IT for government and public sector

Cyber Essentials certifications rising slowly but steadily

The number of businesses attaining the NCSC Cyber Essentials certification continues to increase, but much more can be done to raise awareness of the scheme Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

UK data reforms become law

UK passes wide-ranging data protection reforms to ‘simplify’ organisations’ sharing and processing of data, but questions remain whether changes will be accepted by European Commission when renewing UK data adequacy Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Beyond the AI hype: How data laws quietly handed power to government and Big Tech

The UK is at risk of becoming an ‘algorithm state’ as the government hands more power to Big Tech and reduces the rights of individuals Continue Reading

By

• James Baker, Platform Power Programme Manager at Open Rights Group

Dutch cloud pioneers face the hard limits of digital sovereignty

The Netherlands’ ambitious talk of digital independence meets the unforgiving economics of global cloud dominance Continue Reading

By

• Kim Loohuis

Government hires chief data officer

Former MoD data chief, Lindsay Mason, has taken on the role of chief data officer in earl on a temporary basis while government recruits for a permanent position Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Report on integrity of current Post Office Horizon system due in autumn

Investigation into the integrity and discrepancy identification capabilities of Post Office core system being carried out by independent specialists Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Government announces details of Post Office Capture redress scheme

The government says it wants new scheme to take a ‘common sense’ approach to redress for former Capture users Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Should we trust Humphrey to boost public sector efficiency?

Labour is betting on Humphrey, an AI toolkit named after a Yes Minister character, to drive public sector efficiency Continue Reading

By

• Elena Simperl

Cyber action plan kicks off to ‘supercharge’ UK security sector

UK government says its cyber growth action plan will provide a large boost to Britain’s security industry as it sets out to create a roadmap for future growth Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Patients to access clinical trials via NHS App

As government plans a £50m upgrade of the NHS App, people will be able to sign up to clinical trials that will match them to available studies Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

UKtech50: Vote for the most influential person in UK technology

Our judges have selected the top 50 leaders from a shortlist of nearly 500 people – now it’s your chance to tell us who you think is the most influential person in UK technology Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

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

HMRC has revealed, via a Freedom of Information response, that use of its IR35 status checker tool is declining, as around 20% of users continue to get an undetermined response from it Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

Intelligence sharing key to cyber security in Europe, says EU Commission cyber expert

Cyber criminals choose not to attack Europe due to its resilience and preparedness, says the EU Commission’s principal advisor for cyber security coordination, Despina Spanou Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

UKtech50 2025: the longlist of the UK’s influential tech leaders

Each year, Computer Weekly launches a search for the most influential people in UK IT, asking the tech community who it thinks should be in the top 50 – here is the longlist of everyone nominated for 2025 Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Apple encryption row: Does law enforcement need to use Technical Capability Notices?

History shows that law enforcement can bring successful prosecutions without the need for the Home Office to introduce ‘backdoors’ into end-to-end encryption Continue Reading

By

• Professor Peter Sommer, digital evidence expert witness

France is committed to AI, says president Macron

The French president wants homegrown artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure and thinks plans to create a European cloud platform dedicated to AI will be a ‘game changer’ Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Sweden gets help pulling its sovereign AI socks up

Urgent government calls for more high-powered sovereign computers to fulfil Swedish goal of building a more powerful AI industry answered by foreign financiers, US tech and Europe’s AI emergency fund Continue Reading

By

• Mark Ballard

MPs to investigate potential for government digital identity scheme

Amid growing calls for a national digital ID scheme, Home Affairs Committee launches inquiry into likely benefits and risks Continue Reading

By

• Bryan Glick, Editor in chief

AI vs creative industries - the UK government's foolish choice

The UK government is cosying up to Big Tech when instead it should be vociferously protecting the creative industries from the avarice of AI giants Continue Reading

By

• Emer Coleman

NHS IT the big winner in Reeves’ Spending Review

The chancellor of the exchequer has significantly upped spending on digital and technology initiatives in the current Spending Review period, with the NHS receiving a 50% tech funding increase Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Human vs digital therapy: AI falls short when IT pros need help

Stressed IT and cyber professionals are turning to AI chatbots for support, but is handing people's mental wellbeing over to algorithms really such a bright idea? Continue Reading

By

• Malcolm Hanson, PTSD Revolution

Investor behaviour in the wake of cyber's 'black swan' moment

So-called Black Swan events expose the blind spots in even the most sophisticated forecasting models, signaling a need to rethink how businesses, and those investing in them, quantify and prepare for cyber risk. Continue Reading

By

• Ed Bartlett, Hicomply

Government using national security as ‘smokescreen’ in Apple encryption row

Senior conservative MP David Davis says the Home Office should disclose how many secret orders it has issued against telecoms and internet companies to Parliament Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

June Patch Tuesday brings a lighter load for defenders

Barely 70 vulnerabilities make the cut for Microsoft’s monthly security update, but an RCE flaw in WEBDAV and an EoP issue in Windows SMB Client still warrant close attention Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Cyber Bill at risk of becoming a missed opportunity, say MPs

An APPG report warns that the government’s flagship cyber security legislation is too narrow in its scope and risks missing opportunities to embed resilience at the heart of the British economy Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

London Tech Week: More funding, fellowships and skills

The government wants to make the UK the best place for tech and AI, opening pathways for global talent and venture capital funding Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Tariff turmoil: IT procurement and the public sector

In the first of a two-part series, we look at the current tariff turmoil in public sector IT procurement, the particular challenges faced by public sector procurement, and how the cloud and pay-as-you-go can help Continue Reading

By

• Stephen Pritchard

UK defence scheme invests in future cyber tech Cheri

Cambridge-based SCI Semiconductors is awarded DTEP funding to work on the application of defensive Cheri technology Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

HMRC paid Fujitsu £310m last year, but Post Office supplier’s UK business faces gradual decline

While victims are made to fight for every penny they are owed, the IT supplier at the centre of the Post Office scandal is handed hundreds of millions of pounds by UK government Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

The data deficit undermining Britain’s public sector AI push

This is a guest blogpost by Matthew Houlihan, senior director of government affairs, Cisco. The UK is racing to transform its public services for the digital age—and rightly so. The potential ... Continue Reading

By

• Brian McKenna, Enterprise Applications Editor

Labour commits £17.2m to support Spärck AI scholarships

The government has put up money to help drive the UK’s expertise in artificial intelligence Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Are we normalising surveillance in schools?

Children and teenagers are subjected to a vast array of surveillance technologies in schools. These are intended to keep them safe, but are we normalising surveillance for young people? Continue Reading

By

• Peter Ray Allison

Starmer opens London Tech Week with £1bn AI boost

Prime Minister unveiled plans to boost UK’s high-performance compute capacity 20-fold, along with funding to bolster skills Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Government to create online platform for public sector tech buyers

The National Digital Exchange will be a one-stop shop for public sector tech buying, allowing organisations to rate and review products and gain access to pre-approved tech deals Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

US lawmakers say UK has ‘gone too far’ by attacking Apple’s encryption

US politicians are calling for Congress to rewrite the US Cloud Act to prevent the UK issuing orders to require US tech companies to introduce ‘backdoors’ in end-to-end encrypted messaging and storage Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

An industrial strategy without tech is no strategy at all

Ahead of the delivery of the UK government’s Industrial Strategy white paper, TechUK sets out how the tech sector can drive growth, and the steps the government should take to harness it Continue Reading

By

• Julian David, TechUK

What happens if Silicon Valley’s AI investment bubble bursts?

US tech giants are burning through unprecedented amounts of capital to develop artificial superintelligence, but authoritarian regimes around the world could keep the pursuit of a techno-utopian future alive when the bubble subsides Continue Reading

By

• Kyle Hiebert, Computer Weekly

UK ICO publishes AI and biometrics strategy

The UK data regulator has outlined how it will approach the regulation of artificial intelligence and biometric technologies, which will focus in particular on automated decision-making systems and police facial recognition Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Whitehall fails to recognise digital procurement challenge, says PAC

Committee concerned that Government Commercial Function doesn’t understand the scale of reform needed to address long-standing digital procurement issues, including lack of skills and leadership Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

HMRC phishing breach wholly avoidable, but hard to stop

A breach at HMRC saw innocent taxpayers tricked into letting scammers impersonate them through simple phishing attacks leading to account takeover. Such attacks are avoidable, but hard to stop Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

UK’s error-prone eVisa system is ‘anxiety-inducing’

People experiencing technical errors with the Home Office’s electronic visa system explain the psychological toll of not being able to reliably prove their immigration status in the face of a hostile and unresponsive bureaucracy Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Building the foundations: A national roadmap for digital identity and sovereign data

Now the UK government has offered some clarity on the future of private and public sector digital identity services, it's time to work together to put the essential foundations in place to make digital ID work for everyone Continue Reading

By

• David Crack, Association of Digital Verification Professionals

Put ROCs before SOCs, Qualys tells public sector

Putting risk operations before security operations may help government agencies and other public sector bodies better manage the myriad threats they face, and make better decisions for the security of all Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

NCSC sets out how to build cyber safe cultures

The UK’s National Cyber Security Centre has published guidance for security teams and leaders on how to foster accessible and appropriate cyber security cultures in their organisations Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Investigatory powers: Guidelines for police and spies could also help businesses with AI

Computer Weekly talks to Muffy Calder, technology advisor to the UK’s investigatory powers commissioner, about privacy, intrusion and artificial intelligence Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Microsoft outlines three-pronged European cyber strategy

Microsoft chair Brad Smith outlines an expansive cyber programme targeting governments across Europe with enhanced threat intelligence and support Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

European Commission should rescind UK data adequacy

Civil society organisations have urged the European Commissioner to not renew the UK’s data adequacy, given the country’s growing divergence from European data protection standards Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Fortifying the future: The pivotal role of CISOs in AI operations

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

• Aditya K Sood, Aryaka

Dutch university’s rapid response saved it from ransomware devastation

Eindhoven University of Technology has planned multi-factor authentication and regularly practised cyber crisis drills – yet it still fell victim to attackers who exploited gaps in its defences Continue Reading

By

• Kim Loohuis

Interview: Manish Jethwa, chief technology officer, Ordnance Survey

The UK mapping service has moved on a long way from paper maps as it now looks to use artificial intelligence to understand, interpret and derive insights from geographical data Continue Reading

By

• Mark Samuels

Preparing for AI: The CISO’s role in security, ethics and compliance

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

• Elliott Wilkes, ACDS

HMRC aims to improve customer service with £1.5bn IT investment

The department is on the hunt for customer relationship management system and contact centre as a service suppliers, following criticism of its customer service Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

US cyber agency CISA faces stiff budget cuts

CISA is one of several US agencies facing drastic budget cuts under the Trump administration Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

The hidden security risks of open source AI

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

• Brian Fox, Sonatype

Microsoft Copilot AI saves civil service hours of admin work

Over a third of Microsoft 365 users who took part in trials across government departments claimed they saved more than half an hour in productivity a day Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Cyber and digital get over £1bn to enhance UK’s national security

The government has set out plans to spend over a billion pounds on digital and cyber warfare capabilities to enhance the UK’s ability to defend itself and fight offensive wars Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

AI security: Balancing innovation with protection

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

• Javvad Malik, KnowBe4

NPCC calls for better tech investment

The National Police Chiefs’ Council sets out a series of digital ambitions and asks for £220m per year in the upcoming spending review to scale up science and technology capabilities Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Rethinking secure comms: Are encrypted platforms still enough?

A leak of information on American military operations caused a major political incident in March 2025. The Security Think Tank considers what CISOs can learn from this potentially fatal error Continue Reading

By

• Russell Auld, PAC

How cyber security professionals are leveraging AWS tools

It’s now essential for IT security teams to have oversight of cloud computing, and AWS offers a plethora of tools to make managing it easier. Find out how cyber pros are using them in the wild Continue Reading

By

• Nicholas Fearn

Signalgate is a signal to revisit security onboarding and training

A leak of information on American military operations caused a major political incident in March 2025. The Security Think Tank considers what can CISOs can learn from this potentially fatal error. Continue Reading

By

• Mike Gillespie and Ellie Hurst, Advent IM

Post Office slammed after deleting social media comments on IT scandal

Post Office accused of suppressing the views of victims of the Horizon scandal by deleting comments on social media platforms Continue Reading

By

• Bill Curtis

Gov.uk Wallet open to public sector bodies

Government departments can soon begin to add documents to Gov.uk Wallet, as the Government Digital Service publishes guidance for public sector bodies on how to use the smartphone app Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

UK biometric surveillance exists in ‘legal grey area’

The rapid proliferation of ‘biometric mass surveillance technologies’ throughout the UK’s public and private sectors is taking place without legal certainty or adequate safeguards for the public Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Four successful strategies for public sector technology recruitment

Four key strategies public bodies can adopt to attract talented IT professionals Continue Reading

By

• Graeme McNaull, Executive Director – Public Sector, Harvey Nash

Government launches search to link UK to European supercomputers

As part of Horizon 2020, the UK recently signed up to an EU initiative to support the expansion of high-performance computing for AI Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Armed forces charity steps in to address cyber mental health crisis

CIISec and military charity PTSD Resolution hope to address a gathering mental health crisis among frontline cyber professionals Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Security vs. usability: Why rogue corporate comms are still an issue

A leak of information on American military operations caused a major political incident in March 2025. The Security Think Tank considers what can CISOs can learn from this potentially fatal error. Continue Reading

By

• Elliott Wilkes, ACDS

Norway’s autonomous bus moves into the fast lane

In a small but ambitious project in Stavanger, Norway, autonomous buses are proving they might one day solve a critical problem: the chronic shortage of bus drivers Continue Reading

By

• Pat Brans

When leaders ignore cyber security rules, the whole system weakens

The US ‘Signalgate’ debacle is a case study in how security collapses when leadership treats basic rules as optional Continue Reading

By

• Raihan Islam, defineXTEND

Preparation and appreciation – the human factor in incident response

A typical incident response effort is highly technical, so where do soft skills come in and how do you know how effective your team is? We look at a measurement option and the human consideration in these scenarios Continue Reading

By

• Dan Raywood

What are the best practices for securing AWS tech stacks?

An AWS tech stack can aid business growth and facilitate efficient operations, but misconfigurations have become all too common and stall this progress Continue Reading

By

• Nicholas Fearn

Essex Police discloses ‘incoherent’ facial recognition assessment

An equality impact assessment of Essex Police live facial recognition deployments is plagued by inconsistencies and poor methodology, undermining the force’s claim that its use of the technology will not be discriminatory Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Labour puts Humphrey AI to work for council admin

A tool built on the government’s Humphrey AI toolset is being piloted by 25 councils to take notes during meetings Continue Reading

Police Digital Service board director quits several months after CISO departs

The Police Digital Service has confirmed it’s in the process of recruiting a new CISO, as Companies House documents confirm one of its board members left the organisation earlier this month Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

Microsoft raises posse to target dangerous Lumma malware

Microsoft, along with a consortium of partners, has seized and disrupted a significant part of the Lumma malware-as-a-service network used to steal data and funds Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

DSIT makes £5.5m of funding available to new projects

The government is focusing on easing the regulatory burden that can often hamper the introduction of innovative technologies in the public sector Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

HMRC begins escape from Fujitsu’s grip through £500m contract

HMRC looking for a supplier to support its planned exit from three Fujitsu datacentre contracts Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

NCSC: Russia’s Fancy Bear targeting logistics, tech organisations

The NCSC and its partner agencies have blown the whistle on an extensive campaign of malicious cyber attacks orchestrated by the Russian state Fancy Bear operation Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Fujitsu raked in £80m from HMRC in March alone, despite Post Office scandal

HM Revenue & Customs described as a UK ‘cash cow’ for the Japanese IT giant at the centre of the Post Office Horizon scandal Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

UK Fraud Bill targets benefit claimants for mass surveillance

The UK government’s proposed Fraud Bill will disproportionately place millions of benefit claimants under constant surveillance, creating a two-tier system where people are automatically suspected of wrongdoing for seeking welfare Continue Reading

By

• Anna Dent

Ransomware attacks dropped by a third last month

Reported ransomware attacks eased off during April following a dramatic spike in the first quarter of 2025 Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Botched Post Office IT projects continue to drain public purse

Millions more pounds of public money spent by the Post Office as a result of an IT error that exposed the personal details of Horizon victims Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Interview: Driving tech innovation at the BBC

Computer Weekly speaks to Jatin Aythora, director of BBC Research and Development, about self-belief and learning from different industries Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Tackling the UK’s cyber threats

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we report from the National Cyber Security Centre’s annual update on the state of UK security and examine the emerging threats. The chief data officer of Standard Chartered bank discusses preparing for artificial intelligence. We also look at the networking implications of GPU-based AI datacentres. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Chinese cyber spooks lure laid-off US government workers

A Washington DC-based think tank has published evidence that Chinese intelligence services have been running a network of digital ‘front’ companies targeting laid-off government workers as recruits Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Legal Aid Agency breach may encompass millions of people

Legal Aid Agency says the data of anybody who applied for legal aid over the past 15 years has been compromised in a cyber attack Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Calm settles over digital identity market - for now... (Hark, is that Big Tech on the horizon?)

A relative calm has settled over the digital identity sector after months of worry and vitriol – for now, at least. Digital ID players have largely welcomed the government’s announcement of the ... Continue Reading

By

• Bryan Glick, Editor in chief

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

Dutch universities call for reduced dependence on Big Tech

Dutch universities are calling for greater digital autonomy as more research and educational data is stored in American clouds, posing risks to academic freedom, privacy and accessibility Continue Reading

By

• Kim Loohius

Government sets up guidance for 10-year R&D commitment

Research and development is one of the main areas of focus for Labour’s Plan for Change as it readies its Industrial Strategy Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Post Office performs costly 30-year U-turn on Horizon

Post Office Horizon replacement magnifies missed opportunity as move from the controversial Horizon system to an off-the-shelf alternative is going back to a plan it rejected in the 1990s Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Mid-career professionals must learn to understand and use AI as GenAI tips balance

Whether in the finance, IT or legal sectors, artificial intelligence will change the way businesses operate and how their people work Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Security tests reveal serious vulnerability in government’s One Login digital ID system

A ‘red teaming’ exercise to simulate cyber attacks on the government’s flagship digital identity system has found that One Login can be compromised without detection Continue Reading

By

• Bryan Glick, Editor in chief

How digital identity will empower people and drive economic growth

The government has finally plotted out the future of digital identity in the UK in a way that makes sense for private sector, public sector, and citizens. Now let's make it happen Continue Reading

By

• David Crack, Association of Digital Verification Professionals

Government starts private sector engagement on digital ID and Gov.uk Wallet

Following concerns from the digital identity industry that Gov.uk Wallet would dominate the market, the government has offered private sector providers a ‘critical role’ in its future, as it revealed further details on the wallet Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Post Office scandal inquiry to publish first findings this summer

Inquiry announces that findings on compensation and human impact will be presented in the next few months Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

UK government outlines plan to surveil migrants with eVisa data

Electronic visa data and biometric technologies will be used by the UK’s immigration enforcement authorities to surveil migrants living in the country and to ‘tighten control of the border’, attracting strong criticism from migrant support groups Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Roundtable: Why did customers sail away from VMware?

At Nutanix’s recent .Next event in the US, customers talked about why they migrated away from VMware and the pain points that accelerated their decision to switch hypervisor Continue Reading

By

• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

Humphrey AI tool powers Scottish Parliament consultation

AI-powered Consult tool has helped the Scottish Parliament to organise feedback from a public consultation into themes Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor