IT for government and public sector
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News
26 Apr 2024
Post Office scheme was a ‘charade’ that never intended for large compensation pay-outs
The Post Office established a scheme to compensate subpostmasters affected by tech faults, but it was just a ‘charade’, says Public Inquiry KC Continue Reading
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Opinion
26 Apr 2024
Security Think Tank: Maybe let's negotiate with terrorists
In the wake of renewed calls for lawmakers to consider enacting legal bans on ransomware payments, the Computer Weekly Security Think Tank weighs in to share their thoughts on how to tackle the scourge for good. Continue Reading
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News
11 Jan 2021
Tech key to improving lives of people with rare diseases, says government report
The UK Rare Diseases Framework will build on advances in genomics and data analysis to improve testing and diagnosis Continue Reading
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News
11 Jan 2021
New Zealand central bank IT system breached in cyber attack
Bank is responding to a cyber attack after hackers breached the system of a third-party supplier Continue Reading
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News
08 Jan 2021
Government use of 'general warrants' to authorise computer and phone hacking is unlawful
A court has ruled that the security and intelligence services can no longer rely on ‘general warrants’ to authorise the hacking of large numbers of computers and phones belonging to UK citizens Continue Reading
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News
08 Jan 2021
Tech sector reacts to Trump social media bans
Facebook, Instagram and others moved to limit US president’s social media access after the violence in Washington DC, but experts have condemned them for acting too slowly, while disinformation about the riots persists Continue Reading
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News
08 Jan 2021
Major facial-recognition supplier builds system to identify masked faces
Facial-recognition supplier claims new system can accurately identify masked faces, therefore promoting public health during the pandemic. But questions remain about whether its existing UK law enforcement clients will be deploying the technology Continue Reading
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News
08 Jan 2021
AI Council advises government to do artificial intelligence moonshots
The AI Council has published a “roadmap” of advice to government in respect of developing a UK state strategy for artificial intelligence, encompassing skills, vendor support and public sector procurement Continue Reading
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News
08 Jan 2021
Brexit deal grants UK temporary data adequacy
The EU-UK Brexit deal has granted the UK temporary data adequacy to allow for the continued flow of data across borders, but the agreement has divided data protection experts Continue Reading
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News
08 Jan 2021
Majority of suppliers won’t have software ready for CDS until March
Brexit IT systems are all up and running, but little traffic through the borders means they haven’t yet been put to the test, and in Northern Ireland, suppliers don’t yet have software ready to use the Customs Declaration Service Continue Reading
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News
07 Jan 2021
Poor data flows hampered government’s Covid-19 response, says the Science and Technology Committee
House of Commons Science and Technology Committee finds poor data management to have hampered the government’s Covid-19 pandemic response Continue Reading
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News
07 Jan 2021
Biden picks cyber veteran to reinvigorate security response
Appointment of career intelligence operative Anne Neuberger signals refreshed security approach for the US government under Joe Biden's administration Continue Reading
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News
07 Jan 2021
Trump bans Chinese payment apps
US president signs executive order banning the use of Chinese payments app, citing national security risks Continue Reading
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News
07 Jan 2021
Hackney Council data leaked by Pysa ransomware gang
Council data stolen in October is leaked online in a double extortion attack Continue Reading
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News
07 Jan 2021
Most British people don't trust government with personal data
The UK ranks high in a list of countries where citizens are least confident about how their private information is handled by public authorities, research shows Continue Reading
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News
06 Jan 2021
Labour urges government to adopt new plan for at-home education
Labour MPs have written to government officials urging them to provide schools and children with the digital provisions necessary to ensure every child can properly work from home during lockdown Continue Reading
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News
06 Jan 2021
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to remain in prison despite winning extradition battle
Judge cites Assange’s support of NSA whistleblower as one of the reasons for him being at high risk of absconding. He will remain in Belmarsh prison until the US government completes its appeal Continue Reading
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News
06 Jan 2021
SolarWinds attack almost certainly work of Russian spooks
Investigations into the far-reaching SolarWinds Solorigate attack did not let up during the holidays Continue Reading
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News
05 Jan 2021
Huawei battles for market access in Nordics
Chinese networking equipment supplier Huawei fights to retain access to potential 5G contracts across the Nordic region Continue Reading
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News
05 Jan 2021
AAT calls on government to re-think the Making Tax Digital exemption threshold
The Association of Accounting Technicians calls for improvements to HM Revenue and Customs’ Making Tax Digital programme, and says the exemption threshold, currently at £10,000, should be raised Continue Reading
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News
05 Jan 2021
Government delays digital strategy
The digital strategy, originally due in autumn 2020, is likely to be published at some point in 2021, and the government is ‘continuing to consider the best timeframe for delivering the strategy’ Continue Reading
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News
04 Jan 2021
Nominations open for Computer Weekly Innovation Awards APAC
Computer Weekly is looking for nominations for its inaugural Innovation Awards in APAC to honour digitisation initiatives that have transformed organisations in seven industries Continue Reading
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News
04 Jan 2021
Caerphilly council delivers free school meals through automation
Welsh council expands its robotic process automation project, which has successfully helped the council deliver free school meals during the Covid-19 pandemic Continue Reading
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News
04 Jan 2021
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange cannot be extradited to face charges in US, court rules
Court rules it would be oppressive to send Julian Assange to the US to face trial after finding he is at high risk of suicide. US government says it will appeal Continue Reading
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News
31 Dec 2020
Pandemic heroes dominate New Year Honours List 2021
The New Year Honours List 2021 is remarkable for its recognition of those who have excelled during the Covid-19 public health emergency, including digital and data professionals Continue Reading
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News
31 Dec 2020
Top 10 investigations and national security stories of 2020
Here are Computer Weekly’s top 10 investigations and national security stories of 2020 Continue Reading
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News
31 Dec 2020
Top 10 technology and ethics stories of 2020
Here are Computer Weekly’s top 10 technology and ethics stories of 2020 Continue Reading
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News
30 Dec 2020
UK-EU Brexit deal passes Commons with six-month data adequacy bridge
IT industry trade body TechUK has welcomed a six-month data adequacy bridge, in the wake of the EU-UK trade deal that the House of Commons has voted for Continue Reading
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News
30 Dec 2020
Top 10 government and public sector IT stories of 2020
Here are Computer Weekly’s top 10 government and public IT stories of 2020 Continue Reading
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News
30 Dec 2020
Top 10 Benelux IT stories of 2020
Here are Computer Weekly’s top 10 Benelux IT stories of 2020 Continue Reading
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News
24 Dec 2020
UK-EU Brexit deal: TechUK and DigitalEurope hail new dawn but note unfinished data business
Technology trade bodies TechUK and DigitalEurope welcome Christmas Eve UK-EU Brexit deal as a new dawn, but say there is work still be to done on data adequacy and financial equivalence Continue Reading
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News
24 Dec 2020
UK-EU Brexit deal: TechUK sees positive runes on digital and data adequacy
TechUK is giving a cautious welcome to the imminent UK-EU trade deal, seeing positive signs for data adequacy and digital trade Continue Reading
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News
24 Dec 2020
Top 10 Middle East stories of 2020
Here are Computer Weekly’s top 10 Middle East stories of 2020 Continue Reading
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News
24 Dec 2020
Top 10 Downtime Upload podcasts of 2020
Here are Computer Weekly’s top 10 Downtime Upload podcasts of 2020 Continue Reading
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News
23 Dec 2020
Top 10 startup stories of 2020
Here are Computer Weekly’s top 10 startup stories of 2020 Continue Reading
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News
22 Dec 2020
Swedish central bank moves e-krona project to next stage
Riksbank takes digital currency project to the next phase with Accenture building a platform to test the concept Continue Reading
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Opinion
21 Dec 2020
Data has never been more important for London
As London looks to 2021 and a hoped-for recovery after Covid-19, responsible data sharing and data-driven decision-making become ever more important to the future for all the capital’s businesses Continue Reading
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News
21 Dec 2020
Nordic CIO interview: Åsa Melvanius, Lund municipality
For Åsa Melvanius, CDO at the Swedish municipality of Lund, created a “robot factory” that has saved the city more than 6,500 hours by automating routine processes Continue Reading
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Feature
21 Dec 2020
Interview: AWS’s Teresa Carlson talks about new role and cloud adoption during Covid-19
AWS executive talks about her expanded remit beyond public sector to include other industries, and driving a unified agenda to push cloud and data adoption worldwide Continue Reading
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News
21 Dec 2020
Top 10 enterprise IT in the Nordics stories of 2020
Here are Computer Weekly’s top 10 Nordic enterprise IT stories of 2020 Continue Reading
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News
18 Dec 2020
Government to spend more on IT consultants as skills gap remains unsolved
According to a Public Accounts Committee report, the need to fill gaps in tech expertise as a result of Covid-19 and Brexit means the public sector will resort to costly third-party support Continue Reading
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Feature
18 Dec 2020
Interview: Chris Hayman, AWS UK public sector director, on cloud evolution during Covid-19
AWS executive discusses the evolution of cloud technology in government, the need for dynamic procurement, skills, and joining the oligarchy of government tech suppliers Continue Reading
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News
18 Dec 2020
Prepare for bringing people back to the office with the Nordic tech startup blueprint
Business can learn lessons from Nordic tech startups to prepare employees to return to the office after Covid restrictions Continue Reading
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News
18 Dec 2020
SolarWinds cyber attack is ‘grave risk’ to global security
More victims of the SolarWinds Orion Sunburst cyber attack are being identified as the massive scale of the Russia-linked cyber espionage campaign becomes more clear Continue Reading
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News
17 Dec 2020
Government can’t be complacent with AI, says Lords report
Report urges coordination on policy and use of artificial intelligence, and sets out recommendations for how official bodies should respond to advances in the technology Continue Reading
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News
17 Dec 2020
NHS Scotland taps Check Point to secure Covid-19 data
NHS National Services Scotland is working with security firm Check Point to safeguard its sensitive data in the cloud and support its work on the coronavirus Continue Reading
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News
17 Dec 2020
Government aims to ‘unleash innovation’ with procurement overhaul
A government greenpaper sets out changes to simplify buying in the public sector and to benefit small and medium businesses Continue Reading
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News
17 Dec 2020
UK police unlawfully processing over a million people’s data on Microsoft 365
The roll-out of Microsoft 365 to dozens of UK police forces may be unlawful, because many have failed to conduct data protection checks before deployment and hold no information on their contracts Continue Reading
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News
16 Dec 2020
Lancashire police integrate body-worn video into digital policing app
Body-worn video integration will transform Lancashire police’s time-consuming and manual procedures into an efficient digital workflow, but claims that BMV will increase transparency and accountability are not backed by the evidence Continue Reading
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Opinion
16 Dec 2020
Why our online harms laws will be good for tech
The UK's minister for digital infrastructure explains the government's thinking behind its proposals to regulate internet companies such as Facebook, Google and others Continue Reading
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News
16 Dec 2020
Digital patient engagement tops NHS IT chiefs' priorities for 2021
Most leaders do not feel like they have sufficient funding to deliver new digital capabilities, despite engagement topping priorities for the NHS in 2021, finds study Continue Reading
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News
15 Dec 2020
DWP completes migration to hybrid cloud
The milestone is part of a major insourcing exercise that saw the department move away from monolithic contracts Continue Reading
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News
15 Dec 2020
UK government unveils details of upcoming online harms rules
Online Harms Bill due early 2021 will introduce GDPR-style fines for technology companies that breach online duty of care rules Continue Reading
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News
15 Dec 2020
Finland examines wider use of AI video camera technology
Authorities in Helsinki will use artificial intelligence and video technologies to help them automate monitoring of crowds Continue Reading
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Opinion
15 Dec 2020
Driving innovation in government
An insider's perspective on the organisation, culture and methods used to drive innovation in the Department for Work and Pensions Continue Reading
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Opinion
14 Dec 2020
Negotiating the complexities of international transfers of personal data
How to navigate international data transfers, standard contractual clauses and the impact of Brexit on data protection Continue Reading
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News
14 Dec 2020
Digital Ethics Summit 2020: governance key to inclusive post-Covid economic recovery
Pluralism key to developing and deploying technologies for an inclusive post-Covid economic recovery, according to a panel at Digital Ethics Summit 2020 Continue Reading
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News
14 Dec 2020
Appointment of disgraced former Post Office executive at Welsh FA questioned by MP
The appointment of a former Post Office executive, who tried to mislead a judge, in the Football Association of Wales has been questioned by an MP Continue Reading
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News
13 Dec 2020
Singapore trials beacons to bolster police operations
Police beacons equipped with video cameras, sirens, floodlights and speakers are being deployed at two parks to improve public safety in a year-long trial Continue Reading
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News
11 Dec 2020
HMRC data shows online IR35 status check tool does not return a result in nearly 20% of cases
Figures released by HMRC to show how many times its online IR35 tax status checker tool has been used reveal shortcomings in its ability to reach a conclusion in nearly 20% of cases Continue Reading
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News
11 Dec 2020
History made as subpostmasters wrongly prosecuted in Horizon IT scandal have convictions quashed
Six subpostmasters who were wrongly prosecuted for accounting shortfalls caused by computer errors have their convictions quashed after years of campaigning Continue Reading
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News
10 Dec 2020
Data on Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine stolen in cyber attack
The European Medicines Agency has launched a full investigation into an apparent security incident that has seen documents on the Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine stolen Continue Reading
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News
10 Dec 2020
Alan Turing Institute appoints global advisory board to aid digital identity schemes project
The Alan Turing Institute announces an international advisory board for a project investigating digital identity schemes, with a view to building the technology and organisational infrastructure to sustain them as trustworthy Continue Reading
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News
10 Dec 2020
DCMS’s Whittingdale: National Data Strategy enters post-consultation phase
Minister for media and data tells TechUK’s Digital Ethics summit that the long-awaited national data strategy has entered a new, post-consultation phase, and that the UK is set to show international leadership on digital and data in 2021 Continue Reading
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Blog Post
09 Dec 2020
Don't be the one who gets the blame - the Home Office's biggest lesson in UK borders IT
“Those who do not learn history are doomed to repeat it,” or so the oft-repeated quote from philosopher George Santayana goes. Where the UK’s Home Office is concerned, a far more meta version is ... Continue Reading
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News
08 Dec 2020
Home Office digital border programme has failed to deliver, says NAO
The Home Office’s digital border programme has so far not achieved value for money, has suffered delays, lacks clear objectives and will cost taxpayers an additional £173m, according to the National Audit Office Continue Reading
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News
08 Dec 2020
CMA sets out plan to regulate technology giants
With its new Digital Markets Unit, the CMA is hoping to curb the excesses of the internet, improve competition and give more choice to consumers Continue Reading
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News
08 Dec 2020
Russian state actors exploiting VMware bug to hijack data, users warned
Russian APT groups are actively exploiting a vulnerability in VMware products to access protected data, according to latest warnings Continue Reading
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News
08 Dec 2020
CIO interview: David Plumb, chief innovation officer, University of Warwick
The innovation leader is developing ecosystems of partners from industry, public sector and academia to not only help Warwick students, but also to support them as entrepreneurs and benefit the regional economy Continue Reading
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News
07 Dec 2020
Met Police failed to clear backlog of subject access requests
Metropolitan Police failed to comply fully with an enforcement notice issued by the Information Commissioner, and despite hundreds of overdue subject access requests the regulator did not take further action Continue Reading
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News
07 Dec 2020
Stockport Council launches digital training initiative
Local authority Stockport Council has launched a programme aimed at training young people in digital skills to give them a better chance at entering digital roles Continue Reading
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News
07 Dec 2020
CCS to launch £750m pan-government cloud computing services framework
The Crown Commercial Service (CCS) aims for the framework agreement to make it easier for public sector to buy scalable cloud hosting Continue Reading
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News
07 Dec 2020
UK Space Agency awards £7m for space innovation projects
A range of ‘high risk, high reward’ projects have been awarded a total of £7m from the Space Agency’s National Space Innovation Programme, aiming to make the UK a world leader in space technology Continue Reading
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News
07 Dec 2020
HMRC referred 11 data security incidents to ICO in 2019-20
HM Revenue & Customs shares details of a number of data security incidents that occurred during the 2019-20 financial year in its annual report Continue Reading
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News
07 Dec 2020
Post Office IT scandal CEO Paula Vennells jumps NHS ship as pressure mounts
CEO at the centre of the scandal that saw innocent people bankrupted and some sent to prison steps down from NHS role as pressure for her resignation grows Continue Reading
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News
04 Dec 2020
Government data quality framework geared to overcome poorly organised data
The Office for National Statistics has published guidelines aimed at improving “disorganised” public sector data Continue Reading
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News
04 Dec 2020
Kent and Medway to launch shared health and social care record
The Kent and Medway Care Record (KMCR) aims to create a single view of each patient’s record, and will hold automated data feeds from acute hospitals, community providers, mental health services, GPs and social care Continue Reading
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News
03 Dec 2020
Bank of England enlists development partner to unlock cloud
Bank has agreed a two-year deal with a cloud development platform provider as it seeks to take its cloud journey to the next level Continue Reading
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News
03 Dec 2020
ICT disaster threatens Dutch environment law
The Dutch government’s revamp of its construction planning law faces major IT challenges and scepticism Continue Reading
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News
03 Dec 2020
Tech and data key to achieving low-carbon economy, says Royal Society
Report says net-zero transition should be data-led, and calls for coordination between government, regulators, industry and third sector Continue Reading
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News
03 Dec 2020
‘Significant risk’ UK won’t be ready by end of Brexit transition period, says PAC
Public Accounts Committee is concerned with IT systems still being in development stage, leaving ‘little margin before they must be operational’, and criticises government for seeming to take ‘limited responsibility’ for readiness Continue Reading
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News
02 Dec 2020
Greater Manchester launches digital inclusion taskforce
The group including industry, community and government representatives will aim to fix the digital divide in the region Continue Reading
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News
02 Dec 2020
Covid-19: Cyber criminals will target vaccine programmes
Interpol issues a global alert to law enforcement as the UK becomes one of the first countries to approve the Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine for use Continue Reading
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News
02 Dec 2020
Singapore government remains ‘juicy target’ for cyber attackers
The government is baking security into the design and implementation of its IT systems and looking to increase bug bounties to fend off cyber threats Continue Reading
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News
01 Dec 2020
Wayra partners with UK government for Latin American scaleup project
Two scaleups from three Latin American countries – Argentina, Chile and Uruguay – will be selected by a project that will help the growing firms expand overseas into the UK market Continue Reading
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News
01 Dec 2020
22,000 malicious .uk domains suspended in past year
Nominet has suspended just over 22,000 domains in the 12 months to 31 October 2020, continuing a downward trend, and with less impact from Covid-19 than might be expected Continue Reading
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News
01 Dec 2020
Greenwich launches four-year digital strategy
Strategy is based on six principles, including focusing on the needs of residents and being data-led and agile, and aims to create a truly digital council and borough Continue Reading
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News
01 Dec 2020
Government covers its ears as complaint by victims of Post Office abuse heads to ombudsman
Government denies responsibility for the abuse inflicted on subpostmasters by the Post Office over faulty IT system Continue Reading
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News
30 Nov 2020
More than 1,300 teachers trained by National Centre for Computing Education
Government-funded centre aimed at supporting computing teachers has reached more than 29,000 teachers and trained over 1,300 to deliver computing curriculum Continue Reading
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News
30 Nov 2020
MI5 accused of withholding surveillance compliance failures from cabinet minister
MI5 withheld high-risk concerns about its ability to comply with legislation from the home secretary when it submitted applications for surveillance warrants, NGOs Privacy International and Liberty claimed last week Continue Reading
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News
30 Nov 2020
$60m Middle East tech fund targets 120 startups
Venture capital fund expects rapid regional technology growth in the post-Covid-19 world Continue Reading
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News
27 Nov 2020
Lords propose making tech giants pay for using news
Digital platforms such as Google and Facebook profit from running adverts alongside publishers’ content, but no financial compensation is given for carrying that content, says Lords committee Continue Reading
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News
27 Nov 2020
NI police unable to delete data seized unlawfully from journalists for 10 years
The Police Service of Northern Ireland is unable to delete terabytes of unlawfully seized data taken from journalists who exposed police failings in the investigation of the Loughinisland sectarian murders Continue Reading
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News
27 Nov 2020
Algorithmic transparency obligations needed in public sector
Public sector’s use of algorithms with social impacts needs to be more transparent to foster trust and hold organisations responsible for the negative outcomes their systems may produce, says report Continue Reading
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News
27 Nov 2020
Government pumps £20m into AI research projects
Alan Turing Institute’s artificial intelligence (AI) research fellows will receive funding for 15 projects including using AI to detect cancer and improve the performance of virtual personal assistants Continue Reading
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News
27 Nov 2020
Spending Review commits £32m to Gov.uk Accounts
Government Digital Service’s Gov.uk Accounts project will allow people to sign into government services online and get a personalised experience tailored to their needs Continue Reading
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News
26 Nov 2020
Government must hold technology companies to account on e-waste
MPs urge UK government and global technology companies to deal with ‘tsunami of electronic waste’, which is throwing away valuable resources vital for building a sustainable future Continue Reading
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News
26 Nov 2020
Data safes will give users control over their data
Belgian computer scientist tells Computer Weekly how people can regain control of their online personal information Continue Reading
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News
26 Nov 2020
Robots taking jobs, but creating careers
Robotic process automation developers tell Computer Weekly about the job they never expected to be doing Continue Reading
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News
26 Nov 2020
Scottish government hands out laptops and tablets to the digitally excluded
As part of its Connecting Scotland programme, the Scottish government is giving out 23,000 iPads and Chromebooks to low-income families and care leavers, along with two years of mobile data Continue Reading
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News
26 Nov 2020
CCS looks to hire CDIO
Crown Commercial Service is offering nearly £150,000 for the role of chief digital information officer, who will be in charge of developing and delivering its digital and data strategy Continue Reading
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News
25 Nov 2020
Scottish government unveils strategy for digital planning
Scotland’s government has published a document that describes its strategy for the digitisation of the nation’s planning system Continue Reading