IT legislation and regulation
Understanding the law as it applies to IT management can be one of the hardest task for IT leaders, but the growing burden of regulatory compliance makes it essential. Legislation and regulation affects enterprise IT in many ways, not just in long-standing tasks such as contracts and software licensing. We examine the latest legal development and how they affect IT managers, and talk to the experts in IT legislation and regulation to explain what it means to your organisation.
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News
13 May 2024
Norway bolsters digital transformation drive
Norway’s government backs digital transformation with major capital investment this year Continue Reading
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News
11 Mar 2024
Vinnova launches National Digital Advancement project
Swedish state innovation initiative invests in a network of regional research and development centres Continue Reading
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News
19 May 2021
Barclays first bank to publish online scam refund details
All banks must be transparent about the proportion of victims of authorised push payment fraud they refund, says consumer rights organisation Which? Continue Reading
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News
18 May 2021
Microsoft EU Data Boundary dubbed ‘smoke and mirrors’
Data protection experts claim Microsoft’s decision to create an EU Data Boundary is a tacit admission that it routinely transfers and processes the personal data of European citizens outside the bloc Continue Reading
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News
18 May 2021
Irish High Court dismisses legal bid by Facebook over EU-US data transfers
Latest twist in long-running legal battle sees Facebook lose legal bid to prevent the Irish Data Protection Commissioner suspending its transfer of data about European citizens to the US Continue Reading
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Opinion
17 May 2021
Post Office scandal: The rise of computers and the decline of English justice
The Post Office prosecuted its subpostmasters up and down the country with a zeal that would not have embarrassed the Inquisition Continue Reading
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News
17 May 2021
IR35 reforms: Government gifted roadmap to umbrella regulation by ex-senior policy adviser
Rebecca Seeley Harris, a former senior policy adviser to the Office of Tax Simplification, has joined forces with Offpayroll.org founder James Poyser to pen a draft policy to help the government fast-track its umbrella market regulation plans Continue Reading
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Opinion
17 May 2021
Why new EU rules around artificial intelligence are vital to the development of the sector
Shawn Tan, CEO of global AI ecosystem builder Skymind, explains why the European Union’s new rules on artificial intelligence are a good thing Continue Reading
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News
14 May 2021
Dutch police used deep learning model to predict threats to life
Dutch police developed a deep learning model in their EncroChat investigation to predict which messages contain serious threats to life Continue Reading
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Opinion
14 May 2021
The shape of fraud and cyber crime: 10 things we learned from 2020
While a pandemic-driven increase in cyber crime and an exacerbation of existing fraud trends were, to a large extent, to be expected, the LexisNexis Risk solutions UK cybercrime report 2020 still contained a few surprises Continue Reading
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News
13 May 2021
Too many disconnected systems in government, says minister
Cabinet Office minister Julia Lopez wants to address issues with legacy systems, improve digital skills across government and improve department collaboration, including in procurement Continue Reading
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News
13 May 2021
Biden beefs up public-private security cooperation
Joe Biden has signed a new Executive Order to harden US cyber security and government networks, with an emphasis on information sharing Continue Reading
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News
13 May 2021
Verizon DBIR underscores year of unprecedented cyber challenge
Verizon 2021 Data Breach Investigations Report draws predictable conclusions as the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic continues to be felt Continue Reading
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News
12 May 2021
UK government publishes Online Safety Bill draft
Bill builds on previous commitments by the government, which has added new measures to uphold democracy and freedom of speech while making tech giants more accountable Continue Reading
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News
12 May 2021
Openreach extends analogue switch-off to further 700,000 homes and businesses
UK broadband provider ramps up the pace of its plan to stop selling copper-based broadband and traditional voice services across the UK by 2025 Continue Reading
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News
12 May 2021
UK to fund national cyber teams in Global South
Government will commit millions of pounds to supporting vulnerable countries in establishing cyber capacity Continue Reading
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News
11 May 2021
Government to reform Computer Misuse Act
Home secretary Priti Patel will explore reforming the Computer Misuse Act as calls mount for the 31-year-old law to be updated to reflect the changed online world Continue Reading
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News
11 May 2021
SolarWinds CEO calls for collective action against state attacks
SolarWinds CEO tells NCSC’s CyberUK conference he is exploring the possibility of collaborating with other companies on collective cyber action against attacks backed by nation states Continue Reading
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News
11 May 2021
Colonial Pipeline ransomware attack has grave consequences
The ramifications of a major ransomware attack against a US fuel pipeline operator could spread far and wide Continue Reading
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News
10 May 2021
HMRC facing calls to do more to tackle mini umbrella fraud in wake of BBC investigation
Contracting stakeholders are calling on HMRC to take more ‘visible action’ against mini umbrella companies, after a BBC Radio 4 File on 4 report claimed the UK is losing ‘hundreds of millions’ in tax each year through these firms Continue Reading
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News
10 May 2021
NCSC Active Cyber Defence blocks surge of pandemic scams
The NCSC responded to a surge in online scams last year as it moved to protect both the general public and critical national services during the pandemic Continue Reading
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News
07 May 2021
NCSC publishes smart city security guidelines
Guidance for local authorities, IT and cyber professionals aims to ensure the security of connected, smart city projects Continue Reading
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News
07 May 2021
Cyber accreditation to improve legal standing of security pros
Institute of Cyber Digital Investigations Professionals will help incident responders and cyber investigators get the professional recognition they deserve Continue Reading
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News
06 May 2021
Government urged to add scam protections to Online Safety Bill
Group of organisations calls for the government to use the Online Safety Bill to protect people from cyber scams Continue Reading
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News
06 May 2021
Scammers accidentally reveal fake Amazon review data
More than 13 million records relating to an organised fake review scam have been found on an unsecured ElasticSearch database, implicating hundreds of thousands of people in unethical behaviour Continue Reading
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News
05 May 2021
Why ITAM can aid IT-fuelled business recovery
As a sense of normality returns, we look at why IT asset management is the stealth tool for clearing a path towards greater digitisation Continue Reading
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Feature
05 May 2021
How GCHQ proposes to implement and use ethical AI
The rise of cyber crime and the escalating threat vectors facing the UK have led GCHQ to invest in automated threat detection and response systems to meet this challenge, as well as liaising with the private sector for the first time Continue Reading
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News
30 Apr 2021
MPs accuse government of unduly interfering in information commissioner appointment
Cross-party group of MPs says government is influencing the appointment of a new information commissioner by explicitly seeking a candidate who will support its policy agenda, rather than regulate independently Continue Reading
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News
30 Apr 2021
Government gets updated powers to intervene on tech-related M&A deals on national security grounds
The National Security and Investment Bill has secured royal assent, giving the government the legislative support it needs to intervene on business transactions in a variety of tech-related industries on national security grounds Continue Reading
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News
29 Apr 2021
G7 countries to cooperate on digital regulation
Digital and technology ministers outline their agenda for how technology can be used to facilitate the post-Covid recovery, signalling closer collaboration in key areas of the digital economy Continue Reading
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News
28 Apr 2021
Covid-19 security challenges leave bank customers at risk
Challenges arising from the pandemic have left gaping holes in banking security, putting consumers at risk of fraud Continue Reading
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Opinion
28 Apr 2021
IR35 private sector reforms: What firms need to do now the start date has passed
While the start date for the onset of the IR35 private sector reforms may have passed, firms in-scope of the revamped tax avoidance legislation may find themselves still with plenty of compliance work still to do Continue Reading
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News
28 Apr 2021
NHS App to serve as vaccine passport for foreign holidays
Existing NHS App will have vaccine passport functionality added to it, transport secretary confirms Continue Reading
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News
27 Apr 2021
UK supermarkets to trial age estimation tech for alcohol purchases
Biometric age estimation technology developed by Yoti to be tested in UK supermarkets for alcohol purchases as part of government-led digital identities initiative Continue Reading
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Opinion
27 Apr 2021
Why we need to reset the debate on end-to-end encryption to protect children
Private messaging is the front line of abuse, yet E2EE in its current form risks engineering away the ability of firms to detect and disrupt it where it is most prevalent Continue Reading
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News
27 Apr 2021
Apple OS updates patch multiple security holes
The much-heralded release of the privacy-centric iOS 14.5 also brings patches for multiple CVEs, and users of Apple smartphones, tablets and notebooks are best advised to update as soon as possible Continue Reading
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News
23 Apr 2021
HMRC downplays significance of CEO email ‘questioning’ legal basis of loan charge policy
A document dump of emails shared between HMRC officials has prompted loan charge campaigners to further question the legal footing of the government’s controversial disguised remuneration policy Continue Reading
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News
22 Apr 2021
GCHQ: Cyber investment a guarantor of UK’s global status
GCHQ director Jeremy Fleming sets out a vision for the UK’s cyber security future Continue Reading
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News
22 Apr 2021
Researchers shed more light on APT29 activity during SolarWinds attack
RiskIQ’s Atlas threat intel team uncovers new patterns and threat infrastructure used in the SolarWind’s attacks Continue Reading
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Opinion
22 Apr 2021
Security Think Tank: Security culture must underpin vaccine passports
What are the security challenges presented by vaccine passports, and how should they be designed and used with ethics and privacy in mind? Continue Reading
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News
21 Apr 2021
NCSC offers teachers free cyber security training
The NCSC’s latest security training offer builds on a package of measures designed to protect schools from cyber attack Continue Reading
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News
21 Apr 2021
EU lays out plans to regulate AI development
Proposal aims to encourage the development of ethical artificial intelligence systems that do not infringe the human rights of EU citizens Continue Reading
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News
20 Apr 2021
Health app myGP adds Covid-19 vaccine passport function
The new feature is described as the UK’s first NHS-assured Covid-19 certification feature Continue Reading
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News
20 Apr 2021
UK’s proposed IoT cyber security law gathers momentum
New statistics appear to vindicate UK government proposals to force suppliers to be upfront about IoT security Continue Reading
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Opinion
20 Apr 2021
Security Think Tank: ‘Legitimate interest’ crucial for vaccine passports
What are the security issues and challenges presented by vaccine passports, and how should they be designed and used with ethics and privacy in mind? Continue Reading
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News
15 Apr 2021
Biden sanctions Russia over SolarWinds cyber attacks
US president imposes new sanctions on Russia following malicious cyber attacks against the US and allies Continue Reading
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News
15 Apr 2021
Ireland’s DPC launches probe into Facebook leak
The Irish Data Protection Commission has launched an ‘own volition’ inquiry into the leak of data from 500 million Facebook profiles Continue Reading
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E-Zine
15 Apr 2021
CW Middle East: Qatari regulator launches platform to help combat money laundering
The Qatar Financial Markets Authority is using a digital platform to enable financial services professionals to assess their knowledge of anti-money laundering and combating the financing of terrorism. Also in this issue, read how the Covid-19 pandemic has changed the IT spending patterns among enterprises in Saudi Arabia. Continue Reading
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News
14 Apr 2021
CMA provisionally clears merger of Virgin and O2
Six months after being requested to review joint venture that could transform UK’s wired and wireless communications provision, UK competition watchdog CMA removes potential major hurdle to Virgin and O2 merger Continue Reading
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News
14 Apr 2021
FBI accesses ProxyLogon target servers to disrupt cyber criminals
US Justice Department reveals successful court-authorised effort to clamp down on ProxyLogon exploitation Continue Reading
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News
14 Apr 2021
Remote workers largely supportive of a UK right to disconnect
The introduction of a “right to disconnect” in the UK is popular among workers and has backing from trade unions Continue Reading
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News
14 Apr 2021
EU set to tilt AI balance in favour of citizen rights
New draft EU regulations aim to protect people from biased decision-making Continue Reading
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Opinion
14 Apr 2021
Security Think Tank: Vaccine passports cannot be taken lightly
What are the security issues and challenges presented by vaccine passports, and how should they be designed and used with ethics and privacy in mind? Continue Reading
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Opinion
14 Apr 2021
Security Think Tank: Vaccine passports must be secure by design
What are the security issues and challenges presented by vaccine passports, and how should they be designed and used with ethics and privacy in mind? Continue Reading
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News
13 Apr 2021
EncroChat lawyers raise questions over use of PII secrecy orders on UK decryption capabilities
Lawyers claim that public interest immunity certificates may have been used to withhold information on UK intelligence agencies’ ability to decrypt encrypted communications Continue Reading
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Feature
12 Apr 2021
Why some jobseekers have turned to cyber crime during the pandemic
Research shows that many people have been seeking cyber crime-related work on the dark web, but why? Continue Reading
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Opinion
12 Apr 2021
What has a year of home working meant for the DPO?
Byron Shirley of The Compliance Space explores how the role of the data protection officer has changed in the past 12 months Continue Reading
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News
09 Apr 2021
Egypt, Italy and US most affected in Facebook leak
Researchers at VPN firm Surfshark have been analysing data on 533 million people leaked from Facebook Continue Reading
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News
09 Apr 2021
Loan Charge Group MPs demand IR35 shake-up to stop contractors becoming ‘zero-rights employees’
Inquiry by Loan Charge All-Party Parliamentary Group calls on government to tweak IR35 legislation during passage of next Finance Bill Continue Reading
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News
08 Apr 2021
Nation-state cyber attacks double in three years
Cyber attacks backed by nation states are becoming more frequent and varied, moving the world closer to a point of ‘advanced cyber-conflict’, according to a University of Surrey research project Continue Reading
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News
07 Apr 2021
Facebook ducks calls to apologise over huge data leak
Facebook gives its side of the story as data on millions of its users leaks, but is yet to apologise for security lapses that put half a billion people at risk of compromise Continue Reading
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News
07 Apr 2021
Digital Markets Unit starts work on codes of conduct for tech giants
Digital markets regulator officially launched to ensure tech giants such as Facebook and Google cannot exploit their market dominance to crowd out competition and stifle innovation online Continue Reading
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News
07 Apr 2021
Irish employees’ ‘right to disconnect’ enshrined in code of practice
A code of practice giving employees the ‘right to disconnect’ from work and not engage in electronic communications outside of their normal hours has come into effect in Ireland Continue Reading
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News
06 Apr 2021
Facebook data leak could be outside scope of GDPR
Regulators may be unable to do much about leaked data on 533 million Facebook users, as it seems to have been stolen before GDPR came into force Continue Reading
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News
06 Apr 2021
US court issues Google API with Java ruling
US Supreme Court rules that specifying an API function call to enable third-party developers to access functionality should not be copyrighted Continue Reading
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News
06 Apr 2021
IR35 reforms: Private sector start date prompts mixed picture of predictions for contracting market
The IR35 tax avoidance reforms take hold in the private sector, prompting a mixed picture of predictions from stakeholders about what the future holds for contractors in the UK Continue Reading
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News
01 Apr 2021
Clearer service information could add 1.6 million full-fibre homes by 2025
Report finds that the speed at which Britain could benefit from the economic and social impact of billions of pounds of full-fibre infrastructure investment could be improved by clear labelling and information on broadband services Continue Reading
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News
01 Apr 2021
EncroChat hearings delayed as lawyers seek disclosure on police hacking
Court hearings precipitated by police cracking the EncroChat secure mobile phone network have been delayed after defence lawyers request further disclosures on police decryption capabilities Continue Reading
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News
01 Apr 2021
IR35 reforms: Loan charge and employers’ NI issues prompt calls for legislative revamp
As the government prepares to extend the IR35 reforms to the private sector, contracting stakeholders say it is high time the ‘flawed’ legislation was scrapped entirely Continue Reading
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News
31 Mar 2021
IR35 reforms: HMRC denies ‘squandering’ datasets that could rid umbrella sector of rogue players
Concerns grow about the number of IT contractors at risk of joining non-compliant umbrella firms ahead of the IR35 reforms taking hold in the private sector Continue Reading
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News
31 Mar 2021
Nordics run information sharing on digital vaccination passports
Nordic countries advance plans for digital Covid-19 vaccination passports in a bid to kick-start their economies Continue Reading
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News
30 Mar 2021
IR35 reforms: Slow government progress on umbrella regulation exposes IT contractors to tax risks
With thousands of IT contractors set to start working through unregulated umbrella companies for the first time when the IR35 reforms take hold in the private sector, concerns are growing about the danger this could pose to their income and tax affairs in years to come Continue Reading
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30 Mar 2021
IR35 reforms: Confusion over who pays employers’ NI leaves IT contractors out of pocket
Litigators are circling as thousands of contractors realise that the 2017 roll-out of IR35 reforms to the public sector may have resulted in unlawful tax deductions – and the private sector could be next Continue Reading
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News
29 Mar 2021
How far has open banking come in Europe?
Open banking is a relatively new concept, having come into effect in Europe only in the last couple of years. So what is the state of play? Continue Reading
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News
29 Mar 2021
Backup survey: UK councils’ downtimes five times longer than average
Backup product supplier Veeam’s freedom of information request finds councils’ average downtime is seven hours and that backup and disaster recovery testing is not done frequently Continue Reading
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News
29 Mar 2021
UK courts face evidence ‘black hole’ over police EncroChat mass hacking
French investigators have refused to disclose how they downloaded millions of messages from a supposedly secure cryptophone network used by organised criminals – leaving UK courts to grapple with a forensic ‘black hole’ of evidence Continue Reading
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Feature
26 Mar 2021
Backup appliances the hot topic for Pas-de-Calais fire brigade
With requirements for strict, long-duration backup and archiving, French fire brigade set out to replace optical media with a StorageCraft appliance and disaster-proof storage Continue Reading
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News
26 Mar 2021
Openreach defies Covid to hit full-fibre target
BT-owned broadband provision division includes more than 170 city locations in multi-billion-pound gigabit broadband build including cities of Birmingham, Belfast, London and Manchester Continue Reading
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News
25 Mar 2021
Cyber security complacency puts UK at risk, says NCSC head
National Cyber Security Centre CEO Lindy Cameron, in her maiden speech in the role, warns of challenges ahead for the UK and sets out the future agenda for cyber Continue Reading
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News
23 Mar 2021
IR35 reforms: Confusion over who pays employers’ NI leaves IT contractors out of pocket
Litigators are circling as thousands of contractors realise that the 2017 roll-out of IR35 reforms to the public sector may have resulted in unlawful tax deductions – and the private sector could be next Continue Reading
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News
22 Mar 2021
Altnet association warns of threat to UK full-fibre roll-out
Independent Networks Co-operative Association warns that recent momentum in gigabit broadband implementation could be delayed if independent providers and their investors believe UK comms regulator is not willing to listen to their concerns Continue Reading
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News
22 Mar 2021
CIO interview: Juliette Atkinson, IT director, Bradford University
Bradford University’s IT director took a different route than most to get into IT leadership Continue Reading
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News
19 Mar 2021
UK government aims to get national broadband project back on track with Project Gigabit
First areas revealed in £5bn government scheme to deliver gigabit broadband connections to help recovery from the pandemic, achieve growth and levelling up Continue Reading
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News
18 Mar 2021
Ofcom revamps wholesale broadband rules to ramp up full-fibre roll-out
UK comms regulator announces new guidelines for the UK wholesale telecoms market, with the principal aim to drive investment in fibre gigabit services and support the closure of the UK’s copper network Continue Reading
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News
18 Mar 2021
Vaccine passports cannot put basic rights at risk, warns BCS
BCS warns of challenges to come as the government presses on with its plans for Covid-19 vaccine passports Continue Reading
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News
17 Mar 2021
Ofcom raises £1.356bn in principal stage of new 5G spectrum auction
After announcing their plans to extend and improve basic 4G connectivity around the country, the UK’s mobile operators are celebrating their principal gains in the 5G arena with low-band and mid-band spectrum Continue Reading
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News
17 Mar 2021
Cyber sector welcomes PM’s defence review
Security commentators approve of measures to improve the UK’s cyber resilience, strengthen its R&D and skills base, lead on the development of new technology and promote a free, open, peaceful and secure global internet Continue Reading
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News
16 Mar 2021
Banks still lack tech skills at the top
Banks have made progress in adding IT knowledge in their boardrooms, but they need more as digital transformation accelerates Continue Reading
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News
16 Mar 2021
Government calls for input into Covid-19 vaccine passports
Evidence gathering exercise will inform the development of the UK’s proposed Covid-19 vaccine passport scheme Continue Reading
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News
15 Mar 2021
UK plans ‘full spectrum’ approach to national cyber security
PM Boris Johnson expands on proposed National Cyber Force and plans to set up a north of England Cyber Corridor Continue Reading
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News
15 Mar 2021
IR35 private sector reforms: IPSE warns of UK contracting talent exodus unless start date delayed
Association of Independent Professionals and the Self-Employed research into what contractors plan to do once the IR35 reforms come into play highlights growing risk of talent shortages Continue Reading
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News
12 Mar 2021
IR35 private sector reforms: IT contractors ‘growing reluctant’ to work for ‘blanket banning’ firms
IT-focused staffing company Ellis Recruitment Group shares its take on how the contracting market is responding to the private sector firms enforcing blanket bans Continue Reading
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Opinion
12 Mar 2021
Security Think Tank: US security efforts may centre on collaboration
As US president Joe Biden sets out his agenda for the next four years, we consider the opportunities for renewed international collaboration on cyber security, what aspects of cyber Biden should focus on, and ask how the industry can make its voice heard Continue Reading
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News
11 Mar 2021
UK digital regulators set out plans to strengthen cooperation
Digital Regulation Cooperation Forum outlines plans for the coming year, marking a shift towards a more collaborative regulatory approach Continue Reading
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News
11 Mar 2021
Attack on surveillance cameras a warning over security, ethics
The attack on a video surveillance startup by a hacktivist group raises questions not just over cyber security, but the use and extent of surveillance technology Continue Reading
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E-Zine
11 Mar 2021
CW Europe: Nordic tech startups create blueprint for post-Covid working environment
Business can learn lessons from Nordic tech startups to prepare employees to return to the office after Covid restrictions end. Also read why Netherlands police need a training ‘roadmap’ to get them up to speed to tackle cyber crime. Continue Reading
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News
10 Mar 2021
Met Police chooses Capgemini as strategic IT infrastructure services provider
Capgemini has a history of providing the force with day-to-day technology services, and will now deliver its infrastructure services under the Pegasus programme Continue Reading
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News
10 Mar 2021
Government’s refusal of freedom of information request about Post Office scandal ‘deeply concerning’
MP condemns department’s ‘bizarre’ rejection of freedom of information request linked to Post Office IT scandal Continue Reading
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News
10 Mar 2021
Police crack world’s largest cryptophone network as criminals swap EncroChat for Sky ECC
Belgian and Dutch police have breached the encryption of users of Sky ECC, the world’s largest cryptophone network. There are significant parallels with the international police operation against the EncroChat cryptophone network which led to hundreds of arrests Continue Reading
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News
09 Mar 2021
Belgian police raid 200 premises in drug operation linked to breach of encrypted phone network
More than 1,600 police and law enforcement officials conduct drug raids after the compromise of an encrypted mobile phone network that has parallels with EncroChat Continue Reading
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News
09 Mar 2021
EBA restores services after Microsoft Exchange attack
European Banking Authority was breached through vulnerabilities in Microsoft Exchange Server, but is now back online Continue Reading
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News
08 Mar 2021
US teases retaliation over state-backed cyber attacks
Consequences for alleged perpetrators of the SolarWinds attack are expected within the next few weeks Continue Reading