IT for government and public sector

Stoke Council picks VX Fiber to light up fibre broadband network

VX Fiber’s Open Access Platform will allow Stoke-on-Trent council to realise a return on its fibre investment while bringing gigabit broadband services to homes and businesses Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Government hands out £95m for local full-fibre broadband

The government has named the first recipients of a £190m tranche of funding to realise local full-fibre broadband projects Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Government ‘unlawfully delegated’ bulk data powers to GCHQ, court hears

Privacy International urges Britain’s most secret court, the Investigatory Powers Tribunal, to rule that the government illegally collected surveillance data from internet and phone companies until at least September 2017 Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Hammond delivers tech-positive Spring Statement

Delivering his Spring Statement, the chancellor bangs the drum for UK tech businesses, confirms £25m for 5G testbeds, allocates full-fibre funding and highlights the need for digital skills Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Assessing the disparate initiatives tackling the UK’s technology skills gap

As the UK’s skills gap widens, initiatives aim to ensure the population has the skills needed for roles now and in the future, but are these disparate efforts helping or hindering the cause? Continue Reading

By

• Cath Everett

Businesses need to take cryptojacking seriously

Organisations must pay attention to cyber criminals hijacking computing resources to mine cryptocurrencies, because nearly half are affected and the impact is greater than many realise Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Government pumps £300m into tech and innovation for ageing society

Business secretary Greg Clark announces plans to use £300m from the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund for new technology and research, such as artificial intelligence and genome sequencing Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Public sector organisations ill-prepared for GDPR

Public sector organisations in the UK need to do much more to comply with the General Data Protection Regulation rule on providing information to citizens about details held about them Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Unlocking digital change in criminal justice

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we talk to the IT and digital chief at the Ministry of Justice to hear about tackling the challenges of digital transformation across the criminal justice system. European cities are trying to attract British IT talent as a result of Brexit – what does it mean for UK IT? And we take an in-depth look at the fintech sector in our latest buyer’s guide. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Singapore tops global rankings on smart cities

The city-state of Singapore was lauded for its efforts in tapping the internet of things to improve public infrastructure and services in a global study by Juniper Research Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, Informa TechTarget

Digital for rural areas worth up to £26bn to UK economy

A study commissioned by Amazon has posited that greater use of digital tools and services could be worth between £12bn and £26bn per annum to the UK economy Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Eight new cyber threats a second in Q4 2017, McAfee report reveals

There was an increase in cyber attacks on healthcare organisations, the use of fileless malware and cryptocurrency mining in the last three months of 2017, with eight new threats a second Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Scottish government to spend £25m to fill 4G coverage gaps

The Scottish government has announced a £25m programme to infill gaps in 4G mobile network coverage across Scotland Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Politicians need to be more involved in tech, says Sadiq Khan

Flying the flag for the UK capital at the SXSW festival in Texas, London mayor Sadiq Khan says government should “do more” for technology, as well as mitigate the risks that come with it, and calls on social media firms to take responsibility for hate speech on their platforms Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Universal Credit: How did it go so wrong?

The DWP’s flagship welfare reform was meant to change the lives of benefits claimants through one simple IT system, but was beset by IT problems, low staff morale and delays. Newly released documents help explain what went wrong Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Regulator takes tougher line than expected on surveillance warrants

The Investigatory Powers Commissioner’s Office has signalled to government that it will take a tough line when scrutinising surveillance warrants under the controversial Investigatory Powers Act Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

UK leads global upward trend in SOC maturity

The UK is leading the way towards more efficient security operations centres, but many still continue to operate with serious gaps in security, a report reveals Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Government reveals winners of 5G mobile competition

The government has unveiled the winners of a multimillion-pound competition to create 5G mobile network testbeds around the UK Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Universal Credit project warned over Gov.uk Verify performance in 2015

Government project management experts warned as long ago as 2015 that a problem with GDS's Verify online identity system could undermine the Universal Credit business plan Continue Reading

By

• Bryan Glick, Editor in chief

Cooperation and exercises key to cyber defence, says Nato centre

International cooperation and regular tabletop exercises are essential to ensure effective cyber defence, according to the Nato cyber defence centre Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Will government ever accept that it needs to learn from its mistakes?

Yesterday, the government reluctantly agreed to share with the public a series of documents on the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) controversial Universal Credit programme. I say ... Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Cryptojacking cyber criminals up their game

Cyber criminals hijacking computing resources to mine for cryptocurrencies are raising their efforts to bypass enterprise security controls, researchers have found Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

DWP to publish key documents on Universal Credit

The government will finally publish internal assessment reviews of the controversial Universal Credit programme under Freedom of Information laws, after years of refusing to do so Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Government to help cultural sectors take advantage of digital

Arts and culture organisations will be given help to access new technologies and digital skills as part of a government plan to “support the whole digital culture ecology” Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Cyber security is a team sport, says NCSC

The UK’s national cyber security agency aims to help organisations understand the need to act collaboratively and collectively against the cyber threat, urging them to raise the bar Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

G-Cloud 10 launch date confirmed for June 2018

The Crown Commercial Service (CCS) confirms it will start accepting new bids from suppliers wanting to join the tenth iteration of the G-Cloud framework from April 2018, in anticipation of the next version going live in June Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

US defence chiefs cut $1bn cloud contract with AWS partner amid anti-trust complaints

The US Department of Defense confirms it is revising down the cost and scope of a billion dollar cloud deal awarded to an AWS partner, after critics picked holes in the procurement process Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

Essex, Herts Councils expand smart city pilot scheme

Essex and Hertfordshire County Councils have joined forces to run a number of pilots assessing the socioeconomic benefits of smart city technologies Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Local councils call for government funding for GDPR compliance

National Association of Local Councils is concerned complying with GDPR puts financial strain on local authorities and calls on government to help with funding Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Microsoft courts US government cloud users with Azure Stack integration promise

Microsoft is stepping up its efforts to get the US government using its cloud in anger, with the promise of a forthcoming Azure Stack integration and new datacentre regions to house “secret” classified data Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

Government aims to complete genome sequencing project by end of 2018

The government-funded 100,000 Genomes Project, originally due to be completed by the end of 2017, has reached the halfway point and aims to have mapped 100,000 genomes by the end of the year Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Interview: Andy Street, mayor of the West Midlands

West Midlands mayor Andy Street talks about why digital is key to the region’s economic growth, his hunt for a chief digital officer, and the importance of skills and collaboration Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Apprenticeship reforms are driving tech sector skills success

Apprenticeships and skills minister Anne Milton says apprenticeships are a great way to make sure the tech industry has the skills it needs Continue Reading

By

• Anne Milton MP

UK will need data protection agreement with EU as part of Brexit deal, says PM

Prime minister Theresa May's Brexit speech highlights need for data protection deal with EU, “advanced” border IT systems, and re-confirms UK won’t be part of the EU digital single market Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Read the PMs Brexit speech - for why the BBC is so anti-Brexit

The details in the Prime Minister's speech, including that dismissed as Geekspeak in the mass media, helps explain what is really at stake in the negotiations and why the BBC and the Online ... Continue Reading

By

• Philip Virgo, Winsafe Ltd

New privacy fears as IT challenges delay surveillance oversight body by a year

IT challenges have delayed government plans for an independent body to authorise requests to access the public’s internet and phone records by nearly a year, raising new legal and privacy concerns Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Contractor confidence in HMRC’s IR35 online assessment tool remains low

Research suggests contractors still have misgivings about using HM Revenue & Customs' IR35 online assessment tool, one year on from launch Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

Can technology save the day for Brexit? (*Spoilers* : No)

If you happen to be an ardent Brexiteer, a true believer in the UK government’s desire for “innovative solutions” to avoid a hard border with the Republic of Ireland, we have good news for you. The ... Continue Reading

By

• Bryan Glick, Editor in chief

NHS to pilot ID verification platform this spring

NHS roadmap for digital services sets out plans for launching a joined-up NHS app, piloting its citizen ID platform and moving across to the new NHS.uk website Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Security fears delay roll-out of national e-voting system in Finland

Project enters problem-solving phase to identify advanced, effective and best practice solutions to develop a secure internet-based voting system Continue Reading

By

• Gerard O'Dwyer

Salary is not top way to attract cybersec pros, report reveals

Salary is not the highest priority for cyber security professionals, a report on hiring and retaining top cyber security talent shows Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Government must rewrite illegal sections of Snoopers’ Charter, court told

A court has been asked to give ministers until July 2018 to rewrite powers to require phone and internet companies to retain data on the population. The government acknowledges parts of surveillance regime are unlawful Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

King’s College dumps legacy SAN for Nimble hybrid flash

Cambridge college triples storage capacity for VMware virtualised environment and adds Veeam backup. Nimble hybrid flash ensures rapid data access with Sata bulk storage behind Continue Reading

By

• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

Understanding the cyber threat key to UK defence, says NCSC

Understanding cyber threats is key to defending the UK and ensuring it is a safe place to do business, says the National Cyber Security Centre Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

London councils set aside more than £1.2m for GDPR

London councils have spent over £1.2m in preparation for new EU data protection laws, a think tank report has revealed Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Surveillance watchdog investigates security risks of GCHQ IT contractors

The investigatory powers commissioner is reviewing the security arrangements for IT contractors that have access to live computer systems at GCHQ holding highly sensitive records on the UK population Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Cyber criminals catching up with nation state attacks

The trickle-down effect of advanced “military-grade” tools is seeing the gap between cyber criminal and nation state attack capabilities closing, outpacing many organisations’ defence capabilities Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Estonia wants to introduce special visa for digital nomads

Baltic state’s next digital development could be a visa targeted at people who work online and are location independent Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

A smarter state can only be built on smarter procurement

Digital government has improved, but progress needs to be made when it comes to public sector procurement Continue Reading

By

• Rob Driver, TechUK

Legacy lock-in and lack of skills hamper public sector cloud adoption

Migrating from legacy lock-in and the ability to manage workloads in cloud infrastructure are among the major challenges that are slowing down public sector cloud adoption Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

West Midlands Mayor on the hunt for chief digital officer

The mayor wants to appoint a chief digital officer to drive forward the region’s digital strategy and help West Midlands grow as a leading tech hub Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Farming gets £90m tech boost

The government is pushing high tech into agriculture and farming as it fleshes out its Industrial Strategy Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Emergency Services Network progress ‘deeply unsatisfactory’, says PAC

A Home Office review of the Emergency Services Mobile Communications Programme will not be finished before the end of July, the Public Accounts Committee has been told Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

MPs run the rule over digital currency to identify risks and opportunities

MPs are taking a close look at the potential opportunities and risks associated with the UK adoption of cryptocurrencies and the technology that underpins them Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Hawaii missile alert: Why the wrong guy was fired

In January 2018, an employee at Hawaii’s emergency management agency sent out a false alarm of an imminent missile attack, and was subsequently fired – but perhaps poor system design is really to blame Continue Reading

By

• Jonny Corbett, Norman & Sons

CityFibre launches consumer broadband partnership in Aberdeen

CityFibre and Vodafone are preparing to launch a consumer FTTP broadband service in Aberdeen Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

People worried about data security in public sector, survey finds

Majority of people are concerned with the security of the data they share with public sector organisations, according to a report Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

VX Fiber brings Swedish open access full-fibre broadband model to UK

Flush with success in its home market, Swedish open access full-fibre broadband specialist VX Fiber is launching in the UK, with plans to shake up service delivery to users by helping local councils monetise their network assets Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Economic impact of cyber crime is significant and rising

Cyber attacks are becoming easier to carry out while defences remain inadequate, study shows Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

AI a threat to cyber security, warns report

Artificial intelligence is being incorporated into a range of cyber security products, but the technology may also introduce new threats, a report warns Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

UAE makes artificial intelligence leap

The UAE is investing in becoming a global pioneer in the use of artificial intelligence technology in various sectors of its economy Continue Reading

By

• Alicia Buller

Digital economy to make up 60% of APAC’s GDP by 2021

The surge in GDP contribution will come as more organisations shift from digital transformation initiatives aimed at shoring up productivity towards digital product development Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, Informa TechTarget

The EURECA moment: Counting the cost of running the UK’s public sector datacentres

The EU-backed EURECA project has spent the past 36 months assessing the state of public sector datacentres across Europe, and is revealing what it found Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

4G IoT network may ease aviation sector fears over drone safety

Vodafone is testing mobile and internet of things network technology to protect commercial aircraft from badly flown drones Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

UK local councils under huge cyber attack pressure

Investigation underlines importance of security automation and employee awareness training Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Government must invest in efficient IT to support food trade post-Brexit, say MPs

Inefficient IT and infrastructure at the border could cause perishable foods to spoil, says committee, which calls for the government to ensure the right IT is in place for prompt export and import Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

CIO interview: Theo Blackwell, London chief digital officer, Mayor of London’s Office

London CDO Theo Blackwell talks about cross-council collaboration, London’s role as a data-driven city and the importance of ensuring the capital won’t lose out on talent post-Brexit Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

NHS Digital plots Office 365 and NHSmail integration to boost collaboration in healthcare

NHS Digital outlines delivery timeline for integrating NHSmail with Microsoft Office 365, as it strives to improve collaboration between health and social care stakeholders Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

CIO interview: Matthew Wallbridge, head of ICT, Croydon Council

Croydon’s ICT boss talks about why being “good” isn’t good enough and building a new ICT delivery model Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Lauri Love can stay in UK: prosecutors will not appeal extradition ruling

Crown Prosecution Service gives undertaking to Lauri Love that it will not appeal against a court decision not to extradite him to the US – but prosecutors are seeking leave to appeal over part of the court ruling on extradition procedure Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Church spires to become mobile coverage hotspots

Following successful trials in East Anglia, DCMS and Defra plan to encourage rural vicars to host broadband connectivity hotspots in their churches Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

US sentences two Russians for huge data breaches

The US has sentenced two Russian cyber criminals who targeted major payment processors, retailers and financial institutions around the world, as the US joins the UK in condemning Russia for the 2017 NotPetya attacks Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Brexit fears and frustrations are mounting for UK tech sector leaders

You wouldn’t exactly classify the leaders of the UK tech sector as a bunch of liberal lefties. For all the stereotypes of bearded Shoreditch sandal-wearers that surround much of the nascent startup ... Continue Reading

By

• Bryan Glick, Editor in chief

Briton jailed for two years for product testing for hackers

A Briton has been jailed for two years for running a product-testing service for hackers Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

UK Foreign Office minister condemns Russia for NotPetya attacks

The UK has attributed to Russia the NotPetya malware that caused significant disruption globally, based on an assessment by the NCSC Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Colorado modernizes with Salesforce for government projects

Colorado licenses Service Cloud and other Salesforce technologies to improve its citizens benefit program. Continue Reading

By

• Jesse Scardina, News Writer

Cyberthreat 2018 aimed at UK cyber security techies

Cyberthreat 2018 is aimed at growing the UK’s network of cyber defenders, filling a key gap in the UK cyber security conference calendar and bridging the public-private sector divide Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Trust is key to sharing personal data, ODI research finds

People are more comfortable sharing personal data if they have been told how it will be used, according to the Open Data Institute Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Why police forces need to be honest about mass mobile phone surveillance

Police forces across the UK are covering up their use of sophisticated mass surveillance devices, known as IMSI-catchers - the Bristol Cable and Liberty are campaigning for proper transparency Continue Reading

By

• Alon Aviram, The Bristol Cable

Home Office fights terrorist content online with detection tool

The Home Office has partnered ASI Data Science to create a tool which automatically detects terrorist content on online platforms Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Criminals hijack government sites to mine cryptocurrency used to hide wealth

Europol says criminals are hiding billions in cryptocurrencies, as thousands of government and other websites have reportedly been used to hijack computers to mine more Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Latest Universal Credit revelations heap further pressure on Gov.uk Verify

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has been consistently criticised for its lack of transparency since the controversial Universal Credit programme was launched nearly eight years ago. The ... Continue Reading

By

• Bryan Glick, Editor in chief

Norway’s government backs cyber defence mobilisation

Norway has accelerated plans to scale up its national security infrastructure against threats emanating from the cyber domain Continue Reading

By

• Gerard O'Dwyer

Universal Credit business case still not approved as concerns continue over digital service

MPs reveal internal project reviews that show full business case yet to be approved and ongoing worries over digital system for welfare reform programme Continue Reading

By

• Bryan Glick, Editor in chief

Interview: Tackling gender diversity could solve the skills gap, says Burbidge

Tackling the lack of gender diversity in the tech industry could help close the skills gap, but there is a long way to go to solve either, says Eileen Burbidge Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

Teenager suspected of crippling Dutch banks with DDoS attacks

A large distributed denial of service attack on banks and other organisations in the Netherlands, first thought to emanate from Russia, is now thought to have been launched by a local teenager Continue Reading

By

• Tijs Hofmans

Mobile biometrics set to be game-changer in APAC

Telcos, financial institutions and other industry players risk losing market share if they do not keep up with the demand for security, convenience and mobility Continue Reading

By

• Lareinna Roxanne Lee and Quah Mei Lee

Government must hurry to recruit digital skills needed for Brexit, says PAC

Skills required to prepare for leaving the EU are in “short supply” and the government must deal with its capability challenge, says Public Accounts Committee report Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

UK government orders review of online laws

The UK Law Commission is to review current legislation on offensive online communications to ensure they are up to date with technology Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Security Editor

Dubai transport authority maps city to support autonomous cars

Dubai’s RTA has enlisted Here Technologies to build a high-definition map of the city to support its goals around self-driving cars Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Most NHS trusts have failed their cyber security assessments, NHS Digital admits

NHS Digital deputy CEO Rob Shaw told Public Accounts Committee all 200 trusts assessed for cyber security, both before and after the WannaCry attack, have failed their assessments Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

UK risks unemployment rise unless people are reskilled for AI

The tech industry is optimistic that people will get jobs, but only if they have the right skills – and it looks like the UK is a long way from being artificial intelligence-savvy Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

UK leads international crackdown on Luminosity spyware

Law enforcement agencies shut down international support network for a hacking tool that allowed cyber criminals to gain remote control of victims’ computers Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Lauri Love plans to use ‘internet as a force for good’

Engineering student Lauri Love says he plans to help businesses fight cyber crime, after the court of appeal ruled that he can be tried in the UK for allegedly hacking US computer systems, rather than face extradition to the US Continue Reading

By

• Julia Gregory and Niels Ladefoged

UK economy least likely to grow through AI

The UK's poor productivity record is unlikely to grow hugely from artificial intelligence helpers that augment human work Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

NCSC shows how first year affected cyber attacks on the UK

Initiatives by the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) have detected and prevented millions of online commodity attacks, the agency’s first annual report shows Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Appeals court rules Lauri Love will not be extradited over US hacking charges

The lord chief justice, Lord Burnett, says 33-year-old engineering student Lauri Love will not be extradited to the US to face hacking charges, in a landmark legal decision, and the Crown Prosecution Service should bring proceedings against Love in the UK Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin & Julia Gregory

NHS WannaCry review highlights need for accountability and skills

Lessons-learned report on ransomware attack calls for local NHS organisations to put cyber security bosses on their boards and consider suspending IT access to staff who have not completed cyber security training Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Government backs national cyber policy and strategy competition

London is to host a national cyber policy and strategy competition, which has the backing of government, industry and academia Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

As Gov.uk Verify concerns mount, is GDS about to lose control of digital identity policy?

There’s a growing body of opinion that the government’s flagship digital identity system, Gov.uk Verify, has now become a major hindrance to the development of the UK’s digital identity ... Continue Reading

By

• Bryan Glick, Editor in chief