News

IT for government and public sector

• December 14, 2021 14 Dec'21

  Almost half of networks probed for Log4Shell weaknesses

  Close to half of corporate networks have already been actively targeted by individuals seeking to exploit the critical Log4Shell Apache bug

• December 14, 2021 14 Dec'21

  Joint committee publishes report on improving Online Safety Bill

  MPs and peers release report on Online Safety Bill following five-month inquiry into the draft legislation and make a number of recommendations on how it can be improved to deal with harmful content and abuse on the internet

• December 14, 2021 14 Dec'21

  Lords urge regulators to evolve as digital change accelerates

  A cooperative approach with common objectives is needed to resolve potential conflicts between bodies in digital regulation as well as better oversight, according to a House of Lords Communications and Digital Committee report

• December 14, 2021 14 Dec'21

  Government must go further after agreeing to pay compensation for wrongly convicted subpostmasters

  The government has agreed to pay compensation to former subpostmasters wrongly convicted in the Post Office Horizon IT scandal, but continues to refuse to pay a significant group of victims

• December 13, 2021 13 Dec'21

  Scottish government announces support for right to disconnect

  The Scottish government is the first in the UK to publicly support a right to disconnect, which would give people the ability not engage in digitally enabled work-related activities outside of their contracted hours

• December 13, 2021 13 Dec'21

  What is Log4Shell, and why are we panicking about it?

  It’s been described as a ‘design failure of catastrophic proportions’ that threatens the very fabric of the digital world. Find out what the Log4j2 Log4Shell panic is all about, and what you should do about it

• December 10, 2021 10 Dec'21

  SMEs dominate list of 200 fastest growing tech companies

  List of 200 fastest growing companies in the public sector is made up primarily of small and medium-sized enterprises, which collectively earned £936m from government contracts in the past fiscal year

• December 10, 2021 10 Dec'21

  Julian Assange can be extradited to the US to face espionage and hacking charges, court rules

  High Court overturns decision not to extradite WikiLeaks founder after US government gives assurances over his treatment

• December 10, 2021 10 Dec'21

  Singapore and UK sign digital trade deal

  Described as the world’s most comprehensive digital agreement between two countries, the deal supports the UK’s bid to join Trans-Pacific Partnership to build trade connections with 11 Indo-Pacific markets

• December 10, 2021 10 Dec'21

  Drone killer app saves Swedish lives

  Drones could get life-saving equipment to heart attack victims ahead of emergency services staff, increasing survival rates

• December 10, 2021 10 Dec'21

  Channelling Nordic startup innovation towards global survival

  Nordic startup innovation offers global organisations the green light towards sustainability

• December 10, 2021 10 Dec'21

  Loan charge: Tax experts call on chancellor for simpler, more affordable policy settlement terms

  A group of tax barristers and accounting experts are calling on Rishi Sunak to force HMRC to revise its loan charge settlement terms

• December 10, 2021 10 Dec'21

  PAC scrutinises failure of large government IT modernisation projects

  From unskilled senior government officials to over-reliance on outsourcers and contractors, the factors underpinning unsuccessful tech-driven transformation initiatives are investigated in a new report

• December 09, 2021 09 Dec'21

  CDEI publishes roadmap for UK AI assurance ecosystem

  Publication from CDEI sets out the steps required to verify the effectiveness, trustworthiness and compliance of artificial intelligence systems

• December 09, 2021 09 Dec'21

  Home Office slammed over police IT legacy replacement delays

  Modernisation initiative has seen a significant increase in costs and several changes in scope, and measures introduced to address issues seem ineffective, says Public Accounts Committee report

• December 09, 2021 09 Dec'21

  What are the challenges associated with the MITRE ATT&CK framework?

  Businesses sometimes struggle to use the MITRE ATT&CK framework effectively. Learn more about some of the challenges, and how to overcome them

• December 08, 2021 08 Dec'21

  2021 another record-breaker for vulnerability disclosure

  More than 50 CVEs were logged every day in 2021, more than at any time since records began, while ethical hackers continue to prove their value

• December 08, 2021 08 Dec'21

  CIO interview: Nicola Wadham, Financial Ombudsman Service

  CIO Nicola Wadham brings Computer Weekly up to speed on the Financial Ombudsman Service’s IT challenges and successes

• December 08, 2021 08 Dec'21

  UK privacy chief denies conflict of interest in new role

  UK information commissioner will join a private law firm that represents technology companies she used to regulate, raising questions about conflicts of interest and drawing ‘revolving door’ criticisms

• December 07, 2021 07 Dec'21

  Loan charge: MPs call on financial secretary for new independent review into HMRC policy

  In a seven-page letter to newly appointed Treasury minister Lucy Frazer, MPs highlight the legal flaws in HMRC's controversial loan charge policy and demand a new independent review

• December 07, 2021 07 Dec'21

  UK technology issues contributed to Afghanistan withdrawal chaos

  Multiple problems including email management, collaboration restrictions and lack of technical expertise may have risked the lives of thousands of Afghans, according to whistleblower Raphael Marshall

• December 07, 2021 07 Dec'21

  Labour reshuffle expands shadow ministerial team on digital, technology and innovation policy

  New Shadow Cabinet includes three Labour spokespeople covering issues around digital, data, technology, science and innovation issues

• December 07, 2021 07 Dec'21

  Government makes £116m pledge to help UK's green-tech firms innovate to fight climate change

  The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has outlined its commitment to helping UK green-tech businesses bring to market innovations that could help fight climate change

• December 07, 2021 07 Dec'21

  Digital measures confirmed under UK procurement overhaul

  A new platform and data standard will be introduced as part of a government move to bring simplicity and transparency to contracting

• December 07, 2021 07 Dec'21

  AI assistant Bürokratt to reduce bureaucracy in Estonian government

  Estonia to launch a Siri-like digital assistant that will automate the completion of government service requests

• December 06, 2021 06 Dec'21

  Parents more equipped for home learning than teachers

  Home learning was more easily embraced by parents than teachers, with parents saying they had the tech in place for remote schooling

• December 06, 2021 06 Dec'21

  IT Priorities 2022: Pandemic’s long tail for cyber buyers

  Pandemic response has been top of mind for cyber leaders these past 18 months, and as Covid-19 turns two, the TechTarget/Computer Weekly IT Priorities 2022 study shows buyers are still focused on how Covid has upended the workplace

• December 06, 2021 06 Dec'21

  Winter plan for health and social care gets £250m tech boost

  Upgrades in screening to reduce waiting times and remote monitoring are among the initiatives to benefit from the budget allocation

• December 06, 2021 06 Dec'21

  Cyber attacks and severe space weather among extreme risks faced by UK

  An attack on the country’s critical infrastructure and severe space weather events could bring the UK to a halt, says Lords report

• December 05, 2021 05 Dec'21

  Australia’s NSW to build A$40m digital twin

  The spatial digital twin brings together government data sources to provide insights for urban planners and residents to support decision-making and see into the future

• December 03, 2021 03 Dec'21

  IR35: Government consultation on umbrella companies fuels regulation hopes

  The government has embarked on a consultation to understand better how the umbrella market works, which is a move that has been cautiously welcomed by contracting market stakeholders

• December 03, 2021 03 Dec'21

  Serious violence duty in PCSC Bill would gut UK data rights

  Proposed data gathering powers for UK police could override existing data protection rules, damage citizens’ trust in essential public services and further entrench discriminatory policing practices

• December 02, 2021 02 Dec'21

  UK government publishes tech-enabled adult social care plan

  Ten-year plan will see NHSX working on areas such as assistive technologies, and improved connectivity for care homes

• December 01, 2021 01 Dec'21

  Unesco member states adopt AI ethics recommendation

  The non-binding recommendation seeks to define a common set of values and principles to guide the development of ethical AI globally

• December 01, 2021 01 Dec'21

  Wolverhampton to pilot app that rewards healthy behaviours

  Tool is aimed at helping local residents eat better and exercise more

• November 30, 2021 30 Nov'21

  MI6 will ‘open up’ to tech firms to innovate faster than adversaries, says chief Richard Moore

  MI6 will use investment fund to back tech companies to develop long-term technologies that will help it to keep pace with China and Russia

• November 30, 2021 30 Nov'21

  HMRC denies outside-IR35 hiring ban as accounts reveal agency’s reliance on umbrella workers

  HM Revenue & Customs accounts reveal marked rise in total number of temporary workers it engages, with most of them providing services through umbrella firms

• November 30, 2021 30 Nov'21

  Technology horizon-scanning programme launched by UK regulatory bodies

  Goal of the initiative is to build knowledge and understanding of emerging tools

• November 30, 2021 30 Nov'21

  HP patches bugs in over 150 printer models

  More than 150 HP multifunction printers are at risk of compromise through a series of newly disclosed vulnerabilities, one of them wormable

• November 30, 2021 30 Nov'21

  UK government launches report on digital trade

  Report outlines future opportunities and challenges such as the rise of digital protectionism and poor infrastructure

• November 30, 2021 30 Nov'21

  Over 100 civil society groups call for changes to EU AI Act

  Civil, human and digital rights organisations sign open letter calling on European policymakers to put fundamental rights at the heart of the proposed Artificial Intelligence Act

• November 29, 2021 29 Nov'21

  ICO warns facial recognition company Clearview AI it could face £17m fine over privacy breaches

  The UK’s information commissioner has issued a preliminary decision to fine Clearview over £17m for breaching UK data protection law and invited the company to make representations

• November 29, 2021 29 Nov'21

  UK announces standard for algorithmic transparency

  Public sector organisations will pilot artificial intelligence governance framework and evolve it based on feedback

• November 29, 2021 29 Nov'21

  British Army picks Immersive Labs for cyber training

  The British Army will make Immersive Labs’ security training platform available to all serving personnel

• November 29, 2021 29 Nov'21

  Cabinet Office slammed after advising users to ditch UKCloud as further investment nears

  The Cabinet Office is facing criticism after details emerge that at least one major government department has briefed suppliers to migrate away from UKCloud

• November 29, 2021 29 Nov'21

  DWP extends Capita contract for Scottish jobs programme

  Scotland’s JETS job-matching scheme, which uses digital tools to support people looking for work, extends contract with Capita

• November 29, 2021 29 Nov'21

  Three latest trends and developments around the Mitre ATT&CK framework

  Framework is set to receive important updates to help organisations and businesses evolve their cyber security. Learn more about what it offers

• November 26, 2021 26 Nov'21

  Post Office inquiry clears up opaque stance on subpostmaster compensation

  The chair of the Post Office scandal public inquiry has confirmed the compensation of a group of subpostmasters will be revisited

• November 25, 2021 25 Nov'21

  Government must prove its plans to police encryption work, says ex-cyber security chief

  Ciaran Martin, the former UK cyber security chief, says the government must explain how it can access encrypted communications without damaging cyber security and weakening privacy

• November 25, 2021 25 Nov'21

  British Army announces transformation programme

  The Future Soldier initiative will see a modernisation supported by use of emerging technologies and bolstered cyber capabilities