IT for government and public sector

Middle East CIOs optimistic as budgets increase and digital transformations expand

Cyber security and risk management will see the biggest increase in spending, but digital transformation of businesses is a major driver of investment, survey shows Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Politics, privacy and porn: the challenges of age-verification technology

The age-verification requirements of the Digital Economy Act are to come into force in July this year, but registering people’s personal details for accessing age-restricted content carries significant risks and challenges Continue Reading

By

• Peter Ray Allison

TfL suspends Wi-Fi service as Extinction Rebellion spreads

Transport for London has cut off its public Virgin Media Wi-Fi service to disrupt climate change protests Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Home Office curbs bulk emails following data breach

Department has introduced new rules for mass messaging after exposing email addresses of EU settled status scheme applicants Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Findings published from three-month pilot for NHS App

Biometric login functionality and additional repeat prescription ordering capability are among the enhancements made in response to user feedback to the NHS App Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Security Think Tank: Surviving the existential cyber punch

How should businesses plan to survive a potential cyber attack extinction event? Continue Reading

By

• Gregory Touhill, ISACA

MP questions government over Post Office Horizon case

Labour MP asks the government about the costs associated with the Post Office Horizon legal battle Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Dutch national weather service adopts cloud to expand service offerings

The migration of legacy systems to an AWS set-up will precede the design of a real-time early warning centre for the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Digital transformation at the Crown Prosecution Service

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we examine how the Crown Prosecution Service is helping to transform the UK justice system with a world-first digital overhaul. We report from Google’s cloud conference on the firm’s plans to expand its presence in enterprise IT. And we look at the opportunities and challenges of using artificial intelligence in the education sector. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Digital transformation sees CPS build evidence of more efficient services

The introduction of fully digital services to improve stakeholder engagement is among the highlights of a world-first transformation initiative in the criminal justice system Continue Reading

Post-Brexit IT talent shortages concern UK CIOs

Finding and training tech staff remains an issue and is set to get worse after the UK leaves the European Union, says Barclaycard study Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

NHS launches care home availability portal

New tool is aimed at optimising hospital occupancy and saving social care staff “hours of phoning around” Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Podcast: The Computer Weekly Downtime Upload – Episode 12

In this week’s episode of The Computer Weekly Downtime Upload podcast, the team discusses SuiteWorld 2019, NetSuite’s annual user conference, the government’s introduction of internet safety regulations and the complex journey from collecting data to using it for insight Continue Reading

By

• Computer Weekly Staff

NCSC seeks new breed of cyber security startups

The UK intelligence community is seeking to promote a new breed of technology startup to help detect, respond to and facilitate rapid recoveries from cyber attacks on the UK Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

UK government launches cloud sustainability probe

Government departments are being asked to provide information about the energy footprint of the cloud services they use Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Mott MacDonald builds smart cities on Azure cloud

The Microsoft cloud will be used to run digital twins of city infrastructure to help city planners manage infrastructure more effectively Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

When will we see the digital transformation of politics?

The digital transformation of government and public service delivery is well under way and is by now – hopefully – unstoppable. It’s taken longer to get here than it should have, and it will take ... Continue Reading

By

• Bryan Glick, Editor in chief

Police local cyber crime units get multimillion pound boost

UK policing marks the completion of the local phase of a national cyber crime programme to complement regional and national response capabilities Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Lancaster University enhances student engagement with cloud-based chatbot

University is using Amazon Web Services to enhance the development of a voice-enabled “online companion” with machine learning and artificial intelligence Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

European Commission tackles transformation challenges with cloud

Modernisation plan continues at the EC, with an upcoming migration and major savings on the horizon Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

CW Middle East: Visibility and security of networks are top IT priorities

The 2019 Computer Weekly/TechTarget IT Priorities survey shows that enterprise buyers in the Middle East, like those in the UK and Europe, are looking to lock down their networks in the face of an almost constant barrage of threats and malicious actors. Also read how Facebook planned to use its Android app to track the location of its customers and to allow advertisers to send political advertising, and what further details operator O2 has revealed about how it is planning for the advent of 5G. Continue Reading

Competitive threats: What the growth in new public sector cloud frameworks means for G-Cloud

Public sector IT buyers may soon find themselves spoilt for choice when it comes to deciding where to procure their cloud services, thanks to the emergence of several new frameworks, but where does that leave G-Cloud? Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

EC publishes artificial intelligence guidelines

Report is intended as a starting point of an international discussion around trustworthy AI and its recommendations will be put to the test in a trial later this year Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Judge in Post Office trial rejects application to recuse himself

The Post Office’s claim that the judge overseeing the case concerning its controversial Horizon IT system was biased has been dismissed – but will now be considered by the Court of Appeal Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

UK councils team up to boost cyber security

Three UK councils and data analysis firm Splunk have teamed up to improve cyber defence capabilities and maintain their security systems Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

GCHQ cyber courses for teens recognised by qualification board

The Scottish Qualifications Authority has accredited courses pioneered by GCHQ’s National Cyber Security Centre to teach teenagers about cyber security Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

UK introduces world’s first online safety regulations

Announcing ‘the end of online self-regulation’, a duty of care is introduced to hold companies accountable for potential harm and safety of users of their services Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

NHS IT jobs need to be promoted differently

More ambition and a mindset change is required to attract more technology talent to the national health service Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Dutch government to make AI national priority

The Dutch government wants to increase its focus on the artificial intelligence sector, as other countries gain an advantage Continue Reading

By

• Kim Loohuis

No-deal Brexit threatens future of UK CAV sector

The UK has turned itself into a global leader for connected and autonomous vehicles, but its position is at risk because of Brexit, a new report warns Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Social inclusion unit aims to expand diversity in IT conversation

New unit at startup hub wants to explore how technology can be applied to address the barriers many people face in participating in society Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

National Savings and Investments makes £300m extension to Atos deal

UK government-owned savings bank adds three years to IT services contract with French supplier Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

NHSX announces new leadership

DCMS director-general Matthew Gould is to take over as chief executive of the NHSX, with recruitment set to accelerate at the newly formed digital strategy unit Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Enhanced Wi-Fi cuts costs to maximise efficiency at Dorset school

The need for cost-effective, manageable wireless infrastructure without additional annual licence fees drove Lytchett Minster School’s decision to upgrade its on-site network with TP-Link Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Post Office to appeal judgment from first Horizon trial

The Post Office will appeal against some of the judgments from the first trial concerning the Horizon computer system used by subpostmasters Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Home Office Brexit app will work on Apple devices

An agreement has been reached to make the app for EU nationals to apply for settlement in the UK work on iOS-based products Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Government urges businesses and charities to up cyber security

The UK government is urging businesses and charities to take action to prevent cyber attacks as the costs go up, despite an overall reduction in breaches, partly driven by new data protection laws Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

MI5 and the Met ramp up use of analytics to tackle terrorism

Police and intelligence organisations are working on technologies that will help “sharpen radars” around detecting terrorist intents Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Most business decision-makers and knowledge workers happy to work alongside robots

Fears that automation will remove jobs for knowledge workers are reducing as opportunities emerge to upskill and eradicate mundane work Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Government invests £10m in education technology strategy

The UK government has launched a strategy encouraging technology companies to help schools use technology to reduce teacher workload, among other things Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

Government invests in knife-detection tech research

The Home Office and the Department for Transport are channelling more than £460,000 into fast-tracking the development and deployment of technologies that can detect concealed blades in public spaces Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

SMEs forced into automation as Making Tax Digital goes live

Small businesses are faced with all manner of challenges as the government presses ahead with its plan to digitise the UK tax system Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Four in 10 leading banks failing on email fraud protection

Top UK traditional and challenger banks risk exposing customers to email fraud, a study reveals Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Huawei reports record numbers despite tumultuous year

Huawei has become one of the world’s largest technology companies by revenue, suggesting the accusations over its ties to the Chinese government are failing to have much impact Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Post Office could face huge costs bill for first Horizon trial

Subpostmaster claimants’ legal team makes application for the Post Office to pay millions of pounds of costs associated with trial Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Welsh government buys Microsoft Office 365 for teachers and pupils

The Welsh government will provide Microsoft Office 365 ProPlus across 1,521 maintained schools in Wales Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Digital industries lead UK economy

Technology, media and creative businesses are leading national economic growth, according to research Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

How research firm Icon is using analytics and wearables to enhance clinical trials

The company is investing in emergent technology to boost the attractiveness of trials as a care option and attract more participants, while enhancing internal efficiency around drug and device development. Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Met Office seeks chief information security officer

The national weather service wants to recruit a new leader to spearhead a cyber security enhancement programme Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Interview: Mark Gray, director of digital transformation, Crown Prosecution Service

The introduction of fully digital services to improve stakeholder engagement is among the highlights of a world-first transformation initiative in the criminal justice system Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Swan lands in Scottish Highlands

Capita’s Scottish public sector network, also known as Swan, is to be extended to 150 sites in the Highland towns of Fort William, Inverness, Thurso and Wick Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Infosec pros slam government-mandated backdoors

Government-mandated encryption backdoors increase vulnerability to nation-state attacks, according to the majority of cyber security professionals Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Huawei making no progress on addressing security concerns

Huawei has made no material progress on addressing the issues identified last year by the NCSC, according to the latest highly critical report from its HSCEC Oversight Board Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Post Office made to repay public money it allocated to fund Horizon litigation

A senior civil servant asked the Post Office to repay public money it had wrongly allocated to paying legal costs Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Businesses losing out on early payment discounts due to outdated software

Chief financial officers need to upgrade their accounting software to benefit from discounts available for paying suppliers early Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Scottish government advances payments programme

Platform is intended to support outbound and inbound payments and could integrate Gov.UK Pay in Scotland Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Oslo car-free plan builds on micro-mobility trend

Norway’s capital steers away from reliance on cars as political agenda is aided by technological innovation to realise social goals Continue Reading

By

• Matthew Staff

Cyber attacks targeting industrial control systems on the rise

Malicious cyber activity increased to almost half of the industrial infrastructure protected by Kaspersky Lab in 2018, but the UK is among the most secure countries, the security firm reports Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Government expects NHS IT overhaul will unleash innovation

Common technical standards, modular contracts and a fintech-style regulatory model will underpin the new approach to technology in the health service in England Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Mind the overlap between GDPR and ePD, warns privacy lawyer

Organisations need to be aware of the overlaps between European data protection and privacy rules, and which takes precedence, a privacy lawyer warns Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Police make 61 arrests in global crackdown on dark web

Law enforcement agencies from the US, Canada and Europe, including the UK, have joined forces to target suppliers and buyers of illegal goods on dark web marketplaces and warn buyers of risks Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Police algorithms should be regulated, says think tank

Better use and regulation of data-driven technologies should be the norm in UK policing, according to research Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

BT switches on quantum network link at Adastral Park

BT has opened its quantum network link between its Adastral Park research base and the UK Quantum Network node at the University of Cambridge Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

A ‘stunning victory’ in Post Office Horizon trial

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we report on the latest news from the court case about the controversial Post Office Horizon IT system after claimants achieve a ‘stunning victory’ in a judge’s ruling. Top IT leaders share their views on creating a strategy for the digital age. And the CIO of Halfords talks about cloud, data analytics and emerging technologies. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Nominet urges SMEs to register .uk domains to thwart squatters

The automatic right of .co.uk domain name holders to register the shorter .uk domains ends in June Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

MPs hear more revelations about Gov.uk Verify as troubled project gets a new leader

Hello and good luck, to Lisa Barrett  - the newly appointed director of digital identity at the Government Digital Service (GDS). She's taken on what many people outside GDS see as something of a ... Continue Reading

By

• Bryan Glick, Editor in chief

All change: What can suppliers and IT buyers expect from G-Cloud 11?

The government is set to start accepting applications for the next iteration of G-Cloud from 25 March, but will it be more of the same or radical change for suppliers and public sector IT buyers this time around? Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

Getting it right this time: Why the strategy is not about delivery for NHSX

Government needs to move on from the mantras and beliefs that exist around digital and technology – the new NHSX organisation could set an example by transforming healthcare Continue Reading

By

• Mark Thompson, Exeter Business School and DIGITLab

UK government at odds over Huawei threat

The chair of the Science and Technology Committee has criticised the government’s vague response to concerns about Huawei’s activities in the UK Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Hubris over Horizon? Post Office shocks High Court with accusation of bias

The Post Office likes to describes itself as “the nation’s most trusted brand”. Anyone following the latest developments in the increasingly heated High Court case about its Horizon IT system would ... Continue Reading

By

• Bryan Glick, Editor in chief

Manchester City Council CIO steps down

In a return to the private sector, Bob Brown joins healthcare technology firm EMIS as chief solutions officer Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

London launches open data cultural map

The collated data on the capital's cultural locations is hoped to support local authorities, property developers and associations develop existing clusters and build creative infrastructure Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Government cyber security strategy is ‘chaotic’

Responding to potential threats at a national level is unfeasible given the time ministers are currently dedicating to Brexit negotiations, says shadow Cabinet Office minister Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Interview: How the DWP Dojo innovates

Juan Villamil, director of enterprise infrastructure and production operations at DWP Digital, discusses how the Department for Work and Pensions tests out new tech ideas Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Horizon IT system trial suspended after Post Office accuses judge of bias

The Post Office legal team in the case brought by more than 500 subpostmasters has called for the judge to be recused after questioning his impartiality Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

GDS and Cabinet Office admit to over-optimism over Verify

The system's architects blamed failures to deliver the objectives set out in the original business plan on the slow pace of digital transformation across government at a Public Accounts Committee session this week Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Norway’s IT sector and government to tackle skills shortage

Norway's IT sector is getting much-needed government support to help improve access to talent Continue Reading

By

• Gerard O'Dwyer

Russian cyber espionage groups targeting EU governments

Two Russian cyber espionage groups are targeting EU governments ahead of European elections, say researchers Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Department for Transport launches future of urban mobility plan

Future of Mobility minister Jesse Norman launches “biggest review into transport in a generation” Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

UK cyber experts to support global company boards

A consortium of UK cyber security experts and academics is to support multinational company boards to tackle online threats and protect against cyber crime Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Network Homes signs Hyperoptic broadband deal

Expansion of Hyperoptic’s ultrafast network targets 20,000 properties in London and the south east Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Government can make better use of tech to tackle loneliness

Report produced by Vodafone urges the government to exploit the potential of technology to alleviate loneliness among older people Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

UK government organisations’ email security lagging

Email security in UK government organisations is lagging far behind that of central government, analysis reveals, with less than a third implementing standard protection Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

CCRC watching Post Office Horizon trial closely

The Criminal Courts Review Commission considering judgment in subpostmasters versus Post Office litigation trial Continue Reading

Post Office ‘lacked humanity’ in the treatment of subpostmasters, says peer

Peer slams Post Office after High Court judgment reveals its oppressive style of managing the people who run its branches Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Government launches investigation into AI bias

Advisory body will look at how systems that support decision-making may have inherent algorithmic biases that need to be taken into account Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Salisbury to get ‘universal’ full-fibre broadband

Every residential and business property in Salisbury will be able to access full-fibre broadband in 12 months, claims Openreach Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Post Office director cross-examination confirms lack of investigation into branch IT problems

A high court judge heard that the Post Office did not investigate a computer system error that could cause losses, despite being offered evidence Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Department of Health considers overhaul of screening IT

Modernisation intended to address high-profile failures in national screening services will be informed by an investigation on the topic to be published next month Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

EU law enforcement agencies prepare for major cyber attacks

Law enforcement agencies across the European Union are preparing for major cross-border cyber attacks, says Europol Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

UKCloud secures £25m investment to support multi-cloud public sector push

G-Cloud-listed IT services firm UKCloud has received a sizeable financial boost to support its efforts to cater to the differentiated demands of public sector technology buyers Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

Microsoft Government Community Cloud adds Teams, Dynamics 365

U.S. government agencies are undergoing a digital transformation, and Microsoft hopes that upgrades to its Government Cloud lineup will make its platform part of that change. Continue Reading

By

• Jesse Scardina, News Writer

Subpostmasters achieve ‘stunning victory’ against Post Office in Horizon case

Judge rules that Post Office showed “oppressive behaviour” in response to claimants accused of accounting errors they blamed on Horizon IT system Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

National Cyber Security Programme at risk of missing targets

The National Audit Office has sharply criticised the Cabinet Office over failings in how it set up the National Cyber Security Programme that mean it may struggle to meet its goals Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

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