News

IT for government and public sector

• March 01, 2013 01 Mar'13

  RSA 2013: Standards core to LA County security strategy

  Standards are the key to a successful security strategy, says Robert Pittman, chief information security officer of Los Angeles County

• February 28, 2013 28 Feb'13

  UK teams up with Estonia to develop digital public services

  The UK government has signed an agreement with Estonia to work together on developing digital public services

• February 28, 2013 28 Feb'13

  Local government IT departments must plan for digital skills shortage

  IT managers in local government face a shortage in digital skills as workers demand the ability to use consumer IT in the workplace, says Socitm

• February 28, 2013 28 Feb'13

  RSA 2013: China not the only cyber espionage country, says Mandiant

  China is not the only country carrying out large-scale cyber espionage, says US cyber security firm Mandiant.

• February 28, 2013 28 Feb'13

  RSA 2013: Hacking back is illegal, says legal advisor

  Active defence against cyber attacks is illegal if it is tantamount to hacking back or vigilantism, says security startup CrowdStrike.

• February 28, 2013 28 Feb'13

  RSA 2013: Suppliers need to prepare for new security vulnerability handling standards

  Software makers and online service providers need to prepare for two ISO standards on vulnerability handling processes due by the end of 2013

• February 27, 2013 27 Feb'13

  Health records should be protected like bank details, says BCS

  The BCS and NHS say people should protect their online medical records in the same way they look after their bank details

• February 26, 2013 26 Feb'13

  RSA 2013: Despite the gloom, there is cause for optimism in IT security, says Microsoft

  Despite escalating security challenges, there is a case for optimism, says Scott Charney of Microsoft's Trustworthy Computing Group

• February 26, 2013 26 Feb'13

  RSA 2013: Embrace big data to enable better security, says RSA

  The era of big data has arrived and information security professionals need to embrace it, says Art Coviello, executive chairman of RSA

• February 26, 2013 26 Feb'13

  Metropolitan Police technology strategy under review

  The London Assembly is reviewing the Met’s technology strategy to assess whether it can cut costs and retain service levels

• February 26, 2013 26 Feb'13

  RSA 2013: Cyber security skills shortage needs urgent attention, says DoHS

  The lack of people with cyber security skills requires urgent attention, says Mark Weatherford, deputy under-secretary for cybersecurity at the US Department of Homeland Security (DoHS).

• February 26, 2013 26 Feb'13

  RSA 2013: Obama cyber order will have significant effect, says DoHS

  President Barack Obama’s executive order on cybersecurity is a “very big deal” says Mark Weatherford, deputy under-secretary for cybersecurity at the US Department of Homeland Security (DoHS).

• February 26, 2013 26 Feb'13

  RSA 2013: Big data could help or hinder business, says RSA

  Big data has the potential to transform businesses through the ability to extract meaning, but it will also increase exposure to cyber attack

• February 24, 2013 24 Feb'13

  Universal Credit has the hallmarks of another IT failure

  Charities, housing associations and consultancies have warned that the Department for Work and Pensions’ £2.2bn Universal Credit programme has all the hallmarks of another public sector IT disaster.

• February 22, 2013 22 Feb'13

  Most security threats in just 10 apps, says Palo Alto

  Some 97% of all security threats sent across business networks are found within just 10 applications, says Palo Alto Networks

• February 22, 2013 22 Feb'13

  Financial attacks migrate to other sectors, McAfee finds

  Cyber attacks originally crafted to target the financial services industry are migrating to other sectors, says security firm McAfee.

• February 22, 2013 22 Feb'13

  Superfast Wales project gets underway

  The first state-sponsored fibre cabinet is installed in Bangor as part of the Superfast Cymru project to bring faster broadband speeds to Wales

• February 22, 2013 22 Feb'13

  CIO interview: Mark Hall, HMRC CIO

  Mark Hall took the reins from HMRC’s larger-than-life former CIO Phil Pavitt at the end of last year. He talks about plans to be fully digital

• February 22, 2013 22 Feb'13

  A quarter of 2013 DDoS attacks will be app-based, says Gartner

  A quarter of distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks in 2013 will be application-based, according to a report by research firm Gartner.

• February 22, 2013 22 Feb'13

  Music companies critical of Google’s anti-piracy efforts

  Music companies have accused Google of failing to fulfil a pledge not to give prominent rankings in search results to websites offering illegal music downloads.

• February 22, 2013 22 Feb'13

  Anonymous hit in Twitter attack

  Hacking collective Anonymous is the latest victim in a series of Twitter account hacks that have hit high-profile organisations such as Burger King and Jeep.

• February 21, 2013 21 Feb'13

  Over half of botnet control centres in the US, says Check Point

  The command and control centres (C&C) for more than half of the world’s botnets are in the US, not China, says security firm CheckPoint

• February 21, 2013 21 Feb'13

  Case study: City of London School goes wireless

  The independent boy’s school installs a wireless network and mobile device management systems to enable staff, pupils and visitors to get connected

• February 21, 2013 21 Feb'13

  GPs could de-rail plans for online patient records by 2015

  The government’s plan to make all patient records available online by 2015 could get de-railed, as just 4% of GPs currently offer digital access

• February 21, 2013 21 Feb'13

  Twitter shortens tweets for security reasons

  Changes to the way Twitter deals with web links for security reasons means users will have fewer characters to use in tweets

• February 21, 2013 21 Feb'13

  Apple releases security update for Mac OS X following Java malware attack

  Apple releases a security update for its Mac OS X to protect against malware used to attack the company’s computer systems

• February 21, 2013 21 Feb'13

  US will pile diplomatic pressure on cyber crime nations, says attorney general Eric Holder

  Attorney general Eric Holder says the US will put diplomatic pressure on foreign governments over cyber crime and plans to prosecute offenders

• February 20, 2013 20 Feb'13

  Stuxnet smart, but stupid, says MP

  Stuxnet 'tactically smart but strategically stupid', says David Davis, MP for Haltemprice and Howden, former Minister of State at Foreign Office

• February 20, 2013 20 Feb'13

  Can the mutuals model help government change IT?

  Can mutuals, touted as a new model for the public sector, help change the way government does IT, both as a user and provider of services?

• February 20, 2013 20 Feb'13

  Cyber attacks on trust could cost top firms $398m, says Ponemon

  Every Global 2000 organisation faces $398m in potential losses from new and evolving attacks on their ability to control trust with cryptographic keys and digital certificates, a study has revealed

• February 20, 2013 20 Feb'13

  The winners and losers of Ofcom's 4G spectrum auction

  The results of Ofcom’s 4G spectrum auction and what it means for the industry, the government and the users

• February 20, 2013 20 Feb'13

  Accenture consortium bags EC Visa system deal

  Accenture is leading a consortium of suppliers to maintain the IT system integrating national border controls across Europe

• February 20, 2013 20 Feb'13

  Somerset Council blocked £60m Southwest One outsourcing savings

  Somerset Council prevented its troubled Southwest One outsourcing partner from delivering millions of pounds in back-office savings

• February 20, 2013 20 Feb'13

  Ofcom announces 4G spectrum winners

  The main four mobile operators and BT win lots in the spectrum auction, albeit for more than £1bn less than Chancellor George Osborne hoped

• February 20, 2013 20 Feb'13

  Chris Chant calls for money for 'woefully underfunded' G-cloud programme

  Former G-Cloud director Chris Chant has called for greater investment and more resources for the 'woefully underfunded' programme

• February 20, 2013 20 Feb'13

  Apple hit by same hackers that targeted Facebook

  Apple says its computer systems have been breached by the same attackers that targeted Facebook

• February 20, 2013 20 Feb'13

  Prolific cyber espionage group tied to the Chinese military

  US security firm says a secretive branch of China's military in Shanghai is probably one of the world's 'most prolific cyber espionage groups'

• February 19, 2013 19 Feb'13

  How will EU cyber security directive affect business?

  Much focus on EU’s proposed cyber security strategy and directive has been on implementation, but what effect will it really have on business?

• February 19, 2013 19 Feb'13

  Information security salaries flattening out

  Salaries for most information security professionals are growing more slowly as pressure on corporate spending continues

• February 19, 2013 19 Feb'13

  Are universities ready for influx of overseas students?

  If Indian students take up David Cameron’s open invitation to study in the UK, universities will need to ensure their visa processing systems are adequate

• February 19, 2013 19 Feb'13

  David Cameron pledges UK collaboration with India to fight cyber attacks

  Prime Minister David Cameron will use his visit to Delhi to promise greater collaboration with India in fighting cyber attacks

• February 19, 2013 19 Feb'13

  McDonalds supporters hack Burger King Twitter account

  Hackers have hijacked Burger King's Twitter account and used it to send tweets promoting rival fast-food chain McDonalds

• February 19, 2013 19 Feb'13

  Google may soon face action by EU privacy regulators

  Google may face action by privacy regulators across Europe if it does not change the way it manages user data

• February 18, 2013 18 Feb'13

  TCS establishes UK centre as part of Home Office contract

  Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has opened a delivery centre in Liverpool to ensure it complies with government rules on security

• February 18, 2013 18 Feb'13

  Pitchford to head-up Universal Credit programme

  David Pitchford, executive director of Major Projects Authority heads up the Universal Credit at the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)

• February 18, 2013 18 Feb'13

  No user data compromised in hack, claims Facebook

  Facebook claims that no user data was compromised in a zero-day attack on its systems in January

• February 18, 2013 18 Feb'13

  Egypt’s telecoms ministry appeals YouTube block

  The Egyptian telecommunication’s ministry and human rights group AFTE have filed appeals against a court order to block YouTube

• February 18, 2013 18 Feb'13

  Adobe to release emergency patches for Reader, Acrobat

  Adobe is to release security patches for two critical vulnerabilities being exploited by hackers in targeted attacks

• February 15, 2013 15 Feb'13

  Bad outsourcing decisions cause 63% of data breaches

  Bad outsourcing decisions nearly two-thirds of data breaches investigated by security firm Trustwave in the past year

• February 15, 2013 15 Feb'13

  Departments to push millions through G-Cloud this year

  Government will spend tens of millions through the G-Cloud framework in 2013, says Alex Holmes, deputy director of IT reform at the Cabinet Office

• February 15, 2013 15 Feb'13

  ICO issues £150,000 penalty, urging more care with personal data

  ICO urges review of personal data policies after issuing a £150,000 fine to Nursing and Midwifery Council for breaching data protection laws

• February 15, 2013 15 Feb'13

  iOS 6.1 security flaw allows iPhone lock screen bypass

  Apple may have to release another fix for its recently released operating system update iOS 6.1 to protect against thieves and hackers

• February 14, 2013 14 Feb'13

  Government introduces new rules to prevent tax-avoidance

  The government has introduced new rules intended to prevent companies from minimising their UK tax bills, amid several IT companies having been singled out as alleged tax-avoiders.

• February 14, 2013 14 Feb'13

  Data breach investigations show no-one is immune

  Nearly every industry, country and type of data was involved in a breach of some kind in the past year, according to security firm Trustwave

• February 14, 2013 14 Feb'13

  Southwest One outsourcing achieves 10% of target savings

  Somerset council's Southwest One outsourcing venture achieved just 10% of the savings initially targeted half way through the programme

• February 14, 2013 14 Feb'13

  Spanish police arrest ransomware cyber gang

  Police in Spain have arrested a gang of 11 cyber criminals who used "ransomware" to demand money from thousands of victims in 30 countries

• February 14, 2013 14 Feb'13

  Cisco quarterly profits jump 44% to $3.1bn

  Network company Cisco has reported $3.1bn profits for its last quarter, up 44% compared with the same period the year before

• February 14, 2013 14 Feb'13

  Grant Thornton uses Huddle for business support programme

  Grant Thornton is using Huddle to share information and content as part of the £200m government-backed GrowthAccelerator

• February 13, 2013 13 Feb'13

  European Commission funds research to eliminate latency

  Researchers from universities and enterprises across Europe are undertaking a project to minimise latency over the internet

• February 13, 2013 13 Feb'13

  US Army boots up VDI with Atlantis ILIO flash caching software

  US Army Medical Command equips 11,000 staff at six hospitals with virtual desktop access and login times slashed to 30 seconds using Atlantis ILIO flash caching software

• February 13, 2013 13 Feb'13

  UK companies use IAM for business not security, study shows

  UK businesses use Identity and access management (IAM) mainly for cloud and collaboration rather than security, a Quocirca study reveals

• February 13, 2013 13 Feb'13

  Barack Obama signs cyber security executive order

  US President Barack Obama has signed an executive order requiring federal agencies to share cyber threat information with private companies

• February 12, 2013 12 Feb'13

  Cornwall stuck with paper records after collapse of BT partnership

  The collapse of Cornwall's strategic alliance with BT has scuppered a plan for the county's hospitals to digitise 750,000 patient records.

• February 12, 2013 12 Feb'13

  IT industry group releases password-killing standard

  A consortium of IT companies, including PayPal and Lenovo, publishes new set of standards that could rid users of usernames and passwords

• February 12, 2013 12 Feb'13

  Apple releases fix for latest iOS update

  Apple has released iOS 6.1.1 as a fix for iPhone 4S users' 3G connections after some mobile operators warned of problems with the latest update to the operating system.

• February 12, 2013 12 Feb'13

  NAO details progress and challenges of UK cyber security strategy

  The UK government’s strategy for cyber security is delivering benefits even in its early stages, according to the National Audit Office (NAO)

• February 11, 2013 11 Feb'13

  HMRC alerts businesses to impending real-time PAYE changes

  HMRC is notifying businesses about impending real-time information (RTI) changes to the PAYE payroll system

• February 11, 2013 11 Feb'13

  UK government to crack down on tax-avoiding suppliers

  IT suppliers could lose out on multi-billion-pound contracts as the government introduces methods to exclude tax avoiders from bidding process

• February 11, 2013 11 Feb'13

  Military-grade social media spying technology revealed

  Software that can map people’s lives by mining data from social media sites has already been developed

• February 11, 2013 11 Feb'13

  Australia to quiz tech giants on pricing

  The Australian parliament has summoned Microsoft, Apple and Adobe to appear before a committee investigating pricing

• February 11, 2013 11 Feb'13

  CIO interview: David Matthewman, CIO, Open University

  Three years after joining the Open University, CIO David Matthewman continues to push a strategic programme to deliver value and innovation

• February 11, 2013 11 Feb'13

  Apple seeks to improve iOS security with image recognition

  Apple is planning to improve the security of iOS on iPhones and iPads by using image recognition or response, according to a patent application

• February 10, 2013 10 Feb'13

  Government seeks evidence for 'information economy' strategy

  The government is urging SMEs to submit evidence ahead of the publication of its Information Economy Strategy in May

• February 08, 2013 08 Feb'13

  Interview: Metropolitan Police assistant commissioner Mark Rowley

  Assistant commissioner Mark Rowley is tasked with reviewing the Met’s technology operations ahead of swingeing cuts due to come in this April

• February 07, 2013 07 Feb'13

  Infosec a key part of business risk, says Deloitte

  Information security is one of the fundamental aspects of business risk, says Mike Maddison, partner at Deloitte.

• February 07, 2013 07 Feb'13

  Can government change its risk-averse take on security?

  Risk-averse policy has long curbed government IT reform, but in simplifying security, Whitehall hopes to widen its range of commodity IT

• February 07, 2013 07 Feb'13

  Mixed reaction to EC’s cyber security plan

  The European Commission's cyber security strategy and proposed network and information security directive are met with mixed reaction

• February 07, 2013 07 Feb'13

  Government school building project harnesses cloud collaboration

  The Education Funding Agency (EFA) is using cloud-based collaboration to underpin the Priority School Building Programme (PSBP)

• February 07, 2013 07 Feb'13

  Kaspersky apologises as AV update cuts links to web

  Kaspersky Lab apologises after thousands of corporate computers with Windows XP were cut off from the web by an anti-virus software update

• February 07, 2013 07 Feb'13

  Europe tops Microsoft cyber security policy report

  A report from Microsoft on factors that differentiate malware infection rates around the world shows Europe leading the fight for cyber security

• February 07, 2013 07 Feb'13

  Anonymous hackers hit US Federal Reserve

  US Federal Reserve confirms an intranet breach but denies claims that Anonymous hackers accessed the passwords of over 4,000 executives

• February 06, 2013 06 Feb'13

  European government moves to private clouds

  Over half of local and central governments across Europe are using or plan to use private clouds hosted by third parties

• February 06, 2013 06 Feb'13

  NHS databases must be improved, urges report

  NHS information systems must be improved to prevent malpractice, a report has urged

• February 06, 2013 06 Feb'13

  EU cyber strategy aimed at boosting preparedness and cooperation

  The European cyber security strategy addresses insufficient national preparedness and boosting co-operation in the region, says the EC

• February 06, 2013 06 Feb'13

  Andy Nelson appointed DWP CIO

  Government CIO Andy Nelson has been officially appointed CIO at the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)

• February 06, 2013 06 Feb'13

  Business avoids cloud over fear of government snooping

  Almost half of IT professionals are deterred from keeping sensitive data in the cloud because of fear of government intervention and possible legal action, a survey has revealed

• February 06, 2013 06 Feb'13

  HMRC doubles in-house software development team

  HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) is doubling its software development team to 600 to reduce reliance on large outsourcers, says CIO Mark Hall

• February 06, 2013 06 Feb'13

  Twitter strengthens login security after hacker attack

  Days after a hacking attack, it has emerged that Twitter plans to strengthen its login security with two-factor authentication

• February 06, 2013 06 Feb'13

  Raspberry Pi Model A computer goes on sale for £16

  The latest version of the small single-board Raspberry Pi computer – Model A – has gone on sale in Europe at just £16

• February 06, 2013 06 Feb'13

  Snooping bill needs more work, say MPs

  The government’s proposed Communications Data Bill needs more work, says a report from the cross-party intelligence and security committee

• February 06, 2013 06 Feb'13

  HMRC to roll out 7,000 mobile devices including iPads

  HMRC is to roll-out 7,000 consumer devices, including MacBooks and iPads, as part of a move toward mobile working.

• February 04, 2013 04 Feb'13

  Beebus virus targets aerospace and defence

  Security researchers have discovered a new threat that targets companies in the aerospace and defence industries

• February 04, 2013 04 Feb'13

  Controversial Cornwall outsourcing plan faces more challenges

  The Royal Cornwall Hospital Trust has pulled out of a shared services programme

• February 04, 2013 04 Feb'13

  HTC forecasts sales decline for sixth consecutive quarter

  Taiwan-based smartphone maker HTC has forecast a sales decline for the sixth consecutive quarter in the face of competition from rivals

• February 04, 2013 04 Feb'13

  Oracle rushes out another Java update

  Oracle has rushed out another security update for Java in the wake of a flawed update released in January

• February 01, 2013 01 Feb'13

  Ofcom launches consultation on liberalising 4G spectrum

  Vodafone and 3 have asked Ofcom to allow 4G connectivity across their existing spectrum

• February 01, 2013 01 Feb'13

  Leading companies adopt new security tools

  The actual number of cyber attacks on businesses is probably five times greater than the number being reported, says RSA

• February 01, 2013 01 Feb'13

  Government reviews data security rules to widen device clearance

  The government has re-categorised data security to widen the range of devices beyond Blackberry cleared to handle government data

• February 01, 2013 01 Feb'13

  Google just meets EU competition commissioner’s deadline

  Google has submitted last-minute proposals to address the EC’s concerns over alleged abuse of its dominant market position

• February 01, 2013 01 Feb'13

  University shuns HP array features for SIOS host-based replication

  Nottingham university deploys SIOS host-based replication in £500k HP shared storage project across two mirrored sites to provide 2,000 research staff with 0.5PB capacity