News

IT for government and public sector

June 29, 2017 29 Jun'17
London economy threatened by poor connectivity, says London Assembly report

The London Assembly Regeneration Committee describes the capital’s digital connectivity as “embarrassing” and calls on the new chief digital officer to solve the problem
June 28, 2017 28 Jun'17
Cyber preparedness low among UK councils, survey shows

Confidence among UK local authorities about being prepared and well equipped to deal with a cyber attack is relatively low, a survey has revealed
June 28, 2017 28 Jun'17
Half of highly skilled EU workers in UK are considering leaving

Retaining IT staff might be as much of a challenge as retaining them after Brexit as EU workers get itchy feet
June 28, 2017 28 Jun'17
DVLA aims to slash IT costs by moving to public cloud and open standards

Agency’s IT strategy for 2019/20 will see a concerted move to deprecate legacy systems, deploy applications in the cloud and develop in-house IT

June 28, 2017 28 Jun'17
Finnish government scraps paper and digitises archives

The government in Finland is digitising 94 shelf kilometres of documents to save millions of euros and make the information easier to access
June 27, 2017 27 Jun'17
Met Police vulnerable to cyber attacks due to Windows XP use, GLA warned

The Greater London Authority fears the Metropolitan Police is vulnerable to cyber attacks after figures reveal more than 18,000 devices in the force still run on Windows XP
June 27, 2017 27 Jun'17
Caroline Nokes takes on digital government responsibility post-election

Cabinet Office parliamentary under secretary will take on ministerial responsibility for GDS while Damian Green will “retain oversight”
June 27, 2017 27 Jun'17
Co-op digital chief Mike Bracken quits to focus on digital government consultancy

The former GDS chief is leaving the Co-op to work on advising governments around the world on their digital strategy
June 27, 2017 27 Jun'17
Government needs to build digital skills, says Civil Service Group director-general

Building digital capabilities and common services are key to the future of the civil service, according to Tracey Waltho, director-general of the Civil Service Group
June 27, 2017 27 Jun'17
Hard to find positives for IT industry one year after Brexit vote

Business and tech experts give their verdict on prospects for the UK as Brexit negotiations finally get under way

June 27, 2017 27 Jun'17
IT contractor-led campaign to crowdfund legal challenge to IR35 reforms goes live

Public sector contractors urged to back campaign to explore legal challenge to revamped IR35 tax avoidance rules
June 26, 2017 26 Jun'17
Northern Ireland gets £150m for ultrafast broadband roll-out

Two-year broadband funding package is part of UK prime minister Theresa May’s deal with the DUP
June 26, 2017 26 Jun'17
Business as usual at Parliament after cyber attack

Both Houses of Parliament are to meet as scheduled after a “sustained and determined cyber attack” at the weekend
June 23, 2017 23 Jun'17
Russian hackers traded thousands of UK officials’ credentials

Login credentials of tens of thousands of UK officials were traded online after a 2012 data breach at LinkedIn, an investigation has revealed
June 22, 2017 22 Jun'17
Some government departments lost up to 40% of IT contractors after IR35 changes

Differing approaches to IR35 tax reforms meant some Whitehall teams were harder hit than others by the changes introduced in April 2017
June 22, 2017 22 Jun'17
Russian hackers targeted election systems in 21 US states

Russian hackers targeted voting systems in nearly 50% of states in the 2016 US presidential election, officials have revealed in testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee
June 21, 2017 21 Jun'17
Queen’s Speech praised for certainty on data protection

The Queen’s Speech has been praised for removing any doubt about the UK’s commitment to data protection
June 21, 2017 21 Jun'17
Queen’s Speech highlights digital charter and data protection

Government confirms plans to create a digital charter to ensure the UK is “the safest place to be online”, and a new law protecting personal data
June 21, 2017 21 Jun'17
Digital government needs action plan and clear standards, says IfG

Institute for Government report calls on Whitehall to publish a digital government implementation plan and prioritise digital services vital to Brexit
June 21, 2017 21 Jun'17
Dubai extends test run for flying taxis

Dubai transport authority RTA extends trials of autonomous flying cars
June 21, 2017 21 Jun'17
The human apprentices behind robotic automation

IT apprentices are helping large businesses transform their back-office processes through software robots
June 20, 2017 20 Jun'17
Testing was key to Rio Olympics cyber security success

Two years of testing in the run up to the Rio 2016 Olympics were vital to ensuring cyber defences were effective, according to the chief information security officer for the games
June 20, 2017 20 Jun'17
Almost 10% of Londoners still unconnected, says report

On the second annual World Wi-Fi Day, a survey claims substantial numbers of people in the world’s largest cities are still languishing in the digital slow lane
June 20, 2017 20 Jun'17
Republican contractor exposes personal data of nearly 200 million US voters

A misconfigured database containing the sensitive personal details of more than 198 million US voters was left exposed to the internet by a firm working on behalf of the Republican National Committee
June 19, 2017 19 Jun'17
South African game reserve goes digital to save the rhino

Dimension Data and Cisco have teamed up to protect rhinos living on a private game reserve in South Africa with the latest networking and IoT sensor technology
June 19, 2017 19 Jun'17
MEPs propose ban on encryption backdoors

A European parliamentary committee has proposed a ban on backdoors that allow governments to access encrypted communications
June 16, 2017 16 Jun'17
Russia’s startups and corporations hook up at Startup Village

Annual IT event Startup Village in Russia saw blockchain take centre stage and support from the country’s government
June 16, 2017 16 Jun'17
Three fined £1.9m over emergency communications failure

Telecoms regulator Ofcom has hit mobile operator Three with a £1.9m fine after a loss of service left customers unable to contact the emergency services
June 15, 2017 15 Jun'17
International cyber crime crack-down leads to four UK arrests

Four people from across the UK have been arrested on suspicion of using systems testing malware to bypass antivirus software
June 15, 2017 15 Jun'17
University College London hit by ransomware attack

University restricts access to several IT systems and file shares to halt spread of malware
June 15, 2017 15 Jun'17
Finnish mobile operators opt-out from free EU roaming

Finnish mobile operators have been exempted from new European Union data roaming rules for now
June 14, 2017 14 Jun'17
Cloud service maturity up in the Nordics

Nordic businesses are increasing their use of the cloud, but more work is needed to make investments support business strategies
June 13, 2017 13 Jun'17
Dubai to replace passport control with biometric border check

System developed by UK startup which creates a digital passport for each individual will be used at Dubai’s main airport
June 13, 2017 13 Jun'17
What next for digital government post-election?

With a new Cabinet Office minister in place and an ambitious transformation strategy to deliver, what does the future hold for digital government?
June 13, 2017 13 Jun'17
IT company accused of threatening staff after urging them to vote Tory

Union accuses Storm Technologies MD of telling staff to vote Conservative and saying Labour voters “will be made redundant first”
June 13, 2017 13 Jun'17
UAE telco Etisalat to pilot 5G

CTO says company is committed to trials and commercial launch of 5G in the UAE and the rest of the Middle East
June 12, 2017 12 Jun'17
London Tech Week: Brexit won’t harm London tech sector, says city’s mayor

London mayor Sadiq Khan opens London Tech Week and says Brexit will not hold back the city's growing tech sector
June 12, 2017 12 Jun'17
Theresa May appoints Damian Green as Cabinet Office minister in reshuffle

Green takes on responsibility for digital government after Ben Gummer lost his seat in last week’s general election
June 09, 2017 09 Jun'17
Infosec17: Society needs to address encryption dilemma

There needs to be a discussion about how to balance the interests of privacy, security and the tech industry, says Infosecurity Europe Hall of Fame inductee
June 09, 2017 09 Jun'17
Non-EU IT professionals in the UK at an all-time high

Survey shows IT business analysts, architects and systems designers, web design and development specialists are the most common skills being brought in
June 08, 2017 08 Jun'17
Watchdog fails to audit intelligence agencies’ sharing of surveillance data with industry

New privacy concerns raised after intelligence watchdog confirms it has never audited or inspected the way intelligence services share sensitive surveillance databases with industry partners
June 08, 2017 08 Jun'17
BT introduces customer-facing CIO roles

As part of its overhaul in terms of how it serves its largest clients, BT has set up a team of internal CIOs to speak for enterprise and public sector customers within the wider group
June 08, 2017 08 Jun'17
Islamic State supporters shun Tails and Tor encryption for Telegram

Confidential communications show terror group’s supporters are turning to simple mobile phone messaging apps to exchange messages and distribute propaganda
June 08, 2017 08 Jun'17
Green Party wins the race for digital performance

Benchmark tests on the political parties’ websites shows the Green Party on top, with the Liberal Democrats bottom of the rankings for response times
June 07, 2017 07 Jun'17
Infosec17: IoT security regulation coming, warns Bruce Schneier

A security expert urges the security industry to engage with government to ensure that regulation of IoT security is smart regulation
June 07, 2017 07 Jun'17
Malaysia’s Cyberjaya to get smart city boost

Tipped as Malaysia's Silicon Valley, the Cyberjaya township will pilot a slew of smart city projects, including e-payments and mobile bus ticketing
June 06, 2017 06 Jun'17
UK voters worried that election will be targeted by hackers

Online voting is being held back in the UK because of fears that cyber criminals could influence the results
June 06, 2017 06 Jun'17
Infosec17: Recruit agile people for agile security teams

Organisations should enlist agile people to join agile security teams that are able to deal with the continually changing cyber threat landscape, say security team leaders
June 06, 2017 06 Jun'17
Tieto and Verisec to develop eID for Sweden’s public sector services

Suppliers are reacting to the rapid adoption of digital government in Sweden with electronic ID technology that will replace passwords
June 06, 2017 06 Jun'17
Digital economy to contribute 7% of Australia’s GDP

Besides improving living standards, digital technologies could also lead to a resurgence of manufacturing in Australia
June 05, 2017 05 Jun'17
Mixed reactions to PM's calls to regulate cyber space to prevent terrorism

Prime minister Theresa May’s call for regulation of the internet to prevent terrorism planning has drawn support from some quarters but criticism from others
June 05, 2017 05 Jun'17
Mass collection of data on population ‘illegal’, UK court told

Investigatory Powers Tribunal hearing challenges GCHQ over legality of mass surveillance, as government plans moves to control encryption
June 05, 2017 05 Jun'17
Singapore, Australia forge cyber security ties

The two countries will conduct joint cyber security exercises, among a raft of measures to secure critical infrastructure and bolster cyber security knowhow
June 04, 2017 04 Jun'17
ODI unimpressed with data commitments in party manifestos

The Open Data Institute said all the political parties failed to address how the use of open data can improve the delivery of public services
June 01, 2017 01 Jun'17
IR35 reforms: HMRC denies claims that online tax status assessment tool returns unreliable results

HM Revenue & Customs hits back at research that suggests its IR35 online assessment tool is hindering public sector organisations in determining the tax status of off-payroll staff
May 31, 2017 31 May'17
TfL likely to tender for 4G on the Tube

Transport for London is planning to undertake preliminary work on installing 4G mobile networking services on the London Underground in the near future
May 31, 2017 31 May'17
Hundreds of sub-postmasters have applied to join IT-related legal action since March

The number of sub-postmasters who claim to have suffered as a result of a faulty Post Office IT system has reached 1,300
May 31, 2017 31 May'17
IR35 reforms: NHS revises stance on contractor tax status assessments

National Health Service’s U-turn over IR35 assessments could prompt other public sector bodies to follow suit, say experts
May 31, 2017 31 May'17
Singapore to pave the way for tech startup IPOs

The agreement between the Singapore government and the local bourse will lower barriers to capital markets and make the city-state a more attractive destination for startup fundraising
May 26, 2017 26 May'17
Swedish government agencies join IT spending benchmarking service

Government agencies in Sweden are using a tool by Apptio to help them gain a better understanding of IT costs
May 26, 2017 26 May'17
Estonian e-Residency programme partners Finnish tech startup

Government’s partnership with fintech firm Holvi aims to provide online business banking services to entrepreneurs who take up eResidency
May 24, 2017 24 May'17
SAP aligns with Saudi Arabia’s IT transformation agenda

Global software giant SAP sees an opportunity for its wide portfolio in Saudi Arabia as the Middle Eastern country transforms
May 24, 2017 24 May'17
Singapore government to spend S$2.4bn on technology initiatives

Funding will go towards building a national sensor platform, boosting the government’s cyber security capabilities and driving the use of robots
May 23, 2017 23 May'17
Three-quarters of internet of things projects are at risk of failure

At Cisco’s IoT World Forum in London, the network supplier releases statistics suggesting that most IoT projects are at risk of, or doomed to, failure
May 23, 2017 23 May'17
Audit Scotland shares lessons learned from failed IT projects

In a ‘lessons learned’ report, Scottish auditor sets out five principles that should be considered when managing government IT programmes
May 22, 2017 22 May'17
Middle East largely unscathed after WannaCry cyber attack

The impact of WannaCry on the Middle East was reduced due to the attack falling on a weekend, but it is a stark warning
May 21, 2017 21 May'17
Australian government ICT spending under fire

The opposition Labor party has called for a review of the government’s higher ICT spending and digital transformation programme
May 19, 2017 19 May'17
Interview: Claude Moraes, MEP and EU Civil Liberties Committee chair

Claude Moraes, chair of the European Parliament's Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs Committee shares his views, concerns, reservations about EU-US data transfers, encryption and Brexit
May 19, 2017 19 May'17
General election 2017: a quick guide to the parties’ digital pledges

We examine the digital promises in the three main national political parties’ manifestos and how they compare on broadband, skills, digital government, infrastructure and innovation
May 18, 2017 18 May'17
Half of CIOs have no Brexit plan because of uncertainty

Uncertainty caused by the UK leaving the EU has caused a pause in activity for half of CIOs, while the others are accelerating their digital transformation
May 18, 2017 18 May'17
Conservative Party manifesto promises to ‘face up to fast-changing technology’

Tories aim to create a digital charter, continuing a “digital by default” government and a dynamic digital economy
May 18, 2017 18 May'17
Lib Dem manifesto pledges digital bill of rights and superfast broadband

The Liberal Democrats 2017 election manifesto promises 30Mbps broadband, a focus on innovation and a digital bill of rights
May 18, 2017 18 May'17
WannaCry biggest incident to date for National Cyber Security Centre

The WannaCry ransomware attack that started on 12 May 2017 is the biggest single incident that the new UK National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has faced
May 17, 2017 17 May'17
Smart Dubai works with United Nations on smart cities index

Dubai is becoming a world leader in smart city developments and international organisations want to tap its experience
May 17, 2017 17 May'17
London digital sector continues to grow faster than rest of UK

The gap between the number of digital tech firms in London and the rest of the UK is growing
May 17, 2017 17 May'17
TechUK manifesto calls on next government to put strong focus on digital

TechUK’s digital vision sees the government placing digital technology at the heart of the UK economy, refreshing Gov.uk Verify and prioritising tech in Brexit negotiations
May 17, 2017 17 May'17
Startup aims to improve web access for disabled people

Essential Accessibility is on a mission to make online services more friendly to disabled people through a mix of assistive technology and consultancy
May 16, 2017 16 May'17
Labour election manifesto commits to growing the digital economy

The Labour Party’s 2017 election manifesto highlights better use of technology, maintaining data protection, and a £250bn investment in infrastructure
May 16, 2017 16 May'17
Financial services CISOs prioritise GDPR – but their service providers might not have

Survey shows 52% of CISOs working in the finance sector have made compliance with the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation an investment priority
May 15, 2017 15 May'17
MPs and peers urged not to use personal email as WannaCry spreads

MPs and peers have been warned not to use personal emails on parliamentary Windows computers in the wake of WannaCry ransomware outbreak
May 15, 2017 15 May'17
Businesses urged to apply Windows patch to avert WannaCry attacks

Security advisers are urging organisations to patch their Windows systems to avert a possible second wave of an unprecedented, indiscriminate ransomware attack
May 12, 2017 12 May'17
CTS director Iain Patterson leaves GDS

Common Technology Services director Iain Patterson is the latest in a long line of senior leaders to leave the Government Digital Service
May 12, 2017 12 May'17
Mixed reaction to Trump’s cyber security executive order

The latest US presidential executive order on cyber security has been met mainly with praise, but critics say there is nothing really new and takes no decisive action
May 12, 2017 12 May'17
Why smart cities need to become smarter about technology

Cities are experimenting with smarter ways to use technologies to improve the life of citizens, but their projects are fragmented. Is there a better approach?
May 11, 2017 11 May'17
Plans for superfast broadband and digital ambassador in leaked Labour manifesto

The leaked draft of the Labour Party’s election manifesto promises to deliver superfast broadband by 2022 and appoint a digital ambassador to fly the flag for Britain post-Brexit
May 11, 2017 11 May'17
Australian government bolsters IT security in budget boost

The country’s Digital Transformation Agency has been given a shot in the arm to guard public sector IT systems against cyber attacks
May 10, 2017 10 May'17
Trump’s ‘hire American’ rhetoric is stalling global IT services sector

The IT services sector is facing an important period as political decisions impact their business models
May 10, 2017 10 May'17
Nordic region competes for datacentre dominance

The Nordic region is an attractive region for datacentres as demand for cloud services in the area grows
May 10, 2017 10 May'17
Durham Police to use artificial intelligence to help decide if suspects should be held in custody

Durham Police are to use artificial intelligence to help them decide whether or not to keep suspects in custody
May 10, 2017 10 May'17
Automation can turn tables on cyber attackers

Security defenders should use automation to turn the tables on attackers, according to the CTO of the US Department of Homeland Security
May 09, 2017 09 May'17
Blockchain gains momentum in the Middle East

Blockchain is gathering pace in the Middle East, with the United Arab Emirates leading the way
May 09, 2017 09 May'17
General election: ODI hopes to see data, skills and innovation pledges in party manifestos

The Open Data Institute wants the UK’s political parties to make room for data policy in their manifestos ahead of the general election
May 09, 2017 09 May'17
Highly skilled professionals at risk of being replaced by computers

Highly skilled jobs will be replaced by artificial intelligence by 2022, says Gartner
May 09, 2017 09 May'17
Large UK businesses increasingly want CEOs to have IT background

More large businesses in the UK want a CEO that has a good understanding of IT
May 08, 2017 08 May'17
London councils look at potential for creating technology and innovation office

The Greater London Authority and a group of London boroughs are looking to create a London Office of Technology and Innovation to join up data, digital and technology innovation
May 05, 2017 05 May'17
Crossrail uses cloud software to address challenge of on- and off-boarding contractors

Railway construction company moves to cloud-based IT service management software from ServiceNow as it scales down IT users ahead of project completion
May 05, 2017 05 May'17
Ex-government privacy advisor calls for 'fundamental review' of Gov.uk Verify identity scheme

Former Cabinet Office privacy group co-chair says the Verify identity assurance programme needs 'honest and fundamental reset'
May 05, 2017 05 May'17
Lib Dems decry surveillance plans exposed in leaked documents

After the election, the UK government plans to introduce extreme mass surveillance capabilities, according to documents leaked to the Open Rights Group
May 05, 2017 05 May'17
Oracle outlines German cloud datacentre expansion plans

Database software giant claims investment in German datacentres is being fuelled by growing demand for its cloud services in Europe
May 04, 2017 04 May'17
Child protection database project plagued by delays

NHS Digital’s child protection information sharing project is suffering from low and slow uptake both among NHS trusts and local authorities