News

IT for government and public sector

• June 07, 2016 07 Jun'16

  GDS builds cross-government IT contract dashboard

  Common Technology Services director Iain Patterson wants to strengthen the relationship with departments and industry

• June 07, 2016 07 Jun'16

  Unlicensed software rife among Asean computer users, says BSA

  The Asean region has the highest levels of unlicensed software use, according to the 2016 Global Software Survey from the Business Software Alliance (BSA)

• June 06, 2016 06 Jun'16

  How emails sent to and from Parliament are monitored

  Government officials deny that emails sent by MPs are open to surveillance by GCHQ and NSA - we examine the evidence

• June 06, 2016 06 Jun'16

  ‘Considerable risk’ if Post Office replaced Horizon system, says chairman

  Post Office chairman Tim Parker says there would be ‘considerable risk’ associated with changing its Horizon computer system

• June 06, 2016 06 Jun'16

  Government reaches accord over ESN in National Parks England

  The Home Office reaches an agreement with National Parks England over the provision of mobile coverage for the emergency services

• June 02, 2016 02 Jun'16

  More safeguards needed to protect MPs communications, claims parliamentary body

  Joint Committee on Human Rights argues Investigatory Powers Bill protections are ‘inadequate’

• June 01, 2016 01 Jun'16

  MPs’ private emails are routinely accessed by GCHQ

  Computer Weekly investigation reveals the extent of interception of MPs’ and peers’ email communications and data

• June 01, 2016 01 Jun'16

  Safe Harbour confusion fuels rise in demand for European datacentre space, CBRE claims

  User demand for locally hosted cloud services prompts cloud firms and infrastructure providers to rapidly take-up datacentre space in Europe, CBRE research shows

• June 01, 2016 01 Jun'16

  Thailand province successfully trials flood simulation system

  A province of Thailand is using an IT system from NEC to help it predict floods

• May 31, 2016 31 May'16

  Sloppy SaaS firms lose out on G-Cloud deals, research suggests

  Ex-EuroCloud general secretary Lindsay Smith claims SaaS providers need to stop blaming others for their lack of G-Cloud sales success

• May 27, 2016 27 May'16

  25 Scottish councils seek joint chief digital officer

  A group of Scottish councils are creating a digital transformation partnership to drive change across local services

• May 27, 2016 27 May'16

  Councils must bridge digital gap to remain relevant

  The general public is not confident councils can make their digital strategies work

• May 26, 2016 26 May'16

  Avoiding a security nightmare at South Australia’s Catholic schools

  Taking on the challenge of securing student and organisational data while ensuring easy access to resources

• May 26, 2016 26 May'16

  Navigating the world of cross-sector collaboration

  Three very different organisations share their stories of how to make projects a success and deliver real results

• May 26, 2016 26 May'16

  GDS begins publication of PSN performance data

  The government makes public data gleaned from its monitoring of the performance of the Public Services Network to help customers understand their networks

• May 26, 2016 26 May'16

  UK government details plans for National Cyber Security Centre

  The objectives of the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre are to address systemic vulnerabilities, reduce risks, respond to serious incidents and nurture national cyber security capability

• May 25, 2016 25 May'16

  Implementation problems ‘inevitable’ in HMRC’s digital transformation, says NAO

  HMRC “misjudged” impact of its transformation programme and failed to build in sufficient contingency in its plans, says National Audit Office

• May 25, 2016 25 May'16

  Digital Catapult creates open source permissions platform to track creative IP

  The Digital Catapult innovation centre launches an open permissions platform to allow creatives to track where their content has been used

• May 25, 2016 25 May'16

  Theresa May agrees to review proposed bulk data collection powers

  Labour welcomes the government’s commitment to review bulk data collection powers in the draft Investigatory Powers Bill, but says more change is needed to win the party’s backing

• May 25, 2016 25 May'16

  How The Hague solved its bike parking problem with a mobile app

  City authorities in The Hague are cleaning the streets of wrecked and abandoned bicycles with the help of Kony’s mobile app platform

• May 24, 2016 24 May'16

  UK government announces CyberFirst bursary scheme

  GCHQ will partner with other government departments and private industry to offer students a comprehensive package of financial assistance and cyber skills

• May 23, 2016 23 May'16

  Dutch mastering the art of big data analysis

  Gathering and analysing huge amounts of data offers the promise of business efficiency and new opportunities. We look at what this all means for the once-cautious Dutch

• May 23, 2016 23 May'16

  UK emergency services upgrade set to save lives

  The UK government introduces an open standard for emergency services’ IT systems to improve the speed and efficiency of responses to incidents

• May 20, 2016 20 May'16

  No trade-off between security and privacy, says Claude Moraes MEP

  Any legislation on encryption should be preceded by an in depth and careful reflection process, says EU Civil Liberties Committee chair Claude Moraes

• May 20, 2016 20 May'16

  Copenhagen creates marketplace for trading data

  Organisations in Copenhagen can buy and sell previously unavailable data on a data marketplace set up by the city government

• May 20, 2016 20 May'16

  HumanOps calls for improved working conditions for infrastructure operations staff

  The pressure of delivering 24/7 support to IT infrastructure is taking its toll on the people tasked with caring for it, warns HumanOps advocates

• May 20, 2016 20 May'16

  Cabinet Office failed to manage risks around migration to shared service centres, says NAO

  The government’s delayed programme to migrate back-office functions to two shared service centres is not achieving value for money, lacks an integrated business case and has failed to track additional costs incurred, says the NAO

• May 20, 2016 20 May'16

  CIO interview: Antti Ylä-Jarkko, city of Vantaa, Finland

  The CIO of Finnish city Vantaa tells Computer Weekly why the Nordic public sector can lead the way in the use of digital

• May 19, 2016 19 May'16

  Digital inclusion charity demands government enforcement of web accessibility laws

  AbilityNet claims government is "falling down on the job" by failing to act against firms that do not make their websites and services accessible to disabled users

• May 19, 2016 19 May'16

  Gov.uk Verify to go live 24 May 2016

  On 24 May 2016, the government’s identity assurance platform will move from beta to “fully live”, after missing its original April go-live target

• May 18, 2016 18 May'16

  Cyber espionage campaign targets Ukraine separatists

  Security researchers discover a surveillance operation against separatists in Eastern Ukraine using spear phishing attacks to spread previously unknown malware

• May 18, 2016 18 May'16

  Five suppliers get 51% of all UK government IT spending, says PAC

  Public Accounts Committee (PAC) report questions government progress on growing the volume of public-sector business it gives to SMEs

• May 18, 2016 18 May'16

  Queen’s Speech sets out plans for Digital Economy Bill

  The Queen’s Speech announced plans to make the UK a world leader in the digital economy and reiterated a commitment to making fast broadband a legal right

• May 18, 2016 18 May'16

  Manchester student nurses training to record patients’ information on tablets

  Patientrack system, which helps assess vital signs digitally and flags up potential problems, is in use throughout several hospitals in the region

• May 18, 2016 18 May'16

  Government claims Electronic Communications Code reforms will boost UK network coverage

  Government plans to cut costs associated with letting mobile operators build infrastructure on private land could lead to lower mobile costs for consumers, it is claimed

• May 17, 2016 17 May'16

  Police set for better engagement with UK tech firms

  The policing lead for digital investigation and intelligence says new structures will improve engagement and collaboration between the UK tech industry and police forces

• May 17, 2016 17 May'16

  South Yorkshire and Humberside police forces award £41m IT contract to Sopra Steria

  Two police forces have selected Sopra Steria to supply a common IT system to align business processes in a deal worth up to £41m

• May 16, 2016 16 May'16

  GDS urged to reinstate G-Cloud web accessibility safeguards

  Public sector IT buyers risk breaking disability discrimination laws, following removal of web accessibility safeguards from G-Cloud, it is claimed

• May 16, 2016 16 May'16

  Cifas calls on UK government to help tackle fraud

  The UK fraud prevention service is calling on the government to use the Queen’s Speech to introduce policy and legislative changes to tackle cyber and other forms of fraud

• May 16, 2016 16 May'16

  Childnet helps young people step up as digital leaders

  Children’s charity Childnet wants to empower kids by teaching them how to become digital leaders and advise their peers about online safety

• May 12, 2016 12 May'16

  Government to create anti-corruption innovation hub

  Together with nine other countries, the UK government will create an anti-corruption innovation hub to share innovation and best practice

• May 12, 2016 12 May'16

  ICO probes Google DeepMind patient data-sharing deal with NHS Hospital Trust

  Data protection watchdog the information commissioner's office (ICO) investigates the NHS data-sharing deal with Google DeepMind, after a complaint from the public

• May 12, 2016 12 May'16

  CCS technology products framework to focus on quality, not cost

  The Crown Commercial Service’s £4bn technology products and services framework opens up for SMEs and moves focus to quality rather than price

• May 12, 2016 12 May'16

  IT security leaders set to maintain or increase IAM spending

  Senior IT decision-makers understand the need for identity and access management (IAM) systems to meet the challenges and opportunities of the digital age

• May 11, 2016 11 May'16

  CityFibre lights up Milton Keynes and Northampton

  CityFibre opens up its metro fibre networks to b2b services in Milton Keynes and Northampton

• May 10, 2016 10 May'16

  Safer cycling project wins BT smart city contest

  Northern Irish startup See.Sense scoops £15,000 prize in BT smart city contest after developing a connected bike light

• May 10, 2016 10 May'16

  Parts of Whitehall will no longer exist by 2030, says Stephen Foreshew-Cain

  By 2030, parts of Whitehall will no longer exist, policy making will change and digital government will be the norm, predicts government digital chief Stephen Foreshew-Cain

• May 09, 2016 09 May'16

  CEO Natalie Ceeney to quit the Courts Service

  Courts and Tribunal Service CEO Natalie Ceeney’s sudden departure raises questions on the future of digital courts

• May 09, 2016 09 May'16

  Post Office apologises as system goes down

  The Post Office computer system failed on 9 May 2016, leaving sub-postmasters unable to open branches

• May 09, 2016 09 May'16

  EE expands 4G roll-out with satellite backhaul

  EE signs communications provider Avanti to use satellite capacity for mobile backhaul on its 4G network at a number of sites in the UK

• May 09, 2016 09 May'16

  Two-thirds of UK businesses hit by cyber security breaches, but directors remain unaware

  Two-thirds of large UK businesses are hit by cyber security attacks, but directors aren’t told about them, according to a government sponsored report

• May 06, 2016 06 May'16

  Socitm looks at GaaP potential for local public services

  The Local Digital Coalition is “well-placed” to extend government as a platform (GaaP) services – such as gov.uk Notify, Pay and Verify – says Socitm

• May 05, 2016 05 May'16

  Australia closing tax loopholes, ready to grab millions of dollars from tech giants

  OECD initiative and audits of some of the world’s biggest technology firms prompted the tax clampdown, outlined in a budget statement

• May 04, 2016 04 May'16

  Real-time data helps manage traffic in Philippines

  OpenTraffic smart data platform provides free GPS information for better analysis of travel speeds and journey times in Metro Manila and Cebu City

• May 04, 2016 04 May'16

  Google company’s access to NHS records raises privacy concerns

  A data-sharing agreement between a Google-owned firm and the Royal Free NHS trust raises privacy concerns, despite assurances that Google cannot use the data

• May 03, 2016 03 May'16

  Gov.uk Verify misses April go-live target

  The Government Digital Service didn’t meet its target of taking identity assurance service Verify out of beta by the end of April, but is “nearly there”, according to programme director Janet Hughes

• May 03, 2016 03 May'16

  Southern fire services pool resources with shared command and control system

  Fire and rescue services in Devon, Somerset, Dorset, Wiltshire and Hampshire have joined forces to deploy modern command and control technology

• April 29, 2016 29 Apr'16

  Virtual desktop infrastructure set for Middle East enterprise growth

  More and more IT leaders in the Middle East are considering adopting virtual desktop infrastructures, but user cases are needed to speed things up

• April 29, 2016 29 Apr'16

  Cyber security in Belgium will gain prominence after terror attacks

  Belgium’s physical security has been branded inadequate, so how does the country’s cyber security measure up?

• April 29, 2016 29 Apr'16

  Saudi Arabia could warm to cloud computing, so long as regulation and connectivity keep pace

  One of the world’s biggest oil producers has responded to tumbling crude prices by announcing a $2tn war chest to fund an economic diversification strategy, with IT set to be a beneficiary

• April 28, 2016 28 Apr'16

  Inefficient IT hampering UK government plans to reduce re-offending, says NAO

  National Audit Office highlights problems such as re-keying of data and a lack of integration

• April 28, 2016 28 Apr'16

  Asean CIOs expect IT budget increase in 2016

  IT leaders in the Asean region expect to spend more on IT this year, with big data, mobility and IoT all priorities

• April 28, 2016 28 Apr'16

  Government approves Elizabeth Denham as next information commissioner

  The Department for Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee approves Elizabeth Denham as the UK’s next information commissioner

• April 28, 2016 28 Apr'16

  Interview: Alistair Duggin, head of accessibility, Government Digital Service

  GDS’s head of accessibility, Alistair Duggin, aims to help government departments design digital services that are accessible to everyone

• April 28, 2016 28 Apr'16

  Disrupting IT in the Nordics, from banks to taxis

  IT is dramatically changing traditional industry sectors in the Nordic region. Computer Weekly examines the transformation

• April 28, 2016 28 Apr'16

  Government accepts data ethics council proposal

  The government accepts the House of Commons Science and Technology Committee’s recommendation that a data science ethics council is established at the Alan Turing Institute

• April 28, 2016 28 Apr'16

  UFO broadband network sees promising results from pilot testing

  Trials of York’s Ultra Fibre Optic (UFO) broadband service is moving ahead, with early adopters proving enthusiastic about the speeds available

• April 27, 2016 27 Apr'16

  Mobilising a workforce drives up performance and productivity

  Mobile workers are also more creative, satisfied and loyal, says EIU study

• April 27, 2016 27 Apr'16

  IT outsourcing starts year with a bang

  The IT outsourcing sector got off to a strong start in 2016, with sales volumes and values up

• April 27, 2016 27 Apr'16

  Singapore is second most cloud ready country in Asia-Pacific

  Broadband quality, data privacy and pro-business regime makes Singapore the second most cloud ready country in the Apac region

• April 26, 2016 26 Apr'16

  HMRC weighs up desktop services and cloud collaboration

  HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) is considering tendering for managed desktop services and an integrated cloud-based system, worth up to £215m

• April 26, 2016 26 Apr'16

  Interview: Janet Hughes, Gov.uk Verify programme director, GDS

  As the Government Digital Service prepares to go fully live with its identity assurance service Gov.uk Verify, Computer Weekly speaks to programme director Janet Hughes

• April 25, 2016 25 Apr'16

  Government aims to make UK best place to innovate

  The government launches a probe into barriers that stifle entrepreneurs, and creates a plan on how to drive innovation in the UK

• April 25, 2016 25 Apr'16

  Australia pledges A$230m to prevent a ‘lawless’ cyber domain

  Australia's latest cyber security strategy will see the appointment of a cyber ambassador, charged with liaising with other nations

• April 25, 2016 25 Apr'16

  Indonesian internet users turn to smartphones to go online

  Organisations with a cyber footprint in Indonesia must understand most internet users in the country access online content and services on smartphones

• April 22, 2016 22 Apr'16

  Nordic corporations open their doors to tech startups

  Traditional Nordic corporations are starting to take advantage of the vibrant startup community in the region, and they are changing the way they think

• April 22, 2016 22 Apr'16

  Barnet Council audit finds some Capita services lacking

  The internal audit reports show a series of failings by supplier Capita, such as “no documented IT disaster recovery plans” and gaps in change management processes

• April 22, 2016 22 Apr'16

  New Zealand wants UK and other overseas ICT professionals to fill skills gap

  New Zealand needs ICT professionals from overseas to fill a growing skills gap

• April 22, 2016 22 Apr'16

  UK information commissioner weighs in on Privacy Shield

  It would be “very sensible” if both the EU and the US answered the questions European data protection authorities are asking about the Privacy Shield pact, according to the UK information commissioner

• April 21, 2016 21 Apr'16

  GCHQ told analysts to assume surveillance 'bulk data' is legal

  Documents obtained by charity Privacy International reveal insights into GCHQ’s collection of sensitive bulk data, as lawyers question the impact of surveillance on legal privilege, fair trials and protection of whistleblowers

• April 20, 2016 20 Apr'16

  UK institute seeking better cyber defences for ICS, says director

  The UK needs to develop awareness of the vulnerability of industrial control systems to cyber attack and technology-specific security systems, says researcher

• April 20, 2016 20 Apr'16

  European Commission ready to splash €50bn on transformational digitisation plan

  A cloud initiative for scientists and technologists among the developments as digital single market moves intensify

• April 20, 2016 20 Apr'16

  GDPR will require 28,000 DPOs in Europe and US, study shows

  The staffing impact of the GDPR will be huge, with 28,000 data protection officers (DPOs) in Europe and the US alone, says the International Association of Privacy Professionals

• April 20, 2016 20 Apr'16

  Balancing privacy and security a key challenge, says NCA

  Striking a balance between security and privacy is a major challenge for law enforcement, says NCCU operations head Mike Hulett

• April 19, 2016 19 Apr'16

  Three-quarters of Brits unaware of IP Bill, one-third don’t care

  Millions of UK citizens remain in the dark about the reach and scope of the Investigatory Powers Bill, or the so-called Snoopers’ Charter, says Broadband Genie

• April 18, 2016 18 Apr'16

  Suppliers charge ‘exorbitant’ fees for council tax system changes

  Report on local council tax support schemes finds Universal Credit systems aren’t communicating with local council systems and local authorities are being charged “exorbitant amounts” by suppliers

• April 18, 2016 18 Apr'16

  Manx Telecom to trial integrated cellular-satellite mobile service

  Manx Telecom trials an extended mobile network with support from satellite services supplier Globalstar, with the aim of supporting emergency services connectivity

• April 18, 2016 18 Apr'16

  Government CTO Liam Maxwell to leave GDS for new job as digital czar

  Liam Maxwell's new role as national technology advisor will help to develop the UK's digital economy

• April 18, 2016 18 Apr'16

  The Middle East’s home-grown app market now really growing, but from a low base

  Despite massive smartphone penetration, native app developers in the region need to listen more closely to what locals want

• April 18, 2016 18 Apr'16

  Los Alamos puts 30PB of Scality object storage into production

  Los Alamos National Laboratory uses Scality object storage for disk access to Trinity supercomputer and marries it with GPFS in MarFS homegrown posix/object hybrid file system

• April 15, 2016 15 Apr'16

  Israeli volunteers ready their cyber defences as Anonymous affiliates attack

  Every April, Israel braces itself for an onslaught from pro-Palestinian hackers, but the occupants of a small conference room in Tel Aviv stand in their way

• April 15, 2016 15 Apr'16

  Microsoft steps up campaign against government surveillance

  Microsoft is the latest technology firm to push back against the secrecy of US government data access requests, which it claims are rapidly increasing in number

• April 15, 2016 15 Apr'16

  BBC turns micro:bit computers into IoT devices

  The BBC and Nominet demonstrate a new use case for the micro:bit computer and hope to turn Britain’s schoolchildren into internet of things pioneers

• April 15, 2016 15 Apr'16

  Stockholm’s public sector boosts productivity with a move towards mobility

  The city has a mobile strategy that’s been embraced by staff and citizens

• April 14, 2016 14 Apr'16

  Data protection law sails through European Parliament

  The European Union’s new General Data Protection Regulation has successfully passed through the European Parliament

• April 14, 2016 14 Apr'16

  Business needs education in cloud value and security, study shows

  Improved trust and security are critical to encouraging continued adoption of the cloud, an Intel Security report shows

• April 14, 2016 14 Apr'16

  Government surveillance under fire across Europe

  UK and US government surveillance programmes are facing criticism from the courts, MPs and data protection regulators

• April 13, 2016 13 Apr'16

  NCA attempts 'back door' access to obtain activist Lauri Love’s passwords

  Court told that use of civil proceedings to force disclosure of alleged hacker Lauri Love's passwords is disproportionate and would breach human rights law

• April 13, 2016 13 Apr'16

  Public sector IT leaders gamble on digital projects, says survey

  More than a third of European public sector leaders have no clear digital strategy, and half say they don’t have the right IT skills to deliver digital projects, according to a survey

• April 13, 2016 13 Apr'16

  UK would need its own Privacy Shield deal with EU if it votes for Brexit

  If the UK voted to leave the EU, it could face a difficult negotiation to conform to new data protection regulations, say experts