News

IT for government and public sector

November 16, 2011 16 Nov'11
Well-tuned WAFs with DAST products 39% more effective, study finds

The best defense against web application threats is to tune Web Application Firewalls (WAFs) and incorporate Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST) software, a study has found.
November 15, 2011 15 Nov'11
TfL seeks BI worth £750,000

Transport for London (TfL) is setting up a framework agreement for a business intelligence tool worth up to £750,000 million to help reduce its number of head office locations.
November 15, 2011 15 Nov'11
Google, Oracle surpass Microsoft in vulnerabilities, study shows

Google has replaced Microsoft as the number one software supplier for reported vulnerabilities, with a total of 82.
November 15, 2011 15 Nov'11
Mobile & virtual environments among top security woes

Securing productivity tools on personal mobile devices is one of the greatest concerns of IT security professionals, yet few have strategies in place to improve security.

November 15, 2011 15 Nov'11
National Rail seeks contract for content manage system

National Rail is buying a content management and storing system to runs its journey-planning website nationalrail.co.uk, which has an average of 18 million visits per month.
November 15, 2011 15 Nov'11
Samsung takes the lead in Trusted Computing

Samsung has taken the lead in Trusted Computing security by enabling its semiconductor capabilities in PC, tablet and other consumer devices.
November 15, 2011 15 Nov'11
New standards to address privacy concerns on the web

The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) has published two draft standards aimed at enabling internet users to express cross-site tracking preferences and get warnings if these are not upheld.
November 14, 2011 14 Nov'11
CIO Interview: IT should drive company innovation, says SAP's Oliver Bussmann

Driving innovation has become one of the key roles of the chief information officer, says Oliver Bussmann, CIO at business software maker SAP.
November 14, 2011 14 Nov'11
IBM builds a city-wide cloud computing platform for Sunderland City Council

IBM builds a cloud computing platform for Sunderland City Council. which the council hopes will reduce operational costs by £1.4m annually over the next five years.
November 14, 2011 14 Nov'11
Professionalism in infosecurity key to UK cyber success, says GCHQ

Cyberspace presents an unprecedented opportunity to enhance the UK’s economic prosperity for the future, says Jonathan Hoyle, director general for government and industry cybersecurity at communications intelligence agency GCHQ.

November 11, 2011 11 Nov'11
EU cyber security agency Enisa publishes report on risks of online applications

The EU's'cyber security agency Enisa has published a report on the future impact of life-logging and online personal data; and the effects on privacy, economy, society and individual psychology.
November 11, 2011 11 Nov'11
New deputy CIO must possess change management skills, says Bill McCluggage

The new government deputy CIO will need a fresh set of skills to manage public sector ICT transformation, Bill McCluggage the current deputy CIO told Computer Weekly.
November 10, 2011 10 Nov'11
MP calls for government to quadruple broadband investment to £2bn

Rory Stewart, MP has called for the Treasury to quadruple its investment in superfast broadband to £2.1bn.
November 10, 2011 10 Nov'11
Welcome to the new-look ComputerWeekly.com

Computer Weekly has launched its brand new website - the most important online development in the brand’s 45-year history.
November 09, 2011 09 Nov'11
Accenture announces managed private cloud service for SAP applications

Accenture has announced a service to enable SAP ERP and NetWeaver Business Warehouse customers to migrate easily to lower-cost, managed private cloud infrastructure.
November 08, 2011 08 Nov'11
Deputy government CIO Bill McCluggage quits to join storage hardware firm EMC

Bill McCluggage, the deputy government CIO, is to step down from his position at the Cabinet Office to take a position at storage hardware company EMC.
November 08, 2011 08 Nov'11
Department of Health opens up data

The Department of Health (DH) has outlined a series of initiatives to support trusts in procuring more IT at a local level, which include making more information available to practitioners and developers.
November 07, 2011 07 Nov'11
Analysis: Intelligence key to security business case

Information security is becoming an increasingly important part of any business as the value of information assets continually grow, as do the threats from cyber crime and espionage.
November 07, 2011 07 Nov'11
Light Microsoft Patch Tuesday for November

System administrators can look forward to a light Patch Tuesday with Microsoft planning to release only four bulletins in its monthly security update on 8 November.
November 07, 2011 07 Nov'11
Businesses should not rely on historical trends alone in setting IT security strategies and policies

Businesses should not rely on historical trends alone in setting IT security strategies and policies, according to the Information Security Forum (ISF).
November 07, 2011 07 Nov'11
Anonymous downs official sites in El Salvador

Hacktivist group Anonymous has attacked the websites of El Salvador's presidency and government ministries, forcing several to be shut down.
November 04, 2011 04 Nov'11
Microsoft issues temporary fix for Windows flaw exploited by Duqu Trojan

Microsoft has issued a temporary fix for a Windows vulnerability being exploited by the Duqu Trojan.
November 04, 2011 04 Nov'11
US report on cyber espionage accuses China and Russia of repeated incursions

China and Russia are using cyber espionage to steal US trade and technology secrets, says a US intelligence report covering 2009 to 2011.
November 04, 2011 04 Nov'11
Newham Borough Council slashes IT costs by £2m

The London Borough of Newham (LBN) has cut annual IT costs by £2m through moving to a shared services model, encouraging citizens to self-serve and renegotiating contracts with its main technology partners.
November 04, 2011 04 Nov'11
Rochdale council breached DPA, says ICO

The loss of 18,000 personal records by the Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council highlights the fact that many organisations are still failing to put the most basic measures in place to manage their information securely, say information security ...
November 04, 2011 04 Nov'11
ICO welcomes government Midata scheme to let consumers access their personal data

Information commissioner Christopher Graham has welcomed the launch of the government's Midata scheme, a voluntary partnership with businesses and consumer bodies to give consumers access to their personal data.
November 04, 2011 04 Nov'11
Government publishes guidelines to promote open source in the public sector

The government has released guidelines to help public sector organisations deploy open source systems.
November 03, 2011 03 Nov'11
US and EU hold first joint cybersecurity exercise

The US and EU are holding their first joint cybersecurity exercise in Brussels on 3 November 2011, involving more than 20 EU member states and supported by the EU's cybersecurity agency Enisa and the US Department of Homeland Security.
November 03, 2011 03 Nov'11
Accenture bags DWP contract

Accenture will provide management, development and support for Department of Work and Pensions customer-facing applications.
November 03, 2011 03 Nov'11
How achievable is the government’s move to the cloud?

After a long period of uncertainty around the government's G-Cloud initiative, including spurious claims it had been scrapped, the strategy has been placed firmly back in the spotlight as central to the public sector IT cost-saving agenda. Computer ...
November 02, 2011 02 Nov'11
Hague closes London Cyber Conference with clear messages for business and government

Keep ideas flowing and work with government to safeguard intellectual property and prevent cyber crime, while continuing to pursue the innovation that created cyberspace, foreign secretary William Hague told entrepreneurs and companies at the close ...
November 02, 2011 02 Nov'11
Speed essential to combating cyber crime, Kaspersky tells London Conference

Governments are late in discussing online threats and collaboration around tackling them, according to Eugene Kaspersky, chief executive of Kaspersky Lab.
November 02, 2011 02 Nov'11
London Conference on Cyberspace: securing the future of the internet

The UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office has hosted representatives from government, industry, business and organisations from around the world to consider how to go about reaching an international agreement regarding behaviour in cyberspace, but why ...
November 01, 2011 01 Nov'11
MoD calls on academics, industry and inventors to pitch cyber security ideas

The Ministry of Defence is calling for innovative solutions from academia and industry to protect and secure UK interests in cyberspace.
November 01, 2011 01 Nov'11
Government trials voice recognition for Universal Credit benefit claims

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is testing a voice recognition system to authenticate claimants of its flagship Universal Credits system, as part of the department's work on identity assurance (IDA).
November 01, 2011 01 Nov'11
Companies neglect security considerations in rush to adopt cloud and social networking

Businesses are neglecting their ability to defend against cyber threats as they rush to adopt new technologies to enable social networking and cloud computing, a study shows.
November 01, 2011 01 Nov'11
UK and US commit to open, secure internet at London Cyberspace Conference

The UK and US governments have committed themselves to preserving the openness of the internet at the London Conference on Cyberspace.
November 01, 2011 01 Nov'11
Wikipedia provides social model for good internet governance, says founder

The greatest threat to cyberspace is not cyber criminals, but misguided and over-reaching government policy, according to Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales.
November 01, 2011 01 Nov'11
Dozens of chemical and defence firms hit by China-based hack

A China-based industrial espionage hacker attack targeted at least 29 chemical industry firms, including Fortune 100 firms, in July and September, researchers at Symantec have found.
November 01, 2011 01 Nov'11
Oxfam calls for collaboration on enabled internet transformation

Oxfam has called on government, non-government and academic organisations to work together to use technology to help alleviate poverty and hunger.
November 01, 2011 01 Nov'11
Hague calls for collaboration to realise full potential of cyberspace

It is increasingly clear that countries with weak cyber defences and capabilities will find themselves at a serious strategic disadvantage given the rise of state-sponsored cyber attacks, according to foreign secretary William Hague.
November 01, 2011 01 Nov'11
Migration committee calls for opinions on minimum salary for IT staff on ICT visas

The Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) is calling for opinions on whether the minimum pay of £40,000 is set at the right level for overseas employees brought to the UK on Intra Company Transfer visas (ICT)
October 31, 2011 31 Oct'11
Government earmarks £10m for Identity Assurance

Cabinet Office minister Francis Maude has earmarked £10m for implementation of the government's Identity Assurance (IDA) programme, with the cash coming from its £650m cyber defence fund - with the potential for more near £1bn of savings if the ...
October 31, 2011 31 Oct'11
Japan may be facing sustained cyber attack

Japan's mapping agency is the latest in a series of government agencies to be targeted by hackers, raising fears that the breaches are part of a series of sustained attacks.
October 31, 2011 31 Oct'11
Critical infrastructure providers are less engaged with government cyber protection despite growing

Fewer providers of critical national infrastructure (CNI) are currently engaged with government security programmes than last year, according to research.
October 31, 2011 31 Oct'11
UK cyber attacks at a 'disturbing' level, says GCHQ chief

Cyber attacks on the UK have reached "disturbing" levels, according to Ian Lobban, director of communications intelligence agency GCHQ.
October 31, 2011 31 Oct'11
Civil service pension mutual expects private bids

The Cabinet Office is expecting the final bids from four companies hoping to run the administration for 1.5 million public sector pensions.
October 31, 2011 31 Oct'11
UKtech50: We launch the search for the most influential people in UK IT

Computer Weekly has launched the second annual UKtech50, the definitive list of the real movers and shakers in UK IT - the leaders driving the creation of a high-tech economy.
October 31, 2011 31 Oct'11
Private sector struggles to fill growing IT vacancies but public sector jobs disappear

Demand for permanent and freelance IT staff is still increasing despite a sizeable drop in IT positions advertised by public sector organisations.
October 28, 2011 28 Oct'11
Open University expands computer-aided teaching portal for educators worlwide

The Open University has completed the second stage of a £2.5m Department of Education funded initiative to deliver computer-aided teaching to the classroom.
October 27, 2011 27 Oct'11
Government CIOs complain of IT skills depletion due to austerity measures

Government CIOs say the coalition's cost-cutting agenda is impeding the ability of departments to improve IT skills and innovate.
October 26, 2011 26 Oct'11
One in five IT staff expected to quit current employer within 12 months

One in five IT staff are likely to leave their current employer next year in search of more interesting projects and career opportunities, while 80% feel they need a job change to progress their career, according to exclusive research.
October 26, 2011 26 Oct'11
Why XP application compatibility is a top priority for Windows 7 migrations

Application migration tools are now in the spotlight, with Quest and Citrix acquiring two of the main companies specialising in this much underrated area of IT. Cliff Saran reports.
October 25, 2011 25 Oct'11
Microsoft claims most Android smartphone manufacturers now pay patent fees

Microsoft has claimed most Android smartphone manufacturers now pay the software giant patent fees.
October 03, 2011 03 Oct'11
How far away is the government's vision of the Public Services Network?

The long-awaited Public Services Network to enable the delivery of government services from any provider or location is now underway. But how achievable is the vision of a national "network of networks"?
June 10, 2011 10 Jun'11
Cloud services’ top driver in India to be agility than cost: Forrester

The number one reason for cloud services adoption in India is cost reduction. With significant growth in expectations, that may change, says Forrester.
June 02, 2011 02 Jun'11
Francis Maude calls on public to tackle cybercrime as public services go online

Moving public services online is a key objective of the UK government, says Francis Maude, Minister for the Cabinet Office.
May 17, 2011 17 May'11
Joe Harley and Ian Watmore outline ways to improve government IT

Government CIO Joe Harley and Efficiency and Reform Group chief operating officer Ian Watmore have outlined a roadmap to improve public sector IT.
May 13, 2011 13 May'11
White House proposes cyber network security legislation

The White House has proposed cyber security legislation to protect the US government and private computer systems from millions of daily cyber attacks.
April 21, 2011 21 Apr'11
Government told to scrap school IT lessons

IT lessons should be dropped from the national curriculum, IT industry trade association Intellect has advised the government.
April 21, 2011 21 Apr'11
BT, TalkTalk lose court challenge to Digital Economy Act

A judicial review has rejected claims by BT and TalkTalk that government overstepped its authority with anti-piracy measures in the Digital Economy Act.
April 12, 2011 12 Apr'11
Banks' IT departments on red alert

A government-commissioned report which has recommended that major banks should separate their retail operations from higher-risk activities will result in banks having to rethink IT strategies.
April 12, 2011 12 Apr'11
CESG approves BlackBerry Enterprise Solution for ‘restricted’ government information

The government's technical security advisor CESG has approved the BlackBerry Enterprise Solution from Research In Motion for protecting material classified up to and including "restricted".
April 08, 2011 08 Apr'11
MPs rap BBC over £56m system rescue

The BBC is rescuing its troubled Digital Media Initiative, but it will cost an extra £56m, a government watchdog has found.
April 08, 2011 08 Apr'11
Cabinet Office seeks executive director of digital for £141,000

The government is seeking a director of digital for £141,000 per year.
April 07, 2011 07 Apr'11
Government urges people to report online terrorists through Directgov

The government is urging people to report online terrorist content through its Directgov website.
April 04, 2011 04 Apr'11
Technology Strategy Board injects £1m into east London Tech City area

The area around east London dubbed "Tech City" by the government is to receive £1m investment from the Technology Strategy Board.
April 04, 2011 04 Apr'11
Large government IT projects subject to new controls

Big government projects will be subject to tough controls under the Major Projects Authority (MPA), Cabinet Office Minister Francis Maude says.
March 31, 2011 31 Mar'11
Strong leadership key to making the government’s IT strategy work, say industry bodies

Strong leadership will be crucial to making the government's...
March 30, 2011 30 Mar'11
Government IT strategy 'lacks local council focus’

Jos Creese, president of Socitm, has welcomed the government's new IT strategy, but says it lacks details on the involvement of local government.
March 29, 2011 29 Mar'11
Government puts open source at the heart of its new IT strategy

The government has launched its much-anticipated new IT strategy, highlighting open source and a promise that the coalition will do things better.
March 23, 2011 23 Mar'11
Digital Economy Act provisions to go ahead, says DCMS

Anti-piracy provisions in the controversial Digital Economy Act (DEA), currently under judicial review, have not been postponed, government sources say.
March 17, 2011 17 Mar'11
Government Digital Service launched to oversee Whitehall websites

Whitehall has set up a new organisation to oversee moves to improve the digital delivery of public services.
March 17, 2011 17 Mar'11
Public sector will recoup £11bn through efficiency savings, says Maude

The public sector can expect to save £11bn per year as a result of the government's efficiency savings, Cabinet Office minister Francis Maude told delegates...
March 14, 2011 14 Mar'11
Isle of Man CIO praises benefits of standardisation

While the government in England has started to talk seriously about a possible move to open source, Allan Paterson, director of information systems for the Isle of Man, talks to Computer Weekly about the benefits of standardisation on Microsoft.
March 11, 2011 11 Mar'11
Interview: Government adviser Martin Read on saving billions with IT

Government efficiency adviser Martin Read talks exclusively to Computer Weekly about why technology is crucial to achieving cost savings in the public sector
March 10, 2011 10 Mar'11
Fibred-up SMEs will boost economy, CMA tells government

The government should satisfy the needs of businesses in communications policy and investment to achieve its economic growth goals
March 09, 2011 09 Mar'11
UK government IT is 'uniquely bad', MPs are told

Government IT in the UK is far worse than comparable countries, experts told the Public Administration Select Committee
March 08, 2011 08 Mar'11
Government to monitor companies supporting critical national infrastructure

The government is to increase its commitment to further contact with operators of the UK's critical national infrastructure (CNI).
March 04, 2011 04 Mar'11
South Korean websites come under cyber attack

Hackers have attacked around 40 South Korean government and private websites.
March 03, 2011 03 Mar'11
Efficiency chief Ian Watmore heralds new government IT strategy

Ian Watmore, chief operating officer of the Cabinet Office Efficiency and Reform Group, has welcomed the call for a radical new IT strategy.
March 03, 2011 03 Mar'11
Is UK critical national infrastructure properly protected?

About 80% of UK critical national infrastructure (CNI) is owned and run by the private sector, so how is government ensuring that it is protected from cyber attacks?
March 02, 2011 02 Mar'11
Government losing billions by not moving to the cloud

The public sector could be making unnecessary redundancies due to a reluctance to innovate in IT and shift to the cloud, says former CIO John Suffolk
March 02, 2011 02 Mar'11
Government raises threshold for central approval of IT projects to £5m

The government has raised the threshold for ICT projects requiring central approval to £5m, from the £1m level imposed in May. The new controls will be in place until 2015.
March 01, 2011 01 Mar'11
Government tries again to control CCTV surveillance

Surveillance camera owners may face tough restrictions on their use following the launch of a government consultation a new code of practice...
February 23, 2011 23 Feb'11
Libyan authorities restrict internet access

The Libyan government could pull the plug on the country's internet, as protests sweep the country.
February 22, 2011 22 Feb'11
Analysis: Prepare for cyber war. But what does it mean?

Governments in the UK, US and elsewhere are prioritising cyber security as it becomes apparent that the internet can be a dangerous place. There is plenty of talk of cyber war, but little consensus as to what the term actually means.
February 22, 2011 22 Feb'11
Middle East governments stepping up internet control, study shows

The internet has proved to be a powerful tool for rallying social and political change, but Middle East governments have also recognised their capability to disrupt communications
February 18, 2011 18 Feb'11
Government’s £27bn cyber crime figure slammed as 'sales promotion exercise'

The government's estimate that cyber crime costs the economy £27 billion a year has been attacked by an information security professor at the London School of Economics as a "sales promotion exercise" by BAE Systems, formerly British Aerospace.
February 18, 2011 18 Feb'11
RSA 2011: Cyber defence must include civilian infrastructure, says US commander

Extending the government and military cyber security programme to critical civilian infrastructure is one of the top challenges facing the US, says General Keith Alexander, commander of US Cyber Command.
February 17, 2011 17 Feb'11
Industry welcomes technology hubs

The Science and Technology Committee has welcomed the government's commitment to invest £200m in new technology hubs,
February 17, 2011 17 Feb'11
£100m cap on government IT deals 'may not be implemented'

The government's commitment to set a £100m limit on IT contracts may not be implemented, according to the National Audit Office (NAO).
February 17, 2011 17 Feb'11
National Audit Office to probe government IT strategy

The National Audit Office (NAO) has launched a report examining the government's new approach to ICT, ahead of the new IT strategy to be published in the spring.
February 16, 2011 16 Feb'11
Government IT strategy draws fire from technology industry bodies

Government IT strategy has come under fire in evidence presented to an inquiry by MPs into the effectiveness of public sector IT plans.
February 16, 2011 16 Feb'11
Wikileaks inquiry sparks free speech debate after Twitter subpoena

A request by the US government for the personal details of three Twitter users as part of the Wikileaks inquiry has met resistance over concerns that it...
February 16, 2011 16 Feb'11
RSA 2011: US deputy defense secretary urges government/private sector collaboration

US deputy secretary of defence, William Lynn, has called for greater collaboration between government and the private sector in tackling cyber threats.
February 15, 2011 15 Feb'11
Nottingham City Council defies Whitehall over spending data publication

Nottingham City Council is the last local authority to defy the drive by secretary of state for communities and local government Eric Pickles to publish all spending data over £500.
February 14, 2011 14 Feb'11
Intellect presses government to promote IT in UK economic growth

The government has agreed to promote the role of technology in leading the UK's economic growth, following a meeting with IT industry body Intellect.
February 14, 2011 14 Feb'11
Indian official reiterates Blackberry ban threat

The Indian government has told Research in Motion (RIM) that it must stop its services if it fails to grant access to Blackberry corporate email, according to an official.
February 10, 2011 10 Feb'11
How much of the G-Cloud will survive government's IT review?

The future of the government's G-Cloud plan will depend on whether Cabinet Office has the determination to force through big changes