News
IT for government and public sector
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July 12, 2021
12
Jul'21
Loan charge MPs call for prime ministerial intervention to prevent mass contractor bankruptcies
In an open letter signed by 76 MPs, the prime minister and the chancellor are facing calls to intervene urgently on how the loan charge policy is being enforced
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July 12, 2021
12
Jul'21
Taxpayers will have to pay at least £300m to bail out Post Office after scandal
The cost of a scheme set up to compensate subpostmasters who were victims of the Horizon IT scandal will exceed £300m even before damages are paid to all those who suffered
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July 12, 2021
12
Jul'21
NHS to get new online jobs platform
NHS Business Services Authority is working to transform the NHS Jobs platform, currently in beta stage, with plans to launch it early next year
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July 09, 2021
09
Jul'21
Met Police should release information on British WikiLeaks journalists passed to US, tribunal told
The Metropolitan Police should release correspondence with the US Department of Justice about three UK based WikiLeaks journalists, despite national security claims, a tribunal heard
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July 09, 2021
09
Jul'21
Government commitment to Post Office Horizon victims was a ‘false promise’
The government has made no contact with subpostmasters two months after it said it would work with them to ensure they get speedy and fair compensation for their losses as a result of Post Office IT scandal
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July 08, 2021
08
Jul'21
Developers have a moral duty to create ethical AI
Corsight AI publishes report on how organisations can develop more human-centric AI and biometric technologies
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July 07, 2021
07
Jul'21
US government given permission to appeal UK’s decision to not extradite Julian Assange
US offers assurances that Assange could serve time in his home country of Australia if convicted
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July 07, 2021
07
Jul'21
ICO to probe Hancock over private email use
Former health secretary faces an investigation by the UK’s data protection watchdog over his use of private email to conduct government business
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July 07, 2021
07
Jul'21
US Department of Defense cancels controversial $10bn JEDI contract
The US Department of Defense has cancelled the controversial JEDI cloud project awarded to Microsoft and will replace it with multi-supplier contracts.
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July 07, 2021
07
Jul'21
Opportunists seen targeting Kaseya REvil victims
Malwarebytes researchers highlight new spam campaign targeting businesses impacted by the ongoing Kaseya REvil ransomware incident
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July 06, 2021
06
Jul'21
Cyber insurance costs up by a third
The frequency and severity of ransomware attacks is a leading factor behind a substantial increase in the cost of obtaining cyber security insurance
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July 05, 2021
05
Jul'21
Government sets out plan for digital regulation
The plan aims to make the UK a “global leader” in digital regulation, boost economic growth and maximise the potential of digital technology
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July 05, 2021
05
Jul'21
How Transport for West Midlands works with geospatial data
Covid-19 showed why greater data granularity is key, with Transport for West Midlands turning to geospatial data to understand demand for services
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July 05, 2021
05
Jul'21
CIO interview: Simon McKinnon, chief digital and information officer, DWP
The Department for Work and Pensions’ CDIO sheds light on its digital ambitions and how it is bringing more digital capability in-house through the integration of Benefits and Pension Digital Technology Services staff
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July 05, 2021
05
Jul'21
Government genomically sequences 600,000 Covid-19 samples
More than 600,000 positive Covid-19 tests have been genomically sequenced by the government to identify genes that make people more susceptible to severe symptoms, and to monitor different variants of the virus
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July 03, 2021
03
Jul'21
Berlin court finds EncroChat intercept evidence cannot be used in criminal trials
In a major setback for police hacking operations, Berlin’s regional court has decided that intercepted data from the EncroChat phone network should not be used in criminal prosecutions
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July 02, 2021
02
Jul'21
UK needs legislation with specific focus on biometric technologies
The UK’s former biometrics commissioner has told MPs that Parliament should explicitly legislate on the use of biometric technologies so it is clear to both police and private companies which uses are acceptable
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July 02, 2021
02
Jul'21
Should I be worried about PrintNightmare?
The accidental publication of proof of concept code for a Windows vulnerability, and the reclassification of said bug from low to critical severity, has the cyber community concerned. Is it right to be?
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July 01, 2021
01
Jul'21
UK government issues “safety by design” guidance for tech firms
The guidance is designed to help technology companies embed safer design for users into their services in anticipation of the Online Safety Bill becoming law
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July 01, 2021
01
Jul'21
US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency launches ransomware assessment tool
Newly launched service will help US organisations understand how prepared they are to deal with a ransomware attack
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July 01, 2021
01
Jul'21
Ten more former subpostmasters set to have wrongful convictions overturned
Another 10 subpostmasters are set to have their criminal convictions quashed as part of one of the biggest miscarriage of justice in British history
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June 29, 2021
29
Jun'21
New Nobelium attacks a reminder to attend to cyber basics
A new campaign from the same threat group that broke into SolarWinds serves as a reminder that cyber crime gangs will try to exploit any avenue they can, even if technically unsophisticated
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June 29, 2021
29
Jun'21
UK Cyber Security Council launches inaugural initiatives
Security association seeks to determine terms of reference for committees to oversee standards and ethics, and qualifications and careers in the cyber sector
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June 29, 2021
29
Jun'21
EU recognises UK data protection adequacy but warns against divergence
The European Commission has granted the UK data adequacy, allowing data sharing between the EU and the UK, but warns it may yet be revoked
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June 28, 2021
28
Jun'21
Insurers unprepared for challenges of underwriting ransomware
RUSI think tank calls for an industry-wide reset amid intense challenges for providers of cyber security insurance
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June 28, 2021
28
Jun'21
HMRC-branded phishing scams surge despite protections
The number of HMRC-branded phishing scams surged 87% in the past 12 months, according to latest revealed figures
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June 25, 2021
25
Jun'21
NCSC CEO: UK-Ireland collaboration crucial to stop cyber threats
Speaking at a conference in Dublin, NCSC Lindy Cameron is highlighting the importance of continued collaboration between the UK and Ireland to protect shared interests and counter security threats
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June 25, 2021
25
Jun'21
Anglesey schools offline after cyber attack
Isle of Anglesey County Council is investigating a cyber attack that has forced it to shut down systems at all five secondary schools on the island
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June 25, 2021
25
Jun'21
Deliveroo riders do not have right to unionise, UK court rules
A legal bid to establish collective bargaining rights for Deliveroo riders been dismissed in court, with judges ruling that they are not entitled to the right to form or join a trade union
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June 24, 2021
24
Jun'21
Online Safety Bill unfit for purpose, says new campaign group
Campaign group set up to oppose Online Safety Bill says the duty of care is too simplistic, cedes too much power to US corporations and will, in practice, privilege the speech of journalists or politicians
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June 24, 2021
24
Jun'21
Make ransomware payments illegal, say 79% of cyber pros
Report produced for MSSP Talion claims overwhelming support for the criminalisation of ransomware payments
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June 23, 2021
23
Jun'21
City of York picks Barracuda Networks for data protection
York Council needed to refresh its backup service to bring new security protections after it went ‘all-in’ on Microsoft Office 365
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June 23, 2021
23
Jun'21
European Union to set up new cyber response unit
Proposed Joint Cyber Unit will tackle a rising number of serious incidents impacting public services, businesses and citizens of the EU
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June 23, 2021
23
Jun'21
UK councils reported over 700 data breaches to ICO in 2020
Data disclosed under the Freedom of Information Act reveals an estimated 700 data breaches were reported to the Information Commissioner’s Office by local councils last year
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June 22, 2021
22
Jun'21
EU regulators call for ban on biometrics in public spaces
European Union’s data protection regulators say facial recognition and other biometric identification technologies present too great a risk to fundamental human rights to be allowed in public spaces
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June 22, 2021
22
Jun'21
CDEI: UK public wants clear algorithmic transparency policies
A research exercise by the Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation has found the UK public wants clear, easy-to-understand information about algorithms in use by the public sector
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June 22, 2021
22
Jun'21
Boris Johnson unveils plans for National Science and Technology Council
Prime minister Boris Johnson has announced plans to set up a National Science and Technology Council, which will help the UK realise and maximise the opportunities of scientific and technological breakthroughs
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June 21, 2021
21
Jun'21
UK public largely supportive of Amazon workers unionising
A poll released on Prime Day by UK-based trade union Unite shows strong public support for Amazon workers should they choose to unionise
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June 21, 2021
21
Jun'21
Parliamentary devices left in taxis, buses, trains and pubs
Nearly 100 devices belonging to parliamentary staffers, including MPs and peers, were lost or stolen over the course of 2019 and 2020
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June 21, 2021
21
Jun'21
Post Office pays 400 subpostmasters compensation for losses caused by computer errors
The Post Office has so far compensated 400 subpostmasters who suffered losses because of errors in the organisation’s Horizon computer system
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June 18, 2021
18
Jun'21
NHS App reaches six million users, thanks to Covid vaccine feature
More than two million new users have downloaded the NHS App since it was updated in May to include Covid-19 vaccination status
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June 18, 2021
18
Jun'21
ICO issues guidance on facial recognition in public spaces
Information commissioner’s concern over the problematic use of facial recognition in public spaces has prompted her to publish official guidance on its deployment, while civil society calls for an outright ban
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June 18, 2021
18
Jun'21
UK taskforce calls for cutting GDPR protections
The UK’s Taskforce on Innovation, Growth and Regulatory Reform has recommended scrapping safeguards against automated decision-making contained in the General Data Protection Regulation
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June 17, 2021
17
Jun'21
Technology takes centre stage in UK government reform
The government’s tech recovery programme includes a pledge to shift towards data interoperability and phasing out legacy systems
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June 17, 2021
17
Jun'21
GDS to improve Gov.uk with user monitoring
Gov.uk’s measurement approach is expected to enhance the experience of 335 million users of the government’s online platform
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June 16, 2021
16
Jun'21
Tech sector trade union campaigns to protect workers’ privacy
A UK-based trade union for technology workers and others employed by tech companies is organising around the issue of worker’s privacy and workplace monitoring
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June 15, 2021
15
Jun'21
NHS Test and Trace picks Risk Ledger to secure supply chain
Risk Ledger’s technology promises ‘unparalleled’ visibility into NHS Test and Trace’s supply chain
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June 15, 2021
15
Jun'21
Oliver Dowden hails Tech Zero Taskforce at CogX
Government backs a group of UK tech companies and associations to combat the climate emergency, drive green investment and help consumers make greener choices
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June 15, 2021
15
Jun'21
The Security Interviews: How to build a government model to ‘hack for good’
Kyle Hanslovan started Huntress to give back after a career in the intelligence sector. After US authorities took action to help people hit by the Microsoft Exchange attacks, we discussed how governments can ‘hack for good’
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June 15, 2021
15
Jun'21
Scottish government awards digital identity platform contract to Scott Logic
Supplier is working on a two-year project to create a digital identity service through a suite of common platforms that will be adopted across Scottish government