IT for government and public sector

MI5 made multiple applications for phone data to identify BBC journalist’s sources

MI5 discloses it made and authorised unlawful ‘sequential applications’ for Vincent Kearney’s phone data during his time at the BBC, but will neither confirm nor deny whether it undertook further ‘lawful’ surveillance of BBC journalists Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Investigations Editor

Scottish government to launch cyber observatory

The observatory will analyse and share warnings on public sector cyber threats, and identify emerging risks Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Abu Dhabi hits accelerator on autonomous mobility commercialisation

Investment arm of Emirates development agency reveals 29 strategic partnerships to drive development of autonomous mobility in increasingly important region for smart mobility Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Post Office contract with Fujitsu has option to extend into 2028

Extension agreement for controversial Horizon contract with Fujitsu has option that could take the relationship well into 2028 Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Hungry for data: Inside Europol’s secretive AI programme

The EU’s law enforcement agency has been quietly amassing data to feed an ambitious but secretive artificial intelligence development programme that could have far-reaching privacy implications for people across the bloc Continue Reading

By

• Apostolis Fotiadis
• Giacomo Zandonini
• Luděk Stavinoha

US cyber intel sharing law set for temporary extension

The CISA 2015 cyber intelligence sharing law, which lapsed just over a month ago amid a wider shutdown, will receive a temporary lease of life should attempts to reopen the federal government succeed Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Microsoft users warned over privilege elevation flaw

An elevation of privilege vulnerability in Windows Kernel tops the list of issues to address in the latest monthly Patch Tuesday update Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

IT services companies and datacentres face regulation as cyber security bill reaches Parliament

The Cyber Security and Resilience Bill will require large IT services companies, including datacentres, to report security incidents within 24 hours Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Investigations Editor

Major software issue occurred in PSNI emergency call system

An issue with Police Service of Northern Ireland’s ControlWorks software, used to record information reported by the public, led to a delay in urgent information being passed to investigators Continue Reading

By

• Cormac Kehoe
• Bill Goodwin, Investigations Editor

National Highways to get more out of its data through single platform

Government-owned organisation National Highways will get more out of its data through extended working with IT service provider Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

German healthcare aims to replace faxes and phones with secure messaging

Germany’s digital health agency, Gematik, has turned to open source for secure messaging services that will link patients, doctors and pharmacies Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Investigations Editor

Oxford launches Equinox to build innovation hub in region

Oxford University and its host city have launched Equinox as a regional organisation uniting academia, business and government to establish Oxfordshire as a global innovation hub Continue Reading

By

• Brian McKenna, Enterprise Applications Editor

Post Office extends controversial Fujitsu contract in £41m deal

The Post Office’s controversial Horizon contract with Fujitsu will run until at least March 2027 Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

UK’s ‘deregulatory’ AI approach won’t protect human rights

Expert witnesses called before Parliament’s Joint Committee on Human Rights have told MPs and Lords that the UK’s current approach to artificial intelligence regulation will fail to effectively protect people’s rights Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Resilience for resilience: Managing burnout among cyber leaders

The Computer Weekly Security Think Tank considers the burdens and responsibilities that accompany the role of chief information security officer, and share guidance on how to navigate a challenging career path. Continue Reading

By

• John Skipper and Farrukh Ahmad, PA Consulting

Industry calls for clarity on government digital ID plans

The digital identity industry asks UK government for transparency on its digital identity scheme and proposes a formal collaboration agreement Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

We need to build psychological readiness into cyber security

The Computer Weekly Security Think Tank considers the burdens and responsibilities that accompany the role of chief information security officer, and share guidance on how to navigate a challenging career path. Continue Reading

By

• Haris Pylarinos, Hack The Box

Science and Technology Committee calls out migration red tape

With the US administration raising fees for the H1-B visa, the UK has an opportunity to roll out the red carpet for world-class talent Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Unearthed report reveals source of Post Office’s tenuous Capture sales pitch

Computer Weekly reveals report that misguided the Post Office’s sales pitch to subpostmasters for its controversial Capture system Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Police Digital Service defends IT contractor cuts amid concerns over IT project delivery

The Police Digital Service has defended its decision to cut the size of its flexible IT workforce, as sources raise concerns about low staff morale and hampered IT project delivery times Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

Maritime and Coastguard Agency to introduce digital assessments

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency is replacing paper methods with a digital assessment platform to be used for training cadets in the first half of 2026 Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Government considers physical ID cards

Physical ID cards may become available to those who don’t have access to technology when the government introduces its mandatory digital ID scheme Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

CISO burnout: A crisis of expectation and isolation

The Computer Weekly Security Think Tank considers the burdens and responsibilities that accompany the role of chief information security officer, and share guidance on how to navigate a challenging career path. Continue Reading

By

• Mike Gillespie and Ellie Hurst, Advent IM

Government to broaden ‘narrow’ computing curriculum

Planned changes to the computer science curriculum announced following independent review recommendations Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

The Security Interviews: Colin Mahony, CEO, Recorded Future

Recorded Future’s CEO talks threat intelligence, AI in cyber security and the ever-changing cyber threat landscape Continue Reading

By

• Danny Palmer

We can alleviate the expanding burden on the CISO

The Computer Weekly Security Think Tank considers the burdens and responsibilities that accompany the role of chief information security officer, and share guidance on how to navigate a challenging career path. Continue Reading

By

• Sam Thornton, Bridewell

Nordic investors drive investment in region’s defence sector

Slush Startup in Helsinki will feature dual-use, defence and security events that bring suppliers together Continue Reading

By

• Gerard O'Dwyer

Unequal access: The digital divide in criminal justice

Access to expert digital forensic analysis is biased towards the prosecution, says criminal defence Continue Reading

By

• Sophia Sheera

Is digital ID worth the risk?

The UK government’s recently announced digital ID scheme aims to curb the prospect of work for illegal migrants, along with claiming benefits for UK citizens and legal residents. However, are the threats to our personal data worth the risk? Continue Reading

By

• Peter Ray Allison

CISOs in court: Balancing cyber resilience and legal accountability

The Computer Weekly Security Think Tank considers the burdens and responsibilities that accompany the role of chief information security officer, and share guidance on how to navigate a challenging career path. Continue Reading

By

• Aditya K Sood, Aryaka

Accounting experts call for public inquiry into Birmingham bankruptcy

As it reworks Oracle implementation, misleading numbers have led to an ‘ideological’ programme of cuts and asset sales at Birmingham City Council Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

European governments opt for open source alternatives to Big Tech encrypted communications

European governments are rolling out decentralised secure messaging and collaboration services as they seek to reduce their reliance on Big Tech companies Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Investigations Editor

Cyber agencies co-sign Exchange Server security guide

US and allied cyber agencies team up to try to nudge users to pay more attention to securing Microsoft Exchange Server Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Ransomware resilience: It’s time to be ‘more Bruce Lee’

The growing threat of ransomware attacks requires cyber to evolve from a defensive posture to being increasingly proactive. Building threat intel can enable this, helping better predict, prioritise and prevent ransomware attacks. Continue Reading

By

• Jason Steer, CISO, Recorded Future

OpenUK works with UKRI on open source guidance for public sector

Collaboration aims to boost awareness of open source initiatives, community development and the procurement process Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Post Office scandal investigator warns public inquiry about Horizon defect at large for years

Forensic investigator who helped expose Horizon scandal described defect ‘sufficiently serious’ to inform public inquiry Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

US senators seek to prohibit minors from using AI chatbots

Two US senators have proposed legislation that would require AI chatbot companies to verify the ages of people using their chatbots, in attempt to limit their harmful effects on children Continue Reading

By

• Adele Zeynep Walton

Peer angry as sales figures suggest Fujitsu has weathered Post Office scandal storm

Japanese IT supplier managed to grow its UK public sector business last year despite the fallout from the Post Office scandal Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Labour fleshes out R&D funding

Over the next five years, £85bn has been set aside by the government to fund research and development Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Scope of US state-level privacy laws expands rapidly in 2025

Nine state-level data protection laws have come into force in the US this year, and three more are slated for January 2026. Navigating this complex landscape is becoming a challenge Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Post Office Capture redress scheme ‘went down like lead balloon’ and is ‘discriminatory’

Subpostmasters frustrated after meeting with government minister on the announcement of compensation scheme for those who had problems with Post Office Capture Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Alan Turing Institute refocuses on security following Peter Kyle intervention

A letter by the former secretary of state at DSIT, Peter Kyle, has led to a major transformation, with 78 projects taken off its books Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Pulling the plug: A way to halt a cyber attacker in your network?

Rumours of an organisation taking its systems offline during a cyber attack spurred conversation on the consequences of simply pulling the power, or internet access, to stop intruders. We consider the ethics and practicality Continue Reading

By

• Dan Raywood

Government begins search for chief technology officer

The government is looking for a chief technology officer to take charge of delivering its vision for digital public services Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

LockBit 5.0 expands targeting amid ransomware escalation

The LockBit RaaS operation is back in action, with technical features and expanded targeting, and is contributing to a steadily growing number of ransomware attacks Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Hamas lawyer seeks appeal following police’s seizure of his phone at Welsh port

Police say that solicitors cannot have a ‘cast iron defence’ to protect their electronic devices from ever being searched Continue Reading

By

• Cormac Kehoe

Post Office paid one law firm more for inquiry representation than cost of actual inquiry

Public inquiry into one of the biggest miscarriages of justice in UK history cost less to run than the Post Office paid one law firm for representation during the four-year process Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Building trustworthy technology: How AI and data can improve government

AI is reshaping government and public services. We should harness it to make government more efficient, fairer and more responsive Continue Reading

By

• Resham Kotecha

UK ramps up ransomware fightback with supply chain security guide

Multinational guidance, developed by the UK and Singapore, is designed to help organisations reinforce their supply chain against ransomware attacks Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Who knew? How Starmer kept his digital ID plan secret for months

When prime minister Keir Starmer announced on 26 September that the government was to introduce a mandatory national digital ID scheme, it came as a surprise to many people – not least those in the ... Continue Reading

By

• Bryan Glick, Editor in chief

Capita rubbishes Public Accounts Committee report claims

The outsourcing giant has missed IT deadlines, stoking fears it won’t be ready to take over the civil service pension contract Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Bereaved families call for public inquiry over suicide forum

The Molly Rose Foundation and families bereaved by suicide claim Ofcom and government departments have not taken effective action to deal with a forum promoting suicide Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Amid CISA cuts, US state launches first VDP

Legislators in Annapolis, Maryland, have teamed up with Bugcrowd to launch a statewide vulnerability disclosure programme Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

The US government shutdown is a wake-up call for cyber self-reliance

As the US government shutdown heads towards a second month, could the disruption to cyber security programmes be the impetus end-users need to pull themselves up by their own bootstraps? Continue Reading

By

• John Paul Cunningham, Silverfort Inc

Cabinet Office pinches digital ID responsibility from GDS

Prime minister Keir Starmer announces Cabinet Office will take over responsibility for the government’s new digital identity scheme Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

NHS could save millions of hours a year using AI, pilot shows

A Microsoft Copilot AI trial in 90 NHS organisations found that a national roll-out could save up to 400,000 hours per month Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Inspired by the EU: Sweden eyes open standard for encrypted chat services

What if your messaging and collaboration app could talk to all the others? Swedish government agencies are investigating the possibility Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Investigations Editor

Do government services need a rethink for AI and automation?

Evidence presented in a new Public Accounts Committee report covering smart public services delivery suggests a change in tack is needed Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Government to launch AI sandbox scheme

The proposed AI Growth Lab aims to cut red tape and allow companies to test artificial intelligence products in a safe environment Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

From Whitehall to WhatsApp: The rise of conversational government

Chatbots and secure messaging are reshaping citizen access to public services, offering speed and simplicity, but raising questions of trust and inclusion Continue Reading

By

• Dave Howell

France’s Atos eyes UK public sector with investment in secure UK infrastructure

French IT services supplier invests in highly secure and accredited UK-based infrastructure Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

The Netherlands faces €12bn R&D investment gap as productivity stagnates

Dutch government unveils nine-point plan to meet European 3% GDP target after its competitiveness ranking plummeted Continue Reading

By

• Kim Loohuis

Microsoft admonished for role in facilitating Gaza genocide

Following credible allegations that Microsoft Azure was being used to facilitate mass surveillance and lethal force against Palestinians, which prompted the company to suspend services to the Israeli military unit responsible, human rights organisations are calling for further action Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

HMRC rolls out Microsoft Copilot AI

HM Revenue and Customs has begun to roll out Microsoft 365 Copilot to its staff, with the aim of making productivity savings Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Gov.uk One Login live with digital Veteran Card

The digital version of the Veteran Card is the first government-issued document available in the Gov.uk One Login app, allowing veterans to use their smartphone to access discounts and services Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

CCRC formally sends Post Office Capture referral to Court of Appeal

The statutory body agreed in July to refer the conviction of Capture software user Patricia Owen to appeal court Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Questions over size of government’s legacy IT estate pose AI adoption issues

Two House of Commons committees have turned their attention this week to the lack of transparency concerning the size of the government’s legacy IT estate, and what this means for its ability to adopt artificial intelligence technologies Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

IT Sustainability Think Tank: How not to fall for Big Tech’s false green claims

In an era where nearly every tech supplier touts green credentials, IT directors face the challenging task of separating genuine sustainability commitments from marketing spin. But how? Continue Reading

By

• Abhijit Sunil, Forrester

ICO fines Capita £14m after ransomware caused major data breach

Outsourcing giant hit with £14m fine over 2023 cyber attack, but costs could rise as legal actions continue Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

India’s biggest IT firm to create 5,000 UK jobs

Indian IT giant will increase its UK-based workforce by thousands over the next three years Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

AI will create a better world, says Oracle’s Ellison

Oracle ramped up its plans to lead in all things AI on the opening day of its renamed customer event, AI World, with founder Larry Ellison emphasising AI’s transformative potential Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Infosys multiplies UK public sector revenue by 160 with £1.2bn NHS deal

Gone are the days of Indian IT suppliers being shunned in UK government contracts through job and security fears Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Why Keir Starmer’s mandatory national digital ID system may be neither mandatory nor national

The government’s proposals for a national digital identity scheme have been widely criticised, but is the prime minister smart enough to realise that an alternative plan could bring wider public benefits? Continue Reading

By

• Bryan Glick, Editor in chief

Shameless Fujitsu boss confident firm will be back in ‘good books’ in 18 months

Pressure is mounting on Fujitsu as its internal culture and lack of genuine regret over its part in the Post Office scandal are revealed by Computer Weekly Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Interview: Shaping the future of AI in the UAE

At Gitex 2025 in Dubai, the largest tech show in the Middle East, Chiara Marcati, chief AI advisory and business officer at AI71, discusses the UAE’s ambition to become a global leader in artificial intelligence Continue Reading

By

• Andrea Benito , Computer Weekly

Microsoft and the UAE: Driving AI from strategy to real impact

Exploring how Microsoft and the UAE are turning AI ambition into practical solutions, empowering talent, and guiding CIOs to adopt AI at scale Continue Reading

By

• Andrea Benito , Computer Weekly

Court dismisses Apple’s appeal against Home Office backdoor

Investigatory Powers Tribunal rules that Apple’s appeal against a Home Office order to access encrypted data of Apple users world wide will no longer proceed. Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Investigations Editor

UK police to upgrade illicit asset recovery system

A new system is being developed by the Police Digital Service and NEC Software Solutions to help manage the recovery of criminal assets, replacing 20-year-old legacy infrastructure Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Beyond the refresh: Your cyber strategy must include AI PCs

Viewing a PC refresh as part of security strategy helps build a more resilient and productive enterprise and is an opportunity to move beyond tactical upgrades to adopt a security-first hardware strategy for the AI era. Continue Reading

By

• Louise Quennell, Dell Technologies

Chat Control encryption plans delayed after EU states fail to agree

Plans to require technology companies across Europe to monitor the contents of encrypted messages and emails have been delayed after European Union member states were unable to reach agreement following German objections Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Investigations Editor

Warlock ransomware may be linked to Chinese state

The operators of Warlock ransomware who exploited a set of SharePoint Server vulnerabilities earlier this year likely have some kind of link to the Chinese government, researchers claim Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Fujitsu boss said Post Office inquiry report wasn’t ‘that bad’, despite link to suicides

Computer Weekly reveals callous comments made by a senior Fujitsu executive about Post Office scandal inquiry report Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Why it takes 11 hours to resolve one ID-related cyber incident

A recent ESG study revealed it takes an average of 11 hours for enterprises to resolve a single identity-related security incident. How did we get here, and what do we need to do differently? Continue Reading

By

• Ev Kontsevoy, Teleport

Alert over Medusa ransomware attacks targeting Fortra MFT

Microsoft warns it is seeing potential mass exploitation of a Fortra GoAnywhere vulnerability by a threat actor linked to the Medusa ransomware-as-a-service operation. Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Our phones as our castles: can His Majesty’s Government enter?

Ancient laws secure the sanctity of even the most humble of homes from government intrusion. How do they fare in an age of digital technology? Continue Reading

By

• Joe Jones, IAPP

Nato chooses Oracle to secure battlefield communications

Nato has chosen Oracle and Druid to secure private 5G networks for cyber defence, war gaming and research, using Oracle Cloud and edge technology Continue Reading

By

• Brian McKenna, Enterprise Applications Editor

The Security Interviews: David Bradbury, CSO, Okta

Okta’s chief security officer talks security by default and explains why he thinks time is running out for the shared responsibility model Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Building resilience in the cloud: Bridging SLA gaps and mitigating risk

The Computer Weekly Security Think Tank considers how security leaders can help assure access to the new and innovative cloud tech while minimising risk and ensuring they do not fall foul of regulators. Continue Reading

By

• Vaibhav Dutta, Tata Communications

IR35: Conservative Party pledge to reform off-payroll rules gets lacklustre response

Having overseen two sets of reforms to the IR35 rules while in power, plus an abortive attempt to repeal those same changes, the Conservative Party has pledged another reform of the off-payroll rules Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

AI halves clinical trial approval times

Use of artificial intelligence to flag up potential issues with clinical trial applications means assessors can approve new treatments faster Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Peer demands Fujitsu pay £700m in interim as it prepares response to Post Office scandal inquiry

Fujitsu, government and Post Office set to outline restorative justice plans, as peers calls for an interim payment towards costs. Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Keir Starmer launches digital ID scheme, but does it stand a chance?

Amid an economic crisis, public scepticism and confusing messages, could the government’s digital identity programme fail before it even gets off the ground? Continue Reading

Is the UK’s digital ID scheme doomed to fail?

In this week’s edition of Computer Weekly, we take a look at the government’s somewhat controversial plan to introduce a national, compulsory digital ID scheme. Ranil Boteju, chief data and analytics officer at Lloyds Banking Group, also runs us through how the financial services giant is planning to use agentic AI to improve the customer experience. In the third part of our buyer’s guide on cloud management and security, details about the plethora of security tools that exist for enterprises looking to manage their Amazon Web Services stacks gets the deep-dive treatment. And, in our final feature in the issue, we look at the evolution in mobile app technology within the retail space. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Police ordered to give reasons in closed court for seizing phone of UK Hamas lawyer

London court orders police to disclose reasons for seizing and copying the contents of a phone belonging to a UK lawyer who represented Hamas, but refuses an injunction to prevent police from reviewing the phone until after judicial review Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Investigations Editor

Police facial recognition trials show little evidence of benefits

In-the-wild testing of police facial recognition systems has failed to generate clear evidence of the technology’s benefits, or to assess the full range of socio-technical impacts Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

UK government to consult on police live facial recognition use

The UK’s policing minister has confirmed the government will consult on the use of live facial recognition by law enforcement before expanding its use throughout England, but so far, the technology has been deployed with minimal public debate or consultation Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

PSNI appoints legal counsel to report on police conduct after McCullough surveillance review

The Police Service of Northern Ireland has commissioned a senior lawyer to report back on whether there was any misconduct by police officers following the McCullough Review into the surveillance of journalists, lawyers and NGOs Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Investigations Editor

Interview: Chris Belasco, chief data officer, City of Pittsburgh

Building data pipelines – the ‘connective tissue’ – is helping to improve operations and deliver better public services in the City of Pittsburgh Continue Reading

By

• Mark Samuels

Fujitsu’s role in the Post Office scandal: Everything you need to know

Computer Weekly has investigated the Post Office Horizon scandal since 2008. In this guide, we look at the part Fujitsu played in what is commonly referred to as the largest miscarriage of justice in UK history Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Regional booster programme aims to drive UK tech growth

The government has launched a £1m programme with 14 projects aimed at supporting startups Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor