IT for government and public sector

Avoid infosec mistakes of the past, urges Robert Hannigan

Technology innovators need to avoid security mistakes of the past by building in integrity so that products and services can be used with trust and confidence, says former GCHQ director Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Met Police collaborated with US prosecutors in WikiLeaks investigation

The Metropolitan Police has confirmed it exchanged information on WikiLeaks staff in the UK with the US Department of Justice, which is conducting criminal investigations into the organisation Continue Reading

By

• BIll Goodwin & Niels Ladefoged

NHS Shared Business Services seeks suppliers for £500m cloud procurement framework

NHS Shared Business Services is seeking suppliers for a four-year procurement framework designed to streamline how public sector organisations source cloud services Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

Spring Statement 2019 allocates £200m to technology

Chancellor Philip Hammond's latest statement announces funding to support progress in areas including supercomputer development, photonics and bioinformatics, promises tighter digital regulation and attempts to ensure flow of skilled professionals into the UK Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Furman Review urges greater competition for tech giants

The six-month review into the UK digital economy includes recommendations of a new code of conduct for large companies, along with greater data openness and mobility Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Bank of England’s large IT spend partly due to use of manual processes and legacy systems

The Bank of England admits there is room for improvement when it comes to IT efficiency Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Shetlands get broadband upgrade to support local NHS services

Shetland Islands Council is to receive £1.91m of funding to expand full-fibre broadband expansion to NHS sites on remote islands through the government’s Local Full-Fibre Networks initiative Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Defra criticised over no-deal IT systems plan

The introduction of slower, burdensome systems brought about by the challenges of preparing for Brexit must not become the ‘new normal’, MPs warn Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Podcast: The Computer Weekly Downtime Upload – Episode 7

In this week’s episode of The Computer Weekly Downtime Upload podcast, the team talks cyber attacks against the NHS, the everywoman in Tech Forum, 5G connected cows, and covers off the latest round of revelations about Facebook’s data processing procedures Continue Reading

By

• Computer Weekly Staff

Post Office considered Horizon IT system ‘high risk’, court told

The Post Office considered Horizon a high operational risk in an internal review, a trial focused on alleged fallibilities in the system used in thousands of Post Office branches has heard Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Department for Transport kicks off cloud transformation

A major system has been moved to Google Cloud Platform as part of a wider modernisation exercise Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

HMRC CDIO Jacky Wright on why building diverse tech teams is socially responsible

During a wide-ranging Q&A session at this year's everywoman in tech forum, HMRC CDIO Jacky Wright set out why diversity matters when building government services, while worrying about workplace stereotypes is a waste of time Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

Citrix breach once again highlights password weaknesses

A reported breach of Citrix, which has potentially exposed data at hundreds of thousands of customer organisations, has once again highlighted the need for an alternative to passwords and the importance of supply chain security Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

House of Lords committee calls for creation of a digital authority to oversee regulation

The proposed regulatory framework would coordinate regulators, assess rules and make recommendations to respond to developments in digital services Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Government announces changes to immigration rules

The government has announced changes to immigration rules, which will provide two new visas designed to allow skilled talent into the UK Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

How supercomputing is transforming experimental science

NERSC lead data scientist Debbie Bard talks about how large-scale data analytics using super computers is making new types of science possible Continue Reading

By

• Brian McKenna, Enterprise Applications Editor

Half of government IT jobs in 2023 do not exist today

Widespread digital transformation in the public sector means government CIO responsibilities will change rapidly in the next four years and many of those future roles do not yet exist, says Gartner Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Ministry of Justice concludes prison biometrics pilots

Use of iris scanning and facial recognition software is part of a wider crackdown on drug trafficking in UK jails Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

UK military robotics get multimillion-pound boost

A budget of £66m from the Ministry of Defence's Transformation Fund has been allocated to a project that will see mini-drones and autonomous vehicles deployed to the battlefield Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

NAO hammers another nail into Gov.uk Verify

It’s not commonly known outside Whitehall that by the time the National Audit Office (NAO) – Parliament’s independent spending watchdog – publishes a report, it will have been through several ... Continue Reading

By

• Bryan Glick, Editor in chief

Government must prioritise replacement of legacy IT, MPs told

Science and Technology Committee inquiry into digital government told that Treasury needs to offer funding in next spending review to eliminate ageing technology in Whitehall Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

GDS cut expected benefits of troubled Gov.uk Verify system by 75%

In a highly critical report, the National Audit Office says it is 'difficult to conclude' that past decisions to continue with the flagship digital identity system have been justified Continue Reading

By

• Bryan Glick, Editor in chief

Cyber awareness of UK boards found wanting

Boards of many of the UK’s biggest firms must do more to be cyber aware, according to a government report. Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Is it too soon for AI in the education landscape?

This year saw education secretary Damian Hinds call for more tech in schools to help reduce teacher workload, but are schools ready, and how do we fix the pressing issues faced by UK education? Continue Reading

By

• Cath Everett

Clearer North Korean link to global infrastructure malware campaign

Researchers have uncovered clearer links between a North Korean hacking group and a cyber espionage campaign targeting government, defence, nuclear, energy and financial organisations around the world Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Facebook asked George Osborne to influence EU data protection law

Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg invited one of the chancellor’s children to Facebook’s office as part of a intensive lobbying programme to influence European data protection legislation Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Duncan Campbell & Sebastian Klovig Skelton

What are the CDN options for enterprises?

We look at how content delivery networks can give your organisation’s web presence a literal edge Continue Reading

By

• Rene Millman

Teen becomes first millionaire through HackerOne bug bounties

A self-taught teen hacker from Argentina has become the first bug bounty hacker to become a millionaire by hacking to create a safer internet Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Six out of eight key government systems unlikely to be ready by Brexit day

National Audit Office update on the UK government’s readiness for Brexit identifies processes and IT systems that will not be finished by the 29 March deadline Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Sextortion accounts for one in 10 spear-phishing emails

Email sextortion scams have increased in frequency and scope in the past four months, as well as evolving to bypass spam filters and trick recipients into reading the messages, research shows Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Icann calls for community collaboration to protect the internet

The domain name system watchdog Icann has reaffirmed its commitment to engage in collaborative efforts to ensure the security, stability and resiliency of the internet’s global identifier systems Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Chinese cyber attack group Bronze Union targeting weapons tech

Weapons technology is among the latest targets of a highly adaptable cyber espionage group that uses a wide range of publicly available and custom attack tools, presenting a challenge to network defenders Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

NHS software deal tops public sector spending on new IT contracts in 2018

Department of Health’s Windows 10 contract was the biggest public sector deal signed last year Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Interview: London Grid for Learning CEO on putting technology to work in schools

John Jackson, CEO of the London Grid for Learning, discusses how the organisation supports technology adoption in schools Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

Over 100 rural primary schools to get gigabit broadband

Primary schools could become high-speed broadband hubs for rural communities if government plans reach fruition Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Improving public/private collaboration to boost digital government

TechUK and the civil service are working together on a programme to develop digital skills in Whitehall and a better understanding of government needs in the tech industry Continue Reading

By

• Julian David, TechUK

TechUK: Digital ethics has to hit the boardroom this year

UK IT industry lobby organisation releases a position paper contending that digital ethics must become a boardroom matter in 2019 Continue Reading

By

• Brian McKenna, Enterprise Applications Editor

EU gathers momentum in cyber security legislation and cooperation

The past two years have seen a step-change in the rate at which the European Union is putting legislation in place to support improved cyber security standards, collaboration and sharing of resources, says digital commissioner’s representative Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Nordic tech is increasing diversity but more needs to be done

The shortage of women in the boardroom is a problem in the Nordics, like other regions, but work in its tech sector means the future could be more promising Continue Reading

By

• Matthew Staff

Cyber power needs wider discussion, says GCHQ director

The topic of cyber power needs wider discussion, says GCHQ head in a speech about the opportunities of digital innovation such as 5G, as well as the accompanying complexity and risk, with particular mention of China and Huawei Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Nominet and Learning Foundation launch digital inclusion taskforce

Taskforce aims to tackle digital exclusion, which leaves many people in the UK without access to digital technology Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

Health Secretary Matt Hancock orders ban on use of pagers by NHS staff before end of 2021

Eradicating use of pagers will save the NHS £6.6m a year, as Health Secretary Matt Hancock outlines the next phase of his plan to modernise communication in the health service Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

Facebook planned to spy on Android phone users, internal emails reveal

Facebook planned to use its Android app to track the location of its customers and to allow advertisers to send political advertising and invites to dating sites to ‘single’ people, confidential documents show Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Nato supports collaboration on cyber security

Nato supports collaboration and cooperation on cyber security as an organisation founded on the principle of collective defence, says representative Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

UK committed to working with EU cyber security partners

NCSC CEO uses cyber security conference in Brussels to set out his agency’s position on Brexit, 5G security, Huawei, market incentives and international cooperation on active cyber defence Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

CW Nordics: Sweden to test e-krona and plans cashless society

Sweden’s vision of a cashless society has gained traction after the Riksbank (central bank) rolled out plans to test a digital currency, the e-krona. Also read how the Nordic region’s longer-established companies are playing a forceful role to advance digital transformation, and how Finland’s IT sector has rebounded strongly after Microsoft’s takeover of Nokia’s mobile phones and smart devices business units in 2014. Continue Reading

Government and IT industry-funded AI graduate education programme to be rolled out across UK

UK government announces the launch of a state and IT industry-funded graduate education programme in artificial intelligence, comprising masters degrees, PhDs and Alan Turing Institute fellowships Continue Reading

By

• Brian McKenna, Enterprise Applications Editor

Cooperation a key theme of Brussels cyber security symposium

Fostering trust-based cooperation of like-minded cyber security stakeholders to create new strategies, policies and standards emerged as a key theme at a cyber security conference in Brussels Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Government revises outsourcing guidelines to balance risk with suppliers

The government has published its latest guidelines on public sector outsourcing Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

MWC 2019: 5G smartphones go live on Vodafone network

Vodafone has connected three 5G-enabled smartphones to a live network during trials in Spain Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Huawei faces battle to win Nordic trust

Nordic countries are investigating the spying allegations made against Chinese networking supplier Huiawei Continue Reading

By

• Gerard O'Dwyer

UK naïve to think China won’t try to exploit Huawei

A think-tank report has branded the UK government naïve at best, irresponsible at worst, over its use of Chinese networking equipment in critical national infrastructure Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Activist Lauri Love’s computer ‘contained hacked data’, says judge

Lauri Love, who has been accused of hacking into US government computer systems, has lost a legal action against the NCA for the return of his computers and storage device Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Podcast: The Computer Weekly Downtime Upload – Episode 4

In this week’s episode of The Computer Weekly Downtime Upload podcast, the team covers Matt Hancock’s bid to get the NHS to embrace email, the government’s push to extend IR35 to the private sector, and how technology can transform staff training Continue Reading

By

• Computer Weekly Staff

NCSC signals UK may take softer line on Huawei

The UK’s National Cyber Security Centre suggests Huawei will be allowed to form core elements of the country’s 5G mobile network infrastructure after all Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Making the move to cloud work for you

Getting the best out of a move to the cloud means getting the size right, turning off what you don’t need, smart purchasing and continuously decluttering your new environment Continue Reading

By

• Rahul Gupta , PA Consulting

Government rules out blockchain at borders until after Brexit due to 'significant work' required

A previous HMRC pilot of distributed ledger technology will not provide any short-term solution to issues around UK borders after Brexit Continue Reading

By

• Bryan Glick, Editor in chief

London and Helsinki digital partnership challenges big IT platforms

CDOs of London and Helsinki meet at London’s City Hall to sign a city-to-city digital declaration around AI, open data and digital innovation Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

IR35 reforms: Contractors lack confidence in private sector to manage April 2020 rule change

Research from IR35 consultancy Qdos suggests contractors lack confidence in the ability of private sector firms to adequately determine how they should be taxed after April 2020 Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

Dutch developer offers businesses nuclear security option for communications

Startup that created the secure platform for communication between world leaders at the 2014 Nuclear Security Summit in the Netherlands seeks to revolutionise business mail Continue Reading

By

• Kim Loohuis

Podcast: The Computer Weekly Downtime Upload – Episode 3

In this week’s episode of The Computer Weekly Downtime Upload podcast, the team covers Brexit (again), Marks & Spencer’s efforts to court startups in the name of digital transformation, and a watercolour-based digital preservation case study Continue Reading

By

• Computer Weekly Staff

Lauri Love takes legal action against NCA for return of seized computers

Lauri Love, a former engineering student who won a battle with the US Department of Justice against extradition to the US to face hacking charges, is suing the UK's intelligence agency, the NCA, for the return of his seized computers Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

AI and robotics to form part of curriculum for future medical students

For the NHS to capitalise on the digital future, new technologies such as artificial intelligence and robotics will have to be designed into the learning process for medical students Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Of course there's technology for the Irish border - that doesn't mean it will work

It’s understandable that people express cynicism when a politician – particularly one with a clear ideological bent – proclaims that “digital” or “technology” can solve the core Brexit issue of the ... Continue Reading

By

• Bryan Glick, Editor in chief

Nordic region primed to pioneer 5G

The Nordic region could pioneer the commercial use of 5G, with Finland and Sweden hotbeds for the technology Continue Reading

By

• Jane Hamrin

CW Benelux: Google helps Dutch schools to teach computer skills

A programme in the Netherlands to help primary schools provide computational thinking and programming, developed with financial support from Google, is well on schedule. Also read about four Russians’ attempted hack into the networks of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons in The Hague, and how Dutch delivery company PostNL is making savings by using robotic technology to automate administrative tasks. Continue Reading

US Department of Defense backs multi-cloud model to support $10bn JEDI mega-cloud deployment

The US Department of Defense has fleshed out its cloud strategy, as the industry awaits news of who has secured the decade-long contract for its $10bn mega-cloud environment Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

CIO interview: David Walliker, Liverpool Women’s & Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen NHS Trusts

Being CIO for two different NHS trusts is not an easy task, but David Walliker splits his time between the two, aiming to deliver digital transformation across the board Continue Reading

By

• Mark Samuels

NHS screening programmes plagued by ‘not fit for purpose’ IT

‘Complex and ageing IT’ is causing issues for several NHS screening programmes, according to the National Audit Office Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Suffolk County Council awards 20-year WAN contract

MLL Telecom will work with CityFibre to extend Suffolk County Council’s existing WAN to 600 sites and offer them ultrafast connectivity services Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

UK’s IT and BPO spend plummets because of Brexit uncertainty

UK businesses cut their investment in IT and business process outsourcing last year because of confusion over Brexit, but there was a 68% rise in public sector spending Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Tech sector tells government that digital identity policy is 'urgently required'

The UK tech sector has urged the government to publish policy to support the creation of a “fully functioning” digital identity market, to boost the digital economy Continue Reading

By

• Bryan Glick, Editor in chief

Civil liberties groups to challenge bulk surveillance and intelligence sharing in Strasbourg

Coalition of campaigning groups wins the right to challenge the UK’s use of bulk surveillance powers, which allows suspicionless surveillance of the population and sharing of intercepted data with overseas intelligence agencies, in European Court of Human Rights Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Cambridge launches urban data IoT project

The city of Cambridge will use Telensa IoT sensors and a Microsoft Azure platform to better manage its urban data assets Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

New audiovisual connections enhance the learning experience

Being open and inclusive to individual sensory needs as well as diverse technology choices means adopting a flexible approach to AV infrastructure Continue Reading

By

• Rob Bamforth, Timefort

Government restates SME spend commitment as large suppliers win more cloud hosting deals

An analysis of the G-Cloud and Digital Outcomes and Specialists (DOS) framework sales figures suggests proportion of cloud hosting deals going to big suppliers is continuing to rise Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

Met Police deploys live facial recognition technology for ninth time

Police say technology is helping to prevent and detect crime by identifying wanted criminals, but privacy groups have voiced their opposition Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Innocent people arrested following surveillance blunders, IPCO reveals

Interception of communications commissioner Adrian Fulford warns of “grave” repercussions for people wrongly identified as suspects due to errors made when government bodies access email, phone and telephone data Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

No-deal Brexit could lead to data issues, MPs told

Trade body TechUK is concerned smaller companies are far from ready for a no-deal scenario, while warning that leaving without a deal could lead to serious data issues for businesses Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

How to accelerate digital identity in the UK

Trusted online relationships are essential to the digital economy, but the UK is lagging behind. What needs to be done? Continue Reading

By

• David Black, ID Crowd

Government launches data trust programme

Digital secretary Jeremy Wright sets out plans for scheme using data sharing to tackle global challenges such as illegal wildlife trade and food waste Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Department for Transport revamps police road traffic accident reporting system

Working with Civica Digital, the Department for Transport has ramped up the mobile capabilities of its road traffic accident reporting service for police forces across England and Wales Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

Government makes progress on green IT, according to report

Defra report on sustainable digital services shows improvements have been made, but highlights challenges with legacy systems and waste, as well as the importance of departments measuring progress Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

IT leaders grapple with workforce skills gap as they deploy AI and digital technology

Organisations will have to find new ways of reskilling their workforce as they get to grips with artificial intelligence and other digital technologies. CIOs also need to keep their skills updated if they are to succeed Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Minister urges UK firms to prepare for no-deal Brexit

On International Data Protection Day, the UK’s digital minister has added her voice to calls by the data protection watchdog for UK firms to prepare for a no-deal Brexit Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

UK IT spending worth £27bn held back due to Brexit uncertainty

UK businesses are putting billions of pounds of IT investments on hold until they know the terms that the UK will leave the EU Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Government to pump £70m into ‘designing out’ cyber threats

Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund cash to be used for designing and developing more secure hardware in a bid to eradicate cyber threats Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

UK cyber security agency investigates DNS hijacking

NCSC is probing the large-scale DNS hijacking campaign that has reportedly affected government and commercial organisations worldwide, and has issued defence advice Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Budding UK cyber strategists gear up for national competition 

Teams of UK university students are preparing to compete for the second time in analysing the threat of a simulated cyber attack to develop policies and strategies Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Former EU data protection tsar joins ICO

Former EU data protection supervisor joins the UK’s privacy watchdog as non-executive director, strengthening its commitment to international work Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

CIO interview: Charles Ewen, Met Office

The Met Office’s CIO is working on a new, digital approach, using supercomputers, establishing pioneering partnerships and creating change Continue Reading

By

• Mark Samuels

Emergency services organisations ranked slowest public sector cloud adopters in Eduserv poll

Latest research from EduServ and Socitm into public sector cloud adoption trends reveals slow response to cloud calls from the emergency services sector Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

Facebook’s objections to court concerns over privacy more about ‘optics’ than facts

Facebook’s challenge to a High Court ruling that raises serious concerns about data transfers between Europe and the US is more about appearance than facts, lawyers for the Irish Data Protection Commission told Dublin's Supreme Court Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

MPs challenge Huawei over spying allegations

The chair of the cross-bench Science and Technology Committee has written to Huawei seeking answers over its activities in the UK Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

NHS England launches public roll-out of NHS App

The all singing and dancing NHS App is now being rolled out publicly across England following a private beta phase with more than 3,000 patients Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

HMCTS suffers major IT issues

HM Courts and Tribunals Service has been experiencing problems with several of its IT systems over the past few days, including secure email and network issues Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

US issues emergency directive to halt DNS hijacking

US government agencies have been given 10 days to complete a four-step action plan to stop DNS hijacking attacks Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Young Dutch cyber criminals get re-education rather than jail time

Young hackers in the Netherlands are being rehabilitated through punishments that educate rather than incarcerate Continue Reading

By

• Tijs Hofmans

London cyber innovation centre expands global ties

London innovation centre Plexal has announced international partnerships aimed at boosting global cyber security cooperation Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Scottish Police Authority awards £21m mobile services deal to EE

EE will oversee a three-year deal to transform police mobile capabilities in Scotland, alongside Motorola Solutions, Samsung and BlackBerry Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor