Opinion

Opinion

IT legislation and regulation

• Lapsing ISO certifications: Myth versus risk

  Allowing ISO certifications to lapse presents businesses with serious risks when workarounds are possible  Continue Reading

• The privacy and compliance challenges organisations face in 2021

  Privacy and compliance teams have a lot on their plate as 2021 approaches. What are the key issues to consider?  Continue Reading

• Gartner: Balance safety, privacy and productivity when employees return to the workplace

  Organisations may decide that data collection can help keep employees safe in a Covid-secure workplace – but employers must consider all the privacy and productivity implications  Continue Reading

• What are the latest GDPR security breach enforcement trends?

  A cyber breach specialist from Fieldfisher runs the rule over the latest trends in cyber security, data protection and GDPR  Continue Reading

• The countdown is on for TikTok after Schrems II

  Given the US’ threatened actions against TikTok and the outcome of Schrems II, it is clear that the spotlight is now firmly on international data transfers  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

• How Schrems II will impact data sharing between the UK and the US

  At the end of this year, the UK will no longer be subject to the EU’s treaties, opening the way for it and the US to finalise a new trade relationship. Could the UK leave EU data protection standards behind?  Continue Reading

• Security Think Tank: Container security is evolving, so must CISOs

  Adopting containers promises great organisational efficiency advantages, but the fast-evolving technology can be problematic for security teams. What do CISOs need to know to safeguard containers?  Continue Reading

• Why trust is the new currency

  Businesses need to engender trust with customers amid the complexity of digital transactions involving multiple third parties, even as consumers are not fully cognizant of the importance of data privacy  Continue Reading

• Four risks to data privacy and governance amid Covid-19

  EY privacy experts assess some of the novel risks to data privacy, protection and governance during the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic  Continue Reading

• A legal perspective on data breaches and home working

  Legal experts from Fieldfisher share guidance on how to deal with cyber attacks during the coronavirus crisis, and what the ICO expects in terms of notification  Continue Reading

• Coronavirus and privacy – finding the middle ground

  Data collection has a role to play in fighting the deadly Covid-19 coronavirus outbreak, but governments need to be accountable for how it is used  Continue Reading

• Security Think Tank: Coronavirus crisis helps put security in context

  In our globalised world, high-profile events such as Covid-19 have huge business impacts, some of which may be felt by CISOs. What responsibilities do security professionals have in such circumstances?  Continue Reading

• EC publishes approach to human and ethical implications of AI, but what will UK do?

  The European Commission has published a guide to the EU’s approach to the human and ethical effects that artificial intelligence might bring  Continue Reading

• Why ‘no breach’ is bad news for your compliance

  You might think it’s a good thing if your organisation has a clean record when it comes to data breaches, but this is not necessarily the case  Continue Reading

• Is the EU better equipped than the US to supervise the use of facial recognition?

  Clearview AI can be an indispensable tool to reinforce national security, but there are many risks associated with the use of facial recognition technology that the EU might be better equipped to deal with than the US  Continue Reading

• The greatest contest ever – privacy versus security

  Examining the technical, legal and ethical challenges around the privacy versus security debate  Continue Reading

• The fight against cyber crime: Why cooperation matters

  With the WEF’s Global Risk Report 2019 ranking cyber attack in the top five global risks, we now see rising consensus at institutional level that no individual stakeholder can address the breadth of security challenges we face today  Continue Reading

• Could regulation kill Facebook completely?

  Social media companies are under financial pressure, as costs increase faster than revenues due to growing concerns about the price of regulatory intervention  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

• How can we tell if regulating Google and Facebook is the right thing to do?

  There are different economic approaches to dealing with monopolies and market dominance, but the nature of Google and Facebook defies easy answers  Continue Reading

• Top tips for avoiding and dealing with data breaches

  Been hacked, lost a laptop or sent an email to the wrong address? Do you need to notify anyone and what should you do? Find out in this simple guide  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

• 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

• Who has legal jurisdiction over the internet?

  The internet is testing the scope of national laws – and even the European Court of Justice is finding it hard to find a consistent line on its decisions  Continue Reading

• Security Think Tank: The operational approach to integrated risk management

  How can security professionals help their organisations move from traditional governance, risk and compliance to integrated risk management that integrates risk activities from across an organisation to enable better strategic decision-making?  Continue Reading

• Regulators globally are shaping up to rein in Facebook

  We need to move fast and fix Facebook, before it breaks us  Continue Reading

• UK businesses deserve a 5G networked nation

  The tech sector needs to coalesce around a unified, positive vision of 5G to establish a proper business case for ultrafast, low latency mobile  Continue Reading

• Security Think Tank: Engage business to address commercial risk

  What strategies can infosec pros use to shift focus from GDPR fines to enabling business gains and success, changing the way data is used, and aligning data privacy with business purpose?  Continue Reading

• Security Think Tank: Translating GDPR compliance into business benefits

  What strategies can information security professionals use to shift focus from General Data Protection Regulation fines to enabling business gains and success, changing the way data is used, and aligning data privacy with business purpose?  Continue Reading

• Security Think Tank: Aligning data privacy with business objectives

  What strategies can infosec pros use to shift focus from GDPR fines to enabling business gains and success, changing the way data is used, and aligning data privacy with business purpose?  Continue Reading

• Security Think Tank: Don’t dismiss the business benefits of GDPR

  What strategies can infosec pros use to shift focus from GDPR fines to enabling business gains and success, changing the way data is used, and aligning data privacy with business purpose?  Continue Reading

• Security Think Tank: Align compliance objectives with business goals

  What strategies can information security professionals use to shift focus from GDPR fines to enabling business gains and success, changing the way data is used, and aligning data privacy with business purpose?  Continue Reading

• Security Think Tank: Changing the GDPR focus to business benefit

  What strategies can information security professionals use to shift focus from General Data Protection Regulation fines to enabling business gains and success, changing the way data is used, and aligning data privacy with business purpose?  Continue Reading

• Britain’s 5G roll-out – What is plan B?

  The government has ambitious aspirations in respect of Britain’s full-fibre and 5G networks. But among all the Brexit fog, has it managed to shoot itself in the foot with the roll-out of 5G mobile?  Continue Reading

• Security Think Tank: Benefits of GDPR compliance

  What strategies can information security professionals use to shift focus from General Data Protection Regulation fines to enabling business gains and success, changing the way data is used, and aligning data privacy with business purpose?  Continue Reading

• Security Think Tank: Embrace data protection as a necessary business process

  What strategies can information security professionals use to shift focus from GDPR fines to enabling business gains and success, changing the way data is used, and aligning data privacy with business purpose?  Continue Reading

• Is GDPR worth the cost?

  Regulations have costs, which are meant to be recouped by the expected benefits. But who decides whether this is a good deal? Ultimately, it’s you  Continue Reading

• Are there any positives from the first year of GDPR?

  A year has passed since the new EU data protection law came into force. What have we learned in that time that can help organisations deliver benefits from the regulation?  Continue Reading

• The dominance of big tech might not always be such a bad thing

  Governments increasingly talk about regulating big tech to preserve competition, but an alternative view says that big tech only exists because there is already sufficient competition in the market  Continue Reading

• Goliath vs Goliath and the complexities of 5G intellectual property

  Is Apple the good guy or the bad guy? It has violated patents and had its wrist slapped by the courts (bad), yet its products are still available for adoring fans to buy (good)  Continue Reading

• Should we be worried that half of UK organisations don’t have a policy for the safe use of AI?

  As artificial intelligence becomes more mainstream, business leaders must be aware of the risks and make sure their firms do not build bias into AI algorithms  Continue Reading

• What are the options for regulating internet companies?

  The UK – and other countries – are likely to introduce new regulations for internet and tech companies like Facebook and Google. We consider what sort of rules they might introduce  Continue Reading

• Facebook’s high-stakes privacy gamble goes to Dublin court

  A high-wire gamble with billions in compensation at stake for European internet users – part of a complex case between Facebook and the Irish information commissioner – hides challenge to the unlawfulness of US state internet surveillance  Continue Reading

• Feudal Lords and anarchic allies – the new models for software collaboration

  Software developers often take an unconventional view of contracts for the work they undertake, which can come back and bite them  Continue Reading

• Brexit and digital identity – avoiding future restrictions on digital trade

  The UK has been a major contributor to European efforts to establish cross-border digital identities. Governments need to ensure that Brexit does not introduce unwanted restrictions that harm digital trade  Continue Reading

• An IR35 survival guide for employers and contractors

  Forthcoming changes to IR35 regulations will affect most private sector companies using IT contractors – so what do you need to do to prepare?  Continue Reading

• GCHQ offers help to embryonic Irish cyber security organisation

  Ciaran Martin head of the UK's National Cyber Security Centre, part of GCHQ, builds bridges with the Republic of Ireland's intelligence community during an official visit to Dublin  Continue Reading

• Dynamic pricing online should not be regulated as anti-competitive

  Competition authorities are examining online retailers' use of dynamic pricing to see if it's fair to consumers – but the principle of regulating such activity is economically wrong  Continue Reading

• Making the UK the safest place to live and work online

  Government, industry and individuals all have to play their part in enhancing cyber security practices  Continue Reading

• Digital services tax weakens the case for tech startups to choose the UK

  The UK government’s plan for a tax specifically targeting big digital firms risks undermining international efforts to reform corporate taxation for the digital age  Continue Reading

• Will the EU Copyright Directive ‘break the internet’?

  A new European Union law proposed for copyrighted material has provoked strong reactions from all sides – but what does it mean?  Continue Reading

• Customers need to be at the centre of GDPR plans

  Responding to a breach is not just about data, it is about taking care of, and protecting, customers  Continue Reading

• The risks of regulating artificial intelligence algorithms

  For AI to improve our lives, it needs to reflect the real world, but regulating algorithms to be how we would like them to be risks introducing an unreality that makes them ineffective  Continue Reading

• Everyone, everywhere is responsible for IIoT cyber security

  Cyber security in the industrial internet of things is not limited to a single company, industry or region – it is an international threat to public safety, and can only be addressed through collaboration that extends beyond borders and competitive ...  Continue Reading

• While Brexit rages on, the UK needs to be looking at the global picture

  Talks at the World Trade Organisation in October will shape the future of digital trade, and it is crucial the voice of UK tech is heard  Continue Reading

• Why the government should rethink the UK’s surveillance laws

  The European Court of Human Rights has made clear that the Snoopers’ Charter is an unlawful violation of people’s rights and freedoms  Continue Reading

• Better the data you know – how GDPR is affecting UK tech companies

  As the dust settles from the General Data Protection Regulation, the implications for technology firms in the UK are becoming clearer  Continue Reading

• Security Think Tank: Risk tolerance key to security outsourcing policy

  What critical security controls can be outsourced, and how do organisations – SMEs in particular – maintain confidence that they are being managed effectively and appropriately?  Continue Reading

• Intellectual property in an AI world

  The controversial European Copyright Directive has gone back to the drawing board, but it raises important questions about the use of artificial intelligence in protecting individual rights  Continue Reading

• What the ICO's Facebook fine teaches us

  Legal expert Alexander Egerton considers whether the ICO’s planned £500,000 fine for Facebook is the precursor of a spate of increased fines across the board, or if it shows the ICO’s stance has not changed and will continue to target certain ...  Continue Reading

• Security Think Tank: Understand data for risk-based protection

  Why is it important to know where data flows, with whom it is shared and where it lives at rest, and what is the best way of achieving this?  Continue Reading

• Security Think Tank: Ignorance about data is tantamount to negligence

  Why is it important to know where data flows, with whom it's shared and where it lives at rest, and what is the best way of achieving this?  Continue Reading

• GDPR – like a lot of regulation – will mostly benefit the big incumbents

  The law of unintended consequences applies to the new EU data protection laws, because the big players it seeks to regulate can better afford to comply  Continue Reading

• Tier 2 visas – a challenge for the tech sector

  With staff shortages already being reported in the technology sector and Brexit potentially adding to the problem, tech departments need to get their Tier 2 visa applications right  Continue Reading

• Ethics and tech – a double-edged sword

  Just because a business activity is legal doesn’t mean it will be acceptable to customers, as the ethical debates in tech are proving  Continue Reading

• It’s not too late to get GDPR ready

  With the GDPR compliance deadline on 25 May 2018, there is little time to get ready, but it is not too late, according to the IAPP, which provides a checklist to help organisations ensure they are in the best position possible for the deadline  Continue Reading

• Hacking the internet of things just got easier – it’s time to look at your security

  Are you taking security for internet-connected devices seriously enough?  Continue Reading

• Security Think Tank: Reducing dwell has never been more important

  Why is reducing cyber attacker dwell time important, and how should this be tackled?  Continue Reading

• GDPR and the right to erasure: hiding in the shadows or welcome shade?

  The European Union's new data protection laws introduce a right to be forgotten – but what does it means for corporate IT?  Continue Reading

• Blockchain: Paving the way for broad adoption

  The foundations have been laid for organisations to begin standardising on the technology, talent and platforms that will drive future blockchain initiatives  Continue Reading

• Protecting your intellectual property in a digital world

  Your business is creating innovative computer code, slick user interfaces, and is using digital technology to solve new problems. How do you protect your investment?  Continue Reading

• Lauri Love escaped extradition to the US - what does that mean for future cases?

  The US lost its attempt to extradite Lauri Love to face hacking charges in a landmark case. What will it mean for other UK citizens facing extradition?  Continue Reading

• Who do you trust to censor social media?

  Calls to censor Facebook and its rivals are growing – but society needs to consider carefully the motivations of those making such demands  Continue Reading

• Taxing tech giants on revenue only ends up with us customers paying more

  EU proposals to tax internet companies based on sales in each country fail to apply the tax burden on the right people  Continue Reading

• Why police forces need to be honest about mass mobile phone surveillance

  Police forces across the UK are covering up their use of sophisticated mass surveillance devices, known as IMSI-catchers - the Bristol Cable and Liberty are campaigning for proper transparency  Continue Reading

• 3, 2, 1, GDPR: How to be prepared on 25 May

  There are seven key areas organisations should review to ensure compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation, and even though the deadline is less than four months away, it is still not too late to start  Continue Reading

• Europe’s shameful role in spy-tech exports that led to torture and jail

  Governments in Europe actively assisted in government oppression in Iran, Bahrain and Russia by providing states with sophisticated surveillance equipment. The European Parliament is pressing for changes in the law to restrict exports of ...  Continue Reading

• Building on the UK tech sector’s momentum in 2018

  The UK’s digital and tech industry made great progress in 2017, and the government aims to further its support in 2018, says digital minister  Continue Reading

• How to futureproof your career as a CIO

  Many CIOs have yet to earn the right to be on the board. How can IT leaders upgrade their business acumen, to benefit their own careers and the health of their employer?  Continue Reading

• Security Think Tank: Policy key to limiting messaging app security risks

  What criteria should organisations use to assess the security of smartphone messaging apps and how can they ensure only approved apps are used by employees?  Continue Reading

• There are no economic reasons to regulate the US tech giants

  The likes of Google, Facebook, Apple, Amazon and Microsoft may dominate their markets, but the economic argument to regulate them is weak  Continue Reading

• My brother Lauri Love should have the right to a trial in the UK

  Lauri Love should face trial over hacking allegations in a British Court, rather than be extradited to the US, where his extraordinary skills will be lost to society, says his younger sister  Continue Reading

• Can the 2017 Budget dispel the tech sector’s gloom over Brexit?

  The chancellor needs to send a strong signal that government is committed to making the UK the best place to be a tech business post-Brexit  Continue Reading

• Why Europe’s GDPR privacy regulation is good for business

  Organisations will need to become more sensitive about the way they handle personal information, but the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) also makes good business sense  Continue Reading

• A guide for businesses to China’s first cyber security law

  Companies that break China’s new cyber security law may be fined or even have their licence to trade in the country removed  Continue Reading

• Security Think Tank: Three areas of web security challenges

  What are the main web security challenges for organisations and how are they best addressed?  Continue Reading

• Max Schrems’s mass surveillance complaint knocked back another year or two by Irish judge

  Irish data protection commissioner Helen Dixon has neatly avoided having to deal with the US surveillance of Facebook users in Europe by referring a complaint by Austrian lawyer Max Schrems to the European Court of Justice  Continue Reading

• Is the tide going out for transatlantic data flows?

  Businesses face new uncertainty over their ability to share data with the US, as Europe’s highest court reassesses the legality of the EU’s model data-sharing contracts  Continue Reading

• The children of the digital revolution

  Digital professionals are emerging as the source of expertise within the agile enterprise. They understand how to use digital technologies, starting small then building big  Continue Reading

• The NIS Directive: the implications for UK technology businesses

  With the European Union NIS Directive to be implemented into UK law in May 2018, it is important for technology companies to ascertain if and how they will be affected  Continue Reading

• The high price of not understanding how automation works with existing software licences

  Businesses must check their software licences before they introduce robotic process automation or they risk breaking the rules  Continue Reading

• The Data Protection Bill is about securing UK data leadership

  The UK's new data protection legislation is vital to a successful Brexit and for continued UK leadership in technology  Continue Reading

• How creative and innovative can technology made in China be?

  China's IT industry is becoming more Silicon Valley-like and, as a result, more attractive to the CIOs of western enterprises  Continue Reading

• Why GDPR is so relevant to the business

  The GDPR is not only relevant to CISOs and DPOs, and has a massive impact on businesses  Continue Reading

• In an age of uncertainty, now is the time to rethink your outsourcing strategy

  Brexit and Trump are not only creating challenges but also opportunities in the outsourcing sector, and outsourcing deals will need to be flexible to exploit them  Continue Reading

• Understanding the economic value of your personal data

  Your personal data is worthless – it's only when it's processed by the Facebooks or Googles of this world that it has business value  Continue Reading

• General Election 2017: Lib Dems want strong infrastructure and less state surveillance

  Liberal Democrat shadow business secretary Susan Kramer on the party’s plans to strengthen the UK’s infrastructure, protecting privacy and making sure a digital by default government leaves nobody behind  Continue Reading

• Investing in networks for the future – regulatory developments

  Regulators are increasingly focused on the policy objective of facilitating investment in new network technologies and high-quality broadband services. Angus Finnegan and Saher Ahmed outline some recent developments in this area in the UK and EU  Continue Reading

• How government can use digital procurement to spend its way out of Brexit troubles

  Better use of the government's purchasing power could help to boost sectors, such as technology, likely to be affected by Brexit  Continue Reading