IT for government and public sector

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

Virtual reality enterprise journey a marathon, not a sprint

IT supplier is using virtual reality in not-for-profit projects that demonstrate its wider potential Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Apple’s appeal to the Investigatory Powers Tribunal over the UK’s encryption ‘backdoor’ explained

Apple has appealed to the Investigatory Powers Tribunal over an order by home secretary Yvette Cooper to give the UK access to customers’ data protected by Advanced Data Protection encryption. What happens next?  Continue Reading

By

• Bernard Keenan, UCL

UKtech50 2025 – help us find the most influential people in UK IT

Computer Weekly’s annual search for the 50 most influential people in UK IT is on – let us know who you would like to nominate for this year's list Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Tech sector still failing to rid supply chains of forced labour

KnowTheChain’s latest benchmark analysis of the IT sector’s efforts to address forced labour in supply chains shows there has been very little improvement in their due diligence practices over the last half decade Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Bridging Borders: The rise of Ukrainian-British tech collaboration

The IT sectors of the UK and Ukraine have built strong relationships since Russia’s invasion of the latter, and there is more to come, writes the IT Ukraine Association’s ambassador in the UK Continue Reading

By

• Alexandra Govorukha

Gmail ‘bubble’ encryption may be an S/MIME killer, says Google

Marking the 21st anniversary of Gmail, Google is preparing to roll out an end-to-end encryption standard for its email service in hopes of democratising encryption and leaving old standards in the dust Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Post Office Capture and Ecco+ users asked to make contact with Scottish statutory body

Scottish statutory body attempting to contact people that might have been wrongly convicted of crimes based on the Post Office’s flawed systems Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Interview: Ray McCann, Loan Charge independent review lead

Former HMRC assistant director Ray McCann is leading the latest independent review into the UK government’s controversial Loan Charge policy, which has left thousands of IT contractors saddled with life-changing tax bills Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

Scottish support group for Post Office scandal victims launched

Support group calls on former subpostmasters in Scotland who have been affected by Horizon errors to come forward Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Apple devices are at ‘most risk’ in UK following government ‘backdoor’ order

Home Office refuses to answer questions from Lords over technical capability notice issued against Apple’s iCloud Advanced Data Protection encryption services Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Distrust builds between digital ID sector and government amid speculation over 'ID cards by stealth'

Wednesday 2 April sees the latest meeting of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on digital identity. It’s more exciting than it sounds – honest! APPGs have no power or governmental role – ... Continue Reading

By

• Bryan Glick, Editor in chief

Top 1,000 IT service providers in scope of UK cyber bill

The government’s proposed Cyber Security and Resilience Bill is set to include regulatory provisions covering both datacentre operators and larger IT service providers Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Understanding of ‘black box’ IT systems will reduce Post Office scandal-like risk

A Parliamentary committee has reported that leadership teams need to understand the ‘black box’ IT systems that underpin their organisations Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Reassessing UK law enforcement data adequacy

Computer Weekly takes stock of proposed changes to the UK’s law enforcement data protection rules and how it could affect data adequacy with the European Union Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

UK law enforcement data adequacy at risk

The UK government says reforms to police data protection rules will help to simplify law enforcement data processing, but critics argue the changes will lower protection to the point where the UK risks losing its European data adequacy Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Countering nation-state cyber espionage: A CISO field guide

The rise of DeepSeek has prompted the usual well-documented concerns around AI, but also raised worries about its potential links to the Chinese state. The Security Think Tank considers the steps security leaders can take to counter threats posed by nation state industrial espionage? Continue Reading

By

• Andrew Hodges, Quorum Cyber

Government sends data scientists to AI school

Public sector data scientists will learn how to become artificial intelligence (AI) engineers as part of government scheme to upskill civil servants Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

UK public expresses strong support for AI regulation

Most of the UK public have experienced an AI-related harm and say they want laws introduced to regulate the technology, according to national survey by the Ada Lovelace and Alan Turing Institutes Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

HMRC consults on clamping down on tax avoidance schemes that ensnare IT contractors

HMRC has launched two consultations in the wake of the Spring Statement on proposals to curb the activity of tax avoidance schemes and their promoters Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

Unleashing the power of data: redefining UK industrial growth

There’s a barrier stopping the use of AI to boost the economy. Government data that is essential to create game-changing LLMs is not yet AI-ready Continue Reading

By

• Nigel Shadbolt, The Open Data Institute

Experts question court’s rejection of former Post Office manager’s Horizon appeal

Experts on the use of computer evidence question why Court of Appeal rejected former Post Office branch manager’s appeal against conviction Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Selangor teams up with Google Cloud on AI

The Teraju AI Selangor initiative will provide state agencies with access to Google Cloud’s AI tools and training to build AI applications in areas such as education and healthcare Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, Informa TechTarget

Advanced Software fined £3m over LockBit attack

The ICO has issued a £3m fine to software provider Advanced in the wake of security failings that led to significant disruption to NHS customers in a ransomware attack Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Chancellor Rachel Reeves to use AI to catch wealthy tax dodgers

HMRC’s use of artificial intelligence is one of many initiatives outlined in Chancellor’s Spring Statement Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Military AI caught in tension between speed and control

The use of artificial intelligence in military contexts can unlock a range of benefits for defence organisations, but also highlights a clear tension between speed and control baked into the technology Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Public Accounts Committee calls out legacy IT

Unsupported and out-of-date software and hardware are hindering the government’s artificial intelligence plans for the public sector Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Government needs to fix tech staff hiring process, says Whitehall’s AI boss

Giving evidence to the Science, Innovation and Technology Committee, tech experts highlighted the lack of clarity on data exchange, the need for the new Government Digital Service to execute, and a lack of actual tech experts Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Kroll reviewing Post Office Horizon’s current integrity and discrepancy identification

The Post Office appoints third party to review Horizon following concerns about current version of the system Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Scottish police hold almost no data on facial recognition use

It is currently impossible to assess Police Scotland’s use of retrospective facial recognition for efficacy and fairness because the force does not collect meaningful information that would enable a proper evaluation Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

MPs demand government reconsider response to Post Office compensation report

Select committee calls on government to ‘reflect and revise’ response to Post Office scandal compensation scheme Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

NHS England scrapped – and what that means for health service digitisation

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we examine the impact of scrapping NHS England on the health service’s long road to digital modernisation. We look at real-life examples of how digital twins are helping to improve manufacturing and urban infrastructure. And we analyse the options for datacentre expansion, from cloud to colocation and on-premise. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Tech specialist files legal claim after being refused security clearance for MI6 role

An IT specialist has asked the Investigatory Powers Tribunal to investigate a series of hacking incidents after disclosing their social media accounts to MI6 vetting staff Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

CIO interview: Sean Green, Birkbeck, University of London

Birkbeck University interim CIO got a taste for the ‘exciting’ and ‘challenging’ role of a tech leader in higher education while in his previous role at the University of East Anglia Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Why I am challenging Yvette Cooper’s ‘secret backdoor’ order against Apple’s encryption

I took steps to lock down all personal data after I was named as an opponent of Russia. Now I am again worried about my family's safety after the home secretary issued a secret order against Apple Continue Reading

By

• Gus Hosein

NCSC, DSIT enlist IBM to spearhead cyber diversity agenda

IBM signs on to a partnership deal in support of the popular NCSC CyberFirst Girls scheme designed to foster gender diversity in the cyber security profession Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Dutch workforce faces radical transformation as AI adoption accelerates

While the Netherlands leads Europe in AI adoption, a deeper analysis of the labour market reveals a more nuanced narrative than the apocalyptic predictions of job losses Continue Reading

By

• Kim Loohuis

NCSC proposes three-step plan to move to quantum-safe encryption

The NCSC urges service providers, large organisations and critical sectors to start thinking today about how they will migrate to post-quantum cryptography over the next decade Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Government considering redress scheme for families of Post Office scandal victims

Campaign group brings together the children of subpostmasters to meet Post Office minister to discuss redress for their suffering Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Clop resurgence drives ransomware attacks in February

The exploitation of two new vulnerabilities in a popular file transfer service saw the Clop ransomware gang soar in February, according to NCC Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Local digital government needs overhaul, says Future Governance Forum report

Future Governance Forum calls for a new blueprint to modernise and digitise local government Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

UK under-prepared for catastrophic cyber attack

In this week’s Computer Weekly, MPs have been told the UK is under-prepared to cope with a catastrophic cyber attack – we find out where the problems lie. Our new buyer’s guide assesses the challenges of datacentre capacity planning. And one of the UK’s most successful businessmen, Sir Martin Sorrell, gives his view on the risks and opportunities of AI. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

PSNI’s ‘ridiculous’ withholding of evidence in spying operation delayed court hearings 

Landmark ruling by the Investigatory Powers Tribunal will decide whether the surveillance court can award costs against government bodies accused of unreasonable behaviour  Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly
• Cormac Kehoe

Online Safety Act measures come into effect

Regulator Ofcom is now able to take enforcement action against platforms under the Online Safety Act if they fail to proactively safeguard against content such as terrorist or child sexual abuse material Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Who takes responsibility? Birmingham’s ERP extraordinary meeting

Council members took the opportunity to raise their concerns during the Birmingham City Council ERP meeting, which took place on 11 March Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Satellite technology to provide broadband to remote areas of Buckinghamshire

Buckinghamshire Council harnesses low Earth orbit technology to serve the most remote areas of the county with ultrafast broadband Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

The importance of taking time to get IT right

The dust has yet to settle on the 67-page auditor’s report looking into what went so badly wrong at Birmingham City Council with its enterprise resource planning (ERP) project to replace SAP with ... Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

UK government under-prepared for catastrophic cyber attack, hears PAC

The Commons Public Accounts Committee heard government IT leaders respond to recent National Audit Office findings that the government’s cyber resilience is under par Continue Reading

Apple encryption legal challenge heard behind closed doors despite calls for public hearing

Investigatory Powers Tribunal hearing held behind closed doors as press and civil society groups argue for open hearings Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

AI Action Summit review: Differing views cast doubt on AI’s ability to benefit whole of society

Governments, companies and civil society groups gathered at the third global AI summit to discuss how the technology can work for the benefit of everyone in society, but experts say competing imperatives mean there is no guarantee these visions will win out Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Can a future digital NHS survive another change?

Computer Weekly looks at the prime minister’s decision to abolish NHS England and the potential impact on the progress of digitising the NHS Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Will Whitehall withstand Starmer’s AI revolution?

As the prime minister sets out plans for the use of artificial intelligence to take over civil service tasks, Computer Weekly looks at potential challenges and concerns around the decision Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

How CISOs can counter the threat of nation state espionage

The rise of DeepSeek has prompted the usual well-documented concerns around AI, but also raised worries about its potential links to the Chinese state. The Security Think Tank considers the steps security leaders can take to counter threats posed by nation state industrial espionage? Continue Reading

By

• Elisabeth Mackay, PA Consulting

Minister asks for evidence of Post Office ECCO+ system problems

Subpostmaster federation is calling on former Post Office crown branch staff to come forward if they experienced problems with ECCO+ Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

US Congress demands UK lifts gag on Apple encryption order

Apple and Google have told US lawmakers that they cannot tell Congress whether they have received technical capability notices from the UK Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly
• Duncan Campbell , 2QQ Ltd, Sussex University

SuperBlack ransomware may have ties to LockBit

Forescout researchers report on a new ransomware gang that appears to be keeping the legacy of the notorious LockBit crew alive Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

HMRC looks to upgrade SOC with advanced SIEM tech

HMRC issues a request for information notice ahead of opening up bids for a new security information and event management project that aims to reinforce its ability to respond to cyber threats Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Starmer to send AI tech teams into government departments

In his plans to reform the state, the prime minister is pushing for artificial intelligence to take on tasks for civil servants and calling time on NHS England Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Driving licence data could be used for police facial recognition

The government’s Crime and Policing Bill could allow police to access the UK driving licence database for use in facial recognition watchlists, but the Home Office denies biometric data would be repurposed in this way Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

IR35 reforms: HMRC’s assessment of private sector impacts called into question

HM Revenue & Customs recently published figures that show it generated £1.8bn more than expected from private sector roll-out of IR35 reforms, but those figures are being called into question Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

Major strike by Fujitsu staff at ‘cash cow’ HMRC

Fujitsu staff working at government department will strike for 22 days in protest over pay offer Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Our data, our decisions, our AI future: why we need an AI Regulation Bill

The Labour government has failed to introduce measures to regulate AI - so a Lords' private members bill aims to do just that Continue Reading

By

• Lord Chris Holmes, House of Lords

March Patch Tuesday brings 57 fixes, multiple zero-days

The third Patch Tuesday of 2025 brings fixes for 57 flaws and a hefty number of zero-days Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Perimeter security appliances source of most ransomware hits

Perimeter security appliances and devices, particularly VPNs, prove to be the most popular entry points into victim networks for financially motivated ransomware gangs, according to reports Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Secret London tribunal to hear appeal in Apple vs government battle over encryption

Campaigners call for High Court hearing to be held in public as tech giant appeals against UK government order to open a backdoor into its encrypted iCloud service Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

UK government under-prepared for catastrophic cyber attack, hears PAC

The Commons Public Accounts Committee heard government IT leaders respond to recent National Audit Office findings that the government’s cyber resilience is under par Continue Reading

By

• Brian McKenna, Enterprise Applications Editor

Government to create pathfinder programme for digital spend

Changes to government digital spending will include staged funding with regular review and a pathfinder programme to test new funding models suitable for digital projects Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Post Office scandal data leak interim compensation offers made

Some subpostmasters affected by Post Office data breach offered interim compensation payments Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Liverpool reinvents customer service through digital platform

Liverpool City Council wants to improve residents’ experience of dealing with the council, and sees digital technologies as key to achieving its goal Continue Reading

Digitally mapping the world

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we find out how digital twins are mapping our planet to guide strategic decisions such as environmental policies. Liverpool City Council explains how a digital overhaul will transform customer experience. And we find out what it takes to become a cyber security entrepreneur. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Peter Kyle sets stage for making tech work

During his speech at the Tech Policy conference, Kyle announced a number of initiatives to support AI and other new technologies Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Goverment overhauls AI funding to drive agility

A startup mindset is at the heart of a Labour’s approach to how it wants to speed up AI innovation in the public sector Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Government announcement on Fujitsu talks add ‘vague words’ and no interim payment

Peer James Arbuthnot says he is ‘disappointed’ that there was no mention of an interim payment in announcement of government’s latest talks with Fujitsu Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

David Willetts to chair Regulatory Innovation Office

The former science minister will lead the Regulatory Innovation Office, which aims to remove barriers and outdated regulations to speed up the road to market for innovative products and services Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Government to create digital sourcing strategy

Government officials revealed to the Public Accounts Committee that it will develop a sourcing strategy for digital technology, steering departments on what to build themselves and what to procure Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

UK cyber security damaged by ‘clumsy Home Office political censorship’

Britain’s National Cyber Security Centre secretly censors computer security guidance and drops references to encryption Continue Reading

By

• Duncan Campbell , 2QQ Ltd, Sussex University

Why did IT suppliers allow Birmingham City Council to go live with Oracle?

Councillors at the local authority’s budget setting and audit committee meetings raised questions as Birmingham faces budget deficits Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

NHS chief data officers concerned by FDP roll-out

The Chief Data and Analytical Officers Network has raised concerns over the way the NHS Federated Data Platform is being implemented and NHS England’s approach to its adoption Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Norway says ‘no way’ to global financial crime

Oslo’s startup ecosystem is fighting back against cyber criminals with tech to wipe out attacks rather than just detect them Continue Reading

By

• Matthew Staff

Can the government's new digital broom sweep the civil service clean of its resistance to change?

In September last year, Computer Weekly sat down with three of the most senior and influential digital leaders in the UK government to discuss the challenges and opportunities ahead under a new ... Continue Reading

By

• Bryan Glick, Editor in chief

CFIT publishes blueprint for digital company business IDs

Plan to increase the use of digital identities by businesses could add billions of pounds to UK economy through compliance savings and reduced fraud Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Apple IPT appeal against backdoor encryption order is test case for bigger targets

The Home Office decision to target Apple with an order requiring access to users’ encrypted data is widely seen as a ‘stalking horse’ for attacks against encrypted messaging services WhatsApp, Telegram and Signal Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

IR35: Government outlines two-pronged approach to umbrella company regulation

The government looks set to deliver on its long-promised vow to roll out regulation for umbrella companies Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

French oceanographers clock up 23 years on Atempo backup software

Oceanogaphic research institute keeps Atempo backup software for near a quarter century with no plans to replace it for protection of critical data helping map the world’s oceans Continue Reading

By

• Stéphane Larcher, LeMagIT
• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

NHS investigating how API flaw exposed patient data

NHS patient data was left vulnerable by a flaw in an application programming interface used at online healthcare provider Medefer Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Delivering digital government – it’s (still) not about technology

One of the UK government's most senior digital leaders reveals the flaws and difficulties of delivering digital transformation across the civil service, as she departs for a new role in the private sector Continue Reading

By

• Gina Gill

NHS rolls out AI app to predict and prevent falls that could land patients in hospital

Healthtech company Cera's artificial intelligence app can also predict the onset of winter viruses, and is being keenly adopted across the NHS Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK