News

IT for government and public sector

• September 30, 2013 30 Sep'13

  MoD announces specialist programme to fend off cyber attacks

  The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has announced a strategy to defend UK national security from the threat of cyber attacks

• September 27, 2013 27 Sep'13

  Cyber attack retaliation a bad idea, says international panel

  Retaliatory cyber attacks are not a good idea, an international panel has told a joint security practitioners conference in Chicago

• September 27, 2013 27 Sep'13

  Financial markets next big cyber target, says US expert

  Manipulation of international financial markets will be the next evolution of cyber crime, says US Cyber Consequences Unit chief

• September 27, 2013 27 Sep'13

  Continuous monitoring has great promise, says IA specialist

  Continuous monitoring is fast becoming a security buzzword, but it is a way for security professionals to regain lost ground, says IA specialist

• September 27, 2013 27 Sep'13

  Metropolitan Police cybercrime team claims £1bn savings

  The Metropolitan Police claims its Police Central e-Crime Unit (PCeU) has saved over £1bn in the past two and a half years

• September 27, 2013 27 Sep'13

  Top 10 cyber crime stories of 2013

  Cyber crime featured heavily in security news coverage in 2013, with cyber criminals and cyber law enforcers upping their games with each passing month

• September 27, 2013 27 Sep'13

  Software acquisition is risk acquisition, says industry panel

  New software often means new security vulnerabilities, panel tells the (ISC)2 Security Congress 2013

• September 26, 2013 26 Sep'13

  Government approves BYOD for public sector staff

  The government has issued security approval for public sector organisations to offer bring your own device (BYOD) schemes for employees

• September 26, 2013 26 Sep'13

  British Gas invites startups into the connected home

  The Connected Homes division of British Gas is running a competition to attract startups to develop smart energy technology

• September 26, 2013 26 Sep'13

  Education and skills key to cyber security, says (ISC)2

  Information security professionals are making progress, but they are still losing the race, says (ISC)2 head

• September 26, 2013 26 Sep'13

  Time for a new security paradigm, says ex-military CIO

  Security is constantly changing, which means security professionals need to be proactive, says a former US military CIO

• September 26, 2013 26 Sep'13

  What does the Public Accounts Committee want from BDUK?

  MPs slammed the BDUK broadband process for making it too easy for BT. But how to rectify the situation? We take an in-depth look at the report

• September 25, 2013 25 Sep'13

  Enterprise security increasingly challenging, study finds

  Enterprise IT security executives are facing broad, complex and sometimes conflicting security challenges, an (ISC)² study has revealed

• September 25, 2013 25 Sep'13

  UK risks falling behind in cloud adoption, report reveals

  Cloud adoption is slower than UK businesses would like, due to issues around data protection, legislation and regulation, a survey has revealed

• September 25, 2013 25 Sep'13

  Pen tests must effect cultural change, says security veteran

  Penetration tests are worthless unless they can be used to show how to mitigate potential damage of cyber attacks, says security expert Ira Winkler

• September 25, 2013 25 Sep'13

  Europe threatens to pull out of US data-sharing deal over NSA surveillance claims

  European Parliament threatens to pull out of deal to allows US authorities access to European payment networks for tracking terrorist funding

• September 25, 2013 25 Sep'13

  Secure cloud adoption is all about risk, says industry panel

  Always take a risk-based approach to cloud adoption, a panel has told security professionals at the (ISC)2 Security Congress 2013 in Chicago

• September 25, 2013 25 Sep'13

  Anti-phishing vital in Scada protection, says expert

  A high proportion of cyber attacks, including those against Scada control systems, are enabled by phishing attacks.

• September 24, 2013 24 Sep'13

  National census set to go digital

  The paper-based national census is set to end, as the Office for National Statistics looks to replace its 10-yearly survey with a digital alternative

• September 23, 2013 23 Sep'13

  Two IT directors being recruited to improve government IT buying

  The government is recruiting for two senior IT leadership roles that are intended to improve how Whitehall buys IT

• September 23, 2013 23 Sep'13

  US websites should inform EU citizens about NSA surveillance, says report

  US web site providers should inform European citizens that their data may be subject to government surveillance, says a report for the European parliament

• September 20, 2013 20 Sep'13

  Cyber bank robberies a warning for business, say experts

  Barclays has joined Santander in being targeted by criminals who took control of bank computers using inexpensive kit

• September 20, 2013 20 Sep'13

  FireEye announces pricing of IPO

  Security firm FireEye has announced the pricing of its initial public offering of 15.2 million at $20 a share

• September 20, 2013 20 Sep'13

  Government urged to get tougher on IT spending cuts

  MPs have encouraged the Cabinet Office to get tougher with Whitehall departments in cutting costs of IT purchasing across government.

• September 20, 2013 20 Sep'13

  Data analytics at MoD could save money and lives, says report

  Applying big data analytics at the MoD could save money and lives, says a report by the Royal United Services Institute

• September 20, 2013 20 Sep'13

  RSA vetoes NSA-linked encryption algorithm

  RSA advises customers to stop using the encryption algorithm leaked documents suggest contains a back door placed by the NSA

• September 19, 2013 19 Sep'13

  NSA reveals how Snowden accessed secret Prism files

  Prism whistleblower Edward Snowden accessed secret documents through a file-share, the NSA has revealed

• September 19, 2013 19 Sep'13

  Microsoft releases emergency fix for IE zero day

  Microsoft has released a fix for the latest zero-day flaw in IE, but IT administrators must still be vigilant after patch is released, say experts

• September 18, 2013 18 Sep'13

  Context is key to security as IT loses control, says Gartner

  IT is losing control of devices and systems, but security can be achieved through context, says Gartner

• September 18, 2013 18 Sep'13

  Time for a security and risk reset, says Gartner

  It is time to kick security and risk evolution into high gear, says Gartner vice-president and distinguished analyst Paul Proctor

• September 18, 2013 18 Sep'13

  MPs brand NHS National Programme for IT a 'fiasco' as posthumous costs rise

  The now-axed NHS National Programme for IT (NPfIT) is still incurring significant costs following the failure of the government IT project

• September 17, 2013 17 Sep'13

  Proportionality key to cyber surveillance, says former MI5 head

  Proportionality is critical in cyber surveillance by intelligence services, says former MI5 head Eliza Manningham-Buller

• September 17, 2013 17 Sep'13

  Government tests emergency mobile alert system

  The Cabinet Office plans to test a public alert system to let mobile users know if an emergency occurs in their area

• September 17, 2013 17 Sep'13

  UK dominates public sector outsourcing in Europe

  The public sector took 41% of total IT outsourcing in Europe in the first six months of 2013, with most contracts signed in the UK

• September 17, 2013 17 Sep'13

  Mobile security “a tidal wave” of challenges, says security expert

  “Expect more trouble,” a mobile security expert has told the 2013 EuroCACS security and risk management conference in London

• September 16, 2013 16 Sep'13

  ICO denies bias against public sector organisations

  The ICO has denied a bias in imposing civil monetary penalties against public sector organisations

• September 16, 2013 16 Sep'13

  Union voices concerns over choice of Steria in government shared service

  The Cabinet Office’s choice of Steria as preferred bidder for a government back-office shared service has been greeted with “grave concerns” from the union representing staff.

• September 16, 2013 16 Sep'13

  Risk assessment key to cloud adoption, says Isaca

  There is mass confusion among small and medium businesses about cloud computing, says Amar Singh, chair of Isaca UK

• September 13, 2013 13 Sep'13

  Police foil bespoke cyber theft at Santander

  London police have arrested 12 men in connection with a foiled attempt to steal millions of pounds from Santander

• September 12, 2013 12 Sep'13

  EU plans an end to high roaming charges

  EU Commissioner for the digital agenda Neelie Kroes has proposed an end to exorbitant mobile voice and data charges when abroad

• September 12, 2013 12 Sep'13

  Wick Hill and Guidance Software partner to help UK businesses with security

  Value-added distributor Wick Hill and security firm Guidance Software have joined forces to help UK business address cyber threats

• September 12, 2013 12 Sep'13

  US protectionism lends Europe opportunity for Chinese investment, says HSBC vice-chairman

  HSBC global banking vice-chairman Kevan Watts says US ‘protectionist tendencies’ lend Europe an opportunity to win investment from China

• September 12, 2013 12 Sep'13

  Facebook and Yahoo call for greater NSA transparency

  Yahoo and Facebook have called on the US government for greater transparency over the National Security Agency’s (NSA) data requests

• September 12, 2013 12 Sep'13

  Google to face claims over Wi-Fi snooping

  Google is to face damages claims for privacy violations after a US judge ruled the firm broke the law when its Street View vehicles harvested unsecured Wi-Fi data

• September 11, 2013 11 Sep'13

  £200m of Universal Credit IT could be scrapped, MPs told

  £200m of IT work on the troubled Universal Credit programme could be written off, says government project management chief Norma Wood

• September 11, 2013 11 Sep'13

  GCHQ launches recruitment challenge

  Government communications intelligence agency GCHQ has launched an online code-cracking competition with the aim of finding talented recruits

• September 11, 2013 11 Sep'13

  Security Think Tank: Embrace consumer cloud storage at your peril

  How can businesses make use of free or low-cost cloud storage services aimed at consumers, but ensure their data is safe and secure?

• September 11, 2013 11 Sep'13

  £480bn of government revenue depends on "risky" legacy IT

  Almost £480bn of the UK government’s revenues are dependent on legacy IT systems that “could present a very significant risk”

• September 11, 2013 11 Sep'13

  US acts to restore faith in encryption standard after NSA backdoor revelation

  The US tries to restore faith in a widely used encryption standard after Edward Snowden leaked documents showing the NSA has a backdoor

• September 11, 2013 11 Sep'13

  Apple adopts hands-off approach to iPhone fingerprint scanner

  The fingerprint sensor in the newly unveiled iPhone 5S could mean the end of passwords, but Apple is keeping developers at arm’s length

• September 10, 2013 10 Sep'13

  Housing firm builds Nexenta storage software hybrid flash array

  Housing association North Devon Homes builds dual-site Nexenta storage software arrays with hybrid flash as shared storage for VMware/Hyper-V virtual server environment

• September 10, 2013 10 Sep'13

  Yahoo joins technology firms in suing US government for greater transparency

  Yahoo has begun legal action to demand the right to disclose the number of user data requests received from US national security agencies

• September 10, 2013 10 Sep'13

  Carl Icahn gives up fight to block Dell founder's buyout

  US investor Carl Icahn has given up his bid to block a buyout by company founder Michael Dell

• September 10, 2013 10 Sep'13

  Case study: M2M and cycling aid Diabetes research

  The mHealth Tour will see cyclists use mobile technologies to investigate the link between exercise and blood sugar levels

• September 09, 2013 09 Sep'13

  Most websites could be targeted through PHP, warns Imperva

  Hackers are focusing on vulnerabilities in PHP web application development platform, threatening most websites, warns Imperva

• September 09, 2013 09 Sep'13

  West Yorkshire signs £22m BDUK contract with BT

  Four local authorities team up for the West Yorkshire project and award BT the contract for rolling out superfast broadband

• September 09, 2013 09 Sep'13

  Lloyds website continuity hit as TSB launches

  Lloyds Banking Group websites, including the new standalone TSB, have been hit by problems on TSB launch day

• September 05, 2013 05 Sep'13

  European Commissioner Neelie Kroes pushes for 5G despite EU 4G lag

  European Commissioner for the Digital Agenda Neelie Kroes calls for 5G investment despite a GSMA report showing 4G take-up of just 1% in EU

• September 04, 2013 04 Sep'13

  DWP writes off millions of pounds on Universal Credit IT, damning NAO report reveals

  The government has written off £34m of IT work on its troubled Universal Credit project, and more than £140m is under review

• September 04, 2013 04 Sep'13

  Startup Europe launches plan to grow technology sector

  The Startup Europe Leaders Club has produced a plan to drive internet economy growth across Europe

• September 04, 2013 04 Sep'13

  Over half IT pros believe business is losing cyber battle

  Business is losing the battle against state-sponsored cyber attacks according to a survey of senior IT security professionals

• September 04, 2013 04 Sep'13

  NHS patient database gets £1bn investment boost

  UK government backs controversial plans for a patient record database with a £1bn IT investment in the NHS over three years

• September 03, 2013 03 Sep'13

  Disinfecting PCs false security, says security expert

  Many companies proud of their ability to identify and clean malware infected machines are missing a trick, says veteran security expert

• September 03, 2013 03 Sep'13

  UK tech startups face hiring roadblock due to immigration policy

  The UK’s immigration policy is hindering the growth of London’s tech hub

• September 03, 2013 03 Sep'13

  UCL trials DDN object storage for central research store

  University College London trials DDN object storage and GRIDscaler parallel file system to consolidate research with metadata cataloguing

• September 03, 2013 03 Sep'13

  IT security critically underfinanced, study finds

  IT security is critically underfinanced by business, a global study has revealed

• September 03, 2013 03 Sep'13

  Microsoft acquires Nokia

  Microsoft is to acquire Nokia’s mobile phone business, including its patents and mapping services in a $7.2bn deal

• September 02, 2013 02 Sep'13

  Case study: Lancaster University revamps unified communications

  Lancaster University works with Logicalis to install new Cisco systems and bring unified comms to staff and postgraduates

• September 02, 2013 02 Sep'13

  Eight new finalists in Cyber Security Challenge UK

  Eight Cyber Security Challenge UK finalists announced at the UK’s first civilian cyber security training camps

• September 02, 2013 02 Sep'13

  Public sector ignoring secure by default approach

  The public sector is risking security breaches by ignoring the principle of secure by default, a study has shown

• September 02, 2013 02 Sep'13

  Report wants government ‘remake’ for digital age

  The Policy Exchange think tank calls for more openness and innovation in government digital strategy in a new report

• September 02, 2013 02 Sep'13

  UK business data theft at record high

  Data theft from UK companies by employees is at a record high, according to law firm EMW

• September 02, 2013 02 Sep'13

  Snowden docs show broad and aggressive US cyber intrusions

  US intelligence services conducted 231 offensive cyber operations in 2011, the latest leaked documents from whistleblower Edward Snowden reveal

• September 02, 2013 02 Sep'13

  Microsoft and Google sue US government for data-sharing revelations

  Microsoft and Google are planning to sue the US government for the right to reveal more information about its official data requests

• August 30, 2013 30 Aug'13

  NYT hactivist attack shows need for registry locking

  Syrian hacktivist attack on New York Times website highlights the need for registry locking, says communications and analysis firm Neustar

• August 30, 2013 30 Aug'13

  Aberdeen City Council gets £100,000 penalty for IT security failings

  The ICO has served Aberdeen City Council with a monetary penalty of £100,000 for publishing vulnerable children’s details online

• August 30, 2013 30 Aug'13

  Newcastle and Milton Keynes sign BDUK contracts

  Two more councils award BT with the contract to roll-out superfast broadband as part of the government’s nationwide project

• August 30, 2013 30 Aug'13

  New Snowden docs reveal secret NSA hacker unit

  The US National Security Agency has a secret hacking group, the latest leaked documents from whistleblower Edward Snowden reveal

• August 30, 2013 30 Aug'13

  Nasdaq operator admits partial blame for outage

  Last week’s shutdown of the Nasdaq raised fears over cyber attacks, but now the stock exchange operator has admitted partial responsibility

• August 29, 2013 29 Aug'13

  Met Police IT systems cause higher crime in London, says scathing report

  Crime rates in London are higher than they should be as a direct result of poor IT systems at the Metropolitan Police

• August 29, 2013 29 Aug'13

  Vishing costs UK £7m a year

  Fraud committed using personal details obtained by voice email, voice over IP, landline and mobile calls is costing UK citizens at least £7m a year

• August 29, 2013 29 Aug'13

  Dropbox can be hacked, say security researchers

  Security researchers say they bypassed the security of cloud-based storage service Dropbox and gained access to private user files

• August 29, 2013 29 Aug'13

  Facebook, Skype and Google open to UK police, says Big Brother Watch

  Transparency reports prove the UK police are accessing user information on a daily basis, says privacy group Big Brother Watch

• August 28, 2013 28 Aug'13

  Facebook, Twitter and Google monitor web links, Swiss security firm warns

  Facebook, Twitter and Google are monitoring web links sent in private communications, a Swiss IT security services firm has found

• August 28, 2013 28 Aug'13

  Cyber protection must shield targeted apps, says Trusteer

  Cyber threat protection must shield targeted end-user applications, says security firm Trusteer

• August 28, 2013 28 Aug'13

  Syrian hacktivists down New York Times website

  The New York Times believed to have been targeted by a hacktivist group that supports Syrian president Bashar al-Assad

• August 28, 2013 28 Aug'13

  Leicestershire signs BDUK contract

  Leicestershire County Council signs a contract with BT to roll-out fibre broadband to 95% of homes and businesses by March 2016

• August 27, 2013 27 Aug'13

  Many firms vulnerable to Java 6 flaw, warns Qualys

  Many firms are at risk of cyber attacks exploiting an unpatched security flaw in Java 6, warns security firm Qualys

• August 27, 2013 27 Aug'13

  Government leaders lack tech knowledge, says US cyber expert

  Many government leaders are not informed and familiar with technology, says director and chief economist at the US Cyber Consequences Unit

• August 27, 2013 27 Aug'13

  Security must be part of digital reform, says Thales

  The arrest of a man believed to have collected more than £100,000 in fraudulent UK tax rebates shows that security must be part of digital reform, says security firm Thales

• August 27, 2013 27 Aug'13

  Amazon datacentre glitch hits top web services

  A hardware failure at Amazon datacentre downs several web services, renewing concerns about the reliability of cloud-based infrastructure

• August 27, 2013 27 Aug'13

  Five cyber attackers arrested over UK tax fraud

  Five men have been arrested in connection with an HMRC investigation into cyber attackers suspected of identity theft and tax fraud

• August 23, 2013 23 Aug'13

  Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer to retire

  Microsoft announces CEO Steve Ballmer is to retire within 12 months and that its board has begun looking for a successor

• August 23, 2013 23 Aug'13

  London council gets £70,000 penalty for data breach

  The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) serves Islington Council with penalty of £70,000 for releasing over 2,000 residents’ details online

• August 23, 2013 23 Aug'13

  Nasdaq shutdown raises security fears

  A software glitch that caused the Nasdaq stock exchange to shut down raises fears over stock market stability and cyber attacks

• August 22, 2013 22 Aug'13

  US publishes revealing review on NSA surveillance

  The US Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court finds the NSA's email and data programme illegal, a declassified 2011 opinion ruling reveals

• August 22, 2013 22 Aug'13

  Security Think Tank: 3 keys to effective cyber security

  The rapid rise in cyber espionage highlights the need to rethink data security strategies to improve protection of intellectual property. But what is the best way of doing that?

• August 22, 2013 22 Aug'13

  Charlie McMurdie joins PwC’s cyber practice

  Charlie McMurdie, former head of the Metro Police central e-crime unit, is joining business consultancy firm PwC as its senior crime adviser

• August 22, 2013 22 Aug'13

  HP revenue growth unlikely in 2014, says CEO Meg Whitman

  HP reports revenues of $27.2bn for the quarter ending 31 July 2013, down 8% compared with the same period the year before

• August 22, 2013 22 Aug'13

  Vint Cerf: The internet and 40 years of openness

  Father of the internet and Google evangelist, Vint Cerf, speaks to Computer Weekly about tapping, privacy and IP addresses