home Office fights terrorist content online with detection tool

  The Home Office has partnered ASI Data Science to create a tool which automatically detects terrorist content on online platforms

• February 12, 2018 12 Feb'18

  Criminals hijack government sites to mine cryptocurrency used to hide wealth

  Europol says criminals are hiding billions in cryptocurrencies, as thousands of government and other websites have reportedly been used to hijack computers to mine more

• February 08, 2018 08 Feb'18

  Norway’s government backs cyber defence mobilisation

  Norway has accelerated plans to scale up its national security infrastructure against threats emanating from the cyber domain

• February 08, 2018 08 Feb'18

  Universal Credit business case still not approved as concerns continue over digital service

  MPs reveal internal project reviews that show full business case yet to be approved and ongoing worries over digital system for welfare reform programme

• February 08, 2018 08 Feb'18

  Interview: Tackling gender diversity could solve the skills gap, says Burbidge

  Tackling the lack of gender diversity in the tech industry could help close the skills gap, but there is a long way to go to solve either, says Eileen Burbidge

• February 08, 2018 08 Feb'18

  Teenager suspected of crippling Dutch banks with DDoS attacks

  A large distributed denial of service attack on banks and other organisations in the Netherlands, first thought to emanate from Russia, is now thought to have been launched by a local teenager

• February 07, 2018 07 Feb'18

  Government must hurry to recruit digital skills needed for Brexit, says PAC

  Skills required to prepare for leaving the EU are in “short supply” and the government must deal with its capability challenge, says Public Accounts Committee report

• February 07, 2018 07 Feb'18

  UK government orders review of online laws

  The UK Law Commission is to review current legislation on offensive online communications to ensure they are up to date with technology

• February 07, 2018 07 Feb'18

  Dubai transport authority maps city to support autonomous cars

  Dubai’s RTA has enlisted Here Technologies to build a high-definition map of the city to support its goals around self-driving cars

• February 06, 2018 06 Feb'18

  Most NHS trusts have failed their cyber security assessments, NHS Digital admits

  NHS Digital deputy CEO Rob Shaw told Public Accounts Committee all 200 trusts assessed for cyber security, both before and after the WannaCry attack, have failed their assessments

• February 06, 2018 06 Feb'18

  UK risks unemployment rise unless people are reskilled for AI

  The tech industry is optimistic that people will get jobs, but only if they have the right skills – and it looks like the UK is a long way from being artificial intelligence-savvy

• February 06, 2018 06 Feb'18

  UK leads international crackdown on Luminosity spyware

  Law enforcement agencies shut down international support network for a hacking tool that allowed cyber criminals to gain remote control of victims’ computers

• February 05, 2018 05 Feb'18

  Lauri Love plans to use ‘internet as a force for good’

  Engineering student Lauri Love says he plans to help businesses fight cyber crime, after the court of appeal ruled that he can be tried in the UK for allegedly hacking US computer systems, rather than face extradition to the US

• February 05, 2018 05 Feb'18

  UK economy least likely to grow through AI

  The UK's poor productivity record is unlikely to grow hugely from artificial intelligence helpers that augment human work

• February 05, 2018 05 Feb'18

  NCSC shows how first year affected cyber attacks on the UK

  Initiatives by the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) have detected and prevented millions of online commodity attacks, the agency’s first annual report shows

• February 05, 2018 05 Feb'18

  Appeals court rules Lauri Love will not be extradited over US hacking charges

  The lord chief justice, Lord Burnett, says 33-year-old engineering student Lauri Love will not be extradited to the US to face hacking charges, in a landmark legal decision, and the Crown Prosecution Service should bring proceedings against Love in ...

• February 05, 2018 05 Feb'18

  NHS WannaCry review highlights need for accountability and skills

  Lessons-learned report on ransomware attack calls for local NHS organisations to put cyber security bosses on their boards and consider suspending IT access to staff who have not completed cyber security training

• February 04, 2018 04 Feb'18

  Government backs national cyber policy and strategy competition

  London is to host a national cyber policy and strategy competition, which has the backing of government, industry and academia

• February 02, 2018 02 Feb'18

  Appeal Court to give landmark verdict on Lauri Love extradition

  The Appeal Court will decide whether Lauri Love, who has serious health issues, should be extradited to the US to face hacking charges, or face trial in the UK. The landmark case is the first test of legal protections introduced by Theresa May to ...

• February 02, 2018 02 Feb'18

  Dutch Filmworks disrupts piracy fight by imposing download fines

  Netherlands’ privacy watchdog grants film production company permission to collect IP addresses as part of its fight against illegal downloading

• February 01, 2018 01 Feb'18

  Industrial cyber security continues to be poor, warns report

  The number of internet-accessible industrial control systems is increasing every year, researchers warn

• February 01, 2018 01 Feb'18

  NAO delivers damning report on delayed and costly DBS transformation project

  The Disclosure and Barring Service modernisation programme runs three-and-a-half years behind schedule, suffers from low uptake and increased costs, says NAO report

• February 01, 2018 01 Feb'18

  European Commission eyes blockchain opportunity

  The European Commission is aiming to get the most out of blockchain technology in a wide variety of sectors

• February 01, 2018 01 Feb'18

  Dutch companies not ready for GDPR despite approaching deadline

  Organisations in the Netherlands are racing towards General Data Protection Regulation compliance, but there is still much to be done

• February 01, 2018 01 Feb'18

  Facebook reports $15.9bn profit after ‘hard’ year

  Facebook has reported a strong fourth quarter and a strong year with quarterly profit up 20% and annual profit up 56%, but chief Mark Zuckerberg admits it has been a challenging 12 months

• January 31, 2018 31 Jan'18

  Thousands of Universal Credit claimants unable to use Gov.uk Verify to apply for benefits

  Government research shows that barely one-third of benefits claimants can successfully apply for new Universal Credit digital service using flagship online identity system

• January 31, 2018 31 Jan'18

  TechUK calls on government to extend Digital Marketplace

  Report on how to promote public sector innovation says there must be a “step change” in government procurement and opportunities must be grasped

• January 31, 2018 31 Jan'18

  Carillion not a like-for-like comparison with IT services firms, but an overt reminder

  Although Carillion’s problems are unlikely to hit major IT services suppliers, its collapse is a reminder of the need to ensure good governance

• January 30, 2018 30 Jan'18

  Government surveillance regime unlawful, court rules in Tom Watson case

  Appeal court ruled in favour of Labour MP Tom Watson in a legal battle with the government over the UK’s surveillance laws, leading to calls to rethink controversial Investigatory Powers Act

• January 30, 2018 30 Jan'18

  Brexit highlights need for DDaT skills, says GDS chief operating officer

  Government Digital Service’s Alison Pritchard says Brexit preparation requires more digital, data and technology professionals across departments

• January 30, 2018 30 Jan'18

  Davos: Cyber risks grow as countries turn towards protectionism

  The cost of natural disasters is now at record levels, but the cost of cyber crime is far higher. The World Economic Forum hopes to persuade governments to work together on the problem, but with isolationist politics back in fashion, can it succeed?

• January 29, 2018 29 Jan'18

  Alibaba Cloud to tackle Malaysia’s traffic woes with AI

  Chinese cloud service provider Alibaba will use its City Brain artificial intelligence platform to analyse data from camera feeds and traffic junctions in the capital city of Kuala Lumpur

• January 29, 2018 29 Jan'18

  Hefty fines confirmed for CNI providers with poor cyber security

  The government has confirmed that critical infrastructure providers with poor cyber security face fines of millions of pounds as the National Cyber Security Centre publishes new guidance for the industry

• January 29, 2018 29 Jan'18

  Government bulks up on AI personnel

  The UK government is starting to put bodies behind its artificial intelligence commentary as two departments announce job roles

• January 26, 2018 26 Jan'18

  Government sets out further details of Digital Charter

  The government’s charter aims to tackle challenges and risks brought by technology in “an effective and responsible way”, thereby boosting the digital economy

• January 26, 2018 26 Jan'18

  ODI report reveals key data publishing challenges

  Lack of standards, vision and adequate skills among key reasons organisations are struggling to publish quality data, according to Open Data Institute

• January 25, 2018 25 Jan'18

  Select Committee highlights Brexit effect on roaming and data protection

  House of Commons Select Committee report sets out Brexit challenges such as uncertainty around regulations, data protection, mobile roaming charges and skills

• January 25, 2018 25 Jan'18

  Theresa May wants UK to be world leader in ‘ethical AI’

  In her World Economic Forum speech, the prime minister highlights the need to harness tech, flies the flag for “responsible AI development” and calls on tech companies to step up and fight paedophiles and terrorists using online platforms

• January 25, 2018 25 Jan'18

  Forensic investigation into Post Office IT system at centre of legal case nears completion

  The investigation into the fairness of court cases brought against sub-postmasters is close to finishing its forensic examination of the IT system at the heart of the controversy

• January 24, 2018 24 Jan'18

  Most UK organisations unaware of new data protection laws

  The UK’s digital and culture secretary is urging businesses and charities to prepare for stronger data protection laws in the light of new information

• January 24, 2018 24 Jan'18

  Department for International Development launches digital strategy

  Strategy highlights potential of technology to reduce poverty as department aims to become a global leader in digital

• January 24, 2018 24 Jan'18

  Sweden puts government IT outsourcing under increased scrutiny

  Government introduces rules to tighten security in IT outsourcing deals following a very public data leak last year

• January 24, 2018 24 Jan'18

  Dark web Dream Market drives cyber fraud industry

  An international operation shut down the AlphaBay and Hansa marketplaces in July 2017, but new ones have sprung up on the dark web, with one in particular helping to drive cyber fraud

• January 23, 2018 23 Jan'18

  Mastercard sets biometric ID deadline for banks

  Mastercard has committed to guaranteeing that every one of its customers will have access to biometric authentication services by April 2019

• January 23, 2018 23 Jan'18

  Thousands of critical systems affected by serious security flaws

  Multiple and serious vulnerabilities have been found in a software management system widely used in corporate and industrial control environments, researchers warn

• January 23, 2018 23 Jan'18

  New controversies as Trump passes US Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act

  The amended Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which seeks to legitimise US surveillance on foreigners, has been signed off by president Trump

• January 23, 2018 23 Jan'18

  Interview: Kaspar Korjus, Estonian e-Residency lead

  As the number of people signing up to become Estonian e-residents exceeds the country’s birth rate, Computer Weekly speaks to the man heading up the programme

• January 23, 2018 23 Jan'18

  Uncontrolled cyber attacks on UK cyber defenders’ radar

  Uncontrolled cyber attacks are just as much a threat as targeted attacks, according to the UK’s cyber defence agency, which continues to consider a major cyber attack imminent

• January 22, 2018 22 Jan'18

  UK urged to up spending on cyber defence

  Cyber attacks that target military and civilian operations are one of the biggest threats facing the UK, according to a top military officer, but security experts say cyber defence spending must be carefully considered

• January 22, 2018 22 Jan'18

  Lancashire Police launches voice-driven Amazon Alexa app

  Lancashire Constabulary’s new app gives users hourly news updates and sends pictures of wanted criminals straight to their Amazon Echo devices

• January 22, 2018 22 Jan'18

  Judge will take time to seek answers from EU court over Max Schrems Facebook privacy fight

  The Irish High Court will take time to decide what questions to put before the European Court of Justice in a case with significant implications for EU and US trade and the privacy of EU citizens

• January 22, 2018 22 Jan'18

  European Parliament votes to restrict exports of surveillance equipment

  European Parliament votes to tighten export controls to restrict supply of surveillance and encryption technology to states with poor human rights records amid fears British companies may not have to comply after Brexit

• January 18, 2018 18 Jan'18

  UK and France to collaborate on digital tech

  The UK and French governments have joined forces to increase technology and innovation cooperation between the two nations

• January 18, 2018 18 Jan'18

  Health and care in Wales must take advantage of tech, says parliamentary report

  The Welsh government must do more to gain the benefits of technology and innovation to deliver better and more effective care, according to a parliamentary review of the country’s health and care system