Opinion

Opinion

IT careers and IT skills

• Where are all the technologists? Talent shortages and what to do about them

  It’s harder than ever to recruit good IT specialists, but there are some simple strategies for digital leaders to fill gaps in their teams  Continue Reading

• We’re all technologists now – the powerful impact of low-code platforms

  Low-code platforms are bringing a shift in how organisations develop and use technology – and it’s the job of the CIO to let it happen in a controlled, secure and connected fashion  Continue Reading

• Governance and progression of AI in the UK

  Artificial intelligence and machine learning are essential to growth in the global digital economy, and the UK has ambitions to lead the way  Continue Reading

• Naivety of computer evidence leaves door ajar for more miscarriages of justice

  Barrister Paul Marshall explains why the government’s lack of action on reforming the legal rules around computer evidence, which presume it is correct, mean the Post Office Horizon scandal could be the tip of a miscarriages of justice iceberg  Continue Reading

• Succession in the world of ERP

  Succession planning is not a simple business, especially in the age of the Great Resignation  Continue Reading

• Digital begins in the boardroom

  Successful organisations need a digitally savvy board to shape their business agenda  Continue Reading

• Building distributed systems requires effective developer teams

  Technologies edge computing and containerisation call for teams capable of building distributed systems  Continue Reading

• We must target a broad church to fill vacant cyber roles

  The security industry focuses a lot on cyber-specific specialisms and technical skills, but it could really benefit from widening its search. Take it from a social anthropologist  Continue Reading

• Why diversity in AI remains a challenge and how to fix it

  With artificial intelligence set for a global economic explosion, its development must put diversity at its core to avoid discriminating systems  Continue Reading

• Revised scope of UK security strategy reflects digitised society

  The omission of the word ‘security’ from the title of the UK government’s new National Cyber Strategy is a telling one, reflecting our increasingly digitised society, say Maximillian Brook and Arunoshi Singh of the ISF  Continue Reading

• How cyber security teams can conquer the four-day working week

  The four-day week may be an idea whose time has come, but for always-on cyber security professionals, the impact of squeezing more work into fewer days is a tricky proposition  Continue Reading

• National Cyber Strategy misses the mark in one important way

  The National Cyber Strategy is full of fine words, says Petra Wenham, but as the old expression goes, fine words butter no parsnips, and it misses the mark in one very important way  Continue Reading

• Security Think Tank: Building the cyber workforce we need

  The UK’s new National Cyber Strategy is clear in its ambitions, but to fulfil them, we must double down on appropriate skills development, says ISACA director Mike Hughes  Continue Reading

• Why we need to keep up the charge on women in tech

  With hybrid working allowing people into technology jobs regardless of their gender, ethnicity or background, we need to support and encourage this more flexible way of working to ensure it continues  Continue Reading

• Why training alone is not enough

  Among the difficulties IT leaders face is how best to combat the skills crisis and where and when to train internal teams  Continue Reading

• The UK’s cyber security sector is thriving, but our work has only just begun

  The government’s Annual Cyber Sector Report painted a positive picture of the UK security industry. CIISec’s Amanda Finch thinks we can go further in developing cyber talent and opening up the sector  Continue Reading

• Minding the gap between data and understanding

  An irony about the expression ‘information technology’ is that in recent years, although we have more data, it can feel like we lack information  Continue Reading

• Gartner: How to overcome a lack of cloud skills in your organisation

  IT chiefs are struggling to tackle cloud skills shortages across their organisations. Here are five key steps to overcome this challenge  Continue Reading

• Technology is the key to the door of levelling up the UK

  We finally have a better idea of what the government’s ‘levelling-up’ policy means in practice – but national progress on digital adoption will be a key measure of its success  Continue Reading

• Five key tech trends for digital leaders in 2022

  The past two years have seen a surge in investment that will bring new challenges to digital leaders over the next year  Continue Reading

• Security Think Tank: How to build a human firewall

  In-house or outsourced? What makes a good security training programme, and what questions should buyers ask when procuring training as a service?  Continue Reading

• How apprenticeships are helping bridge the digital skills gap

  Apprenticeships are not only for young people – they can help make IT departments more diverse and inclusive, as well as plugging skills gaps, as DWP Digital has proved  Continue Reading

• Understand your cyber training ‘need’ before committing to a programme

  In-house or outsourced? What makes a good security training programme, and what questions should buyers ask when procuring training-as-a-service?  Continue Reading

• Gartner: Four ways women can drive a more inclusive workplace

  Tips to help women committed to developing their own IT careers, as well as pathways for anyone in a segment that is under-represented in IT  Continue Reading

• The way we talk and think about tech is crucial to helping solve the skills shortage crisis

  Companies are looking to short-term fixes to find IT specialists, but there is still a need for long-term solutions  Continue Reading

• The value of open source in Europe

  Open source offers immense benefits across the private and public sector and enables organisations to tap into world-class expertise  Continue Reading

• Lessons from Lisbon: Reflections on a week at Web Summit

  Russ Shaw, founder and CEO of Tech London Advocates and Global Tech Advocates, assesses the key takeaways of Web Summit 2021  Continue Reading

• How software development will change in 2022

  Businesses need a pipeline of software-enabled functionality that has to be delivered quickly and reliably without overworking software teams  Continue Reading

• Building bridges to better diversity

  Tibco CIO Rani Johnson describes how the C-suite need to make themselves uncomfortable if they are to increase diversity in their organisations  Continue Reading

• Watching me, watching you – challenging the rise of digital surveillance at work

  Unprecedented levels of digital monitoring at work is embedding a culture of surveillance, despite workers’ opposition to the practices, says Prospect Union  Continue Reading

• Reaching the data gold standard: dream or reality?

  The pandemic has forced businesses to adopt digital technology at a record pace but most organisations find themselves at the beginning of a long journey towards making the most of their data  Continue Reading

• How to prevent developer burnout

  The pandemic has led to more pressure on software developers, many of whom have reported increased levels of stress and anxiety  Continue Reading

• New strategies needed to close the cyber security skills gap

  Teaching cyber security in schools is a long-term solution to a present-day problem  Continue Reading

• Britain needs its amazing migrants

  Fintech entrepreneur Michael Kent explains why Britain needs migrants and why government policy and media horror stories will damage the UK’s economy and reputation  Continue Reading

• Local Digital Capital Index: A framework for levelling up

  How can the tech sector ensure digital equality across the UK in support of the government's levelling-up agenda? TechUK is trying to set the benchmarks  Continue Reading

• Will the end of furlough help fill tech vacancies?

  The closure of the government’s furlough scheme may not help the tech sector fill the most technical vacancies, but it could bolster available talent for the longer term  Continue Reading

• Is tech team remuneration opening up a new form of cyber risk?

  Failing to reward cyber security staff in line with increases for other members of the tech team could open up new risks to organisations  Continue Reading

• The secret to building a future-proof cyber security team

  In a post-pandemic digital world, where cyber criminals see a feast of opportunities, what are the secrets to building a world-class cyber security function?  Continue Reading

• Ethical hacking: What, why, and overcoming concerns

  We find out why and how hitting your own business with a cyber attack can help improve security  Continue Reading

• How CIOs can help their organisations accelerate digital transformation

  Companies need to win the trust of their customers to gather the data they need to transform their businesses  Continue Reading

• It’s time to hit fast forward for digital jobs

  With huge numbers of people left unemployed by the pandemic, and continuing skills gaps in technology, now is the time to start joining dots and helping more people into long-term tech careers  Continue Reading

• Shaping a Digital Strategy to support UK productivity and jobs

  With an all-party parliamentary group calling for evidence on digital skills, there are three key areas that policymakers should address    Continue Reading

• Digital bootcamp initiative could kickstart new thinking about technology skills

  The government’s digital bootcamps initiative could help begin to shift the way we think about the roles of technology professionals  Continue Reading

• Python @ 30: Praising the versatility of Python

  Python recently celebrated its 30th birthday, and pioneers of the language have been reflecting on its significance as an open source project  Continue Reading

• London needs a mayor of growth

  Here East’s CEO Gavin Poole on why the next mayor must ensure London remains the tech capital of Europe, and the importance of learning from the past  Continue Reading

• Tech firms need to keep focusing on mental wellbeing and support

  Mental wellbeing is a critical issue for the tech sector as the pandemic has taken its toll, and employers are realising the importance of providing support to their staff  Continue Reading

• Employees must be given the right to disconnect

  As enterprises increasingly turn to workplace monitoring technologies and more of the workforce moves to remote or hybrid working, unions are campaigning for workers’ ‘right to disconnect’ and not engage in digitally enabled work after hours  Continue Reading

• Reimagining outsourcing after Covid-19

  Covid-19 has changed how businesses interact with their suppliers. Here are five steps companies can take to manage their outsourcing ecosystem in the post-pandemic world  Continue Reading

• Why it’s fantastic to be a woman in the technology sector (and what’s stopping more from joining)

  The enforced move by many employers to flexible home working during the pandemic is challenging the culture of long hours in the office – and opening up new opportunities for women in tech  Continue Reading

• Let’s build on the innovation shown by UK tech during pandemic

  The UK’s technology sector has innovated and shown leadership through the Covid-19 crisis, particularly with developments in AI. It is now time to maintain and build on that progress, so the UK remains a global force in tech innovation  Continue Reading

• Could ambiguous rules spur IT personnel offshoring bonanza?

  Could the combination of Brexit and ambiguous rules on recruitment enable businesses to hire IT staff from overseas to carry out work remotely?  Continue Reading

• Fixing the cracks in public sector digital infrastructure

  The Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted the flaws in the UK's digital government set-up. The appointment of new IT leadership presents an ideal opportunity for the government to fix them  Continue Reading

• SMEs poised to reap tech and agility advantage in wake of Covid-19

  The UK’s small and medium-sized businesses have, in some respects, reacted more nimbly to Covid-19 than larger organisations. As a result, they have put themselves in a better position to take advantage of growth opportunities  Continue Reading

• Love (and impact sourcing) in the time of Covid

  Amanda Lewis, a lawyer specialising in IT outsourcing, describes the diversity and inclusion work of Digital Divide Data  Continue Reading

• Martha Lane Fox: My life in tech

  The internet entrepreneur discusses the role of tech in society, confidence in coding and encouraging young people to embrace technology  Continue Reading

• How to write an executive CV for IT leadership jobs

  Knowing how to write an IT executive CV requires a deep knowledge and skillset that not everyone has. Find out how to set yourself apart from the competition  Continue Reading

• Top 10 skills to include in your IT CV

  Find out what skills and keywords you should include on your CV to stand out as an IT professional in a competitive market  Continue Reading

• Tech executives need new skills to lead in a remote world

  After helping organisations adapt to new ways of working during the Covid-19 pandemic, IT leaders worldwide are now enjoying greater influence, according to this year’s Harvey Nash/KPMG CIO Survey  Continue Reading

• Digital leaders and the widening divide

  This year’s Harvey Nash/KPMG CIO Survey shows a widening of the digital business divide, with companies that have already adopted digital technologies more likely to accelerate those investments than those still in the planning stage  Continue Reading

• A CIO’s journey through the Covid-19 crisis

  FDM’s IT chief takes us through the challenges of responding to the coronavirus pandemic, and the future opportunities that the changes introduced now present  Continue Reading

• How to acquire and keep your IT skills up to date

  Little, often and varied study is the key to keeping your IT skills up to date in an industry that is constantly changing  Continue Reading

• How the chancellor’s Plan for Jobs could benefit the UK tech sector

  Technology has a strong role to play in the UK’s recovery, with Rishi Sunak’s Plan for Jobs offering opportunities for the sector  Continue Reading

• Tackling digital skills gap post-pandemic is key to UK economic recovery

  We have all – as individuals and businesses – seen the importance of technology to get us through lockdown. Let’s build on that to address the digital skills shortage in the UK  Continue Reading

• What women can do for data and what data can do for women

  For her work during wartime, Florence Nightingale is remembered as a founding giant of British statistics. Those who follow in her footsteps are using data to tackle the greatest health challenge of our time  Continue Reading

• The impact of spycraft on how we secure our data

  The history of cyber security owes much to the world of espionage, as a recent, pre-lockdown Science Museum exhibition showed  Continue Reading

• The new future of work

  We may come to stop talking about ‘remote’ working altogether after the coronavirus pandemic. It could become just ‘working’ – part of the normal mix of how things are done  Continue Reading

• Security Think Tank: CISO stress – moving from recognition to action

  Cyber criminals are enjoying a boom during the Covid-19 pandemic, and security teams are working overtime as a result. How can security professionals manage their increased workload, safeguard their mental well-being and avoid burnout?  Continue Reading

• Is the Covid-19 crisis halting our progress on diversity in tech?

  The government's initiatives to support tech firms during the pandemic are very welcome, but they risk entrenching old behaviours that restrict the move towards greater diversity in the sector  Continue Reading

• How effective security training goes deeper than ‘awareness’

  Cyber criminals are constantly developing their techniques and strategies, so security training needs to do the same  Continue Reading

• Security Think Tank: Burnt out CISOs are a huge cyber risk

  Cyber criminals are enjoying a boom during the Covid-19 pandemic, and security teams are working overtime as a result. How can security pros manage their increased workload, safeguard their mental wellbeing, and avoid burnout?  Continue Reading

• Security Think Tank: Create healthy habits to avoid burnout

  Cyber criminals are enjoying a boom during the Covid-19 pandemic, and security teams are working overtime as a result. How can security professionals manage their increased workload, safeguard their mental well-being and avoid burnout?  Continue Reading

• IT transformation steps pave the path to new ways to work

  The CEO of Difrent discusses how her roles in local and central government have played a role in public sector IT transformation  Continue Reading

• Post-pandemic, automation will kill jobs – here’s why you should be happy about it

  A likely reaction to the coronavirus pandemic is greater automation, which will replace human labour. But this will be a good thing – after all, the tractor doesn’t mean we have nothing else to do outside the farm  Continue Reading

• Digital skills for the future, today

  The education sector’s response to the coronavirus crisis demonstrates how digital systems and skills will be essential to the future of learning  Continue Reading

• Security Think Tank: Caring for the IT security caretakers

  Cyber criminals are enjoying a boom during the Covid-19 pandemic, and security teams are working overtime as a result. How can security professionals manage their increased workload, safeguard their mental well-being and avoid burnout?  Continue Reading

• Security Think Tank: CISOs must adapt to fight Covid-19 burnout

  Cyber criminals are enjoying a boom during the Covid-19 pandemic, and security teams are working overtime as a result. How can security pros manage their increased workload, safeguard their mental wellbeing, and avoid burnout?  Continue Reading

• Security Think Tank: How to manage security team well-being

  Cyber criminals are enjoying a boom during the Covid-19 pandemic, and security teams are working overtime as a result. How can security professionals manage their increased workload, safeguard their mental well-being and avoid burnout?  Continue Reading

• Unsteady state: Building collaboration, innovation and responsiveness during unprecedented change

  The coronavirus crisis is challenging business and tech leaders in new and unprecedented ways – but the skills developed by successful leaders can forge better business and government going forward  Continue Reading

• Coronavirus: What does the ‘new normal’ mean for how we work?

  Examining the long-term impact of the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic on the world of work, security, privacy and networks  Continue Reading

• Gartner: How CIOs can lead organisational culture

  In large-scale transformations, the technical implementation is often far easier than the change management needed to make IT projects a success  Continue Reading

• Making apprenticeships do more than just work

  Better use of apprentices, and further reform to the apprenticeship levy, will be key to continuing the impressive growth rate of the UK’s digital economy  Continue Reading

• A new decade, a new government and a new horizon for UK tech

  Brexit is being done, so it’s time for the government to look to the future and place technology at the heart of the economy  Continue Reading

• Security Think Tank: Bug bounties are changing the image of hackers

  The traditional picture of a hacker is of a script kiddie in a hoodie hunched over a computer keyboard, but this stereotype is stale and outdated. Is it time to move away from a fear-based approach to security?  Continue Reading

• Learning from the Travelex cyber attack: Failing to prepare is preparing to fail

  The key lesson to take from the Travelex breach is that an effective response to a breach is a critical business function and no longer the sole province of the IT department  Continue Reading

• The UK civil service is broken and needs reform to deliver true digital government

  Boris Johnson’s special adviser, Dominic Cummings, has attracted criticism for his plans to overhaul Whitehall culture, but one former government digital chief argues that he is absolutely right  Continue Reading

• Security Think Tank: Hooded hackers? More like ruthless competitors

  The traditional picture of a hacker is of a script kiddie in a hoodie hunched over a computer keyboard, but this stereotype is stale and outdated. Is it time to move away from a fear-based approach to security?  Continue Reading

• Industry, academia and government are joining forces to drive AI education

  Building a diverse, advanced skills base in the UK will support the thriving technology sector and encourage the adoption of artificial intelligence across the broader economy  Continue Reading

• Conservative Party: Fostering an environment for IT and digital to flourish

  Matt Warman, Conservative MP and minister for digital and broadband, outlines the Tory policies for technology and digital ahead of the General Election  Continue Reading

• Security Think Tank: Optimise data-centric strategies with AI

  The belief that effective perimeter security is the best way to protect data is a fallacy that is being repeatedly exposed. We must recognise the need for a data-centric security model to protect data from both internal and external threats, but ...  Continue Reading

• Cyber security: How to avoid a disastrous PICNIC

  Fieldfisher’s David Lorimer examines how individual employees often facilitate cyber attacks, and what can be done to reduce the risk  Continue Reading

• Liberal Democrats: We want to lead the world in ethical, inclusive technology

  Layla Moran, Liberal Democrat MP and party spokesperson for digital, culture, media and sport, writes about the party's technology policies ahead of the upcoming General Election  Continue Reading

• The super-resilient organisation

  We need to build super-resilient organisations that can not only survive in a tempestuous world, but become energised by it  Continue Reading

• The super-resilient IT function

  IT functions don’t have to continue taking the blame for organisational failures, they can take the lead in transforming the business  Continue Reading

• General Election 2019: Digital must be at the core of the next government’s strategy

  TechUK lays out the technology priorities it wants to see from the next UK government to boost the digital economy  Continue Reading

• Life under the loan charge: An IT contractor’s story

  Thousands of IT contractors are being pursued by HMRC for “life-changing” tax bills for work they did up to 20 years ago, as part of a disguised remuneration clampdown known as the loan charge policy. One of those affected anonymously shares his ...  Continue Reading

• The super-resilient CIO

  How developing ‘super-resilience’ can help your organisation thrive on adversity  Continue Reading

• What changes are needed to create a cyber-savvy culture?

  PA Consulting's Cate Pye considers the people and process changes that are necessary to build a security aware business culture  Continue Reading

• The five software testing techniques every software developer should know about

  Five simple testing techniques that will help developers test their software systematically, thoroughly and quickly  Continue Reading

• Businesses need to keep investing in tech and hope to avoid a no-deal Brexit

  A no-deal Brexit could have serious consequences for the UK tech sector and skills base, making it more difficult to recruit technology specialists and hire freelancers  Continue Reading

• Would you trust a criminal with your cyber security?

  Several industry sectors have set a good example by hiring ex-offenders, and the cyber security industry could benefit in similar ways by looking at members of the hacker community  Continue Reading