News

IT for government and public sector

April 06, 2017 06 Apr'17
Telenor launches IoT pilot in Norway

Telenor is opening up its IoT infrastructure in Norway to encourage students and entrepreneurs to develop IoT products and services
April 06, 2017 06 Apr'17
McAfee report reveals five challenges to cyber threat intelligence

McAfee Labs’ latest report details the challenges facing threat intelligence sharing efforts and reveals growing trends in malware, ransomware, mobile malware and other threats
April 06, 2017 06 Apr'17
Interview: F-Secure’s Mikko Hyppönen on the Nordics, Russia and the internet of insecure things

Computer Weekly sat down with Finnish cyber security expert Mikko Hyppönen to talk about security in the Nordics, Russia and the trouble with connected devices
April 05, 2017 05 Apr'17
NHS Digital plans September go-live for citizen identity service

Health and social care patients will have a single online identity verification log-in to use across health and care by autumn 2017

April 05, 2017 05 Apr'17
Northern Ireland schools to continue with Capita IT services

Two-year, £60m contract extension covers ICT services for 1,100 schools
April 04, 2017 04 Apr'17
CIO interview: Jason Caplin, chief digital officer, Barnardo's

Chief digital officer Jason Caplin is at the helm of the charity’s plans to create a shared data platform, aiming to improve social care services for children
April 04, 2017 04 Apr'17
Chinese hacking group targeted firms through IT MSPs

Security researchers have uncovered a China-based cyber espionage campaign that targeted IT services firms and their customers, underlining the need for supply chain security
April 04, 2017 04 Apr'17
IT services 'mega-child' DXC takes first steps

The merger of CSC and HPE Services is complete and the new company will focus on digital transformation
April 04, 2017 04 Apr'17
Outsourced water market IT system up and running

England’s competitive water and sewage market is now in operation, underpinned by an IT system from CGI
April 04, 2017 04 Apr'17
Housing and care industry must get ready for digital

More than half of housing associations plan to move to digital systems, but suffer from a lack of support and understanding, according to a study

April 04, 2017 04 Apr'17
IR35 reforms: HMRC 'delays' blamed for last-minute public sector compliance panic

Public sector stakeholders claim the late release of HMRC's online tax status assessment tool and its supporting IR35 legislation is causing contractors to leave projects in their droves
April 04, 2017 04 Apr'17
Workers at least mentally prepared for robots to take over some of their work

One-fifth of workers are mentally prepared for technology to take over some of their roles, but employers must do more to support them
April 03, 2017 03 Apr'17
UK nuclear stations on terror alert for cyber attacks

The cyber security industry has been urged to co-operate with government to protect UK critical national infrastructure from cyber attacks.
March 31, 2017 31 Mar'17
Rudd backs down on end-to-end encryption

Lib Dems welcome government’s apparent U-turn on seeking to restrict end-to-end encryption for popular messaging apps and online communication services
March 30, 2017 30 Mar'17
Treasury Committee 'confidence collapse' in HMRC customs IT system

The Treasury Committee is concerned HMRC’s new customs check system won’t be ready to go live by the time the UK leaves the EU
March 30, 2017 30 Mar'17
Government must avoid post-Brexit ‘tech talent cliff edge’, says techUK

As the UK prepares to leave the EU, techUK calls on the government to ensure the tech industry will not lose vital access to digital skills
March 30, 2017 30 Mar'17
GDS builds DDaT jobs framework

The Government Digital Service has created a framework to build common skills and capability across digital, data and technology roles
March 30, 2017 30 Mar'17
First cyber security startups graduate from GCHQ accelerator

The first group of companies has completed a government-led cyber accelerator programme aimed at helping UK startups take the lead in producing the next generation of cyber security systems, with another round to be announced in 2017
March 30, 2017 30 Mar'17
HMRC contractors leave over inside IR35 ruling

HMRC has begun classifying its public sector contractors as "inside IR35", prompting fears of a digital "brain drain" at the organisation
March 29, 2017 29 Mar'17
GDS digital transformation delivers mixed results, says NAO

National Audit Office report examines Gov.uk Verify uptake, GDS strategy changes, spending controls and collaboration with departments
March 29, 2017 29 Mar'17
GDS needs a clearer role, NAO is expected to say

Although the Government Digital Service has done well to change the government’s approach to digital transformation, there is a risk that its remit is still too broad, the National Audit Office is expected to say in a report due out tomorrow
March 29, 2017 29 Mar'17
Are ethical questions holding back AI in France?

France has been slow to create a strategy around the use of artificial intelligence, partly due to questions around ethics
March 28, 2017 28 Mar'17
Threats grow in Saudi Arabia’s cyber sector

Saudi Arabia's wealth makes it an attractive target for cyber criminals, but what have been the recent trends in cyber crime?
March 28, 2017 28 Mar'17
Article 50 triggers uncertainty for the tech industry

As prime minister Theresa May formally notifies the EU of Britain’s intention to withdraw its membership, the tech industry prepares to move into uncharted territory
March 28, 2017 28 Mar'17
Association of Recruitment Consultancies asks MPs to delay roll-out of IR35 reforms

The chairman of Association of Recruitment Consultancies calls for introduction of IR35 reforms to be put on hold until numerous issues pertaining to the legislation are resolved
March 28, 2017 28 Mar'17
1,000 sub-postmasters apply to join IT-related group litigation against Post Office

Group legal action against Post Office relates to allegedly faulty Horizon computer system
March 28, 2017 28 Mar'17
Mobility suite saves Surrey and Sussex Police officers time and money

Over 3,000 frontline Surrey and Sussex Police officers have been outfitted with Airwave’s Pronto e-notebook and application suite
March 24, 2017 24 Mar'17
Crown Commercial Service has failed to achieve its potential, says PAC

Public Accounts Committee says the creation of the CCS was “poorly executed” and the organisation has failed to deliver its taxpayer cost savings target
March 24, 2017 24 Mar'17
Case study: How the Department for Education deployed flexible IT

The Department of Education has upgraded its ageing datacentre to the Azure cloud and Office 365, and rolled out Microsoft Surface devices
March 24, 2017 24 Mar'17
Government needs 2000 extra digital staff, says NAO

The current skills shortage means government will need to spend up to £244m annually on staff in digital roles to bridge the gap
March 24, 2017 24 Mar'17
FBI director reiterates call for action on encryption

The world is wasting time in resolving the conflict between privacy and public safety, and should consider an international framework on encrypted data access, says FBI director James Comey
March 24, 2017 24 Mar'17
Serco uses HR technology to cut recruitment bill

International outsourced services supplier Serco is investing in HR recruitment technology to help it hire 15,000 to 20,000 people a year
March 22, 2017 22 Mar'17
Scottish Government launches digital strategy

Scotland vows to boost technology jobs, invest in skills, provide universal access to superfast broadband and improve infrastructure
March 22, 2017 22 Mar'17
Tech City UK report trumpets nation’s digital economy

In its third TechNation report, Tech City UK says the nation leads the way in digital innovation across Europe
March 22, 2017 22 Mar'17
Digital transformation of infrastructure key to UK’s future, says report

The infrastructure sector needs to take advantage of digital technology to keep up with the pace of change, according to the Institution of Civil Engineers
March 22, 2017 22 Mar'17
IR35 reforms will harm public sector innovation and competitiveness, say contractors

Research from recruitment consultancy Harvey Nash highlights contractor concerns about how the forthcoming IR35 reforms will affect competitiveness and talent recruitment in the public sector
March 20, 2017 20 Mar'17
Vodafone to power bike sharing service in Singapore

Vodafone’s internet of things platform will support Mobike’s global expansion plans
March 20, 2017 20 Mar'17
Many UK local councils still unprepared for GDPR, ICO survey shows

The ICO fines the Norfolk Council as it publishes GDPR guidelines for local councils after a survey revealed not all were up to speed in preparations to comply with the new data protection law
March 20, 2017 20 Mar'17
CBI calls on government and businesses to increase R&D investment

The CBI says the UK should commit to spending 3% of GDP on research and development to avoid being left behind post-Brexit
March 20, 2017 20 Mar'17
Cardiff man Samata Ullah admits terrorist charges after posting encryption details on Islamic blog

Samata Ullah, a resident of Cardiff, pleaded guilty to five terrorism charges, including developing an encrypted version of an Islamic website and posting videos explaining how to use encryption
March 20, 2017 20 Mar'17
Netherlands aims to benefit from Brexit in IT talent search

The Netherlands is positioning itself as the ideal home for ambitious IT professionals from across the world
March 19, 2017 19 Mar'17
SAP to invest $200m in United Arab Emirates

European software maker plans investment to get near customers in the Middle East
March 17, 2017 17 Mar'17
NCSC commits to greater diversity

GCHQ’s National Cyber Security Centre is planning several initiatives to ensure more women are attracted to and remain in technology roles, particularly cyber security
March 17, 2017 17 Mar'17
Cyber security is a huge opportunity for UK business, says NCSC

NCSC engagement director Alex Dewdney is leading government's new approach in working with UK industry to build a national cyber security community and capability
March 17, 2017 17 Mar'17
IT contractors prosper from Brexit uncertainty

Since the Brexit vote, IT contractors have seen higher pay rates and longer contracts, which indicates businesses’ caution over permanent recruitment
March 16, 2017 16 Mar'17
HMRC urged to delay digital tax plan for businesses

Lords committee echoes previous criticism by MPs over timetable for Making Tax Digital programme and calls for further trials
March 16, 2017 16 Mar'17
Government to ramp up help for UK cyber security industry

Government, in partnership with industry, is pursuing a range of initiatives aimed at establishing a UK cyber security ecosystem, developing skills and products and boosting exports, says DIT’s Conrad Prince
March 16, 2017 16 Mar'17
Government to create map over departments’ transformation progress

The Cabinet Office’s Transformation Peer Group is looking for a partner to help create a digital mapping tool where civil servants can look up info on transformation programmes
March 15, 2017 15 Mar'17
Smart meters risk exacerbating problems of digital exclusion, says Ofgem

An Ofgem report has warned of the difficulties in getting consumers to engage with smart meters
March 15, 2017 15 Mar'17
Raising cyber security grasp is biggest challenge, says GCHQ chief

Everyone has a role to play in cyber security, and the NCSC has the right pedigree to co-ordinate and balance the efforts of government, industry and academia, says GCHQ director Robert Hannigan
March 15, 2017 15 Mar'17
The UK needs more women in cyber security, says GCHQ chief

The need to recruit more women into cyber security has come under the spotlight at CyberUK as a study shows the UK infosec industry has one of the lowest proportions of women and the highest gender pay gaps in the world
March 15, 2017 15 Mar'17
Tablets on the decline in Middle East as big smartphones take over

A total of 13.8 million tablets were sold in the region in 2016 – 14.7% less than in 2015
March 15, 2017 15 Mar'17
Digital commerce makes up less than 1% of GDP in Middle East

Region sees double-digit growth in consumer use of digital channels, but businesses seem reluctant to get involved
March 14, 2017 14 Mar'17
What’s in the UK government’s 5G strategy?

The UK government’s 5G mobile strategy was released to coincide with the Spring Budget. We look at some of its key aims
March 14, 2017 14 Mar'17
NCSC chief calls for UK collaboration on cyber security

The National Cyber Security Centre is unashamedly ambitious in aiming to make the UK the safest place to do business online, which chief Ciaran Martin sees as an achievable goal
March 14, 2017 14 Mar'17
IR35 research: 85% of contractors will quit public sector if tax status changed

Research by tax advisers QDos Contractor suggests few public sector off-payroll workers would be willing to stick around if made to pay the same tax as salaried staff
March 13, 2017 13 Mar'17
Analytics sell Tegile hybrid flash as college replaces iSCSI

Bolton College replaces six-year-old Dell EqualLogic iSCSI block arrays and is won over to Tegile hybrid flash by ease of troubleshooting troublesome VM I/O spike issues
March 13, 2017 13 Mar'17
NCSC to educate UK politicians on the cyber threat

The National Cyber Security Centre is to deliver tailored seminars for politicians on how to protect their email communications and voters’ data to defend against cyber threats to the political system
March 13, 2017 13 Mar'17
Singapore’s Republic Polytechnic opens new labs to groom cyber security talent

New lab facilities have been established at Singapore’s Republic Polytechnic through partnerships with RSA Security, Palo Alto Networks, Trend Micro and Ixia
March 10, 2017 10 Mar'17
Tech firms to get first look at CIA hacking tools

WikiLeaks has promised to show tech firms details of what it claims is a leaked arsenal of CIA hacking tools to enable them to prepare fixes before any more are made public
March 09, 2017 09 Mar'17
Huge demand for government cyber defence apprenticeships

A rush for cyber defence apprenticeships shows young people are looking to cyber security as a viable and interesting career option
March 09, 2017 09 Mar'17
London IT firms trying to increase worker diversity

IT firms in London need to do more to reduce a gender bias and increase diversity in the workplace, says research
March 09, 2017 09 Mar'17
Danish consumer council refers Google to Data Protection Agency

Danish consumer rights protection organisation has referred Google to regulator over its personal data storage policy
March 09, 2017 09 Mar'17
Scottish police’s i6 project failed due to loss of trust and disagreements, auditor finds

Police Scotland’s IT systems replacement programme failed because of loss of trust and underestimation of its complexities, according to an Audit Scotland investigation
March 08, 2017 08 Mar'17
Budget 2017: IT skills, 5G, broadband, and R&D receive funding boost

Chancellor of the exchequer Philip Hammond targeted improvements in innovation, connectivity and education in his latest financial update
March 08, 2017 08 Mar'17
Spring Budget advances 5G strategy and broadband funding

The government has launched its 5G mobile strategy to coincide with Chancellor Philip Hammond’s Spring Budget, and has revealed more details of its planned broadband investment
March 07, 2017 07 Mar'17
Country as a service becoming reality in Estonia

Programme to help foreigners set up businesses in Estonia through virtual residency is gathering pace
March 07, 2017 07 Mar'17
IR35 reform will have ‘significant delivery impact’, says Home Office CIO

New regulations for public sector contractors are needed but will lead to a period of “significant pain”, according to Home Office tech boss Sarah Wilkinson
March 06, 2017 06 Mar'17
CIO interview: Sarah Wilkinson, Home Office

The Home Office tech boss shares her views on Brexit challenges, collaborating with GDS and running large government IT programmes
March 06, 2017 06 Mar'17
European data protection law to give consumers more control

UK information commissioner calls on business to focus on data protection, not only to comply with the new data regulations, but also foster the digital economy and gain a competitive edge
March 06, 2017 06 Mar'17
Thorough network upgrade underpins University of Law’s IT

Legal education specialist the University of Law has undertaken a multi-million pound future IT project to refresh its networks, Wi-Fi and datacentre infrastructures across multiple locations
March 06, 2017 06 Mar'17
3D printing gets serious in the Netherlands

3D projects abound in the Netherlands, with the technology being applied to canal bridges, bicycles, ship components and buildings
March 03, 2017 03 Mar'17
HMRC blasted over "inaccurate" and "unreliable" IR35 online assessment tool

Public sector contracting stakeholders claim newly launched tool is returning inaccurate results over IR35 status of some public sector off-payroll workers
March 03, 2017 03 Mar'17
GaaP could save local government up to £500m

The Government Digital Service estimates that local public services could save up to £500m annually by using common platforms such as Gov.uk Verify
March 02, 2017 02 Mar'17
Swedish municipality Järfälla signs €14m outsourcing deal

Swedish municipality signs a new IT services partner to drive digital transformation
March 02, 2017 02 Mar'17
China calls for mutually-beneficial global co-operation in cyber space

China is calling for greater international collaboration in cyber space, saying it is committed to working with other countries to combat cyber crime and cyber terrorism
March 02, 2017 02 Mar'17
MoD ditches spreadsheets for SaaS-based collaboration tool

The Ministry of Defence is taking advantage of G-Cloud for collaboration software to manage its global activities
March 02, 2017 02 Mar'17
Gov.uk Notify ready for use across government digital services

The notification platform is now ready to be used by all central government services needing electronic progress updates for users
March 02, 2017 02 Mar'17
MWC 2017: Barcelona trial uses IoT and big data to manage tourists

Barcelona, the host city for Mobile World Congress, has been demonstrating its use of the internet of things and big data to help manage visitors to Antoni Gaudi’s Sagrada Familia
March 02, 2017 02 Mar'17
UK digital strategy highlights key issues but lacks measurable targets

The government’s digital strategy, which aims to set out plans to the “success of the UK’s digital economy” post-Brexit, has been received with mixed response by industry and experts
March 01, 2017 01 Mar'17
GDPR good for UK business and economy, experts tell Lords’ committee

Adopting GDPR is good business practice and will put the UK on a good footing post Brexit, but getting an EC data protection adequacy ruling could be challenging due to bulk data collection provisions in the Investigatory Powers Act, experts warn
March 01, 2017 01 Mar'17
Government seeks tech firms’ opinion on Brexit as part of tender process

The Department for International Trade is evaluating companies bidding for contracts by their support for the UK’s departure from the EU - which may be illegal
March 01, 2017 01 Mar'17
Liberty begins legal proceedings in challenge to Snoopers’ Charter

Civil rights group Liberty has begun its legal challenge to the bulk surveillance powers in the new Investigatory Powers Act, setting in motion a judicial review
February 28, 2017 28 Feb'17
Government digital strategy promises focus on skills and industry partnerships

Strategy includes plans to create international tech hubs, digital skills partnerships, a fintech competition and industry collaboration
February 28, 2017 28 Feb'17
What are CIOs doing about the rise of blockchain?

Six CIOs share their views on the rise of blockchain and how to take advantage of this emerging technology
February 28, 2017 28 Feb'17
Microsoft to discontinue Skype Wi-Fi service

Microsoft is retiring its Skype Wi-Fi service to concentrate on other services on the communications platform
February 28, 2017 28 Feb'17
Unite union members at Fujitsu on strike

Union members strike over jobs, pay and pensions after Fujitsu announced plans to cut it UK workforce by 1,800
February 28, 2017 28 Feb'17
IWM digitises vast collection in SpectraLogic tape archive

Imperial War Museum deploys SpectraLogic tape archive systems with LTFS Black Pearl in digitisation project for 21,000 hours of film and millions of images and voice recordings
February 27, 2017 27 Feb'17
Ankabut creates hyper-connected ecosystem for UAE education

United Arab Emirates education network implements cloud-based software to improve students’ access to resources
February 27, 2017 27 Feb'17
Hundreds more sub-postmasters apply to join group action against Post Office

Initial hearing regarding sub-postmasters who say they were wrongly punished for false accounting reveals admission by Post Office legal team
February 27, 2017 27 Feb'17
Citizen Love: the story of an ordinary family's fight with the US government

Finnish documentary makers Raimo Uunila and Lauri Danska tell the behind-the-scenes story of activist Lauri Love’s battle with the US government – and the impact of the case on his family
February 27, 2017 27 Feb'17
MWC 2017: Global mobile operators to use big data for social good

The GSMA has launched the Big Data For Social Good initiative, drawing together the big data capabilities of mobile network operators to address humanitarian crises around the world
February 27, 2017 27 Feb'17
MWC 2017: BT showcases network startups and 5G for VR

At Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, BT announces new research into network design and build, and explores the future of 5G networks
February 25, 2017 25 Feb'17
Government puts artificial intelligence on the agenda

Government digital strategy’s plans to boost the artificial intelligence industry include a £17m fund to support new technological developments
February 23, 2017 23 Feb'17
Dutch banks and ISPs behind in domain security

Dutch banks are falling behind organisations in other sectors when it comes to securing domains.
February 22, 2017 22 Feb'17
Virtual reality takes off in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries

There is a thriving virtual reality industry in the Middle East, with the technology's application expected to go far beyond gaming
February 22, 2017 22 Feb'17
Computacenter apprentices are business-critical today

Apprenticeships in IT are increasingly seen as an alternative to university for many. Apprentices at Computacenter tell their stories
February 21, 2017 21 Feb'17
Airborne cars to transform Dubai’s public transportation

Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority is readying the launch of autonomous aerial vehicles in July this year
February 21, 2017 21 Feb'17
Industrial control systems top threat to UK cyber security

Most organisations understand cyber security readiness, but lack response and resilience capabilities – especially regarding industrial control systems in the UK, says RSA cyber defence expert Azeem Aleem
February 21, 2017 21 Feb'17
Public trust key to ‘data-driven government’, says John Manzoni

The civil service chief says the public needs to be confident in data sharing safeguards and admits Care.data scandal was a step back in gaining trust