Opinion

Opinion

IT legislation and regulation

• Professionals need protection from the Computer Misuse Act

  The UK needs cyber legislation fit for the 21st century, so it is important for the industry to get behind the government’s proposed reform of the Computer Misuse Act  Continue Reading

• Are you betting your future on the worst gambling odds in the world?

  Gambling is a high-risk strategy. Doing nothing in the face of the threat from ransomware and hoping for the best provides some of the worst odds you will ever come across  Continue Reading

• Banking tech fraud: How to trace and recover your money

  Even when stolen assets are sent offshore, the special powers of the English civil court system mean all may not be lost  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

• European ‘chat control’ plans in the name of ‘child safety’ threaten end-to-end encryption

  Proposals by European Commission to search for illegal material could mean the end of private messaging and emails  Continue Reading

• NHS Digital’s GP data-scraping plan must be publicised and delayed

  The UK government must launch a national awareness campaign and delay this month’s planned GP data slurp, say privacy consultants Ben Rapp and Sara Newman  Continue Reading

• Long-term thinking is vital to secure UK’s critical infrastructure

  To face down the threat of cyber warfare against UK CNI, the government needs long-term thinking that looks beyond the next general election cycle, says Advent-IM’s Mike Gillespie  Continue Reading

• Online Safety Bill: an opportunity for tech to get it right

  Long-awaited proposals for regulating internet companies still leave much to be defined – and the tech sector must take the lead in finalising a plan that works for society and government  Continue Reading

• Post Office scandal: The rise of computers and the decline of English justice

  The Post Office prosecuted its subpostmasters up and down the country with a zeal that would not have embarrassed the Inquisition  Continue Reading

• Why new EU rules around artificial intelligence are vital to the development of the sector

  Shawn Tan, CEO of global AI ecosystem builder Skymind, explains why the European Union’s new rules on artificial intelligence are a good thing  Continue Reading

• The shape of fraud and cyber crime: 10 things we learned from 2020

  While a pandemic-driven increase in cyber crime and an exacerbation of existing fraud trends were, to a large extent, to be expected, the LexisNexis Risk solutions UK cybercrime report 2020 still contained a few surprises  Continue Reading

• IR35 private sector reforms: What firms need to do now the start date has passed

  While the start date for the onset of the IR35 private sector reforms may have passed, firms in-scope of the revamped tax avoidance legislation may find themselves still with plenty of compliance work still to do  Continue Reading

• Why we need to reset the debate on end-to-end encryption to protect children

  Private messaging is the front line of abuse, yet E2EE in its current form risks engineering away the ability of firms to detect and disrupt it where it is most prevalent  Continue Reading

• Security Think Tank: Security culture must underpin vaccine passports

  What are the security challenges presented by vaccine passports, and how should they be designed and used with ethics and privacy in mind?  Continue Reading

• Security Think Tank: ‘Legitimate interest’ crucial for vaccine passports

  What are the security issues and challenges presented by vaccine passports, and how should they be designed and used with ethics and privacy in mind?  Continue Reading

• Security Think Tank: Vaccine passports must be secure by design

  What are the security issues and challenges presented by vaccine passports, and how should they be designed and used with ethics and privacy in mind?  Continue Reading

• Security Think Tank: Vaccine passports cannot be taken lightly

  What are the security issues and challenges presented by vaccine passports, and how should they be designed and used with ethics and privacy in mind?  Continue Reading

• What has a year of home working meant for the DPO?

  Byron Shirley of The Compliance Space explores how the role of the data protection officer has changed in the past 12 months  Continue Reading

• Security Think Tank: US security efforts may centre on collaboration

  As US president Joe Biden sets out his agenda for the next four years, we consider the opportunities for renewed international collaboration on cyber security, what aspects of cyber Biden should focus on, and ask how the industry can make its voice ...  Continue Reading

• Vaccine passports highlight social impact of systems design

  Vaccine or immunity passports are an opportunity to advance the design of trustworthy digital systems, but much more work still needs to be done  Continue Reading

• Security Think Tank: Towards a united state of security

  As US president Joe Biden sets out his agenda for the next four years, we consider the opportunities for renewed international collaboration on cyber security, what aspects of cyber Biden should focus on, and ask how the industry can make its voice ...  Continue Reading

• Security Think Tank: Renewed US stability may ease cyber tensions

  As US president Joe Biden sets out his agenda for the next four years, we consider the opportunities for renewed international collaboration on cyber security, what aspects of cyber Biden should focus on, and ask how the industry can make its voice ...  Continue Reading

• Security Think Tank: Biden must address insider security threat first

  As US president Joe Biden sets out his agenda for the next four years, we consider the opportunities for renewed international collaboration on cyber security, what aspects of cyber Biden should focus on, and ask how the industry can make its voice ...  Continue Reading

• Security Think Tank: Biden’s team can make a difference on security

  As US president Joe Biden sets out his agenda for the next four years, we consider the opportunities for renewed international collaboration on cyber security, what aspects of cyber Biden should focus on, and ask how the industry can make its voice ...  Continue Reading

• Security Think Tank: UK well-placed to work with Biden on cyber

  As US president Joe Biden sets out his agenda for the next four years, we consider the opportunities for renewed international collaboration on cyber security, what aspects of cyber Biden should focus on, and ask how the industry can make its voice ...  Continue Reading

• Security Think Tank: Biden has a chance to renew cyber alliances

  As President Joe Biden sets out his agenda for the next four years, we consider the opportunities for renewed international collaboration on cyber security, what aspects of cyber Biden should focus on, and ask how the industry can make its voice ...  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

• UK government needs a digital reboot

  The appointment of new digital leadership is a welcome start to what – if the UK is to thrive in a post-Covid, post-Brexit world – must become a wholesale reboot of digital government  Continue Reading

• What does Brexit mean for the future of UK digital policy? A view from Europe

  Any decisions by the UK government to diverge from EU policies and values over digital policy and regulation could cause real economic problems for UK businesses  Continue Reading

• Why Jack Ma might be too good a tech entrepreneur for China's leaders

  Tech pioneer Jack Ma is facing new regulatory pressure from the Chinese authorities – is this some ideological spat, or simply that he's too good at what he does compared to the state-owned financial system?  Continue Reading

• It’s time to accept that disinformation is a cyber security issue

  Tackling the manipulation of truth and facts is no easy task, and it’s time for the cyber security sector to take up the challenge  Continue Reading

• Why our online harms laws will be good for tech

  The UK's minister for digital infrastructure explains the government's thinking behind its proposals to regulate internet companies such as Facebook, Google and others  Continue Reading

• Brexit and risks to data privacy and governance

  EY privacy specialists assess the risks to data privacy, protection and governance on the table for businesses, with less than two months until Brexit  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

• The Google antitrust case is more about politics than economics

  It’s not entirely clear what economic reasons led the US government to try to tackle Google’s search monopoly, which suggests it is mostly about politics  Continue Reading

• Security Think Tank: Essential tools to mitigate data loss and identity theft

  The threat of identity theft via a data breach is heightened with the rise of attacks where ransomware threat actors both encrypt and ransom, and exfiltrate and leak their victims’ data. How does this evolution in cybercrime heighten risk for the ...  Continue Reading

• 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