IT for government and public sector

Lords call for HMRC to delay Making Tax Digital for VAT

The government must begin to listen to small businesses and should delay the roll-out of its Making Tax Digital for VAT programme by at least a year, says the Lords Economic Affairs Committee Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

CW Nordics: Swedish IT sector advises on election security

The security measures assembled and implemented around the 2018 election in Sweden were devised in consultation with leading actors within the country’s private IT sector. Also read about how Denmark’s ambition to become a leading ocation for hyperscale datacentres is gaining momentum, and why Estonia wants to recruit IT professionals from the UK. Continue Reading

Finland invests in IT to upgrade electricity network

National electricity transmission grid operator Fingrid’s Datahub system will play key role in retail market’s transition to a centralised information exchange Continue Reading

By

• Gerard O’Dwyer

TechUK calls on Matt Hancock to fast-track NHS digitisation

The tech industry body’s ‘Manifesto for Matt’ calls on the health secretary to focus on empowering citizens, enabling a world-class workforce and making the UK the number one place for health tech innovation Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Post Office held back information about Horizon IT system errors

Post Office director admits to Horizon errors and not sharing details with subpostmaster network Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Citizens don’t want the NHS to prioritise digital health, report finds

The UK public want the NHS to focus spending on cancer care, staff and mental health, and rank digital access to services lowest on their list of priorities Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Lincolnshire Police signs 10-year cloud control room tech refresh deal with Motorola Solutions

Lincolnshire Police is embracing cloud technologies within its control room environment as it strives to improve the efficiency of its operations Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

Police challenged over refusal to disclose files on WikiLeaks staff

Lawyers will challenge the Metropolitan Police Service today to confirm or deny whether it holds correspondence with US law enforcement about three WikiLeaks staff – including two UK citizens – in a freedom of information tribunal Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin and Niels Ladefoged

Sixth form college rebuilds after fire with Scale hyper-converged

Xaverian College suffered a server room fire but took the opportunity to build a hyper-converged infrastructure with Scale Computing that did away with costly VMware licence fees Continue Reading

By

• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

Jeremy Wright announces Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation board

Secretary of state for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, Jeremy Wright, announces make up of Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation board at ODI Summit Continue Reading

By

• Brian McKenna, Enterprise Applications Editor

Putting the UK at the forefront of ethics and innovation in AI and data

The announcement of high-profile members of the UK's Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation is another step for the government's commitment to be a global leader in AI, says secretary of state Continue Reading

By

• Jeremy Wright, DCMS

Government lacks cyber resilience leadership, according to MPs

The government lacks political leadership and urgency in dealing with cyber threats, according to Joint Committee on National Security Strategy, calling for a minister in charge of delivering cyber resilience Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Tech sector split over Brexit deal

The draft EU Withdrawal Agreement has caused rifts in the tech sector, with some calling for a People’s Vote with the option to remain in the EU, and others wanting MPs to back the agreement, saying it’s better than a no-deal scenario Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Securing the SD-WAN: The next network challenge

Every time an enterprise weighs up whether or not to try SD-WAN, security is an essential part of the picture Continue Reading

By

• Christian Annesley

Post Office executives cross-examined in Horizon IT system trial

A High Court trial, where subpostmasters are suing the Post Office for damages caused by an allegedly faulty IT system, ended its second week. Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

UN extreme poverty monitor is critical of Universal Credit ‘digital by default’ service

The United Nations Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights raises significant concerns with Universal Credit, including poor digital literacy among claimants, automation errors and lack of transparency Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Why is hiring a government chief security officer such a tricky business?

Security bosses and CIOs weigh in on why they think the government is struggling to recruit a chief security officer Continue Reading

By

• Sooraj Shah

Members of Parliament should back EU Withdrawal Agreement, says industry

Industry experts say the government’s EU Withdrawal Agreement is far from perfect and still requires more clarity, but call on MPs to back it, as it’s better than a No-Deal Brexit Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Defra still to test six ‘critical’ IT systems before Brexit

MPs have raised concerns around Defra’s Brexit readiness as it hasn’t yet begun testing six critical IT systems needed to replace EU systems, but the department remains confident Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Sweden’s central bank to test digital currency

Riksbank e-krona initiative follows government plan for a cashless society by 2030 Continue Reading

By

• Gerard O'Dwyer

Panasas refreshes with ActiveStor Ultra in push to the enterprise

Scale-out NAS maker Panasas wants to make its ActiveStor storage more attractive to enterprises by touting its ease of use and putting storage nodes on commodity hardware Continue Reading

By

• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

5G will unleash digital transformation for UK enterprises

Mobile operator EE is working hand-in-hand with its largest enterprise customers to realise the potential of its future 5G mobile network Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Post Office trial throws up known problem with Horizon system

High Court case in which subpostmasters are suing the Post Office has revealed a known problem with the computer system at the core of the dispute Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Will the $34bn IBM-Red Hat mega-merger succeed?

In this week’s Computer Weekly, after IBM pays $34bn to buy open source specialist Red Hat in an attempt to boost its cloud capabilities, we analyse whether the deal can be a success. We examine the challenges that the emerging field of quantum computing presents for current encryption techniques. And our latest buyer’s guide looks at storage for the internet of things. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Home Office to use smartphone ID for EU Exit scheme

The Home Office will use smartphone digital identity verification to support applications for the government’s EU Exit Settlement Scheme   Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

HMRC resolves technical issue with tax-free childcare portal

The department’s tax-free childcare website has again suffered technical issues, affecting 22,000 payments, but the problems were resolved last week, according to HMRC Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Norway’s IT industry must tackle security vulnerabilities

Report reveals growing threat posed by “hostile foreign actors” against Norway’s IT systems and critical national infrastructure Continue Reading

By

• Gerard O'Dwyer

GCHQ offers help to embryonic Irish cyber security organisation

Ciaran Martin head of the UK's National Cyber Security Centre, part of GCHQ, builds bridges with the Republic of Ireland's intelligence community during an official visit to Dublin Continue Reading

By

• Kevin Cahill

Post-quantum cryptography a major challenge, says expert

The crypto wars are just beginning and open systems are key to improved security in future, says cryptography expert Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

High court Post Office trial puts subpostmasters’ contract under microscope

Case against Post Office in relation to allegedly faulty computer system begins in High Court Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

The public sector culture issue

Despite senior government and public sector officials often banging on about the importance of transparency and openness, in reality, it’s almost a cultural taboo for civil servants or anyone else ... Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Once more on Dominic Raab at Tech Nation

Dominic Raab, the Secretary of State for Exiting the EU, has been in hot water for his late-dawning admission of the importance of the Dover-Calais route to the UK’s trade in goods. Raab was ... Continue Reading

By

• Brian McKenna, Enterprise Applications Editor

Welsh NHS IT programme is ‘outdated’ and could put patients at risk, report finds

Welsh Public Accounts Committee is concerned the country’s outdated NHS IT systems are putting patients at risk, and found the culture at NHS Wales Informatics Service is the ‘antithesis of open’ Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Dominic Raab: UK AI sector will get boost from EU exit ‘done right’

Brexit secretary tells Tech Nation audience that leaving the EU could create opportunities for the UK technology sector Continue Reading

By

• Brian McKenna, Enterprise Applications Editor

Fintechs advised on how to work with big banks

Advice backed by the government for fintechs on how to engage with traditional finance firms is published Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Emerging govtech – a new opportunity for innovation in public service delivery?

The government has started to engage with the IT sector over how best to introduce emerging technologies in public service delivery – an initiative that, if successful, should be welcomed Continue Reading

By

• Julian David, TechUK

BEIS to fund five healthcare AI innovation centres

Five healthcare innovation centres will receive a total of £50m in funding to use artificial intelligence to improve diagnosis and treatment of diseases Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Cyber security high on European Commission agenda

The European Commission is recognising the growing importance of cyber security to the digital economy and is increasing funding to support research, resilience and cooperation Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Information commissioner calls for stricter regulation on political use of data

Information commissioner Elizabeth Denham’s investigation into the use of data in elections and campaigns, finds "a disturbing disregard for voters’ personal privacy" Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Smart Dubai platform is the backbone of the city's transformation

Aisha bin Bishr, director general at Smart Dubai Office, talks about the Smart Data platform and soon-to-be-unveiled UAE Pass, a digital ID and signature which is being touted as one of the foundations a city needs to transform Continue Reading

By

• Edward Banda

Automation and CSR are driving reskilling process for UK plc, says Cisco

UK business leaders are planning to make dramatic changes to their organisations between now and 2020, according to a new report from Cisco Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Why subpostmasters and Post Office are battling it out in High Court

After over a decade of controversy, next week marks the beginning of a court battle between subpostmasters and the Post Office over allegations of faults in an accounting system leading to unfair prosecutions. Continue Reading

Openreach launches Fibre First programme in Belfast and Nottingham

Openreach has named Belfast and Nottingham as the latest cities to benefit from a full-fibre broadband roll-out Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

PAC has ‘serious concerns’ over UK border and new customs IT system

Public Accounts Committee remains concerned about the Customs Declaration Service and the country’s borders post Brexit Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

NHS to use predictive tech to prevent illnesses

Health secretary Matt Hancock wants to use technology to predict disease and stop people falling ill, with AI and genomics having the ‘potential to change everything’ Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

UKtech50 2018: Vote for the most influential person in UK IT

Tell us who you think should be chosen as the most influential person in the UK tech scene for 2018 by submitting your vote now Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Chancellor's Budget boost for tech is tempered by Brexit realities

Gone, or so it seems, are the days when Computer Weekly laments after every Budget statement from the Chancellor of the Exchequer that tech has been overlooked. There is little doubt that ... Continue Reading

By

• Bryan Glick, Editor in chief

Government is open for business, says SME Crown Representative

The government’s Crown Representative for SMEs, Emma Jones, sheds light on her three-pronged approach to increase spend with smaller businesses Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Government fails in first attempt to hire chief security officer

The government’s initial recruitment campaign for the UK’s "biggest and most important security job” has been unsuccessful, Cabinet Office admits Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Departing DWP IT boss Mayank Prakash to take on digitisation role at Centrica

DWP’s outgoing chief digital and information officer will begin new role in charge of digitalisation of Centrica’s consumer business in the New Year Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

IoT R&D projects missed out on £10m of government funding

A series of delays and disruption caused chiefly by changes in project ownership meant the government’s IoT UK Research and Innovation Programme failed to use a quarter of its allocated budget between 2015 and 2018 Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Hyperoptic full-fibre network hits public housing milestone

More than 150,000 publicly owned homes have now been connected to Hyperoptic’s ultrafast fibre broadband network Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Digital services tax weakens the case for tech startups to choose the UK

The UK government’s plan for a tax specifically targeting big digital firms risks undermining international efforts to reform corporate taxation for the digital age Continue Reading

By

• Julian David, TechUK

UK Post Office looks to enable reusable digital ID

The UK Post Office is investigating the possibility of enabling UK citizens to re-use their passport data for other applications where digital identity is a key component Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Budget 2018: A mixed bag

Computer Weekly looks at some of the detail in the tech-laden 2018 Budget and can’t get away from the big elephant in the room: the impact of a potential No Deal Brexit Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Budget 2018: No great leap forward for broadband, but no need to panic

The chancellor set aside £1.6bn for digital technology in the Budget, but broadband services did not draw much attention. Is this a surprise, or a reflection of growing commercial investment in full-fibre, and what should the role of government be? Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

IR35 reforms: Private sector extension confirmed for April 2020 in Autumn Budget

As the government confirms the IR35 reforms will be extended to large and medium-sized businesses in the private sector from April 2020, campaigners claim the move risks destabilising the UK's flexible workforce Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

UK government taskforce commits to distributed ledger technologies

Report says distributed ledger technology “has the potential to deliver significant benefits in financial services and other sectors in the future” Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Hammond’s digital services tax is a big risk, say experts

The tech industry is not impressed with the chancellor’s plan to tax web giants, saying it can stifle innovation, while tax lawyers warn that it is a very risky move that could lead to US retaliation Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Government consults on full-fibre for tenants, new-build homes

Proposed legislation would compel landlords and property developers to offer full-fibre broadband to tenants and customers Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Why subpostmasters and Post Office are battling it out in the High Court

After over a decade of controversy, next week marks the beginning of a court battle between subpostmasters and the Post Office over allegations of faults in an accounting system leading to unfair prosecutions Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Finnish city Espoo trials artificial intelligence for community support

The authorities for Finnish city Espoo are testing out AI technology to help them target services at the residents who need them most Continue Reading

By

• Gerard O'Dwyer

Police tech is ‘a complete and utter mess’, says Home Affairs Committee

Committee has “serious concerns” about police forces’ digital capabilities, interoperability and tech adoption, and urges ministers to take responsibility Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

O2 extends rural 4G network to 339 communities

O2 has extended its rural network roll-out, targeting over 300 small communities all over the UK Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

IoT ecosystem needs to be investigated, say experts

A conference of IoT experts convened by Enisa and Europol has made key recommendations to ensure security vulnerabilities do not overshadow benefits Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Trusted nodes: The next generation in quantum key distribution

QKD is a form of protection against interception by quantum computers, but cost and technical limitations have made the technology impractical. Could trusted nodes make all the difference? Continue Reading

By

• Peter Ray Allison

MEPs call for action in wake of Facebook-Cambridge Analytica scandal

European members of parliament demand action to protect citizens’ privacy from abuses such as those uncovered in the Facebook-Cambridge Analytica data sharing scandal Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Firms will use AI to automate HR processes within two years

Companies are gearing up to automate HR processes with artificial intelligence and machine learning, while at the same time battling with outdated IT systems Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

ICO issues maximum £500,000 fine to Facebook

The UK privacy watchdog has confirmed that Facebook has escaped a fine of more than $1bn under the GDPR, but will face the maximum under the DPA for failing to protect users’ personal information Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Autonomous taxi trials underway in Dubai

Dubai’s transport authority has started road testing the region’s first autonomous taxi, designed in partnership with Dubai Silicon Oasis and DG World Continue Reading

By

• Edward Banda

CityFibre backers pump £2.5bn into full-fibre broadband

Network expansion will add 27 towns and cities to CityFibre’s current roll-out to 10 locations in support of a consumer full-fibre service delivered by Vodafone Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

11 of 12 border IT systems at risk of not being ready by Brexit, says NAO report

All but one of the critical IT systems needed at the UK border are at risk of not being ready by 29 March 2019, which will have implications if there is a no-deal Brexit Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Government can’t guarantee no-deal Brexit data-sharing agreement

Digital minister Margot James says there is no clear timetable on when the UK will secure a data adequacy decision from the EU, and cannot guarantee an agreement will be in place in the event of a no-deal Brexit Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Interview: Steve Grobman, McAfee CTO shares his views on some burning security questions

Cyber security technology innovator and veteran Steve Grobman shares his views on adversarial artificial intelligence, post-quantum cryptography and security for next-gen tech Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Blockchain not the best technology for every use considered, says Australian government report

Australian government report finds that there is a better technology than blockchain for every use considered in its report Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Government to invest £8m in Brexit customs training and automation

The Treasury and HMRC are putting measures in place to support the customs sector should the UK leave the EU with no deal, including funding to increase automation and training Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

The troublesome saga of Gov.uk Verify

As the government plans to hand over its flagship identity assurance programme to the private sector, Computer Weekly looks at the history of the troubled project and how Gov.uk Verify ended up on the chopping board. Continue Reading

Where next for digital identity?

In this week’s Computer Weekly, as the UK government hands its digital identity service, Gov.uk Verify, to the private sector, we examine the history and prospects for the troubled system. Our latest buyer’s guide looks at cloud-native architecture. And we compare the flash storage capabilities of the leading cloud providers, AWS, Azure and Google. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Government pumps more funding into NHS ‘test beds’ programme

Seven new “test beds” will receive £7m to trial a range of technologies to improve patient care in the second wave of the NHS Test Beds Programme Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Government to invest an extra £215m in UK innovation centres

The extra funding will be given to the Catapult network of innovation centres, focusing on digital, medicines discovery, future cities and transport systems Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

McAfee CTO raises concerns about election cyber security

The security industry needs to look at the security of election processes around the world as well as the security of voting and counting machines, says McAfee CTO Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Interview: Matt Hancock, secretary of state for health and social care, on his NHS ‘tech vision’

Matt Hancock brings rare digital experience to running the NHS and social care systems, but can he overcome the legacy of past health service technology failures? Continue Reading

By

• Bryan Glick, Editor in chief

Dubai Health Authority unveils virtual health app for GP consultations

Health authority adopts new technology as part of the Dubai Future Accelerators initiative Continue Reading

By

• Edward Banda

Industry and government must collaborate to drive the digital economy, says techUK CEO

Industry and government must work together to grow use of technology across the UK economy, according to techUK CEO Julian David Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

McAfee researchers uncover ‘significant’ espionage campaign

Researchers discover campaign targeting South Korea, the US and Canada with links to eight-year-old source code from a threat group that has been dormant for five years Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Middle East gears up for 5G

The race for 5G is well and truly under way, and the UAE and Saudi Arabia are well positioned to be among the first countries in the world to deliver the benefits of this new telecoms protocol Continue Reading

By

• Edward Banda

Analysts question Australia government’s IBM deal

Industry analysts and experts have called the wisdom of the A$1bn IBM IT deal into question, with one claiming that the federal government should have used a range of suppliers instead. Continue Reading

MoJ to go all-in on public cloud as infrastructure modernisation push gathers pace

The Ministry of Justice claims modernising, retiring and migrating its legacy IT systems to the public cloud will help it accrue long-term savings of around 60% on hosting costs Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

Home Office ‘seriously’ considered ESN shutdown

New disclosures from those responsible for the troubled Emergency Services Network project have revealed that, contrary to previous denials, the Home Office came close to pulling the plug earlier this year Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

No new funding for Hancock’s NHS tech vision

Getting the technology plan right is more about standards than money, says health and social care secretary Matt Hancock, as he explains why NHS organisations won’t be given additional funding to deliver on his vision Continue Reading

By

• Bryan Glick, Editor in chief

Hancock sets out NHS tech vision

Government will mandate national open standards for the NHS and tech suppliers, build a health and caretech ecosystem and give local NHS organisations more flexibility in how and what tech they buy Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Public Health England builds Ceph and Lustre cloud for analytics

Healthcare analytics and modelling organisation Public Health England built an open source cloud from Red Hat Ceph object storage and Lustre scale-out file access storage to petabyte scale Continue Reading

By

• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

UK faces 10 cyber attacks a week as hostile states step up hacking, says NCSC

The UK’s National Cyber Security Centre has thwarted more than 1,600 attacks over the past two years – many by hostile nation states Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Home Office completes initial test of online system for registering EU citizens

Online application process for registering EU citizens in the UK after Brexit has concluded initial trials, and will now be expanded to a wider group Continue Reading

By

• Bryan Glick, Editor in chief

Microsoft staff allegedly pen open letter urging firm to drop bid for US government cloud deal

Letter calls on software giant to bow out of the race for a controversial, 10-year cloud contract with the US Department of Defense Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

Tech companies should not be under legal duty to remove terrorist material, says watchdog

The internet should not be a safe place for terrorists, but making it compulsory for technology companies to trawl for radical content risks interfering with the rights of innocent people, says Max Hill QC, the independent reviewer of terrorism legislation Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin & Fiona O'Cleirigh

Cost of WannaCry attack to NHS set at £92m

Department for Health and Social Care estimates the immediate cost of the May 2017 WannaCry attack on the NHS was £92m, and says it will have spent about £275m on improvements to its cyber security infrastructure by the end of 2021 Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Watchdog calls for clarity on Schedule 7 terrorism powers

The Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation has called for greater clarity over police Schedule 7 powers to seize mobile phones and computers and question people without grounds for suspicion at ports and airports Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly
• Fiona O'Cleirigh

RATs and Mimikatz among top publicly available hacking tools

Remote access Trojans (RATs), web shells and Mimikatz among the top publicly available tools that are used in cyber attacks around the world, a five-nation cyber intelligence report reveals Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

The troublesome saga of Gov.uk Verify

As the government plans to hand over its flagship identity assurance programme to the private sector, Computer Weekly looks at the history of the troubled project and how Gov.uk Verify ended up on the chopping board Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad