Opinion

Opinion

• Shared services in the public sector – is bigger really better?

  CIO Sean Green discusses the role of shared services in the UK public sector today  Continue Reading

• Better governance is required for AI agents

  The Security Think Tank considers how CISOs can best plan to facilitate the secure running of AI and Gen AI-based initiatives and ensure employees do not inadvertently leak data or make bad decisions  Continue Reading

• Beyond the AI hype: How data laws quietly handed power to government and Big Tech

  The UK is at risk of becoming an ‘algorithm state’ as the government hands more power to Big Tech and reduces the rights of individuals  Continue Reading

• Should we trust Humphrey to boost public sector efficiency?

  Labour is betting on Humphrey, an AI toolkit named after a Yes Minister character, to drive public sector efficiency  Continue Reading

• Fortifying retail: how UK brands can defend against cyber breaches

  The recent spate of cyber attacks on UK retailers has to be a wake-up call to build more cyber resilience into digital supply chains and fortify against social engineering attacks  Continue Reading

• AI vs creative industries - the UK government's foolish choice

  The UK government is cosying up to Big Tech when instead it should be vociferously protecting the creative industries from the avarice of AI giants  Continue Reading

• Cyber security beyond compliance: Why resilience is the new boardroom imperative

  Cyber security has been everything from a tick-box exercise to a compliance headache for organisations - but the pressing threats we face mean cyber resilience must become a boardroom issue  Continue Reading

• Human vs digital therapy: AI falls short when IT pros need help

  Stressed IT and cyber professionals are turning to AI chatbots for support, but is handing people's mental wellbeing over to algorithms really such a bright idea?  Continue Reading

• Investor behaviour in the wake of cyber's 'black swan' moment

  So-called Black Swan events expose the blind spots in even the most sophisticated forecasting models, signaling a need to rethink how businesses, and those investing in them, quantify and prepare for cyber risk.  Continue Reading

• An industrial strategy without tech is no strategy at all

  Ahead of the delivery of the UK government’s Industrial Strategy white paper, TechUK sets out how the tech sector can drive growth, and the steps the government should take to harness it  Continue Reading

• How to increase business value with AI agents

  To overcome the complexity of deploying agentic AI at scale, organisations must mix and match capabilities, understand key limitations, and take an agile approach to implementation  Continue Reading

• CISOs: Don't block AI, but adopt it with eyes wide open

  The Security Think Tank considers how CISOs can best plan to facilitate the secure running of AI and Gen AI-based initiatives and ensure employees do not inadvertently leak data or make bad decisions.  Continue Reading

• Building the foundations: A national roadmap for digital identity and sovereign data

  Now the UK government has offered some clarity on the future of private and public sector digital identity services, it's time to work together to put the essential foundations in place to make digital ID work for everyone  Continue Reading

• Diversity Think Tank: Inclusion matters – here’s why you should care

  Even without recent news in the US, diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives were dialled back in UK businesses last year due to tight budgets and economic uncertainty. Is it the end of the DEI push as we know it, or just a momentary blip ...  Continue Reading

• Fortifying the future: The pivotal role of CISOs in AI operations

  The Security Think Tank considers how CISOs can best plan to facilitate the secure running of AI and Gen AI-based initiatives and ensure employees do not inadvertently leak data or make bad decisions.  Continue Reading

• Preparing for AI: The CISO’s role in security, ethics and compliance

  The Security Think Tank considers how CISOs can best plan to facilitate the secure running of AI and Gen AI-based initiatives and ensure employees do not inadvertently leak data or make bad decisions.  Continue Reading

• The hidden security risks of open source AI

  The Security Think Tank considers how CISOs can best plan to facilitate the secure running of AI and Gen AI-based initiatives and ensure employees do not inadvertently leak data or make bad decisions.  Continue Reading

• AI security: Balancing innovation with protection

  The Security Think Tank considers how CISOs can best plan to facilitate the secure running of AI and Gen AI-based initiatives and ensure employees do not inadvertently leak data or make bad decisions.  Continue Reading

• Rethinking secure comms: Are encrypted platforms still enough?

  A leak of information on American military operations caused a major political incident in March 2025. The Security Think Tank considers what CISOs can learn from this potentially fatal error  Continue Reading

• Trump, DEI and UK technology businesses

  What does US retrenchment on Diversity, Equality and Inclusion, mean for tech companies in the UK, and could a similar retreat happen in this country?  Continue Reading

• What VMware’s licensing crackdown reveals about control and risk 

  An assessments of the risks VMware customers on perpetual licences now need to consider  Continue Reading

• Signalgate is a signal to revisit security onboarding and training

  A leak of information on American military operations caused a major political incident in March 2025. The Security Think Tank considers what can CISOs can learn from this potentially fatal error.  Continue Reading

• Zero-trust is redefining cyber security in 2025

  The future of zero-trust is about embedding resilience into every facet of an organisation. To achieve this, SRM leaders must reimagine their strategies to address emerging challenges and prioritise key areas.  Continue Reading

• RSAC rewind: Agentic AI, governance gaps and insider threats

  AI was naturally a major theme of this year's RSAC conference, but we maybe failed to anticipate how it is coming to dominate every conversation.  Continue Reading

• Four successful strategies for public sector technology recruitment

  Four key strategies public bodies can adopt to attract talented IT professionals  Continue Reading

• Building resilient cyber threat intelligence communities

  Cyber threat intelligence is no longer a luxury: intelligence sharing communities must mature, and there are many common lessons to learn.  Continue Reading

• Security vs. usability: Why rogue corporate comms are still an issue

  A leak of information on American military operations caused a major political incident in March 2025. The Security Think Tank considers what can CISOs can learn from this potentially fatal error.  Continue Reading

• When leaders ignore cyber security rules, the whole system weakens

  The US ‘Signalgate’ debacle is a case study in how security collapses when leadership treats basic rules as optional  Continue Reading

• Microsoft's ICC email block reignites European data sovereignty concerns

  Why Microsoft's rhetoric on protecting European users from US government actions does not quite ring true  Continue Reading

• Enterprise AI: Best-in-class or best-of-breed?

  With generic chatbots underperforming in sectors like travel and telecoms, CIOs must decide if consolidating with one best-in-class provider outweighs the benefits of specialised, best-of-breed AI solutions  Continue Reading

• UK Fraud Bill targets benefit claimants for mass surveillance

  The UK government’s proposed Fraud Bill will disproportionately place millions of benefit claimants under constant surveillance, creating a two-tier system where people are automatically suspected of wrongdoing for seeking welfare  Continue Reading

• Microsoft’s wartime pact with the EU rings hollow - and could spell trouble for UK IT buyers

  Microsoft has moved to assure its European customers that it will fight any attempt by President Trump to disrupt their ability to access its services, but can UK customers take the company at its word?  Continue Reading

• Jump in cyber attacks should put businesses on high alert

  Three principles to help businesses get on top of cyber security  Continue Reading

• How digital identity will empower people and drive economic growth

  The government has finally plotted out the future of digital identity in the UK in a way that makes sense for private sector, public sector, and citizens. Now let's make it happen  Continue Reading

• Can 'god-like technologies' be prevented from harming a generation of children?

  US lawyers representing families of children harmed by social media are at the vanguard of fighting back against the impact of technologies that may be causing lifelong damage  Continue Reading

• Quantum computing signals the coming of the API storm

  With insecure APIs creating vast blind spots and quantum computing poised to break current encryption, organisations will need to overhaul their cyber defences  Continue Reading

• It's time to get to grips with DORA

  It's not really a surprise so many organisations missed the EU's DORE compliance deadline, but there's no excuse for delaying, says Azul EMEA VP James Johnston  Continue Reading

• How sovereign AI will reshape APAC’s digital future

  Asia-Pacific countries are developing sovereign AI capabilities to address unique cultural, economic, security and data sovereignty needs of the region  Continue Reading

• Navigating geopolitical risks of cloud deployments

  Familiar cloud concerns are being overshadowed by geopolitical volatility, pushing IT strategy into the boardroom. Organisations must now assess the full spectrum of cross-border dependencies to build true resilience  Continue Reading

• Unspoken risk: Human factors undermine trusted platforms

  A leak of information on American military operations caused a major political incident in March 2025. The Security Think Tank considers what can CISOs can learn from this potentially fatal error.  Continue Reading

• Security and verification concerns dog debate over Data (Use & Access) Bill

  With the long-awaited Data (Use & Access) Bill returning to the House of Commons on 7 May, there remain pros and cons in the bill in relation to financial crime and cyber security  Continue Reading

• Security Think Tank: What CISOs can learn from Signalgate

  A leak of information on American military operations caused a major political incident in March 2025. The Security Think Tank considers what can CISOs can learn from this potentially fatal error.  Continue Reading

• Explaining what’s happening in a cyber attack is hard but crucial

  The recent attacks on Marks and Spencer, Harrods and the Co-op show why it is essential for organisations to have a strategy to communicate effectively with customers affected  Continue Reading

• Signalgate: Learnings for CISOs securing enterprise data

  A leak of information on American military operations caused a major political incident in March 2025. The Security Think Tank considers what CISOs can learn from this potentially fatal error  Continue Reading

• Is the Investigatory Powers Tribunal powerless?

  Five judges have found the Investigatory Powers Tribunal has no statutory powers to impose financial sanctions against police and intelligence services. Their findings raise significant and serious concerns about the integrity of our legal system.  Continue Reading

• APAC telcos forge alliances for AI sovereignty

  Faced with fears over vendor lock-in and rising sovereignty demands, operators are turning to alliances to complement hyperscaler partnerships as they strike a balance between global scale and local control  Continue Reading

• How to tackle transformation fatigue

  Alex Adamopoulos, CEO of consultancy Emergn, argues that transformation fatigue is a mounting concern for technology leaders, and suggests ways to tackle it  Continue Reading

• Beyond the usual suspects: What’s really blocking public sector tech reform

  Former GDS boss Steve Foreshew-Cain delves into why government is still struggling to deliver its digital transformation vision  Continue Reading

• Challenges persist as UK’s Cyber Security and Resilience Bill moves forward

  Elements of the Cyber Security and Resilience Bill are welcome but questions remain about how best to act in the face of persistent challenges like geopolitical chaos, threats to critical infrastructure, and technological advances  Continue Reading

• Rethink authentication to remove the burden on users

  The rise of AI powered threats and non-human identities will push an already strained identity security model over the edge  Continue Reading

• The tech investment gap: bridging the divide for underrepresented entrepreneurs

  The figures for funding of female-led startups are shocking - and the same applies to most underrepresented groups. Tech leaders need to take action or risk missing out on new innovations and opportunities  Continue Reading

• Beyond baselines - getting real about security and resilience

  In an increasingly contested world, the UK government needs a security certification that goes beyond baseline measures.  Continue Reading

• VMware licensing changes and the road ahead

  VMware's new subscription fees: will enterprises pay up, walk away or explore a smarter third option?  Continue Reading

• AI's power play: the high-stakes race for energy capacity

  Growing ties between tech and energy industries are bringing new challenges and legal considerations  Continue Reading

• Collaboration is the best defence against nation-state threats

  The rise of DeepSeek has prompted the usual well-documented concerns around AI, but also raised worries about its potential links to the Chinese state. The Security Think Tank considers the steps security leaders can take to counter threats posed by...  Continue Reading

• 'I’m from the technocracy and I’m here to help' - how tech bros are taking over the world

  The influence of billionaire tech leaders on Donald Trump may only be an early glimpse of their real intentions - the end of the nation-state concept as we know it  Continue Reading

• What’s the government up to with digital verification services? ‘ID’ like to know

  Is the government really looking to compete with the private sector for provision of digital identity? Such a move risks fundamentally undermining public trust in critical digital verification services  Continue Reading

• How AI agents will reshape telecoms

  For telecoms operators, embracing autonomous AI agents isn't optional – it’s the only way to survive in a hyper-competitive landscape, but challenges lie ahead  Continue Reading

• Defending the grid with secure connectivity

  Connectivity providers, device manufacturers and the energy companies they support must prioritise cyber security as the use of IoT grows in Singapore's energy sector  Continue Reading

• Ultimate guide to becoming a software engineer

  With technology at the heart of how businesses operate, a career in software engineering may be an attractive proposition to many  Continue Reading

• DeepSeek will help evolve the conversation around privacy

  The rise of DeepSeek has prompted the usual well-documented concerns around AI, but also raised worries about its potential links to the Chinese state. The Security Think Tank considers the steps security leaders can take to counter threats posed by...  Continue Reading

• It’s time to stop the victim-blaming and insist on safer software

  Businesses spend too much time and money protecting themselves against flaws and vulnerabilities in modern software products, when they ought to raise their expectations and insist on better solutions from providers  Continue Reading

• Taking a ‘good enough’ approach with cloud security isn't enough

  In the wake of the January 2025 'Codefinger' attacks against AWS S3 users, Thales Rob Elliss argues that many organisations are dropping the ball when it comes to their understanding of cloud security best practice  Continue Reading

• Unlocking business benefits with sustainable IT infrastructure

  To fully unlock the value of sustainable IT, infrastructure and operations leaders must go beyond meeting expectations and prove the business value of their sustainability efforts  Continue Reading

• Apple’s appeal to the Investigatory Powers Tribunal over the UK’s encryption ‘backdoor’ explained

  Apple has appealed to the Investigatory Powers Tribunal over an order by home secretary Yvette Cooper to give the UK access to customers’ data protected by Advanced Data Protection encryption. What happens next?   Continue Reading

• Bridging Borders: The rise of Ukrainian-British tech collaboration

  The IT sectors of the UK and Ukraine have built strong relationships since Russia’s invasion of the latter, and there is more to come, writes the IT Ukraine Association’s ambassador in the UK  Continue Reading

• Countering nation-state cyber espionage: A CISO field guide

  The rise of DeepSeek has prompted the usual well-documented concerns around AI, but also raised worries about its potential links to the Chinese state. The Security Think Tank considers the steps security leaders can take to counter threats posed by...  Continue Reading

• Unleashing the power of data: redefining UK industrial growth

  There’s a barrier stopping the use of AI to boost the economy. Government data that is essential to create game-changing LLMs is not yet AI-ready  Continue Reading

• Can regulatory oversight alone unlock cloud competition?

  CCS Insight’s chief of enterprise research looks at the Competition and Markets Authority’s plans to regulate public cloud  Continue Reading

• How to respond to digital regulation in 2025

  A wave of UK and EU regulation to promote competition and consumer protection in digital markets and services has been introduced that requires a strategic response from companies in the year ahead  Continue Reading

• Does your organisation need an AI librarian?

  An AI librarian ensures data accuracy and integrity, bridging the gap between powerful AI tools and reliable, human-validated knowledge  Continue Reading

• Why I am challenging Yvette Cooper’s ‘secret backdoor’ order against Apple’s encryption

  I took steps to lock down all personal data after I was named as an opponent of Russia. Now I am again worried about my family's safety after the home secretary issued a secret order against Apple  Continue Reading

• Will DeepSeek force us to take application security seriously?

  The rise of DeepSeek has prompted the usual well-documented concerns around AI, but also raised worries about its potential links to the Chinese state. The Security Think Tank considers the steps security leaders can take to counter threats posed by...  Continue Reading

• When open source isn’t really open

  Vendor lock-in, once a threat from proprietary software, now lurks in open source and AI, trapping businesses in costly, inflexible ecosystems  Continue Reading

• Data protection and AI: what to know about new UK cyber standard

  A strategic governmental steer on AI, putting guidance above rigid legislation offers the adaptability needed to innovate responsibly, contends Kiteworks executive John Lynch  Continue Reading

• UK tech growth is vibrant - now scale it to the world

  The UK has proved its credentials for creating innovative tech startups - but has more to do when it comes to supporting those companies in scaling up their business to global success  Continue Reading

• How CISOs can counter the threat of nation state espionage

  The rise of DeepSeek has prompted the usual well-documented concerns around AI, but also raised worries about its potential links to the Chinese state. The Security Think Tank considers the steps security leaders can take to counter threats posed by...  Continue Reading

• Where next for cloud market regulation in Europe?

  Competition in the cloud market is a hot topic, but are things heading in the right direction?  Continue Reading

• IT Sustainability Think Tank: Environmental trends to redefine IT strategies in 2025

  Sustainability has shifted from a buzzword to a business imperative. It is no longer just a tick-box exercise – it is now a central pillar shaping the future of enterprise strategy, according to Gartner.  Continue Reading

• Our data, our decisions, our AI future: why we need an AI Regulation Bill

  The Labour government has failed to introduce measures to regulate AI - so a Lords' private members bill aims to do just that  Continue Reading

• 2024: the year misconfigurations exposed digital vulnerabilities

  Small configuration errors cascaded into major outages during 2024. Mike Hicks, from Cisco ThousandEyes, propounds techniques to defend digital resilience against tales of the unexpected  Continue Reading

• Nurture your skills and aspirations on International Women’s Day

  We are living in interesting times and as International Women’s Day comes round again, the outlook is hard to call.  Continue Reading

• Delivering digital government – it’s (still) not about technology

  One of the UK government's most senior digital leaders reveals the flaws and difficulties of delivering digital transformation across the civil service, as she departs for a new role in the private sector  Continue Reading

• Tech and global mobility: The impact of the new US Administration

  As the US business community prepares for policy changes under the Trump administration, tech companies are focused on the potential impact of new policies on legal immigration under the H-1B visa programme  Continue Reading

• What the UK is getting right (and wrong) about AI adoption

  The government's promotion of AI is necessary, but risks missing the vital importance of enabling and encouraging businesses to adopt AI in pursuit of greater productivity  Continue Reading

• Secure software: Third-party suppliers your first-party risk

  Outgoing CISA chief Jen Easterly called on buyers to demand better security standards from their software suppliers. The Security Think Tank considers what better means, and what best practice for secure software procurement looks like in 2025  Continue Reading

• Money wasted on cloud inhibiting growth

  Australian firms are pouring billions into cloud services, but a lack of visibility is leading to significant wasted spending as AI adoption grows  Continue Reading

• Everything, everywhere, all at once: automated decision-making in public services

  Despite the UK government's fervent embrace of artificial intelligence, there is still little meaningful transparency around the scope of the technology's deployment throughout public services  Continue Reading

• Reflecting on three years of cyber warfare in Ukraine

  With the third anniversary of Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine passing this week, Charl Van Der Walt reflects on how the cyber threat landscape in Europe has changed since 2022  Continue Reading

• The AI imperative: Why APAC telcos can’t afford to wait

  Telcos across Asia-Pacific are placing major bets on AI, recognising it as the key to unlocking future growth and relevance. But for those who hesitate, the cost of inaction could be their very survival  Continue Reading

• UK businesses should look to Ireland amid EU cyber security overhaul

  With a flourishing technology sector and a direct line to Brussels, investing in Ireland may be a sound bet for UK organisations looking to navigate Europe's transforming cyber landscape.  Continue Reading

• The need for secure data sharing: Lessons learned from public health

  Privacy-enhancing technologies can help healthcare organisations build resilience against cyber threats while maintaining patient privacy, security and regulatory compliance.  Continue Reading

• Privacy at a crossroads in the age of AI and quantum

  The confluence of artificial intelligence and quantum computing magnifies the risk to privacy, data security and trust, says Gartner's Bart Willemsen  Continue Reading

• Balancing act: Managing business needs alongside digital transformation and innovation

  How can IT leaders deliver on the challenging balancing act between innovation, cost control, and managing corporate expectations? One startup CTO in a highly established industry shares his experiences  Continue Reading

• Opinion: Saudi plans to be an IT superpower, but challenges lie ahead

  Impressions of Saudi Arabia during Leap 2025: Big plans ahead, but challenges in physical and digital infrastructure, and in transition from public to private sector dominance  Continue Reading

• How to get employees to take cyber risk more seriously

  To combat risky cyber security behaviour, organisations must move beyond awareness training and cultivate a culture where security violations are personally felt and socially unacceptable, leveraging existing values, real-world impacts, and even ...  Continue Reading

• Entrepreneurship with a conscience - the new mandate for tech leaders

  Technology leaders are entrepreneurs too - innovating to transform their organisations. But the nature of entrepreneurial leadership has changed, with ethics and social responsibility now taking centre stage  Continue Reading

• Technology is changing and so should the civil service

  The government has promised that AI will change policy making - but that means policy makers in the civil service will need to change too  Continue Reading

• Courting global talent: How can Web3 startups attract the best developers in the world?

  James Strudwick, executive director at Web3 tech startup Starknet Foundation, on how to attract the best talent in the Web3 space  Continue Reading

• Why the UK must lead on data to unlock AI’s full potential

  Unless the data silos in government are addressed, the UK risks falling short of the Action Plan’s ambitious goals to lead in AI adoption  Continue Reading