Opinion
Opinion
IT news in your industry sector
-
Why the Post Office Horizon scandal kept me awake at night
Reverend Richard Coles tells Computer Weekly why there needs to be a statutory public inquiry into the Post Office Horizon scandal Continue Reading
-
Securing the UK's emerging smart cities
UK councils have a huge opportunity to improve services through the use of smart city technologies - but they must avoid the cyber security risks, says the government's digital minister Continue Reading
-
The practical steps needed to accelerate a UK digital identity ecosystem
The draft digital identity framework published by the UK government highlights the importance of learning from the private sector and existing standards to accelerate deployment and citizen adoption 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
-
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
-
Post Office’s full and final settlement with Horizon scandal victims in plain English
The legal settlement with subpostmaster victims of the Horizon scandal that the government and the Post Office say is “full and final” is anything but 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
-
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: Evolving threats, tech, leaves CNI exposed
In light of increasing cyber attacks on critical national infrastructure, what are the immediate risks to industrial control systems and other operational technology, and what steps can be taken to address them? 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
-
Security Think Tank: Attacks on CNI – an evolving frontier in warfare
In the light of increasing cyber attacks on critical national infrastructure, what are the immediate risks to industrial control systems and other operational technology, and what steps can be taken to address them? Continue Reading
-
Security Think Tank: Back to square one – ground-up CNI protection
In the light of increasing cyber attacks on critical national infrastructure, what are the immediate risks to industrial control systems and other operational technology, and what steps can be taken to address them? Continue Reading
-
Security Think Tank: Properly protecting CNI demands specificity
In the light of increasing cyber attacks on critical national infrastructure, what are the immediate risks to industrial control systems and other operational technology, and what steps can be taken to address them? Continue Reading
-
Tech sector is key to the success of Global Britain
The maturity of its technology sector puts the UK in a good position to reimagine its role on the international stage post-Covid Continue Reading
-
Security Think Tank: Take a realistic perspective on CNI cyber attacks
In light of increasing cyber attacks on critical national infrastructure, what are the immediate risks to industrial control systems and other operational technology, and what steps can be taken to address them? Continue Reading
-
Security Think Tank: CNI operators must focus on core issues
In the light of increasing cyber attacks on critical national infrastructure, what are the immediate risks to industrial control systems and other operational technology, and what steps can be taken to address them? Continue Reading
-
Security Think Tank: CNI operators are in an unenviable position
In the light of increasing cyber attacks on critical national infrastructure, what are the immediate risks to industrial control systems and other operational technology, and what steps can be taken to address them? Continue Reading
-
Why the London Data Charter could be a foundation stone in the city’s recovery
London First’s director of connectivity and competitiveness, David Lutton, explains why data is at the core of the capital’s recovery plan Continue Reading
-
Data-driven innovation needs trustworthy governance
The pandemic has given us a glimpse of what data-driven technology can do for society – and we cannot go back to the status quo Continue Reading
-
Budget 2021: Putting tech at the core of the plan for growth
This week’s UK government Budget represents a great opportunity to place tech and digital as the cornerstone of UK economic growth after Brexit Continue Reading
-
On digital identity, the government gets it wrong again
The latest government proposals to regulate the digital identity sector continue to misunderstand how such a market works – a more API-based approach is needed to deliver the clear benefits of online ID Continue Reading
-
Rogue drones beware: We’re here to ground you
Eugene Kaspersky exclusively lifts the lid on a mysterious, shiny device that’s been sitting in his office Continue Reading
-
Fixing government digital transformation – lessons from the early days of GDS
As a new organisation is formed to lead UK digital government, three former government digital leaders share the lessons they learned from the early days of the Government Digital Service Continue Reading
-
Healthcare digitisation at point financial services was in 1990s
For all the talk about digitised healthcare, the sector is only where banking was in the 1990s. How can it catch up? Can the Covid-19 pandemic crisis be a catalyst? 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
-
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
-
NHS Digital completes NHSmail migration to the cloud
NHS Digital’s Chris Parsons shares how the organisation managed to migrate more than 2.1 million NHSmail accounts to the cloud during a global pandemic Continue Reading
-
Government Gateway at 20 – looking back at the UK’s most successful digital identity system
Not all legacy IT systems in government cause problems – one has been at the heart of many of the most important online public services for 20 years Continue Reading
-
Where is the UK’s digital strategy?
While the devolved nations press on with their digital plans, the UK government has delayed its digital strategy – yet this is too important for the economy to be put off any further 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
-
The UK tech sector has been a force for good during the Covid-19 pandemic
The UK's digital minister hails the tech companies that have helped people cope with many of the challenges of living through lockdown and the coronavirus pandemic 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
-
The tech sector cannot build back better from the kitchen table
While technology has supported the lockdown economy by allowing millions to work from home, the in-person collaboration and shared experience on which the tech sector thrives will need to return soon Continue Reading
-
A Covid-19 response to supply chain fragility
The global pandemic, lockdowns and local lockdowns have required organisations to operate agile supply chains Continue Reading
-
Data has never been more important for London
As London looks to 2021 and a hoped-for recovery after Covid-19, responsible data sharing and data-driven decision-making become ever more important to the future for all the capital’s businesses Continue Reading
-
How 5G is going to transform digital banking in 2021
Covid-19 has accelerated digital banking this year and 5G promises to have an even bigger impact next year 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
-
Driving innovation in government
An insider's perspective on the organisation, culture and methods used to drive innovation in the Department for Work and Pensions Continue Reading
-
Negotiating the complexities of international transfers of personal data
How to navigate international data transfers, standard contractual clauses and the impact of Brexit on data protection 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
-
From front line to back office – how supporting the cyber community keeps the NHS safe
NHS Digital’s chief information security officer describes how the Cyber Associates Network benefits security experts in health and care Continue Reading
-
Overhaul business support with a focus on tech to help SMEs weather the Covid crisis
The more digitally capable businesses have come through the pandemic in better shape - government needs to ensure that UK SMEs have the support in place to use tech to survive Covid-19 Continue Reading
-
From compliance to open banking to embedded finance – all thanks to APIs
The road to embedded finance, banking and insurance with APIs is full of promise – and banks should take it for a journey to a better world of finance Continue Reading
-
What will it take for humanity to fully understand tech?
The failure of the coronavirus contact-tracing system, due to limits set by an old Excel format, demonstrates a failure of technology to cope with human reliance Continue Reading
-
Excel is the hammer for too many businesses’ nails
Excel is a fine piece of software, but as Public Health England found out, its ubiquity and ease of use does not make it the ideal tool for every job that involves data Continue Reading
-
Three steps to harden supply chains
The coronavirus has shone a spotlight on the fragility of modern supply chains and the risk of having a single point of failure Continue Reading
-
How AXA Investment Managers supports user experience through the ‘confinement’
The head of AXA IM’s proximity services discusses the importance of creating a digital experience during the lockdown in France Continue Reading
-
The new age of supply chains post-Covid
Supply chain managers have been predicting the future for years. Now manufacturers are relying on insights to inform their decision-making 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
-
Data institutions play critical role in solving global social problems
Nigel Shadbolt, co-founder of the Open Data Institute, argues that a new breed of data institutions have a key role to play in unlocking the social and economic value of data Continue Reading
-
How to build a smart city from the ruins of Covid-19
The London Data Commission is working to open up data about the capital to help regeneration and growth post-pandemic Continue Reading
-
UK government plan for digital identity lacks substance and strategy
The tech sector has waited over a year for the government to respond to its consultation on digital identity, and when it came, the plan could hardly be more disappointing Continue Reading
-
The harsh reality for newspapers in the fight against Facebook, is that people won’t pay for news
The Australian media is the latest to try to get Facebook and Google to pay for using their news stories. That only exposes the fact that not enough readers want to do so Continue Reading
-
Sharing responsibility: Why we need to work together to keep the cloud secure
The education sector has been fundamentally altered by months of lockdown, with cloud services topping must-have lists for academic staff, but now it’s time to consider security Continue Reading
-
Digital identity must not remain the missing link in the UK’s digital strategy
The UK's digital economy is desperately in need of a viable digital identity strategy - to recover from the pandemic, the government cannot wait any longer to resolve this much-delayed issue 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
-
Taking back control of government data mustn’t leave the public in the dark
Boris Johnson has quietly transferred control over government data to Number 10, without explaining why. The public deserves more involvement in how their personal data is being used, says Labour 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
-
Making Tax Digital will boost business resilience in case of future Covid crises
HMRC is expanding the digitisation of income and corporation tax in a move that will benefit businesses, the self-employed and the economy, writes the government's financial secretary to the Treasury Continue Reading
-
Challenging times and transformational opportunities for the outsourcing industry
Every area of the technology sector has been affected by the uncertainty of the coronavirus pandemic, but the outsourcing industry could be well-placed to take advantage of the opportunities it presents Continue Reading
-
Building trust in the future of London’s data
Sharing data by default could turbocharge London’s potential for radical improvements across the ecosystem, according to London First’s director of connectivity and competitiveness, David Lutton Continue Reading
-
11 obscure questions, Facebook, Max Schrems and the European Court of Justice
Eleven obscure questions will be the first step towards explaining why we in the UK and Europe have experienced 13 years of what has been described as ‘mass and indiscriminate surveillance’ by the US Continue Reading
-
The pandemic has made UK government rethink its relationship with data
Data has been essential to fighting the coronavirus outbreak, and the forthcoming National Data Strategy promises to place data at the heart of the UK's economic recovery Continue Reading
-
CCPA enforcement has begun: Here’s what to expect
The US’s California Consumer Privacy Act came into force in January this year, but enforcement against technology companies did not begin until this month Continue Reading
-
Why a shared channel experience will meet user needs at DWP Digital
The Department for Work and Pensions outlines the approach it is taking to developing user-focused digital services Continue Reading
-
Why UK needs independent oversight body for contact-tracing app
The public needs and deserves clarity, and not just assurances, over the UK’s Covid-19 contact-tracing app 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
-
London Data Commission: Sharing data to help support London’s response to Covid-19
London First’s director of connectivity and competitiveness, David Lutton, talks about establishing the London Data Commission, and its contribution to coping with the coronavirus crisis Continue Reading
-
Coronavirus: Why the public sector must pursue IT transformation
It is clear that the current coronavirus crisis has had a major impact on digital transformation efforts in the public sector Continue Reading
-
Smart thinking for modernised IT in the public sector
Far from lagging behind the private sector, many public sector organisations are embracing modern IT practices such as DevOps and agile methodologies 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
-
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
-
Why you should think before you Zoom
Feel free to use Zoom during the coronavirus lockdown, but think before you discuss anything confidential Continue Reading
-
Technology has brought us together, but can it lead us out of lockdown?
The government needs to tell us more about the NHSX contact tracing app - choices made now around privacy and transparency will affect all our lives as we aim to ease lockdown, says the shadow digital minister Continue Reading
-
JavaScript skimmers: An evolving and dangerous threat
Cyber attacks exploiting Magecart JavaScript skimmers are spiking during the coronavirus pandemic, and like biological viruses, they just keep evolving Continue Reading
-
Connect and protect: How the tech sector is responding to the coronavirus crisis
Tech sector trade body TechUK is coordinating the industry's activity to help the UK government tackle the Covid-19 outbreak Continue Reading
-
CCRC findings on subpostmaster prosecutions reveal incompetence of successive governments
Former subpostmaster who took on the Post Office in a multimillion-pound legal battle speaks out. 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
-
Gigabit broadband for new homes is essential to UK’s telecoms ambitions
Digital minister outlines plans to develop UK’s telecoms infrastructure to make it fit for the future Continue Reading
-
What is the Post Office board doing to right the Horizon wrongs?
Business lawyer Nick Gould compares the treatment of subpostmasters by the Post Office in the Horizon IT scandal with the huge HBOS fraud that saw £1bn stolen from small businesses Continue Reading
-
What is ARPA and what should a UK version look like?
The Prime Minister wants the UK to be a hotbed of science and research, and his advisor Dominic Cummings admires the US ARPA organisation – but what would a UK version need to be successful? 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
-
A five-point plan to get the UK out of the Huawei hole
It's not too late for the UK to develop an alternative to Huawei, says Labour's shadow digital minister 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
-
Making gigabit broadband a reality for everyone in the UK
As the new government introduces its first legislation to boost full-fibre broadband, digital minister Matt Warman looks ahead to delivering on the Conservatives’ election promises Continue Reading
-
Real digital modernisation – a once-in-a-generation opportunity for the new UK government
A new UK government with a decisive majority offers a unique opportunity to finally introduce public services for the digital age – if the Conservatives are willing to take it 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
-
Why the banking industry needs an IT makeover
UK banks face huge challenges keeping their service availability levels at 99.99% Continue Reading
-
Implementing a 21st century approach to digital identity
The government’s attempts at digital identity have failed – it is time for a new, modern approach Continue Reading
-
The Post Office computer problem that destroyed the lives of pillars of the community
The Post Office’s refusal to believe subpostmasters were suffering losses due to computer system errors was incompetent and cruel Continue Reading
-
Can Europe legally share data with the US? A court far away is about to decide
The European Court of Justice will deliver an opinion on whether Europe can legally continue to send private data about European citizens to the US Continue Reading
-
We can’t allow fake news and disinformation to upend our democracy
Fake news, misinformation and cyber attacks are part of our political process – now is the time to act Continue Reading
-
The art of surveillance: the Stasi archives and the Investigatory Powers Act
A photographic exhibition captures the chilling impact of surveillance in the UK and the former German Democratic Republic 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