IT for government and public sector

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

Dowden announces five new successful GovTech Catalyst challenges

Five public sector projects will receive funding as part of the third round of the £20m GovTech Catalyst programme, says implementation minister Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Facebook: US government does not engage in mass and indiscriminate surveillance

Social media giant challenges a ruling by Dublin’s High Court over a judgment that it says made ‘extraordinary and incorrect’ findings about the US legal system Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Public procurement key to cyber security

Using public procurement as a means of boosting cyber security is the top recommendation for 2019, according to a report based on expert views Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

DCMS puts digital ID policy team on no-deal Brexit work

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport’s digital identity policy team shifts focus to prepare for the UK leaving the EU without a deal Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Home Office vetoes privacy campaigner from senior post in surveillance watchdog

The Home Office refuses academic and privacy campaigner, Eric King, security clearance for a senior role at the intelligence services watchdog, despite high-level backing from officials Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Prepare for no-deal Brexit, says ICO

The UK data protection authority is urging businesses to prepare for a no-deal Brexit to ensure there is no interruption in data flows from Europe Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Leading IT: Lessons from the front line

As a CIO, whatever challenges you face in terms of budget, mandates or timetable, you may already have the right people to carry out incredible IT feats. Here are four ways to lead your organisation to unprecedented success Continue Reading

By

• Terry Milholland, TVM Consulting, LLC

Vodafone and IBM prep user clouds for future network tech

Companies expand existing collaboration to enable enterprise customers to prepare for the impact of advanced networking technologies Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Swedish state and industry back autonomous vehicle testing facility

AstaZero facility will “road-test” next-generation 5G and digital innovations to support the development of self-driving cars and other vehicles Continue Reading

By

• Gerard O'Dwyer

UK tech firms favour second referendum as next move in Brexit stalemate

UK tech firms want to remain as close to the EU as possible and believe a second referendum on membership of the trading bloc would be the best way out of the current political stalemate Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Facebook’s high-stakes privacy gamble goes to Dublin court

A high-wire gamble with billions in compensation at stake for European internet users – part of a complex case between Facebook and the Irish information commissioner – hides challenge to the unlawfulness of US state internet surveillance Continue Reading

By

• Kevin Cahill

The rise of DevSecOps

The increasing complexity of security threats facing enterprises is leading to DevSecOps approaches, which combine operations and development with security, so that all business units are involved in security operations Continue Reading

By

• Finbarr Toesland

Another one bites the dust: Bauer’s departure from NHS England highlights public sector-wide issue

NHS England’s chief digital officer (CDO) jumping ship to join the private sector is the latest example of one of the key issues facing digital and technology projects across the public sector, ... Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

NHS England chief digital officer Juliet Bauer leaves to work for a supplier

NHS England’s chief digital officer is jumping ship, just as the NHS begins implementing its long-term plan, to join Swedish GP video consultation provider Livi Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

DfT launches online Blue Badge service

In its efforts to digitise services, the Department for Transport has launched an online application system for Blue Badges, aiming to speed up the process Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

A big dose of digital for the NHS

There’s been a lot of excitement over the new NHS Long Term Plan. The plan sets out how the NHS will spend the extra £20.5bn a year, gifted to the health service by prime minister Theresa May as a ... Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Microsoft takes community approach to artificial intelligence in Sweden

Microsoft is making increasing use of artificial intelligence in Sweden as it shares experiences with the development community Continue Reading

By

• Jane Hamrin

Right to be forgotten is not global, says EU court adviser

The right to be forgotten should apply only in the European Union, according to the chief adviser to the European Court of Justice Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Enterprises are increasing the human workforce while deploying AI

Artificial intelligence is creating more jobs than it replaces, according to a study of businesses using the technology Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

CW Middle East: Bahrain aims to be fintech hub

Bahrain’s government wants to make the country the go-to place in the Middle East for financial technology companies. It hopes to capitalise on its banking know-how to establish an ambitious fintech “ecosystem”. Also read about Dubai’s plans for the Smart Data platform and the UAE Pass, a digital ID and signature, and how Shell is using AI to amplify the human impact of its workforce. Continue Reading

Fife Council upgrades WAN to offer ultrafast broadband services

Public sector sites across Fife in Scotland are to receive a transformational upgrade to their broadband speeds Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Germany races to boost cyber defences after breach

Germany is scrambling to improve its cyber defences before the European parliamentary elections after a student leaked politicians’ personal data Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

BT faces tussle to keep EU contracts after Brexit

The European Union will likely re-evaluate its telecoms contracts with BT following Brexit, and cancelling them altogether is a real risk in a no-deal scenario, according to leaked documents Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Government SME spend going down, MPs told

Government spending with SMEs has reduced rather than increased, some government procurement markets are dominated by oligopolies and the research community needs to be brought into the mix, according to evidence given to the Science and Technology Committee Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

AWS ‘does not dominate’ cloud market, claims Amazon’s UK public policy chief

Amazon’s UK director of public policy, Lesley Smith, has told the House of Lords Communications Committee that Amazon is a “prevalent”, rather than “dominant” force in the cloud market Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

NHS Digital chief information security officer resigns

Robert Coles, who joined NHS Digital as its chief information and security officer in October 2018, is stepping down from the role for personal reasons Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Second Lorca cohort to focus on supply chain security

The second cohort of companies to benefit from the new London cyber innovation centre will focus on user-centric security and securing supply chains Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

A very digital plan for the NHS

The NHS Long Term Plan aims to empower people through the use of technology and create a digital-first NHS, offering virtual outpatient appointments, digital GP consultations and improved cyber security. But how and when will the government achieve this? Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

AWS secures cloud hosting role in UK government Crown Marketplace programme

Amazon Web Services’ cloud platform to play key role in how public sector organisations procure common goods and services Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

NHS Long-Term Plan to bring health service into the digital age

The long-term plan to transform the NHS by using Theresa May’s £20.5bn-a-year birthday present promises use of artificial intelligence, genomic testing and digital GP appointments for all Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

German politicians’ data leak shows need for global action

Hacked data includes contacts’ email addresses, private chats, mobile numbers, photographs and credit card details, which were published on Twitter Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

IT regulators and practitioners need common language

There needs to be greater understanding between lawmakers and technologists to ensure regulations do not have unintended consequences, says a US computer security researcher and bug bounty pioneer Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Fortinet to lead cyber security discussion at WEF annual summit

The head of cyber security firm Fortinet has been named as a discussion leader at the upcoming World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Hancock promises GP IT overhaul

New £450m framework will “shake up” primary care IT by getting rid of old systems, using new standards and exploring moving patient data to the cloud, says health secretary Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Brighton and Hove gets ready for Orbis migration

Brighton and Hove City Council has already moved its co-location servers onto Nutanix nodes. It is now looking at moving its primary Hove datacentre Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Nordic digital transformation driven by traditional businesses

More traditional Nordic businesses are fuelling the region's digital transformation, finds report Continue Reading

By

• Gerard O'Dwyer

SMEs urged to get on board with Network Services 2 framework

Suppliers have until the end of January 2019 to sign up to the new government network services purchasing framework Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Subpostmasters suing Post Office over IT failures stunned by CEO’s honour

Subpostmasters’ campaign group attacks Post Office CEO Paula Vennells’ New Year honour amid ongoing court case Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

New Year’s Honours 2019 lauds women in IT and data specialists

The New Year’s Honours list 2019 features accolades for leading women in IT and data, as well as other specialists in data Continue Reading

By

• Brian McKenna, Enterprise Applications Editor

Can we live without passwords?

Can you imagine a future in which we can be secure online without having to remember an unwieldly list of passwords? Solutions are emerging that could make passwords redundant, but there will be other security problems to resolve Continue Reading

By

• Bruno Halopeau & Adrien Ogee

Top 10 stories on national security in 2018

From Russian disinformation, state surveillance, and police stop and seizure powers, to Facebook and WikiLeaks Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Top 10 HR technology stories of 2018

Companies are turning to artificial intelligence, robotic automation and chatbots to take the drudgery out of human resource management Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Top 10 CIO interviews of 2018

IT leaders from across the UK and Europe shared their plans, strategies and best practice advice with Computer Weekly in 2018 Continue Reading

By

• Bryan Glick, Editor in chief

Top 10 Middle East stories of 2018

Here are Computer Weekly’s top 10 Middle East enterprise IT stories of 2018 Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Top 10 public sector IT stories of 2018

In the year the UK government couldn’t decide if Brexit really meant Brexit, departments continued to struggle with the workload of EU exit technology projects, the chancellor’s budget promised lots of money for tech, and ministers played musical chairs Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Top 10 cyber crime stories of 2018

Here are Computer Weekly’s top 10 cyber crime stories of 2018 Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Top 10 NHS IT stories of 2018

In 2018, the NHS celebrated its 70th birthday, NHS Digital began a huge restructure, Matt Hancock swooped in as new health secretary and the health service launched its all-singing, all-dancing app Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Lauri Love battles police for return of computers as NCA confirms live investigation

The National Crime Agency (NCA) confirms there is a live investigation into Lauri Love in the UK, as Love brings legal action against UK police for the return of seized computer equipment Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin & Julia Gregory