IT for government and public sector

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

UKRI must do more to drive innovation agenda and avoid fraud

UKRI’s funding of research and innovation to support the government’s growth strategy has room for improvement Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

May Patch Tuesday brings five exploited zero-days to fix

Microsoft fixes five exploited, and two publicly disclosed, zero-days in the fifth Patch Tuesday update of 2025 Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Controversial Post Office Horizon system could stay until 2033

Post Office seeks off-the-shelf Horizon replacement as part of £492m tender that includes ongoing support for Horizon up to 2033 Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Gov.uk One Login loses certification for digital identity trust framework

The government’s flagship digital identity system has lost its certification against the government’s own digital identity system trust framework Continue Reading

By

• Bryan Glick, Editor in chief

NHS trust cloud plans hampered by Trump tariff uncertainty

Essex NHS wants to move some capacity to the Nutanix cloud, but can’t be certain prices will hold between product selection and when procurement plans gain approval Continue Reading

Evidence reveals Post Office scandal victims short-changed in compensation payouts

Subpostmasters who appealed compensation payments have significantly increased ‘worryingly undervalued’ settlements Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

University will ‘pull the plug’ to test Nutanix disaster recovery

University of Reading set to save circa £500,000 and deploy Nutanix NC2 hybrid cloud that will allow failover from main datacentre Continue Reading

By

• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

Government calls on tech companies to join crime-cutting campaign

The justice secretary met with 30 tech companies to discuss how technology can help to tackle prison violence and reduce reoffending rates Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Government launches £8.2m plan to encourage girls into AI

The government is investing in teacher training and student support to get more girls into maths classes, ultimately leading to AI careers Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

UK government set to finally meet with digital identity providers - but will anything change?

Wednesday 14 May is set to be an important day in the long, slow, painful evolution of the use of digital identity in the UK. For the first time since the government announced its digital wallet ... Continue Reading

By

• Bryan Glick, Editor in chief

Nordic countries plan offline payment system for disaster backup

Board member of the Bank of Finland reveals plan as likelihood of losing internet connectivity increases amid geopolitical tensions Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Government will miss cyber resiliency targets, MPs warn

A Public Accounts Committee report on government cyber resilience finds that the Cabinet Office has been working hard to improve, but is likely to miss targets and needs a fundamentally different approach Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Preparing for post-quantum computing will be more difficult than the millennium bug

The job of getting the UK ready for post-quantum computing will be at least as difficult as the Y2K problem, says National Cyber Security Centre CTO Ollie Whitehouse Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

US tells CNI orgs to stop connecting OT kit to the web

US authorities have released guidance for owners of critical national infrastructure in the face of an undisclosed number of cyber incidents Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

UK Digital Services Tax survives US trade negotiations

The UK will retain its Digital Services Tax on tech giants in a landmark US trade agreement that paves the way for a future digital tech deal Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

NHS launches digital tool to improve cancer care

Cancer 360 tool aims to bring together data on cancer patients in one place, allowing clinicians access to all the information through the Federated Data Platform Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

UK government websites to replace passwords with secure passkeys

Government websites are to replace difficult-to-remember passwords with highly secure passkeys that will protect against phishing and cyber attackers Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Oxford Uni adds cyber resilience module to MBA programme

Oxford University’s Saïd Business School is working with cyber response specialist Sygnia to help future business leaders get on top of security Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Schools pilot exam results app that could save £30m

Exam results and certificates will be provided digitally in a pilot the government hopes will lead to huge financial savings Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

UK hands Indian IT suppliers competitive boost in trade deal

Trade deal will exempt IT workers from India from paying National Insurance contributions for three years Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

DSIT aims to bolster expertise with year-long secondments

To drive forward its Plan for Change, the Labour government is looking to hire 25 experts for the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology Fellowship programme Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Government industrial strategy will back cyber tech in drive for economic growth

With over 2,000 cyber security businesses across the UK, the government plans to target cyber as a priority to grow the economy  Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Unspoken risk: Human factors undermine trusted platforms

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

• Aditya K Sood, Aryaka

Fintech summit reveals what’s next for sector

The UK’s fintech sector attracted $3.6bn investment last year, which was only bettered by the US, but how will UK fintech continue to grow? Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

EU acts to mend ailing AI competitiveness

Lack of private investors, malformed markets and over-regulation present a big challenge for European officials trying to turn the continent into a global AI superpower Continue Reading

By

• Mark Ballard

Beyond the hook: How phishing is evolving in the world of AI

Phishing attacks are evolving. Gone are the days of clumsy, error-ridden emails that were easy to spot – today’s campaigns harness advanced techniques to bypass even the latest defences. A new approach is needed Continue Reading

By

• Isla Sibanda

Driven by data: The RAF’s revamped maritime patrol capabilities

Computer Weekly visited RAF Lossiemouth to see how its fleet of Boeing P-8A surveillance aircraft, supported by NetApp storage, keep watch over the North Atlantic gap Continue Reading

By

• Stephen Pritchard

Security and verification concerns dog debate over Data (Use & Access) Bill

With the long-awaited Data (Use & Access) Bill returning to the House of Commons on 7 May, there remain pros and cons in the bill in relation to financial crime and cyber security Continue Reading

By

• Andrew Churchill

Accused by algorithm

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we shine a light on the Ministry of Justice’s controversial use of crime prediction algorithms. The CIO of Boehringer Ingelheim sets out how his organisation has built a data platform that is paving the way for the pharmaceutical giant to embrace AI and quantum computing. And, with the fallout from the VMware-Broadcom merger showing no signs of letting up, we weigh up what the migration options are for VMware vSAN users. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Security Think Tank: What CISOs can learn from Signalgate

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

• Javvad Malik, KnowBe4

Government and Ofcom disagree about scope of Online Safety Act

MPs heard different views from the online harms regulator and the UK government about whether and how the Online Safety Act obliges platforms to deal with disinformation Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

India’s Hexaware targets public sector business as it expands UK operation

Indian heritage IT services firm opens office in Canary Wharf and sets is sights on growing its UK public sector business Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Will the government be able to achieve its £45bn savings target through tech?

Computer Weekly takes a closer look at Whitehall’s ambitious plans to save billions through the adoption of digital technologies, whether the goal is achievable, and why there is such a big focus on AI Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Signalgate: Learnings for CISOs securing enterprise data

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

• Todd Thiemann, Principal Analyst

Progress made on government’s Post Office Capture redress, but concerns remain

Latest meeting between campaigners and business department seen as positive, but frustration and concerns remain Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Is the Investigatory Powers Tribunal powerless?

Five judges have found the Investigatory Powers Tribunal has no statutory powers to impose financial sanctions against police and intelligence services. Their findings raise significant and serious concerns about the integrity of our legal system. Continue Reading

By

• Maria Theodoulou, Partner at Stokoe Partnership Solicitors

Current SaaS delivery model a risk management nightmare, says CISO

JPMorgan Chase security chief Patrick Opet laments the state of SaaS security in an open letter to the industry and calls on software providers to do more to enhance resilience Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

AI in national security raises proportionality and privacy concerns

AI could enable investigations to cover far more individuals than was ever previously possible, which is why oversight is needed Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Brunel versus Putin: next steps for UK tech sector need to be transformational

This is a guest blogpost by John Bates, CEO of SER Group. A short time ago, I’d have cautiously suggested long-term investment and a shift in UK higher education as keys to regenerating the native ... Continue Reading

By

• Brian McKenna, Enterprise Applications Editor

Gov.uk One Login yet to meet government cyber security standards for critical public services

The government’s flagship digital identity system still does not fully conform to key national security standards three years after launch, while questions remain over whether historic security problems have been resolved Continue Reading

By

• Bryan Glick, Editor in chief

Government faces claims of serious security and data protection problems in One Login digital ID

The Government Digital Service was warned about serious cyber security and data protection problems in its flagship digital identity system, with insider claims that the data of three million users may still be at risk Continue Reading

Making divorce digital

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we talk to the CEO of the National Family Mediation charity about its tech overhaul and how divorce is going digital. The government’s One Login digital identity system is under scrutiny over security problems – we examine the issues. And we explain what’s happening in the UK competition watchdog’s investigation into AWS and Microsoft cloud services. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Fujitsu UK staff will get bonus despite Post Office scandal fallout

Employees will receive bonuses as Fujitsu UK reaches sales target - suggesting that its pause on bidding for public sector business has had limited impact Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Workers need more support for AI success

Artificial intelligence has the potential to boost the UK economy, but people need training and assurances that their jobs are not going to be disrupted Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

UK MoJ crime prediction algorithms raise serious concerns

The Ministry of Justice is using one algorithm to predict people’s risk of reoffending and another to predict who will commit murder, but critics say the profiling in these systems raises ‘serious concerns’ over racism, classism and data inaccuracies Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Beyond the usual suspects: What’s really blocking public sector tech reform

Former GDS boss Steve Foreshew-Cain delves into why government is still struggling to deliver its digital transformation vision Continue Reading

By

• Steve Foreshew-Cain

Challenges persist as UK’s Cyber Security and Resilience Bill moves forward

Elements of the Cyber Security and Resilience Bill are welcome but questions remain about how best to act in the face of persistent challenges like geopolitical chaos, threats to critical infrastructure, and technological advances Continue Reading

By

• James Morris, CSBR

March ransomware slowdown probably a red herring

An apparent slowdown in ransomware attack volumes is raising eyebrows, but the statistics never tell the full story Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Rethink authentication to remove the burden on users

The rise of AI powered threats and non-human identities will push an already strained identity security model over the edge Continue Reading

By

• Patrick Wardrop, IBM

Digital ID sector calls for changes to government data legislation

Suppliers urge technology secretary to work more collaboratively with private sector over concerns government’s digital wallet will gain a monopoly in the market Continue Reading

By

• Bryan Glick, Editor in chief

Beyond baselines - getting real about security and resilience

In an increasingly contested world, the UK government needs a security certification that goes beyond baseline measures. Continue Reading

By

• Neil Ashdown and Tash Buckley

Government tests experimental AI for housing

The AI tool will be used to turn handwritten notes and scanned documents into high-quality data, aiming to improve efficiency in planning decisions for housing Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Investigatory Powers Tribunal has no power to award costs against PSNI over evidence failures

Investigatory Powers Tribunal judges have called for the Home Secretary to step in after finding they have no powers to award costs against government bodies that fail to disclose evidence Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Tariff turmoil is making supply chain security riskier

Many businesses around the world are taking the decision to alter their supplier mix in the face of tariff uncertainty, but in doing so are creating more cyber risks for themselves, according to a report Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Saudi Arabia struggling to reach global leadership in deeptech

Petrostate monarchy trying to build surrogate industry made of foreign startups because own ecosystem is too immature Continue Reading

By

• Mark Ballard

UK digital identity turns to drama (or farce?) over industry fears and security doubts

Government at loggerheads with industry. Warnings of serious security and data protection problems undermining a vital public service. A burgeoning political campaign seeking greater influence. You ... Continue Reading

By

• Bryan Glick, Editor in chief

Hertz warns UK customers of Cleo-linked data breach

Car hire giant Hertz reveals UK customer data was affected in a cyber incident orchestrated via a series of vulnerabilities in Cleo managed file transfer products Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

The Investigatory Powers Tribunal explained

The Investigatory Powers Tribunal is a semi-secret judicial body that has made significant legal rulings on privacy, surveillance and the use of investigatory powers. What does it do and why is it important?  Continue Reading

By

• Bernard Keenan, UCL

'I’m from the technocracy and I’m here to help' - how tech bros are taking over the world

The influence of billionaire tech leaders on Donald Trump may only be an early glimpse of their real intentions - the end of the nation-state concept as we know it Continue Reading

By

• Emer Coleman

Government faces claims of serious security and data protection problems in One Login digital ID

The Government Digital Service was warned about serious cyber security and data protection problems in its flagship digital identity system, with insider claims that the data of three million users may still be at risk Continue Reading

By

• Bryan Glick, Editor in chief

What’s the government up to with digital verification services? ‘ID’ like to know

Is the government really looking to compete with the private sector for provision of digital identity? Such a move risks fundamentally undermining public trust in critical digital verification services Continue Reading

By

• Lord Chris Holmes, House of Lords

AI surveillance towers place migrants in ‘even greater jeopardy’

The use of autonomous surveillance towers throughout the English coast forces migrants into increasingly dangerous routes and contributes to their criminalisation Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

More than 100 Horizon victims are challenging Post Office offers on complex claims

Calls for advanced dispute resolution meetings by victims of the Post Office Horizon system have been ignored by the Department of Business and Trade Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Wes Streeting launches digital qualification for social care leaders

As part of the government’s plan to create a digital national care service, social care leaders will be trained in adopting and using cutting-edge technology Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Met Police to deploy permanent facial recognition tech in Croydon

The Met Police is set deploy permanent live facial recognition cameras on street furniture in Croydon from summer 2025, but local councillors say the decision – which has taken place with no community input – will further contribute the over-policing of Black communities Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

GCHQ historian Dave Abrutat’s mission to preserve the UK’s forgotten signals intelligence history

Dave Abrutat, GCHQ’s official historian, is on a mission to preserve the UK’s historic signals intelligence sites and capture their stories before they disappear from folk memory. A new charity, NSIST, will raise funds and recruit volunteers Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Companies House goes live with One Login ID verification

People can verify their identity with Companies House using Gov.uk One Login as the central government body becomes the 36th service to start using the digital identity system Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Spirit of openness helps banks get serious about stopping scams

Recent announcements show that banks, financial services firms and IT companies are increasing efforts to curb online scams Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Investigative reporter files legal action over police surveillance and social media monitoring

Journalist complains to Investigatory Powers Tribunal after Northern Irish police placed him under surveillance as he investigated their handling of a high-profile death Continue Reading

By

• Cormac Kehoe

Post Office gets extra £136m towards tech transformation as clock ticks on Horizon

Latest handout means government has given the Post Office more than a quarter of a billion pounds in ‘further’ funding, with half destined to support its technology transformation Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Labour MPs launch digital ID campaign

A large group of Labour MPs have called for the introduction of a digital ID system to crack down on illegal migration and benefits fraud Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Spoofing vuln threatens security of WhatsApp Windows users

Meta has disclosed and patched a potentially dangerous spoofing flaw in WhatsApp for Windows that could have caused big problems for unwitting users Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

It’s time to stop the victim-blaming and insist on safer software

Businesses spend too much time and money protecting themselves against flaws and vulnerabilities in modern software products, when they ought to raise their expectations and insist on better solutions from providers Continue Reading

By

• Mandy Andress, Elastic

Current funding models prevent health and social care integration, according to report

Whitepaper by telecare provider Tunstall calls for government to develop a national strategy to resolve fragmentation between health and social care Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Government punts cyber governance code of practice for UK businesses

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology’s cyber security minister Feryal Clark announces a cyber security code of governance for UK businesses to follow Continue Reading

By

• Brian McKenna, Enterprise Applications Editor

UK authority’s search for answers over deleted Julian Assange emails comes too late to retrieve data

The Crown Prosecution Service has finally searched for information about the destruction of emails from the WikiLeaks founder’s lawyer – but too late to retrieve data about the deleted documents Continue Reading

By

• Stefania Maurizi

Post Office can’t find evidence for over 1,000 Horizon scandal redress claimants

The Post Office has no evidence of errors for more than 1,000 subpostmasters applying for compensation through the Horizon Shortfall Scheme Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

UN warns of economic productivity crash due to AI job losses

Artificial intelligence can improve productivity, but a report from the United Nations warns of potential job losses disrupting economies Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Taking a ‘good enough’ approach with cloud security isn't enough

In the wake of the January 2025 'Codefinger' attacks against AWS S3 users, Thales Rob Elliss argues that many organisations are dropping the ball when it comes to their understanding of cloud security best practice Continue Reading

By

• Rob Ellis, Thales

Danish supercomputer to drive innovation

Supercomputer project will add a competitive edge to drive innovation and growth among Denmark’s enterprises and research organisations Continue Reading

By

• Gerard O'Dwyer