IT for government and public sector

New version of ALPHV/BlackCat ransomware hits victims

An updated version of the ALPHV/BlackCat ransomware has been spotted in the wild amid a series of attacks on American healthcare providers, prompting a new alert from the authorities Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

75% of third-party breaches target software, IT supply chains

Data drawn from SecurityScorecard’s telemetry reveals how supply chain breaches are becoming a weapon of choice for threat actors Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Users love their cyber teams, but find them frustrating

Despite strong support for security teams, a good number of ordinary workers see them as obstructive to business goals, and would like to see them operate more transparently Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

IR35 reforms: PAC concerned HMRC’s ‘tough’ enforcement is harming contractors

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has raised red flags over how HMRC is policing the IR35 rules out of concern its actions might be putting public and private sector organisations off hiring contractors Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

‘Pathetic’ Post Office spat detracts attention and fuels ‘disdain’ for authority

Former Post Office chair’s row with the government and Post Office cannot be allowed to deflect attention away from achieving justice and recompense for former subpostmasters Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

UC finetunes tech strategy to support digital masterplan

The University of Canberra is scoping a new project to determine data, integration and multicloud strategies to support its long-term digital roadmap Continue Reading

By

• Stephen Withers

CCS accused of pricing G-Cloud SMEs out of framework with £20m insurance cover hike

The Crown Commercial Service’s commitment to helping SMEs win more government cloud deals is being called into question again, following news that it is planning to up the insurance cover required by G-Cloud 14 suppliers by £20m Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

Black Basta and Bl00dy ransomware gangs exploiting ConnectWise vulns

More ransomware gangs have been observed exploiting two dangerous vulnerabilities in ConnectWise ScreenConnect software, prompting new warnings for users to get patching Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

VulnCheck bug listing to help track new threats quicker

Exploit intelligence firm VulnCheck launches a proprietary Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalogue in hopes of improving end-user access to intel on emerging threats and reaching those that the likes of CISA do not Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Government should face legal deadlines on paying Post Office victims

The government should face a legal deadline on paying Horizon scandal victims and unfair previous settlements should be reopened, MPs have been told - amid further boardroom controversy at the Post Office Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Majority of UK employees ‘willingly gamble’ with security

Human-centric threats originating from employees continue to damage organisations both financially and reputationally, according to a report Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Cozy Bear and other APTs changing tack as cloud adoption increases

A change in APT tactics has been observed resulting from greater adoption of cloud-based services, according to the NCSC Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Government won’t rush to include Post Office Capture convictions in overturning legislation

The government said it does not yet have the 'right body of evidence' to include users of the Post Office's Capture software in Horizon compensation schemes and legislation to overturn convictions Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Birmingham looks into reimplementing troubled Oracle ERP

City council audit committee meeting shows Birmingham City Council plans to follow Oracle best practices Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Post Office scandal roundup: Fourth Estate in full throttle

January saw mainstream media take hold of the Post Office scandal, and while that first month saw much regurgitation of old news, February saw large media outlets take story forward Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Secret court hears claims of police surveillance against journalists

Journalists Trevor Birney and Barry McCaffrey argue that the use of covert powers by the police to identify their confidential sources represents an attack on press freedom Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

King Charles strips disgraced Post Office CEO of her CBE

Disgraced former Post Office CEO, central to the Horizon scandal, has her CBE formally stripped Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

ConnectWise users see cyber attacks surge, including ransomware

ConnectWise ScreenConnect users who have yet to patch against a critical vulnerability are now being targeted by a barrage of cyber attacks, including ransomware Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Home Office signs tech and data sharing deal with Frontex

The UK’s deal with the EU border agency is intended to improve operational cooperation, and will expand British authorities’ access to technology and data that can be used to reduce small boat crossings of the English Channel Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Law to clear hundreds of wrongfully convicted subpostmasters expected in July

Law to overturn Post Office convictions based on computer evidence set to be introduced in July following unprecedented legislation Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

How can we adapt work practices to protect CISO mental health?

Cyber leaders are finding it harder to keep up with security requirements than just two years ago, risking a domino effect of dissatisfaction, burnout and eventually, resignation Continue Reading

By

• Mick Baccio

Mid and South Essex sets out plans for shared care record

The Essex-based integrated care system is developing a shared care record for health and social care, aiming to go live in spring 2024 Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

CVE volumes set to increase 25% this year

The number of reported Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures is likely to grow significantly in 2024, hitting a new high of almost 35,000, according to Coalition, a cyber insurance specialist Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Assange created a ‘grave and immediate risk’, says US government, as it seeks extradition

Lawyers for the US government hit back at claims that extraditing WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is politically motivated Continue Reading

By

• Charlie Moloney

Unisys investigating potential involvement in controversial Post Office system

IT supplier wants to get to the bottom of its role in the distribution of the Post Office’s controversial Capture software, linked to potential wrongful convictions Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Birmingham City Council needs a further £45m to fix ‘disastrous’ Oracle system

Birmingham City Council’s ERP system is failing to deliver an accurate ledger, which means finance staff have spent months manually entering cost centre data Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

US extradition of Julian Assange is ‘state retaliation’ for exposing war crimes, court hears

Lawyers argue that the US extradition case against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is politically motivated and in is breach of the UK-US extradition treaty Continue Reading

By

• Charlie Moloney

Government agrees law to protect confidential journalistic material from state hacking

The government will update Investigatory Powers Act to require secret intelligence agencies to seek independent approval before accessing confidential journalistic material obtained by bulk hacking, but journalists remain vulnerable to other bulk surveillance powers Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

UK government launches tech talent campaign

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology is encouraging people to sign up to digital skills bootcamps as government-funded research reveals huge demand for entry-level and junior tech talent Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Controversial Post Office Capture system was developed in-house

Second controversial Post Office system was the work of developers in its own IT operation Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Poor data and IT hamper cross-government working, PAC report finds

Report cites inadequate data, poor IT systems and departmental silos as major barriers to cross-government working, and calls on government to do better Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Government awards £10m to medtech developers

The government has awarded £10m to eight technology companies to create innovative medical devices and bring them to market Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Post Office IT insider and the software decision that lit the Horizon scandal

As the Post Office replaces its controversial Horizon software, a former Post Office IT executive describes disastrous mistakes of the past Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange faces last appeal against ‘political’ extradition

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is seeking leave to appeal against extradition to the US in a case that could have chilling implications for journalists reporting on national security Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Dutch Supreme Court approves use of EncroChat evidence

Defence lawyers plan appeal to European Court of Human Rights after Supreme Court upholds a conviction based on intercepted messages from the EncroChat encrypted phone network Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Met Police to scrap and replace ‘racist’ Gangs Violence Matrix

A database used by the Metropolitan Police to identify and track people linked with gang violence is being decommissioned and replaced. The decision follows a long-running controversy over its discriminatory impacts on young black people, but campaigners warn that racial discrimination will persist with new tool Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Microsoft patches two zero-days for Valentine’s Day

Two security feature bypasses impacting Microsoft SmartScreen are on the February Patch Tuesday docket, among more than 70 issues Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Security experts: Investigatory powers plans will delay security updates

Cyber security experts warn that government proposals to amend the Investigatory Powers Act will limit tech companies’ ability to respond to security threats and could hamper the use of end-to-end encryption Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Post Office CEO refused to meet government minister without her lawyer after 2015 Horizon report

Post Office statements on the Horizon system, whether to journalists or the government, were routinely carefully crafted by lawyers Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Hunter-killer malware volumes seen surging

Latest Picus Security report on malware tactics, techniques and procedures reveals an increasing focus on disabling security defences Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

DSIT pumps £100m into biotech projects

The funding will be given to six engineering biology mission hubs, aiming to pioneer new technologies and address global challenges Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

NHS England awards £1m for wireless tech trials

The funding is split between seven trusts, which will be running wireless technology pilots aimed at improving patient care and improving connectivity Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Intelligent defence – the role of data in the military

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we examine the role of data in tying together military operations across ground, air, sea and cyber. Has SAP finally convinced customers to migrate to cloud ERP? We assess the trends. And we talk to the CIO helping to set up the UK’s fastest supercomputer. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

More than 1,000 subpostmasters could have used second faulty Post Office system

More than 1,000 subpostmasters could have used a previous faulty computer system in their branches as more people come forward with information following Post Office scandal TV drama Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

A decade after breaking HMRC’s Aspire deal, the Post Office scandal exposes glaring similarities

HM Revenue & Customs finally broke from its £800m a year Aspire contract in 2016 - and the reasons have parallels with the Post Office scandal. Will government ever learn? Continue Reading

By

• Louise McCarthy

Amazon defends facial-recognition tech sale to FBI despite moratorium

The FBI has confirmed it is using Amazon’s Rekognition image and video analysis software, but Amazon says it is ‘false’ to suggest this violates the company’s self-imposed moratorium on selling facial-recognition technology to US police Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

MoD ethical hacking programme expands after initial success

The Ministry of Defence has expanded the scope of its defensive security partnership with HackerOne Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Europe carves out niche in quantum computing

As the US, China and Europe accelerate investment in quantum computing, Europe is beginning to develop its own unique position in the fledgling global ecosystem Continue Reading

By

• Pat Brans, Pat Brans Associates/Grenoble Ecole de Management

Why open data is needed in the battle to address homelessness

Centrepoint needed to send FOIs to more than 300 local authorities in England to access required information Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Executive alleged to be behind EncroChat encrypted phone network arrested

A businessman allegedly behind EncroChat, an encrypted phone network that was used by organised crime groups, has been extradited from the Dominican Republic to France Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

University Hospital of Wales launches digital cardiology test requests

The Cardiff-based hospital is switching from a paper-based system to a digital service, which is integrated into the Welsh Clinical Portal Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

NCSC warns CNI operators over ‘living-off-the-land’ attacks

Malicious, state-backed actors may well be lurking in the UK’s most critical networks right now, and their operators may not even know until it is too late, warn the NCSC and its partners Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Dozens of surveillance companies are supplying spyware to governments, says Google

Google’s Threat Analysis Group has identified 40 companies involved in selling and supplying security exploits and spyware services to governments Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Security Think Tank: The phishing forecast for 2024

Egress' Jack Chapman and James Dyer explore how phishing attacks are set to grow in their scope and sophistication this year, with generative AI playing a big role Continue Reading

By

• Jack Chapman and James Dyer

The challenges of open source in government

Public sector bodies may find their policy decisions are stymied due to the inflexibility of the software they deploy. Is open source the answer? Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Government reaffirms commitment to hold off on AI laws

The UK government reaffirming its commitment hold off on artificial intelligence legislation has been received positively by industry for balancing innovation and safety Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Government funds two semiconductor centres

So-called information knowledge centres in Bristol and Southampton are each receiving £11m Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

UK’s McPartland Cyber Review to probe trust in technology

The UK government has launched a cyber security review that will investigate how best to give businesses the confidence they need to use new technologies Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

UK government responds to AI whitepaper consultation

The UK government is considering introducing binding legal requirements for companies developing the most powerful AI systems, and has outlined a range of funding to realise the ambitions of its ‘pro-innovation’ framework for artificial intelligence Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Inquiry to explore cyber risk to Sunak-Starmer showdown

The UK’s Joint Committee on National Security Strategy is opening an inquiry into securing the democratic process ahead of the next general election Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

UK and France push for international agreement on spyware

The UK and France are hosting diplomats, big tech companies and civil society groups, in a two-day conference in London targeting the proliferation of spyware tools and ‘hackers for hire’ Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Post Office scandal: Phase four’s rogues’ gallery

Phase four of the public inquiry into the Post Office Horizon IT scandal revealed ‘a parade of liars, bullies, amnesiacs and arrogant individuals’ that made up the teams investigating and prosecuting subpostmasters Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Resetting digital government

After years of trying to digitally transform the public sector, with varying degrees of success, could a change of government finally herald a new and better approach? Continue Reading

By

• Jerry Fishenden, Philip Sinclair, Paul Waller

Blackbaud blasted for failing to prevent customer breaches

A supply chain attack at software supplier Blackbaud in 2020 saw data on multiple UK organisations compromised. The US authorities are now taking steps to ensure it can’t happen again Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

US sanctions Iranians behind CNI cyber attacks

US government issues new sanctions against six Iranians suspected of being behind a series of cyber attacks targeting critical national infrastructure, notably water supply systems Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

UK quantum initiatives get funding boost

Government funds new initiatives to drive quantum computing opportunities across the public sector Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

‘People are now listening,' Post Office inquiry told as latest phase ends

The latest phase of the public inquiry into the widest miscarriage of justice in modern UK history – the Post Office Horizon IT scandal – closes with a bang Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

UK police facial recognition explained: What you need to know

In this essential guide, Computer Weekly looks at the use of facial recognition technology by UK police forces, including the points of contention around its deployment so far and where it’s heading next Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Why government IT needs a better approach to budgeting

Defra minister, Mark Spencer was recently asked to give an update to how the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) is coping with its plans to renew ageing IT systems. The ... Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

UK ranks third in OECD Digital Government Index

The UK has dropped from overall second to third place in the international digital government survey, but fails to feature in the top 10 countries when it comes to having a data-driven public sector Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Defra legacy IT: 180 applications refreshed, over 1,500 remain

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has a 10-year plan to update technology. So far, 180 have been replaced or updated Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

UK government signs AI, science and innovation deals with Canada

The agreements will see the two countries collaborate on AI compute – a development component of artificial intelligence – and work together on technology innovations such as quantum and semiconductors Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Government ‘dragging it out’ by refusing to share knowledge of Post Office trial ‘delaying tactic’

Subpostmasters will have to wait to find out if the government knew of the Post Office’s plan to derail group litigation order, by trying to push managing judge out Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

We need backup! Pennsylvania police data loss shows why

Police evidence systems data was lost during ‘routine maintenance’, with human error blamed – the case clearly illustrates why data protection can’t be left to chance Continue Reading

By

• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

Pre-Horizon users contacting lawyers as more Post Office IT horror stories emerge

Lawyer says there is no reason to believe the Post Office treated unexplained shortfalls on systems prior to Horizon any differently to the way it dealt with unexplained Horizon shortfalls Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Proposed changes to investment thresholds highlights lack of funding diversity

The government is introducing a law to raise the income threshold for potential angel investors, potentially making it harder for people from underrepresented groups to fund startups Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

Lords question legality of police facial recognition

Lords committee ‘deeply concerned’ about the rapid expansion of live facial recognition by UK police, which it says is progressing without any real oversight or accountability Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

MP demands answers from government minister over second faulty Post Office IT system

Kevan Jones MP highlighted evidence of injustices caused by a computer system used in Post Office branches prior to the introduction of the controversial Horizon system. Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

GenAI tools ‘could not exist’ if firms are made to pay copyright

AI firm Anthropic hits out at copyright lawsuit filed by music publishers, claiming the content ingested into its models falls under ‘fair use’ and that any licensing regime would be too complex and costly Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Lawyers carry on Post Office appeals amid uncertainty over government plan to overturn en masse

Lawyers supporting former subpostmasters said they will continue appealing convictions as normal despite government plan to exonerate hundreds in one go Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

UK government consults on age verification tech in alcohol sales

The government has said it wants to allow the use of digital identities and various age-verification technologies in alcohol sales Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Expert IT witness outsmarted an ‘aggressive’ Post Office to get to truth after inspection ‘madness’

The Post Office’s attempts to protect the Horizon system are well known, in light of the public inquiry and a recent TV drama, but Computer Weekly can reveal how an IT expert was treated during his investigation of Horizon Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Bugcrowd sees surge in vulnerability submissions, led by public sector

Crowdsourced vulnerability disclosure and bug bounty platform Bugcrowd says it saw a 151% uptick in submissions related to government and public sector organisations in 2023 Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

DSIT unveils forum to drive AI adoption in UK businesses

UK government launches AI Opportunity Forum with tech and business chiefs to help firms drive up UK productivity through AI Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Tony Blair Institute calls for creation of NHS Data Trust

The NHS would have a majority stake in the data trust, with additional investment from private sector companies, harnessing anonymised data as a competitive asset, proposes the think thank Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Civil Service must embrace innovation, says Cabinet Office minister

John Glen sets out plans for Civil Service reform, highlighting a focus on technology and innovation, as he plans to ‘crack the productivity puzzle’ in government Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

WebKit vulnerability sparks Apple’s first major security update of 2024

A zero-day in the open source WebKit browser engine that powers Safari has sparked Apple’s first major patch roll-out of the new year Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

IR35: Contractors call for off-payroll rules to be scrapped in Spring Budget 2024

A survey of 900 contractors by insurance provider Qdos found that two-thirds want the government to consider scrapping the IR35 rules in the next Budget, which is due to take place in March 2024 Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

Southern Water confirms cyber attack after Black Basta claims

Southern Water, which supplies millions of customers in southeast England, has confirmed it has fallen victim to a cyber attack, although its services appear to be running normally Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

AI will heighten global ransomware threat, says NCSC

The benefits of artificial intelligence to cyber criminals being well-known, the NCSC now assesses it’s likely AI will soon be widely used to enhance ransomware attacks Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Committee chair asks minister to back ‘Mr Bates clause’ in Post Office compensation legislation

Select committee chair wants guarantees on financial redress for subpostmasters that suffered in the Horizon scandal Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Treat cyber risk like financial or legal issue, says UK government

UK government and NCSC launch proposed code of practice on cyber security governance to help directors and business leaders toughen their defences Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Leak of 26 billion records may prove to be ‘mother of all breaches’

The discovery of a dataset comprising 26 billion stolen records may prove to be record-breaking in both its size and the danger it poses to ordinary people Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

UN chief blasts AI companies for reckless pursuit of profit

The United Nations general secretary has blasted technology companies and governments for pursuing their own narrow interests in artificial intelligence without any consideration of the common good, as part of wider call to reform global governance Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

SEC bitcoin hack was result of SIM-swapping

A cyber attack on the US financial regulator earlier in January 2024 occurred after hackers took over one of its mobile phone accounts in a so-called SIM-swapping attack Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Davos 2024: AI disinformation tops global risks

In this week’s Computer Weekly, AI-generated disinformation and misinformation will be the top risks for businesses, governments and the public over the next two years, according to the World Economic Forum. Intel’s CTO discusses the chip maker’s plans for the European market. And we examine the dearth of digital skills among elected officials. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

PAC calls on MoD to fix inventory management IT

The Public Accounts Committee is concerned that the ageing and fragmented IT systems used in the MoD’s inventory management puts front-line forces at significant risk Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Fujitsu agrees to support former subpostmasters’ families beyond financial redress

Fujitsu will meet with victims of the Post Office scandal and their representatives to discuss what the IT giant can do for them beyond financial redress Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Chat control: Tech companies warn ministers over EU encryption plans

Tech companies have written to EU ministers to urge them to back the European Parliament, rather than the European Commission, over proposed regulations to police child abuse Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Urgent question asks which ministers knew of Post Office’s shocking plan to remove judge

Labour peer uses urgent question to uncover who, if anyone, in government was aware of the Post Office’s attempts to remove judge as it became clear it was losing Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA