IT for government and public sector
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Feature
27 Aug 2024
Computer simulations show Swedish fusion initiative could have global impact
The only nuclear fusion initiative in the Nordics, Novatron, believes it has a lot to offer on the global scale Continue Reading
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News
20 Aug 2024
Helsinki braced for elevated cyber attacks
The City of Helsinki is increasing its collaboration with cyber security and crime investigators following a major attack on its systems Continue Reading
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News
14 Feb 2024
Microsoft patches two zero-days for Valentine’s Day
Two security feature bypasses impacting Microsoft SmartScreen are on the February Patch Tuesday docket, among more than 70 issues Continue Reading
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News
14 Feb 2024
Security experts: Investigatory powers plans will delay security updates
Cyber security experts warn that government proposals to amend the Investigatory Powers Act will limit tech companies’ ability to respond to security threats and could hamper the use of end-to-end encryption Continue Reading
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News
14 Feb 2024
Post Office CEO refused to meet government minister without her lawyer after 2015 Horizon report
Post Office statements on the Horizon system, whether to journalists or the government, were routinely carefully crafted by lawyers Continue Reading
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News
13 Feb 2024
Hunter-killer malware volumes seen surging
Latest Picus Security report on malware tactics, techniques and procedures reveals an increasing focus on disabling security defences Continue Reading
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News
13 Feb 2024
DSIT pumps £100m into biotech projects
The funding will be given to six engineering biology mission hubs, aiming to pioneer new technologies and address global challenges Continue Reading
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News
13 Feb 2024
NHS England awards £1m for wireless tech trials
The funding is split between seven trusts, which will be running wireless technology pilots aimed at improving patient care and improving connectivity Continue Reading
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E-Zine
13 Feb 2024
Intelligent defence – the role of data in the military
In this week’s Computer Weekly, we examine the role of data in tying together military operations across ground, air, sea and cyber. Has SAP finally convinced customers to migrate to cloud ERP? We assess the trends. And we talk to the CIO helping to set up the UK’s fastest supercomputer. Read the issue now. Continue Reading
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News
12 Feb 2024
More than 1,000 subpostmasters could have used second faulty Post Office system
More than 1,000 subpostmasters could have used a previous faulty computer system in their branches as more people come forward with information following Post Office scandal TV drama Continue Reading
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Opinion
12 Feb 2024
A decade after breaking HMRC’s Aspire deal, the Post Office scandal exposes glaring similarities
HM Revenue & Customs finally broke from its £800m a year Aspire contract in 2016 - and the reasons have parallels with the Post Office scandal. Will government ever learn? Continue Reading
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News
09 Feb 2024
Amazon defends facial-recognition tech sale to FBI despite moratorium
The FBI has confirmed it is using Amazon’s Rekognition image and video analysis software, but Amazon says it is ‘false’ to suggest this violates the company’s self-imposed moratorium on selling facial-recognition technology to US police Continue Reading
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News
09 Feb 2024
MoD ethical hacking programme expands after initial success
The Ministry of Defence has expanded the scope of its defensive security partnership with HackerOne Continue Reading
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News
09 Feb 2024
Europe carves out niche in quantum computing
As the US, China and Europe accelerate investment in quantum computing, Europe is beginning to develop its own unique position in the fledgling global ecosystem Continue Reading
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News
08 Feb 2024
Why open data is needed in the battle to address homelessness
Centrepoint needed to send FOIs to more than 300 local authorities in England to access required information Continue Reading
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News
08 Feb 2024
Executive alleged to be behind EncroChat encrypted phone network arrested
A businessman allegedly behind EncroChat, an encrypted phone network that was used by organised crime groups, has been extradited from the Dominican Republic to France Continue Reading
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News
08 Feb 2024
University Hospital of Wales launches digital cardiology test requests
The Cardiff-based hospital is switching from a paper-based system to a digital service, which is integrated into the Welsh Clinical Portal Continue Reading
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News
07 Feb 2024
NCSC warns CNI operators over ‘living-off-the-land’ attacks
Malicious, state-backed actors may well be lurking in the UK’s most critical networks right now, and their operators may not even know until it is too late, warn the NCSC and its partners Continue Reading
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News
07 Feb 2024
Dozens of surveillance companies are supplying spyware to governments, says Google
Google’s Threat Analysis Group has identified 40 companies involved in selling and supplying security exploits and spyware services to governments Continue Reading
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Opinion
07 Feb 2024
Security Think Tank: The phishing forecast for 2024
Egress' Jack Chapman and James Dyer explore how phishing attacks are set to grow in their scope and sophistication this year, with generative AI playing a big role Continue Reading
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News
07 Feb 2024
The challenges of open source in government
Public sector bodies may find their policy decisions are stymied due to the inflexibility of the software they deploy. Is open source the answer? Continue Reading
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News
07 Feb 2024
Government reaffirms commitment to hold off on AI laws
The UK government reaffirming its commitment hold off on artificial intelligence legislation has been received positively by industry for balancing innovation and safety Continue Reading
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News
07 Feb 2024
Government funds two semiconductor centres
So-called information knowledge centres in Bristol and Southampton are each receiving £11m Continue Reading
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News
06 Feb 2024
UK’s McPartland Cyber Review to probe trust in technology
The UK government has launched a cyber security review that will investigate how best to give businesses the confidence they need to use new technologies Continue Reading
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News
06 Feb 2024
UK government responds to AI whitepaper consultation
The UK government is considering introducing binding legal requirements for companies developing the most powerful AI systems, and has outlined a range of funding to realise the ambitions of its ‘pro-innovation’ framework for artificial intelligence Continue Reading
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News
06 Feb 2024
Inquiry to explore cyber risk to Sunak-Starmer showdown
The UK’s Joint Committee on National Security Strategy is opening an inquiry into securing the democratic process ahead of the next general election Continue Reading
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News
06 Feb 2024
UK and France push for international agreement on spyware
The UK and France are hosting diplomats, big tech companies and civil society groups, in a two-day conference in London targeting the proliferation of spyware tools and ‘hackers for hire’ Continue Reading
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News
06 Feb 2024
Post Office scandal: Phase four’s rogues’ gallery
Phase four of the public inquiry into the Post Office Horizon IT scandal revealed ‘a parade of liars, bullies, amnesiacs and arrogant individuals’ that made up the teams investigating and prosecuting subpostmasters Continue Reading
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Opinion
06 Feb 2024
Resetting digital government
After years of trying to digitally transform the public sector, with varying degrees of success, could a change of government finally herald a new and better approach? Continue Reading
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News
05 Feb 2024
Blackbaud blasted for failing to prevent customer breaches
A supply chain attack at software supplier Blackbaud in 2020 saw data on multiple UK organisations compromised. The US authorities are now taking steps to ensure it can’t happen again Continue Reading
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News
05 Feb 2024
US sanctions Iranians behind CNI cyber attacks
US government issues new sanctions against six Iranians suspected of being behind a series of cyber attacks targeting critical national infrastructure, notably water supply systems Continue Reading
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News
05 Feb 2024
UK quantum initiatives get funding boost
Government funds new initiatives to drive quantum computing opportunities across the public sector Continue Reading
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News
02 Feb 2024
‘People are now listening,' Post Office inquiry told as latest phase ends
The latest phase of the public inquiry into the widest miscarriage of justice in modern UK history – the Post Office Horizon IT scandal – closes with a bang Continue Reading
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Feature
02 Feb 2024
UK police facial recognition explained: What you need to know
In this essential guide, Computer Weekly looks at the use of facial recognition technology by UK police forces, including the points of contention around its deployment so far and where it’s heading next Continue Reading
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Blog Post
02 Feb 2024
Why government IT needs a better approach to budgeting
Defra minister, Mark Spencer was recently asked to give an update to how the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) is coping with its plans to renew ageing IT systems. The ... Continue Reading
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News
01 Feb 2024
UK ranks third in OECD Digital Government Index
The UK has dropped from overall second to third place in the international digital government survey, but fails to feature in the top 10 countries when it comes to having a data-driven public sector Continue Reading
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News
01 Feb 2024
Defra legacy IT: 180 applications refreshed, over 1,500 remain
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has a 10-year plan to update technology. So far, 180 have been replaced or updated Continue Reading
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News
01 Feb 2024
UK government signs AI, science and innovation deals with Canada
The agreements will see the two countries collaborate on AI compute – a development component of artificial intelligence – and work together on technology innovations such as quantum and semiconductors Continue Reading
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News
01 Feb 2024
Government ‘dragging it out’ by refusing to share knowledge of Post Office trial ‘delaying tactic’
Subpostmasters will have to wait to find out if the government knew of the Post Office’s plan to derail group litigation order, by trying to push managing judge out Continue Reading
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News
30 Jan 2024
We need backup! Pennsylvania police data loss shows why
Police evidence systems data was lost during ‘routine maintenance’, with human error blamed – the case clearly illustrates why data protection can’t be left to chance Continue Reading
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News
30 Jan 2024
Pre-Horizon users contacting lawyers as more Post Office IT horror stories emerge
Lawyer says there is no reason to believe the Post Office treated unexplained shortfalls on systems prior to Horizon any differently to the way it dealt with unexplained Horizon shortfalls Continue Reading
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News
29 Jan 2024
Proposed changes to investment thresholds highlights lack of funding diversity
The government is introducing a law to raise the income threshold for potential angel investors, potentially making it harder for people from underrepresented groups to fund startups Continue Reading
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News
29 Jan 2024
Lords question legality of police facial recognition
Lords committee ‘deeply concerned’ about the rapid expansion of live facial recognition by UK police, which it says is progressing without any real oversight or accountability Continue Reading
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News
29 Jan 2024
MP demands answers from government minister over second faulty Post Office IT system
Kevan Jones MP highlighted evidence of injustices caused by a computer system used in Post Office branches prior to the introduction of the controversial Horizon system. Continue Reading
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News
26 Jan 2024
GenAI tools ‘could not exist’ if firms are made to pay copyright
AI firm Anthropic hits out at copyright lawsuit filed by music publishers, claiming the content ingested into its models falls under ‘fair use’ and that any licensing regime would be too complex and costly Continue Reading
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News
26 Jan 2024
Lawyers carry on Post Office appeals amid uncertainty over government plan to overturn en masse
Lawyers supporting former subpostmasters said they will continue appealing convictions as normal despite government plan to exonerate hundreds in one go Continue Reading
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News
26 Jan 2024
UK government consults on age verification tech in alcohol sales
The government has said it wants to allow the use of digital identities and various age-verification technologies in alcohol sales Continue Reading
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News
26 Jan 2024
Expert IT witness outsmarted an ‘aggressive’ Post Office to get to truth after inspection ‘madness’
The Post Office’s attempts to protect the Horizon system are well known, in light of the public inquiry and a recent TV drama, but Computer Weekly can reveal how an IT expert was treated during his investigation of Horizon Continue Reading
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News
25 Jan 2024
Bugcrowd sees surge in vulnerability submissions, led by public sector
Crowdsourced vulnerability disclosure and bug bounty platform Bugcrowd says it saw a 151% uptick in submissions related to government and public sector organisations in 2023 Continue Reading
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News
25 Jan 2024
DSIT unveils forum to drive AI adoption in UK businesses
UK government launches AI Opportunity Forum with tech and business chiefs to help firms drive up UK productivity through AI Continue Reading
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News
25 Jan 2024
Tony Blair Institute calls for creation of NHS Data Trust
The NHS would have a majority stake in the data trust, with additional investment from private sector companies, harnessing anonymised data as a competitive asset, proposes the think thank Continue Reading
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News
25 Jan 2024
Civil Service must embrace innovation, says Cabinet Office minister
John Glen sets out plans for Civil Service reform, highlighting a focus on technology and innovation, as he plans to ‘crack the productivity puzzle’ in government Continue Reading
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News
24 Jan 2024
WebKit vulnerability sparks Apple’s first major security update of 2024
A zero-day in the open source WebKit browser engine that powers Safari has sparked Apple’s first major patch roll-out of the new year Continue Reading
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News
24 Jan 2024
IR35: Contractors call for off-payroll rules to be scrapped in Spring Budget 2024
A survey of 900 contractors by insurance provider Qdos found that two-thirds want the government to consider scrapping the IR35 rules in the next Budget, which is due to take place in March 2024 Continue Reading
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News
24 Jan 2024
Southern Water confirms cyber attack after Black Basta claims
Southern Water, which supplies millions of customers in southeast England, has confirmed it has fallen victim to a cyber attack, although its services appear to be running normally Continue Reading
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News
24 Jan 2024
AI will heighten global ransomware threat, says NCSC
The benefits of artificial intelligence to cyber criminals being well-known, the NCSC now assesses it’s likely AI will soon be widely used to enhance ransomware attacks Continue Reading
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News
24 Jan 2024
Committee chair asks minister to back ‘Mr Bates clause’ in Post Office compensation legislation
Select committee chair wants guarantees on financial redress for subpostmasters that suffered in the Horizon scandal Continue Reading
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News
23 Jan 2024
Treat cyber risk like financial or legal issue, says UK government
UK government and NCSC launch proposed code of practice on cyber security governance to help directors and business leaders toughen their defences Continue Reading
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News
23 Jan 2024
Leak of 26 billion records may prove to be ‘mother of all breaches’
The discovery of a dataset comprising 26 billion stolen records may prove to be record-breaking in both its size and the danger it poses to ordinary people Continue Reading
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News
23 Jan 2024
UN chief blasts AI companies for reckless pursuit of profit
The United Nations general secretary has blasted technology companies and governments for pursuing their own narrow interests in artificial intelligence without any consideration of the common good, as part of wider call to reform global governance Continue Reading
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News
23 Jan 2024
SEC bitcoin hack was result of SIM-swapping
A cyber attack on the US financial regulator earlier in January 2024 occurred after hackers took over one of its mobile phone accounts in a so-called SIM-swapping attack Continue Reading
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E-Zine
23 Jan 2024
Davos 2024: AI disinformation tops global risks
In this week’s Computer Weekly, AI-generated disinformation and misinformation will be the top risks for businesses, governments and the public over the next two years, according to the World Economic Forum. Intel’s CTO discusses the chip maker’s plans for the European market. And we examine the dearth of digital skills among elected officials. Read the issue now. Continue Reading
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News
22 Jan 2024
PAC calls on MoD to fix inventory management IT
The Public Accounts Committee is concerned that the ageing and fragmented IT systems used in the MoD’s inventory management puts front-line forces at significant risk Continue Reading
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Feature
22 Jan 2024
The Loan Charge scandal explained: Everything you need to know
Tens of thousands of IT contractors have been saddled with life-changing tax bills as a result of a controversial, retroactive government policy – and the fall-out from its introduction has been likened to the Post Office IT scandal Continue Reading
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News
22 Jan 2024
Fujitsu agrees to support former subpostmasters’ families beyond financial redress
Fujitsu will meet with victims of the Post Office scandal and their representatives to discuss what the IT giant can do for them beyond financial redress Continue Reading
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News
22 Jan 2024
Chat control: Tech companies warn ministers over EU encryption plans
Tech companies have written to EU ministers to urge them to back the European Parliament, rather than the European Commission, over proposed regulations to police child abuse Continue Reading
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News
22 Jan 2024
Urgent question asks which ministers knew of Post Office’s shocking plan to remove judge
Labour peer uses urgent question to uncover who, if anyone, in government was aware of the Post Office’s attempts to remove judge as it became clear it was losing Continue Reading
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News
19 Jan 2024
ICO prompts confusion over police cloud legality
The UK data regulator has suggested that, despite major data protection concerns, it is likely to greenlight police cloud deployments because of an information-sharing agreement with the US government Continue Reading
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News
19 Jan 2024
MPs flag similarities between HMRC's treatment of Loan Charge contractors and Post Office scandal
The fallout from HMRC's controversial disguised remuneration clampdown, the Loan Charge policy, has been likened to the Post Office Horizon scandal during a House of Commons debate Continue Reading
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News
19 Jan 2024
Fujitsu boss admits to missed opportunities to prevent miscarriages of justice
Concerns of an expert witness in subpostmaster trials were ignored by Fujitsu Continue Reading
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News
19 Jan 2024
Neighbouring Kent councils hit by simultaneous cyber attacks
Canterbury, Dover and Thanet Councils in Kent have all been struck by simultaneous cyber attacks knocking systems offline, with indications of a link between all three Continue Reading
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News
19 Jan 2024
Cabinet Office publishes 10-point generative AI guidance
Cabinet Office’s framework, which will evolve as the technology moves forward, sets out 10 principles for the government's use of generative AI systems Continue Reading
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News
19 Jan 2024
Fujitsu boss describes Post Office behaviour as 'shameful and appalling'
The UK head of Fujitsu said he does not know why the Post Office did not reveal information about Horizon software errors to defendants during prosecutions Continue Reading
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News
18 Jan 2024
Anger sparked by TV drama forces Fujitsu to put public sector contract bidding on hold
It is not just the UK government that has been forced to act quickly amid public anger, as a wounded Fujitsu stalls government contract bidding Continue Reading
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News
18 Jan 2024
PSTN switch-off threatens access to adult social care services
The Public Switched Telephone Network switch-off is threatening vulnerable Londoners access to adult social care and other vital services, as councils are left to manage the cost without financial support from the centre, says London chief digital officer Theo Blackwell Continue Reading
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News
18 Jan 2024
More than 900 subpostmaster convictions wouldn’t have happened without Post Office-backed law change
IT expert says it cannot be the case that computer evidence is treated as accurate in court, without investigation into surrounding circumstances Continue Reading
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Opinion
18 Jan 2024
AI will create a thousand Post Office scandals
Critical computing expert Dan McQuillan weighs in on the proliferation of artificial intelligence throughout the public sector and the potential this opens up for a slew of new IT scandals Continue Reading
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News
18 Jan 2024
Tech firms: Investigatory Powers review will undermine privacy of UK citizens
Trade group TechUK argues in a briefing sent to the Home Office that proposed amendments to the Investigatory Powers Bill could have a far-reaching impact on privacy and security Continue Reading
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News
17 Jan 2024
NCSC invites security pros to join the big leagues
The NCSC is inviting security pros from across the UK to sign up to work with its experts on an intelligence-sharing initiative Continue Reading
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Feature
17 Jan 2024
Biometric revolution in IAM: The future of authentication
The IAM landscape is experiencing profound change thanks to the advent of biometrics. Learn about the latest advantages and key benefits of biometrics in identity Continue Reading
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News
17 Jan 2024
Victims of 2023 Capita data breaches head to High Court
More than 5,000 people impacted by data breaches arising from two cyber incidents affecting outsourcer Capita have joined a group action lawsuit Continue Reading
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News
17 Jan 2024
Michelle Donelan aims high on tech innovation growth
The science, innovation and technology secretary wants the UK to match US VC investment as a proportion of GDP Continue Reading
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Opinion
17 Jan 2024
Paula Vennells fails to practice what she preaches in Post Office scandal
Reverend Richard Coles tells Computer Weekly how a recent ITV drama ‘moved and enraged’ a public that had missed the unfolding of the biggest miscarriage of justice in modern history, in front of their noses Continue Reading
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News
16 Jan 2024
Fujitsu ‘morally obliged’ to contribute to subpostmaster financial redress amid ‘insane’ delays
Fujitsu has apologised for its role on the Post Office scandal and said it is ‘morally obliged’ to contribute to the financial redress of victims Continue Reading
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News
16 Jan 2024
Republic of Ireland publishes progress update on digital strategy
Update reveals 2.3 million people in Ireland now have MyGovID accounts, and the Irish government plans to launch a new digital portal for businesses, as well as establishing an AI advisory council imminently Continue Reading
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News
16 Jan 2024
NAO head calls for clean data and modern government IT
Better IT procurement, better IT systems and better data are among the recommendations Gareth Davies is giving to Parliament Continue Reading
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Opinion
16 Jan 2024
The human toll of ransomware: how IT pros suffer during incidents
Any ransomware attack causes significant challenges for a business or organisation going through such incident. But ransomware attacks also have tremendous impact on the staff – especially IT teams – working on mitigating the attack’s effect Continue Reading
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News
15 Jan 2024
British Library catalogues back online after ransomware attack
The British Library has restored online access to its main catalogue of nearly 40 million items on a limited basis as it continues the long and arduous process of recovering from a ransomware attack Continue Reading
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News
15 Jan 2024
AI likely to worsen economic inequality, says IMF
While artificial intelligence will replace some jobs and complement others, the International Monetary Fund says that, in most of the scenarios it envisages, the technology will likely deepen macro-economic inequalities Continue Reading
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Feature
15 Jan 2024
British Library cyber attack explained: What you need to know
In this essential guide, Computer Weekly investigates the cyber attack on the British Library that has rendered IT systems inoperable and caused service disruption to thousands of users Continue Reading
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News
15 Jan 2024
Russia hacked ex-MI6 chief’s emails – what they reveal is more Dad’s Army than deep state
A Russian hacking group that published emails of ex-MI6 chief Richard Dearlove claimed to have uncovered a conspiracy, but it was more Dad’s Army than the ‘deep state’, Computer Weekly and Byline Times reveal Continue Reading
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News
15 Jan 2024
How legal disclosure failures disrupted the Post Office Horizon inquiry
From overly narrow search terms, overzealous deduplication of documents and failed email migrations, poor management of legal discovery has delayed justice for postmasters in the Horizon inquiry Continue Reading
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News
15 Jan 2024
IT failure caused weekend chaos at Sussex hospitals
The critical incident at University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust, caused by IT issues on Sunday night, has now been resolved Continue Reading
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News
15 Jan 2024
NCA director sacked after WhatsApp and email security breaches
Nikki Holland, former director of investigations at the NCA, was sacked for “misconduct” after sending sensitive NCA information over personal email and WhatsApp Continue Reading
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Opinion
15 Jan 2024
How the UK is supporting the Ukraine tech community
The launch of a TechBridge between UK and Ukraine allow IT experts from each country to collaborate and share experiences Continue Reading
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Blog Post
13 Jan 2024
The Post Office Horizon buck stops where?
The cover up began to conceal the impossibility of delivering what was agreed with Number 10 in December 1998 ... but ... who was responsible and was the added encouragement of unethical conduct ... Continue Reading
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News
12 Jan 2024
Post Office scandal inquiry hits mainstream after dramatic start to year
Long-running statutory public inquiry restarts with hugely increased interest following ITV’s dramatisation of the two decades-long scandal Continue Reading
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News
12 Jan 2024
UK government seeks public views on impacts of AI-generated porn
The government’s Pornography Review will look in part at the use of AI throughout the industry to generate sexually explicit content without people’s consent Continue Reading
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News
11 Jan 2024
MHRA launches roadmap for medtech regulations
The roadmap covers plans for regulations on medical technologies, including implantable devices, artificial intelligence and healthcare software, with core elements of a new framework to be in place by 2025 Continue Reading
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News
11 Jan 2024
Cisco fixes high-impact flaw in unified comms platform
Cisco unified comms customers are urged to patch a critical vulnerability in Unity Connection, a messaging and voicemail product Continue Reading
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Opinion
11 Jan 2024
Redefining the cyber domain to tackle the challenges of tomorrow
Emerging technologies have brought about a new age of cyber – and we need a 360-degree collaborative approach more than ever to succeed Continue Reading
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News
10 Jan 2024
Hundreds of subpostmasters to have convictions quashed in blanket exoneration
The government has chosen to introduce legislation that will enable it to exonerate hundreds of subpostmasters as a group Continue Reading