IT for government and public sector

Workday hit in wave of social engineering attacks

A campaign of voice-based social engineering attacks targeting users of Salesforce’s services appears to have struck HR platform Workday Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Would you hire a hacker?

At a time when cyber security breaches are on the up and skills remain in short supply, security experts believe we may be missing a trick by overlooking unconventional sources of talent Continue Reading

By

• Cath Everett

UK cyber leaders feel impact of Trump cutbacks

The ripple effects of US cyber security cutbacks have reached this side of the Atlantic, according to a report Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Whitehall IT projects face complex challenges, Nista report finds

The annual report from the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority gives major police IT project ‘red’ rating, while several others are rated ‘amber’, including Gov.uk One Login and Making Tax Digital Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Teen hackers aren't the problem. They're the wake-up call

If we take the time to build the right pathways into cyber, young people could be our best line of defence. Continue Reading

By

• Fergus Hay, The Hacking Games

The UK’s Online Safety Act explained: what you need to know

In this essential guide, Computer Weekly looks at the UK’s implementation of the Online Safety Act, including controversies around age verification measures and the threat it poses to end-to-end encryption Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

What the UK's ransomware crackdown signals for Europe

The UK government is forging a bold path as it aims to ban ransomware payments from certain organisations. Its actions could herald an inflexion point in Europe's broader response to ransomware. Continue Reading

By

• Fintan Quinn, Gartner

Fujitsu orders staff to retain Post Office-related documentation as it braces for legal action

Japanese supplier tells all UK staff to preserve documents related to its work with the Post Office Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

ODI tells EU to balance AI safeguards with innovation promotion

The Open Data Institute has published a manifesto to guide European Union data and artificial intelligence policy formation Continue Reading

By

• Brian McKenna, Enterprise Applications Editor

Eight critical RCE flaws make Microsoft’s latest Patch Tuesday list

Microsoft rolls out fixes for over 100 CVEs in its August Patch Tuesday update Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Researchers firm up ShinyHunters, Scattered Spider link

ReliaQuest researchers present new evidence that firms up a potential link, or outright partnership, between the ShinyHunters and Scattered Spider cyber gangs Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

UK work visa sponsors are target of phishing campaign

Mimecast identifies a phishing campaign targeting UK organisations that sponsor migrant workers and students, opening the door to account compromise and visa fraud Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

What boards should look for in a CISO

The role of the chief information security officer has evolved dramatically over the years – and will continue to do so. What should boards really looking for when hiring a security leader in 2025? Continue Reading

By

• Rinki Sethi, Upwind Security

ShinyHunters Salesforce cyber attacks explained: What you need to know

Computer Weekly gets under the skin of an ongoing wave of ShinyHunters cyber attacks orchestrated via social engineering against Salesforce users Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

How CISOs can adapt cyber strategies for the age of AI

Traditional security measures may not be able to cope with the AI reality. In order to safeguard enterprise operations, reputation and data integrity in an AI-first world, security leaders need to rethink. Continue Reading

By

• Martin Riley, Bridewell Consulting

McCullough Review into PSNI spying on journalists and lawyers delayed

Angus McCullough KC is to present findings of an independent review of police spying on phone data of lawyers, journalists and NGOs in Northern Ireland in October   Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Investigations Editor

Watching the watchers: Is the Technical Advisory Panel a match for MI5, MI6 and GCHQ?

Dame Muffy Calder is chair of the Technical Advisory Panel (TAP), a small group of experts that advises the Investigatory Powers Commissioner on surveillance technology. Do they have what it takes to oversee the intelligence community? Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Investigations Editor

Government looks at tech to tackle peak electricity demand

Forecasting, AI, smart meters and electrical vehicle batteries are part of an ambitious project to reduce the use of fossil fuels on the UK's energy grid Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Black Hat USA: Startup breaks secrets management tools

Researchers at Cyata, an agentic identity specialist that has just emerged from stealth, found 14 CVEs in the widely used CyberArk Conjur and HashiCorp Vault enterprise secrets management platforms Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Cyber criminals would prefer businesses don’t use Okta

Okta details a phishing campaign in which the threat actor demonstrated some unusually strong opinions on what authentication methods they would like their targets to use Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Companies House ID verification to start in November 2025

Companies House plans to start vetting director identities from mid-November, but its reliance on the troubled One Login digital identity service may be cause for concern Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

NCSC updates CNI Cyber Assessment Framework

Updates to the NCSC’s Cyber Assessment Framework are designed to help providers of critical services better manage their risk profiles Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Australian scaleup to bring AI-led data protection to the MoD

The UK’s Ministry of Defence is embracing AI-led data protection in the wake of a major privacy breach, enlisting Australian cyber firm Castlepoint Systems to oversee sensitive records Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Attacker could defeat Dell firmware flaws with a vegetable

Cisco Talos discloses five vulnerabilities in cyber security firmware used on Dell Latitude and Precision devices, including one that could enable an attacker to log on with a spring onion Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Black Hat USA: Halcyon and Sophos tag-team ransomware fightback

Ransomware experts Halcyon and Sophos are to pool their expertise in ransomware, working together to enhance data- and intelligence-sharing and bringing more comprehensive protection to customers Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Proliferation of on-premise GenAI platforms is widening security risks

Research finds increased adoption of unsanctioned generative artificial intelligence platforms is magnifying risk and causing a headache for security teams Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

How the UK's cloud strategy was hijacked by a hyperscaler duopoly

The UK competition regulator says the cloud market is not working - it's time to take radical steps to reduce the dominance of the two US cloud giants Continue Reading

By

• Bill McCluggage

Met Police to double facial recognition use amid budget cuts

The UK’s largest police force is massively expanding its use of live facial recognition technology as it prepares to lose 1,700 officers and staff Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Ministry of Justice unveils strategy for safe, secure AI

A new chief AI officer, together with a framework co-developed with the Alan Turing Institute, form part of a three-year AI action plan at the MoJ Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

I lost my sister to online harms, the OSA is failing vulnerable people

Adele is a member of Families and Survivors to Prevent Online Suicide Harms campaign, a network that brings together survivors and families bereaved by online harm-related suicides. They are calling for changes to the enforcement of the Online Safety Act Continue Reading

By

• Adele Zeynep Walton

Scattered Spider tactics continue to evolve, warn cyber cops

CISA, the FBI, NCSC and others have clubbed together to update previous guidance on Scattered Spider's playbook, warning of new social engineering tactics and exploitation of legitimate tools, among other things Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

MS Authenticator users face passkey crunch time

The deadline for moving to passkeys in Microsoft Authenticator is rapidly approaching, and users are advised to take action now Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

AI-enabled security pushes down breach costs for UK organisations

Organisations that are incorporating AI and automation into their cyber security practice are seeing improved outcomes when incidents occur, according to an IBM study Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Austrian government faces likely legal challenge over state spyware

Civil society groups are talking to opposition MPs about bringing a legal challenge to the Austrian constitutional court over ‘state trojan’ law Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Investigations Editor

European Commission ignores calls to reassess Israel data adequacy

The European Commission is ignoring calls to reassess Israel’s data adequacy status in spite of concerns raised about its data protection framework and use of personal data in ‘repressive practices’ Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Global cyber spend will top $200bn this year, says Gartner

Worldwide spending on cyber security will hit another record high in 2025, and will go higher still next year Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

European digital market figurehead pleads to Westminster

Big EU industry joins with Europhile MP to persuade obstinate government officials to join the dataspaces intended to become the bedrock of Europe’s digital single market Continue Reading

By

• Mark Ballard

The UK’s ransomware payment ban is a strategic win

The UK's proposed public sector ransomware payment ban could be a bold step, but it can't operate in isolation. Continue Reading

By

• Rob Dartnall, SecAlliance

US seeks ‘unquestioned’ AI dominance

US AI action plan sets out aims to expand American dominance in the world of artificial intelligence Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

SharePoint users hit by Warlock ransomware, says Microsoft

Microsoft’s security analysts confirm a number of cyber attacks on on-premise SharePoint Server users involve ransomware Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Dutch researchers use heartbeat detection to unmask deepfakes

Dutch method to counter deepfakes analyses blood flow patterns in faces that current deepfake generation tools cannot yet replicate Continue Reading

By

• Kim Loohuis

The rise (or not) of AI ethics officers

Job titles vary, but the principles shouldn’t – put AI ethics in the org chart, fund it and give it authority, so that good intentions turn into trust, accountability and good business Continue Reading

By

• Mary Branscombe, Computer Weekly

WhatsApp is refused right to intervene in Apple legal action on encryption ‘backdoors’

Investigatory Powers Tribunal to hear arguments in public over lawfulness of secret UK order requiring Apple to give UK law enforcement access to users’ encrypted data stored on the Apple iCloud Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Investigations Editor

Predictive analytics in policing: Weighing up the pros and cons

While extensive powers of crime prediction are still some time away, policing is already making use of predictive analytics – but what are its benefits and risks? Continue Reading

By

• Fleur Doidge

AI legislation in the UK - has anybody seen any?

The government has promised a consultation and legislation to govern the use of AI - but with nothing planned in the short term, is it leaving this essential consideration too late? Continue Reading

By

• Lord Chris Holmes, House of Lords

Microsoft confirms China link to SharePoint hacks

Microsoft confirms two known China-nexus threat actors, and one other suspected state-backed hacking group, are exploiting vulnerabilities in SharePoint Server Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Chinese cyber spies among those linked to SharePoint attacks

Exploitation of the ToolShell RCE zero-day in Microsoft SharePoint continues to gather pace, with evidence emerging of exploitation by nation state-backed threat actors Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

UK government to bring in ransomware payment ban

Critical infrastructure operators, hospitals, local councils and schools will be among those banned from giving in to cyber criminal demands as the UK moves forward with proposals to address the scourge of ransomware Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

UK government signs partnership with OpenAI

Deal sees firm behind ChatGPT collaborate with government on AI security research to explore investment opportunities Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

The Bank of England’s quiet ‘Big Bang’

The Bank of England has completed its generational project to replace part of the UK’s critical infrastructure, which went unnoticed beyond the sector it underpins Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Fresh allegations of ‘sustained’ police and MI5 surveillance against BBC reporters

The Investigatory Powers Tribunal is investigating claims that police spied on the phone of investigative journalist Chris Moore amid further claims of a sustained monitoring operation against BBC reporters in Northern Ireland between 2006 and 2022 Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Investigations Editor

UK may be seeking to pull back from Apple encryption row with US

UK government officials say that attempts by the Home Office to require Apple to introduce ‘backdoors’ to its secure encrypted storage service will cross US red lines Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Investigations Editor

Patch ToolShell SharePoint zero-day immediately, says Microsoft

The active exploitation of a dangerous zero-day vulnerability chain in Microsoft SharePoint – which was disclosed over the weekend – is underway. Immediate action is advised Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

The Security Interviews: Jason Nurse, University of Kent

Jason Nurse, reader in cyber security at the University of Kent, discusses the psychological side of cyber and online safety, why placing blame on users as ‘the weakest link’ is wrong – and why security pros should think about user needs more Continue Reading

By

• Danny Palmer

Meet the deepfake fraudster who applied to work at a deepfake specialist

A recruiter at voice fraud specialist Pindrop had a shock when they came face-to-face with the same deepfake job candidate not once, but twice. Hear their story and learn how to start to protect your hiring process Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Government consults public on self-driving vehicles

The consultation will inform the creation of laws and regulations for autonomous vehicles as the government aims to begin piloting self-driving taxis in spring 2026 Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

NCSC exposes Fancy Bear's Authentic Antics malware attacks

Amid a new round of UK government sanctions targeting Moscow's intelligence apparatus, the NCSC has formally attributed attacks orchestrated with a cleverly-designed malware to the GRU's Fancy Bear cyber unit Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

DWP accused of shielding AI deployments from public scrutiny

Amnesty International and Big Brother Watch say Department for Work and Pensions’ ‘unchecked’ and opaque use of AI in the UK benefits system treats claimants as suspicious and is shielded from public scrutiny Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Is history repeating itself with the government’s push to open public sector cloud deals to SMEs?

The UK government wants to help public sector IT buyers do away with legacy tech and migrate to the cloud, with the help of a soon-to-be-launched procurement marketplace. But haven’t we heard all this before? Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

Post Office Horizon scandal explained: Everything you need to know

Computer Weekly has investigated the Post Office Horizon scandal since 2008 and is, in fact, part of the story. This guide contains essential information about the scandal Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Peer warns IT suppliers against partnering with Fujitsu in government contracts

According to publicly available figures, Fujitsu has won over half a billion pounds in government business as prime contractor since January 2024, but there is more than what has been reported Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

First Post Office Capture conviction referred to Court of Appeal

A former Capture software user’s 1998 theft conviction is the first to be referred to the Court of Appeal Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

UK government plans to ramp up sovereign computer capacity

Isambard-AI and Dawn are two of the supercomputers that mark the beginning of the UK’s goal to deliver 420 Exaflops of computer by 2030 Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Fujitsu outage crashes Post Office Horizon system

Japanese IT giant’s time serving the Post Office is due to end next year, but problems persist Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Terrorist potential of generative AI ‘purely theoretical’

UK terror legislation advisor takes stock of the potential for generative artificial intelligence systems to be adopted by terrorists, particularly for propaganda and attack planning purposes, but acknowledges the impact may be limited Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Scattered Spider playbook evolving fast, says Microsoft

Microsoft warns users over notable evolutions in Scattered Spider’s attack playbook, and beefs up some of the defensive capabilities it offers to customers in response Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

UK government to invest £1m in building out regional tech clusters

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology is leading a push to make the UK tech sector less London-centric Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

UKtech50 2025: The most influential people in UK technology

Computer Weekly has announced the 15th annual UKtech50 – our definitive list of the movers and shakers in the UK tech sector Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Current approaches to patching unsustainable, report says

Organisations are struggling to prioritise vulnerability patching appropriately, leading to situations where everything is a crisis, which helps nobody, according to a report Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

MoD cyber breach put thousands of Afghan lives at risk

More than 18,000 Afghan citizens eligible to relocate to the UK under a government programme to protect them from the Taliban were put at risk in a heretofore unreportable data breach Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Ada Lovelace: using market forces to professionalise AI assurance

The Ada Lovelace Institute examines how ‘market forces’ can be used to drive the professionalisation of artificial intelligence assurance in the context of a wider political shift towards deregulation Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Data (Use and Access) Act: Reflections on an eight-month statute

It took a long time, but the government's new data legislation finally made it into the statute book - it holds a lot of promise, but also leaves a lot of unanswered questions Continue Reading

By

• Lord Chris Holmes, House of Lords

Brits clinging to Windows 10 face heightened risk, says NCSC

Businesses and consumers alike may not feel the need to upgrade to Windows 11 as its predecessor approaches end-of-life, but they are putting their own security at risk, says the NCSC Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Home Office dumps Fujitsu from IT services contract

Home Office to take IT service desk contract in-house, with staff set to transfer from Fujitsu Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Technology fuels successful FCA fight against unauthorised financial services

The UK finance regulator is using data and technology to identify websites and apps that could cause financial harm Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

MoD supply chain cyber scheme gets up and running

The Ministry of Defence and IASME have launched a certification scheme for organisations working in the UK defence supply chain, with construction firm Morgan Sindall the first business to achieve compliance Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Meta and Alan Turing Institute back open source AI fellowship

Labour’s AI fellowship will see experts use open source AI tools in a bid deliver better public services at lower cost Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Former Post Office staff in Horizon replacement bid team

Escher, which supplied middleware in the Post Office Horizon system, is eyeing up the contract to replace the controversial software Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

UK to create ‘governance framework’ for police facial recognition

Home secretary Yvette Cooper has confirmed UK will regulate police facial recognition, citing police reticence to deploy systems without proper governance, but declined to say if any new framework will be statutory Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

UK online safety regime ineffective on misinformation, MPs say

A report from the Commons Science, Innovation and Technology Committee outlines how the Online Safety Act fails to deal with the algorithmic amplification of ‘legal but harmful’ misinformation Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

European Commission accused of rigging data watchdog appointment

The European Commission has been accused of rigging the selection process for the next European Data Protection supervisor Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Investigations Editor
• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

UK and France forge closer cyber, tech research ties

The navigation and timing systems used by power suppliers and emergency services to run their operations will fall in scope of an Anglo-French research pact that will also foster development in AI and supercomputing Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

NAO says government should employ data analytics to tackle fraud

The National Audit Office recommends public bodies share and manage data in a way that prevents fraud and saves taxpayers’ money Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Accounting watchdog ‘disclaims’ College of Policing financial accounts after serious IT failures

The professional body for policing in England and Wales failed to properly manage its transition to new accounting and payroll systems Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Investigations Editor

July Patch Tuesday brings over 130 new flaws to address

Microsoft patched well over 100 new common vulnerabilities and exposures on the second Tuesday of the month, but its latest update is mercifully light on zero-days Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Liverpool launches community AI charter

The charter, which was created by a residents’ assembly, outlines public data sharing principles and supports the use of AI for public benefit Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Post Office inquiry chair 'cannot rule out' scandal caused 13 suicides

Post Office scandal public inquiry publishes its first report after three years of gathering and analysing evidence, examining the human impact on victims and the compensation process Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

NHS trust accused of ‘at best cavalier, at worst deceitful’ behaviour after deleting emails

A London hospital trust faces allegations it withheld key evidence from a tribunal hearing after one of its directors attempted to destroy more than 90,000 emails Continue Reading

By

• Tommy Greene

Do tech executives in US Army present conflict of interest?

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we take a deep dive into the controversial news that four technology executives have been sworn into the US military to make the armed forces ‘more lethal’. In other US-centric news, we look at how President Trump’s downgrading of diversity and inclusion initiatives could be potentially rippling across the Atlantic and affecting tech hiring trends in the UK. We also hear about a UK startup that is using AI to pinpoint the genetic code that needs tweaking to increase tomato and potato yields, as part of a broader push to increase the nation’s food security in the face of climate change. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Tech firms complicit in ‘economy of genocide’, says UN rapporteur

A UN special rapporteur has called for technology firms operating in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories to immediately halt their activities, in wider report about the role corporate entities have played in the Israeli state’s ongoing ‘crimes of apartheid and genocide’ Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

NHS to be ‘digital by default’

Single Patient Records, a digitally enabled neighbourhood health service, and the NHS App becoming a ‘doctor in your pocket’ are all part of the government’s 10-year plan for the NHS Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

US CISA agency extends Iran cyber alert, warns of CNI threat

The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency reiterates guidance for operators of critical national infrastructure as it eyes the possibility of cyber attacks from Iran Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Google fixes type confusion flaw in Chrome browser

An actively exploited type confusion vulnerability in the Google Chrome web browser needs immediate attention from users Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Why the Gov.uk App could (maybe, possibly...) be a turning point for digital government

Twelve years ago, the Government Digital Service (GDS) told us that it was “not ‘appy at all”. The March 2013 blog post that announced GDS would not develop a government mobile app and would ... Continue Reading

By

• Bryan Glick, Editor in chief

Law professor urges CMA to take swift and urgent action over Microsoft cloud licensing

University of Leeds law professor has published an academic paper calling on the UK Competition and Markets Authority not to drag its heels on correcting Microsoft’s controversial cloud licensing habits Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

Dutch study uncovers cognitive biases undermining cyber security board decisions

Dutch research reveals how cognitive biases can lead to catastrophic security decisions Continue Reading

By

• Kim Loohuis

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

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

By

• Sean Green

Government launches Gov.uk App

The public beta version of the app will allow users to access government services on their phones, based on their needs and interests Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

IR35: Use of HMRC CEST tool drops by more than 70%, delayed FOI reveals

HMRC announced, via a freedom of information response, that use of its IR35 status checker tool is declining, as around 20% of its users continue to get an undetermined response from it. Caroline Donnelly reports Continue Reading

Better governance is required for AI agents

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

By

• Mandy Andress, Elastic