News

IT for government and public sector

May 14, 2018 14 May'18
Technology continues to transform crime, warns NCA

The UK’s National Crime Agency warns that developments in technology will continue to transform the future crime landscape, in its latest report on serious and organised crime
May 11, 2018 11 May'18
Police Scotland did not inform public of mobile phone searches

Members of the Scottish Parliament heard that Police Scotland did not conduct impact assessments or give explanations to the public when they were accessing private data on their mobile phones
May 11, 2018 11 May'18
GDS looks at potential for using voice technology on Gov.uk website

The government has begun using machine learning to build a taxonomy hierarchy on Gov.uk and is looking at the possibility of deploying voice interactions
May 11, 2018 11 May'18
GDS wants to take 'hands off control' on digital identity, says Gov.uk Verify boss

Gov.uk Verify boss Nic Harrison says GDS wants to take its “hands off the controls” of identity, as he confirms target of 25 million Verify user accounts “won’t all be created by government”

May 11, 2018 11 May'18
EFF welcomes backdoor-blocking US bill

International digital rights organisation welcomes proposed US legislation that will prevent the government from forcing a company to build backdoors into encrypted products and services
May 10, 2018 10 May'18
Government must support SMEs, says Oliver Dowden

The minister for implementation, Oliver Dowden, provides further details on the GovTech competition and talks about GDS’s role as an “innovation incubator”, losing data policy to DCMS and the importance of SMEs
May 10, 2018 10 May'18
Connectivity problem hits thousands of Post Office branches

Post Office branches unable to connect to Horizon computer system for several hours after morning opening time
May 10, 2018 10 May'18
UK railways to save billions of pounds through digital signalling

Network Rail hails digital transformation plans as “a turning point in the history of our railways”
May 10, 2018 10 May'18
Government launches GovTech competition

Implementation minister Oliver Dowden will launch competition for UK tech firms to help solve the country’s social challenges, using funding from the £20m GovTech challenge fund
May 09, 2018 09 May'18
CNI providers face hefty fines for cyber security failings

UK providers of critical national infrastructure face hefty fines for cyber security failings from 10 May 2018

May 09, 2018 09 May'18
Justice system transformation programme faces 'daunting challenge', says NAO

Government’s £1bn project to overhaul courts through use of technology has hit delays, with unresolved funding gaps and “significant risk” that it won’t deliver on time, NAO report finds
May 08, 2018 08 May'18
Met Police to get integrated policing system from Northgate

Five-year contract covers integrated IT system to be used across the Metropolitan force, two years after it went out to tender
May 08, 2018 08 May'18
Salford gets chief digital officer

Jon Corner has been appointed the city’s first chief digital officer to lead Salford’s smart city and digital technology work
May 08, 2018 08 May'18
Virtual tripwire to keep elephant poachers out of Zambian national park

Cisco and Dimension Data are working to protect Zambia’s at-risk elephant population after a successful pilot project in South Africa
May 04, 2018 04 May'18
Most CIOs not interested in “massively hyped” blockchain, finds Gartner

Despite the noise surrounding blockchain technology, not many CIOs are using it or planning to do so in the near future, finds Gartner
May 03, 2018 03 May'18
Fibre network breakthrough has implications for data security

Researchers have devised a new protocol that they claim vastly extends the range of quantum key distribution over fibre networks
May 03, 2018 03 May'18
Netherlands to harness blockchain for waste management operations

Authorities are trying out blockchain to automate many of the processes related to waste transportation in the EU
May 02, 2018 02 May'18
Fresh blow for Facebook as court refuses stay in Max Schrems legal action

Facebook has lost a legal attempt to delay the Irish High Court from seeking answers from the European Court of Justice over the legality of EU-US data transfers
May 02, 2018 02 May'18
Up to 270 women may have died due to breast cancer screening IT failure, says health secretary

Computer algorithm failure caused 450,000 women to miss their breast cancer screenings – some of whom will have "had their lives shortened" by the error, Jeremy Hunt has admitted
May 02, 2018 02 May'18
Cabinet Office updates spend controls

Revamped spend controls policy aims to give departments more flexibility, but requires them to keep a 15-month pipeline plan of any current and intended technology spend above £5m
May 02, 2018 02 May'18
Finnish government launches regional digitisation plan

Finland’s government allocates €400m to support digital projects run by the country’s local authorities
May 02, 2018 02 May'18
Ransomware still a threat to business, F-Secure warns

Ransomware attacks tapered off towards the end of 2017 after an explosion in such attacks earlier in the year, but ransomware remains a threat to big business, a report reveals
May 01, 2018 01 May'18
Gulf Cooperation Council smart city initiatives garner momentum

The Middle East is a hotbed for smart city developments, with activities in the region maturing and adapting to what citizens want
May 01, 2018 01 May'18
HMRC dismisses criticism of ‘perfectly good’ IR35 online assessment tool

Senior figures from HM Revenue & Customs have hit back at claims that its online IR35 status tool is not fit for purpose, as survey data suggests public sector contractors are being assessed without the tool’s help anyway
May 01, 2018 01 May'18
CIO interview: Martyn Wallace, CDO, Scottish Local Government Digital Office

Scottish local government’s chief digital officer describes the challenges of driving digital change across the country’s councils
May 01, 2018 01 May'18
Bristol’s historic bridge pressed into service for rural broadband

Gigaclear is running cables underneath Bristol’s historic Clifton Suspension Bridge to bring ultrafast full-fibre services to forgotten communities
April 30, 2018 30 Apr'18
Getting cyber security innovation to market is key, says NCSC

Getting cyber security innovation to market is an important area of focus, according to the National Cyber Security Centre, which runs a cyber accelerator programme and recently stated a Dragons Den style security innovation pitch at the 2018 ...
April 30, 2018 30 Apr'18
Over a million homes can now access FTTP, says Ofcom

Access to viable broadband services continues to improve across the UK, according to Ofcom
April 30, 2018 30 Apr'18
Yorkshire and Humber region awards HSCN contract to Redcentric

Network services provider Redcentric wins the first major regional Health and Social Care Network contract as procurements around England gather pace
April 30, 2018 30 Apr'18
Even the smallest of Dutch towns are becoming smart

An increasing number of Dutch towns and cities use street sensors and big data to tackle societal problems. From smart lighting to artificial intelligence that spots violent behaviour in surveillance footage, smart technology is booming in the ...
April 27, 2018 27 Apr'18
DWP to spend nearly £15m on GDPR

A single government department plans to spend nearly £15m on preparing for new European data protection legislation, a report reveals
April 27, 2018 27 Apr'18
Government given six months to rewrite snoopers’ charter

The government has until 1 November 2018 to rewrite a key section of the Investigatory Powers Act 2016, after the high court declared them unlawful in a judicial review brought by human rights group Liberty
April 27, 2018 27 Apr'18
BEIS yet to begin procuring IT systems needed for Brexit, PAC finds

Public Accounts Committee chair Meg Hillier says the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy “appears to be operating in a parallel universe where urgency is an abstract concept”, as it needs upwards of 12 new digital systems and so ...
April 27, 2018 27 Apr'18
Welsh government plans digital pilots in the Valleys

As part of its digital vision for the Valleys, the government looks to pilot Uber-style transport app for NHS patients, a community Wi-Fi scheme and better use of data mapping tool
April 26, 2018 26 Apr'18
EC calls on online platforms to develop common code of practice to tackle ‘disinformation’

The European Commission says online platforms such as social media and video sites, have not done enough to tackle unethical use, and calls on them “to decisively step up their efforts to tackle online disinformation”
April 26, 2018 26 Apr'18
European Commission unveils €1.5bn AI funding

Given the UK's new artificial intelligence sector deal, the European Commission is unveiling its own initiative to make Europe a world leader in AI
April 26, 2018 26 Apr'18
NCSC shows support for common standards for secure communication

The UK cyber security authority is supporting an industry drive towards common standards for secure communication by joining an industry organisation that aims to achieve this goal
April 26, 2018 26 Apr'18
Digital economy research projects to get funding

Research projects aimed at building trust, privacy and security in the use of personal data and digital technologies are to receive funding
April 25, 2018 25 Apr'18
Government promises £300m extra funding as part of £1bn AI sector deal

To become the number one destination for artificial intelligence, the UK needs more specialist skills, and a new injection of funding is aimed at boosting the country’s AI skills pool
April 25, 2018 25 Apr'18
Police forces use Motorola mobile apps to digitise frontline ops

The States of Jersey Police force plans to phase out inefficient paper-based activities with mobile applications, while other forces around the UK report improvements to their overall processes
April 25, 2018 25 Apr'18
Scotland’s digital health and care strategy highlights need for collaboration

The Scottish Government will create a joint decision-making board, a national approach to service redesign and a national digital platform to ensure interoperability
April 25, 2018 25 Apr'18
EC sets out plans for sharing health data across borders

The European Commission wants to introduce EU-wide standards for health records, and allow EU citizens to access and share their patient information securely across member states
April 25, 2018 25 Apr'18
Home Office Brexit app only works for Android users

Home Office app for EU citizens registering to stay in the UK post-Brexit only works on Android devices as iPhones do not share passport chip data
April 25, 2018 25 Apr'18
Government urges UK businesses to beef up cyber crime defences

Government is urging UK organisations to defend against cyber crime, as newly released figures show that large numbers of businesses and charities suffered at least one cyber attack in the past year
April 25, 2018 25 Apr'18
One month to GDPR compliance deadline

With one month to go before the deadline for compliance with EU’s General Data Protection Regulation, organisations should ensure they are able to meet minimum requirements to defend against adverse scrutiny
April 24, 2018 24 Apr'18
Full-fibre broadband specialist CityFibre acquired for £538m

Full-fibre broadband specialist CityFibre is to be bought by a Goldman Sachs-backed consortium as it seeks more cash to fulfil its expansion plans
April 24, 2018 24 Apr'18
Unified communications supplier Mitel bought by VCs

Unified communications and networking technology supplier Mitel is to be acquired by affiliates of Searchlight Capital Partners for $2bn
April 24, 2018 24 Apr'18
NHS shared care records: progress, projects and privacy

Sharing health records across health and social care has been something the NHS has worked towards for a long time. As the NHS ramps up its plans, has it finally got the right balance between patient care, privacy and feasibility?
April 24, 2018 24 Apr'18
Criminal Courts Review Commission findings in Post Office computer case raise further enquiries

The Criminal Courts Review Commission forensic examination of the IT system at the centre of a legal case against the Post Office has raised further questions
April 24, 2018 24 Apr'18
Ransomware attack hit Ukraine energy ministry website

Cyber attack on Ukraine’s energy ministry shows that websites remain a weak point for many organisations online, say security experts