IT for government and public sector
-
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
-
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
-
News
09 Nov 2023
Suspected ransomware attack hits Scottish council
Systems at Comhairle nan Eilean Siar were downed on 7 November in a suspected ransomware attack Continue Reading
-
News
09 Nov 2023
UK government does not see need for specific AI legislation
The UK government does not currently see the need for new artificial intelligence legislation, as many regulators are already dealing effectively with AI-related harms Continue Reading
-
News
09 Nov 2023
Conflict of interest concerns raised over CMA's use of AWS UK public sector discount scheme
Less than a month after the CMA confirmed it would be investigating the competitive impact of AWS preferential pricing deals on the UK cloud market, data reveals the CMA is benefiting from cut-price Amazon cloud services Continue Reading
-
News
08 Nov 2023
Former Post Office manager has no memory of preparing witness statement in legal dispute
Evidence of computer problems was omitted from the witness statement of a former Post Office manager in a legal battle with a subpostmaster blamed for unexplained accounting shortfalls Continue Reading
-
News
08 Nov 2023
AI Summit not the place for human rights, says French finance minister
Despite commitments at the UK’s AI Safety Summit to respect and protect human rights, the French finance minister said it was not the right forum to discuss signatories' human rights records Continue Reading
-
News
07 Nov 2023
Post Office disclosure failures delay Horizon scandal inquiry again
Many of the 300,000 emails unearthed could be relevant to evidence from future and past witnesses in the Post Office scandal inquiry Continue Reading
-
News
07 Nov 2023
Cornwall Council-run care service to deploy digital care hub
Digital hub will offer council-run Corserv Care an end-to-end care solution, including a physical device, online dashboard and interoperable software Continue Reading
-
News
07 Nov 2023
Interview: Paul Scully, minister for technology and the digital economy, DSIT
The technology minister speaks to Computer Weekly about the government’s semiconductor strategy, how to solve the digital skills challenge in the UK and moving towards the country’s net-zero target Continue Reading
-
News
07 Nov 2023
AI Safety Summit review
Computer Weekly takes stock of the UK government’s AI Safety Summit and the differing perspectives around its success Continue Reading
-
Blog Post
06 Nov 2023
The great AI threat, or not...
Depending on who you talk to, Rishi Sunak's much-hyped AI Safety Summit was an act of extreme hubris by the UK government, a wasted opportunity, or a historic milestone in the development of ... Continue Reading
-
News
06 Nov 2023
Netherlands starts building its own AI language model
Dutch government allocates €13.5m to develop an open artificial intelligence language model according to national values and guidelines. Continue Reading
-
News
06 Nov 2023
UK science minister announces quantum tech funding and collaboration plans
Science minister George Freeman announces £14m in funding for quantum technology projects as government signs collaboration agreements with Australia and the Netherlands Continue Reading
-
Opinion
03 Nov 2023
How to solve the computer evidence problem
The Law Commission is in disgrace for its historic misrepresentations of IT experts when pushing a change to the law on the use of computer evidence through Parliament. Continue Reading
-
News
02 Nov 2023
Bristol and Cambridge to host 2024 AI supercomputers
Dell and HPE are working on supercomputers with the two universities as part of the government’s artificial intelligence funding drive Continue Reading
-
News
02 Nov 2023
CDDO publishes digital roadmap update
The CDDO envisions that by 2025, digital services will exceed public expectations, civil servants will be equipped for a digital future, and government efficiency and security will be enhanced Continue Reading
-
News
02 Nov 2023
How the UK crime agency repurposed Amazon cloud platform to analyse EncroChat cryptophone data
UK crime agency repurposed AWS-based analytics platform to triage EncroChat data and identify threats to life in messages sent on encrypted phone network Continue Reading
-
Opinion
02 Nov 2023
Law Commission misrepresented experts when it changed rule on computer evidence
The Law Commission repeatedly quoted vague, arm-waving, un-evidenced comments by judges who offered no insight into anything beyond their own technical ignorance. The law change made miscarriages of justice inevitable. Continue Reading
-
News
01 Nov 2023
AI Summit: 28 governments and EU agree to safe AI development
In a joint communique at the UK government’s AI Safety Summit, all participating governments agreed to deepen their cooperation around the risks associated with artificial intelligence Continue Reading
-
News
01 Nov 2023
Government announces millions to fund AI skills
Funding has been allocated to ensure the UK grows its understanding of artificial intelligence and develops an AI talent base to help properly utilise the technology in the future Continue Reading
-
Opinion
01 Nov 2023
The cause of the Post Office Horizon scandal? The Law Commission? Judges? Lawyers?
The appropriateness of the current law on the use of computer evidence in court is under the spotlight following Post Office scandal revelations Continue Reading
-
News
01 Nov 2023
Darktrace CEO Poppy Gustafsson on her AI Safety Summit goals
As the AI Safety Summit at Bletchley Park takes place, Computer Weekly caught up with Darktrace CEO Poppy Gustafsson to find out what one of the UK’s most prominent AI advocates wants from proceedings Continue Reading
-
Feature
31 Oct 2023
The world's most advanced Arabic LLM is now available on open source
On 30 August 2023, Abu Dhabi-based Inception, a subsidiary of G42, announced the release of an Arabic large language model to open source Continue Reading
-
News
31 Oct 2023
British Library falls victim to cyber attack
The British Library is experiencing a major IT outage following a cyber incident of an undisclosed nature Continue Reading
-
News
31 Oct 2023
Biden’s AI plans focus on US workers’ protection
The US president has issued an Executive Order that sets out his administration’s strategy for AI safety and security Continue Reading
-
News
30 Oct 2023
UK government to invest £100m in using AI to research treatments for incurable diseases
Prime minister Rishi Sunak confirms £100m in government funding for AI-led research into incurable diseases Continue Reading
-
News
30 Oct 2023
UK government AI Summit already branded ‘missed opportunity’
The dominance of big tech firms, a focus on speculative risks over real-world harms, and the exclusion of affected workers, mean the AI Safety Summit is a wasted opportunity, say civil society groups Continue Reading
-
News
30 Oct 2023
Frontier AI Taskforce starts recruitment drive
The second progress report from the Frontier AI Taskforce reveals new hires plus vacancy posts for software and research engineers Continue Reading
-
News
27 Oct 2023
Tech firms cite risk to end-to-end encryption as Online Safety Bill gets royal assent
Tech firms continue to be concerned that the Online Safety Bill could undermine end-to-end encryption despite government reassurances Continue Reading
-
News
27 Oct 2023
Domestic abuse charities surface fresh worries over NHS data sharing
With new NHS data access options coming into effect at the end of October, a group of campaigners including womens' charities and the BMA have warned that the revived GP-patient data sharing scheme risks putting vulnerable people at risk Continue Reading
-
News
27 Oct 2023
‘Egregious’ to link passport data with facial recognition systems
The Scottish biometrics watchdog has spoken out against the UK policing minister’s plans to integrate passport data with police facial recognition systems Continue Reading
-
News
27 Oct 2023
UK regulators confident they are ready for AI safety governance
MPs at a recent artificial intelligence governance meeting were keen to hear how Ofcom, the FCA and the ICO are preparing for UK AI legislation Continue Reading
-
News
27 Oct 2023
Germany: European Court opinion kicks questions over EncroChat back to national courts
Germany lawfully obtained data on German EncroChat users from France, but whether the evidence is legally admissible is a matter for national courts Continue Reading
-
News
26 Oct 2023
Sunak sets scene for upcoming AI Safety Summit
Prime minister Rishi Sunak has outlined how the UK will approach making AI safe, but experts say there is still too big a focus on catastrophic but speculative risks over real harms the technology is already causing Continue Reading
-
News
25 Oct 2023
Government-led Smart Data Discovery Challenge launched to stoke innovation
A government-led coalition has launched an open-call competition for ideas using smart data to help support individuals and small businesses, emulating open banking Continue Reading
-
Feature
25 Oct 2023
Finland shows off its new 20-qubit quantum computer
Anybody who scoffs at Finland’s lofty ambitions in the field of quantum computing should remember that not only is the country home to one of Europe's most successful companies (Nokia), but it also houses Europe’s most powerful supercomputer (LUMI). Continue Reading
-
News
25 Oct 2023
UK IT professionals express concerns about government’s generative AI goals
Research reveals 93% of UK IT professionals are concerned by the government’s current plan to become a global leader in artificial intelligence because of lack of training and risk assessment Continue Reading
-
News
24 Oct 2023
Michelle Donelan reaffirms UK's commitment to AI safety
In a keynote speech, the secretary of state for science, innovation and technology discussed the UK's pro-innovation approach to AI safety Continue Reading
-
News
24 Oct 2023
Government puts £75m into innovation hubs
Eight innovation ‘launchpads’ will each get a share of the funding for projects covering sectors such as agri-tech, digital healthcare, renewable energy and technologies for the creative industry Continue Reading
-
News
23 Oct 2023
Taxpayers to fund a further £150m for Post Office IT scandal
Total bill for the scandal goes well over £1bn, as subpostmaster campaign leader considers private prosecutions of Post Office executives Continue Reading
-
News
20 Oct 2023
Five Eyes chiefs warn of Chinese spying campaign to steal high-tech secrets
Intelligence chiefs warn high-tech companies and universities they may be the target of attempts by the Chinese Communist Party to steal technology secrets Continue Reading
-
News
20 Oct 2023
Public Accounts Committee highlights smart meter failures
In spite of failing to meet roll-out targets, millions of smart meters are not working, and some will break once 3G and 2G networks are switched off Continue Reading
-
News
19 Oct 2023
Sellafield local authority unsure if data was stolen six years on from North Korea ransomware attack
Senior managers at an ‘Achilles heel’ local authority for Europe’s biggest nuclear site ‘still don’t know what was lost’ in a 2017 cyber attack, according to a council source Continue Reading
-
News
19 Oct 2023
Government concedes it will miss 2024 e-prescribing target
The government won’t meet its target to get rid of paper prescribing in hospitals by 2024, and has pushed the goal post back two years to 2026 Continue Reading
-
News
19 Oct 2023
Post Office auditors presumed subpostmasters were ‘on the fiddle’ or ‘in a muddle’
Public inquiry into Post Office scandal hears how head office staff routinely made negative assumptions about subpostmasters in small branches Continue Reading
-
Blog Post
19 Oct 2023
Where is our National AI strategy heading?
The recent House of Lords Communications Committee expert witness session revealed a somewhat bizarre situation in government relating to our National AI Strategy. By her own admission, Dame Wendy ... Continue Reading
-
News
18 Oct 2023
Former Post Office executive admits he wouldn’t sign unfair contract he pushed on subpostmasters
Former contract manager said contract that subpostmasters had to sign with Post Office “put them on the hook” for everything Continue Reading
-
News
17 Oct 2023
Hacktivist attacks against Israeli websites mirror attacks following Russian invasion of Ukraine
Hacktivists supporting Gaza and Palestine have launched hundreds of website defacement attacks against Israeli websites, mirroring the pattern of attacks that occurred after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine Continue Reading
-
Opinion
17 Oct 2023
Generative AI is a game changer for higher education
As in most areas of society, generative AI presents risks and opportunities for the higher education sector. But regardless of which side of the debate you fall, it will be a revolutionary technology Continue Reading
-
News
17 Oct 2023
Government to pump £30m into NHS medtech
The government hopes the funding, which is available to integrated care systems across the country, will ease winter pressures through the help of technology Continue Reading
-
News
13 Oct 2023
UK startups pilot semiconductor funding
ChipStart is a new initiative from the UK government to help build out the National Semiconductor Strategy by supporting startups Continue Reading
-
News
13 Oct 2023
‘Angry’ lawyer warned against Post Office computer investigation in 2010 email
Angered by his exclusion from an important discussion, former Royal Mail lawyer told colleagues of the risks to the Post Office if, as planned, they publicly investigate allegations against its computer system Continue Reading
-
News
12 Oct 2023
Scottish biometrics watchdog outlines police cloud concerns
Police Scotland’s response to the biometrics commissioner’s formal information notice ‘did not ameliorate’ his concerns about the sovereignty and security of the sensitive biometric information being uploaded to cloud infrastructure that is subject to intrusive US surveillance laws Continue Reading
-
News
11 Oct 2023
Public sector buyers of AI tech must interrogate its suitability
The Ada Lovelace Institute has published a review on public sector use of artificial intelligence foundation models, looking at the risks and opportunities associated with the technology, and how these can be dealt with from the early stages of procurement onwards Continue Reading
-
News
11 Oct 2023
Why only 1% of the Snowden Archive will ever be published
Speaking to Computer Weekly after we published new revelations from the Snowden archive, the Guardian’s Pulitzer Prize winner, Ewen MacAskill, explains why more of the Snowden trove is unlikely to see the light of day Continue Reading
-
News
05 Oct 2023
Microsoft: Nation-state cyber espionage on rise in 2023
Microsoft’s latest Digital Defence Report outlines how nation-state cyber activity has largely moved from destructive attacks to espionage and intelligence gathering Continue Reading
-
News
05 Oct 2023
Red Cross issues rules of engagement for hackers in conflicts
The digital rules of engagement are the first time cyber activity has been looked at by the conflict watchdog, but a number of hacker groups have already come out and said they will not be following them Continue Reading
-
News
05 Oct 2023
Government launches £60m Regional Innovation Fund
The £60m fund aims to support universities in areas with lower R&D investment, while the government is also pumping £8m towards AI scholarships Continue Reading
-
News
05 Oct 2023
Policing minister wants to use UK passport data in facial recognition
The policing minister’s plans to integrate the UK’s passport database with police facial-recognition systems have been met with criticism from campaigners, academics, and the biometrics commissioner for England and Wales Continue Reading
-
News
04 Oct 2023
IR35: HMRC completes first phase of CEST upgrades with Ocelot platform migration
HMRC has confirmed that its online IR35 status checker tool has completed its migration to a new platform, as the government tax collection agency’s revamp of the service continues apace Continue Reading
-
Opinion
04 Oct 2023
AI vs software outsourcing: An opportunity or a threat?
While artificial intelligence offers unprecedented opportunities for growth, efficiency and automation, it also raises pertinent questions about the future of software outsourcing Continue Reading
-
News
04 Oct 2023
ICO issues guidance on workplace surveillance
Guidance on employee monitoring covers how employers can conduct their digital surveillance lawfully, transparently and fairly, and warns against businesses intruding on their workers’ private lives Continue Reading
-
News
03 Oct 2023
Cyber experts urge EU to rethink vulnerability disclosure plans
The European Union’s proposed cyber security vulnerability disclosure measures are well-intentioned but ultimately counterproductive, as making unmitigated vulnerabilities public knowledge increases the risk of their exploitation by various actors, experts claim Continue Reading
-
News
03 Oct 2023
Amnesia hides names of individuals behind Post Office’s ‘head on a spike’ strategy
Former Post Office lawyer deflects individual responsibility for a strategy that crushed subpostmasters, blaming the organisation as a whole Continue Reading
-
News
03 Oct 2023
Public sector needs systemic reform of capacity to innovate
Improving the public sector’s capacity to innovate requires a culture of innovation underpinned by people, skills and new ways of working with the private sector Continue Reading
-
News
03 Oct 2023
Top science journal faced secret attacks from Covid conspiracy theory group
A conspiratorial group of extreme Brexit lobbyists mounted an extraordinary campaign against one of the world’s most prestigious science journals – part of a series of joint investigations between Byline Times and Computer Weekly Continue Reading
-
News
02 Oct 2023
Versity targets Exabyte volumes in data archiving
Versity builds archiving for Exabyte data volumes on tape and in object storage. It has built its own S3 and transitioned to a GPL licence for supercomputing archives Continue Reading
-
News
02 Oct 2023
How the Australian government is approaching AI
The Australian government is experimenting with AI use cases in a safe environment while it figures out ways to harness the technology to benefit citizens and businesses Continue Reading
-
News
29 Sep 2023
Government hands over £12.5m to farming tech innovators
Some 19 projects focusing on automation and robotic technology will get funding from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to boost the agricultural sector Continue Reading
-
News
29 Sep 2023
UK tech sector ‘let down’ and ‘betrayed’ over Rishi Sunak’s net-zero policy tweaks
Now the dust has settled on the news Rishi Sunak is tweaking several of the policies underpinning the government’s net-zero goal, the UK tech industry has hit back at the news Continue Reading
-
News
29 Sep 2023
First subpostmaster Horizon conviction overturned in Scotland
Scotland has seen its first Post Office Horizon conviction overturned, taking the UK total to 92 Continue Reading
-
News
29 Sep 2023
Government to hire 2,500 people for digital roles by 2025
Government is aiming to ramp up digital skills in Whitehall with a promise to recruit 2,500 new tech and digital roles through apprenticeships and talent programmes Continue Reading
-
News
29 Sep 2023
Government ‘breached privacy’ of Horizon victims with compensation offer, says lawyer
The government breached the privacy of victims of the Post Office Horizon scandal through making a compensation offer public Continue Reading
-
News
29 Sep 2023
Government launches £65m space tech fund
The funding from the UK Space Agency is part of the National Space Innovation Programme (NSIP), and aims to support and accelerate innovation in the sector Continue Reading
-
Opinion
29 Sep 2023
The trust deficit in CNI: How to address a growing concern
When it comes to addressing the trust deficit in CNI, technological advancements, evolving threats, inadequate regulations, insufficient investment, public awareness, and international cooperation are all critical components that need attention Continue Reading
-
News
29 Sep 2023
Scottish watchdog urges wider biometric oversight
Scotland’s biometrics watchdog urges Scottish Parliament to extend oversight of biometric information to include the entire criminal justice system, not just police Continue Reading
-
News
28 Sep 2023
Strasbourg court condemns Turkey for jailing teacher for using ByLock encrypted messaging app
The case is expected to have implications for the use of digital evidence in prosecutions against users of other encrypted phone apps Continue Reading
-
News
27 Sep 2023
Five more subpostmasters have IT system-related convictions overturned
Over 90 former subpostmasters have so far seen wrongful convictions overturned since it was proved that software errors were to blame for accounting shortfalls Continue Reading
-
News
27 Sep 2023
Post Office had no interest in subpostmaster welfare when taking legal action, says Fujitsu memo
Fujitsu memo reveals Post Office didn’t care how legal action would affect its subpostmasters as it placed the reputation of its computer system before their welfare Continue Reading
-
News
27 Sep 2023
City of Las Vegas masters cyber incident response with Darktrace
The high-rolling city of Las Vegas experiences unique cyber security challenges rarely seen elsewhere. CIO Mike Sherwood reveals how he turned to Darktrace to help address incidents quicker and with confidence Continue Reading
-
News
26 Sep 2023
UK government quietly disbands data ethics advisory board
The government has disbanded its Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation’s advisory board in favour of pulling the relevant artificial intelligence (AI) and data knowledge from a pool of external experts Continue Reading
-
News
26 Sep 2023
HMRC names and shames non-compliant umbrella firms for running tax avoidance schemes
The government tax collection agency is stepping up its efforts to prevent contractors falling victim to non-compliant umbrella firms with three new names added to its list of known tax avoidance schemes Continue Reading
-
News
25 Sep 2023
Visa to fund AI scholarships for underrepresented students in government scheme
Payments giant supports UK scheme to increase diversity in the data and artificial intelligence sector through funding Continue Reading
-
News
25 Sep 2023
Apple fixes three vulnerabilities found by spyware researchers
Apple has patched three more vulnerabilities uncovered by spyware and surveillance researchers at The Citizen Lab Continue Reading
-
News
22 Sep 2023
Cyber experts set out plan to secure future US elections
A group of experts are setting out to enhance election cyber security in the United States, and restore public faith in a process tainted by interference and misinformation in the past Continue Reading
-
News
22 Sep 2023
Lords begin inquiry into large language models
Lords will examine the risks and opportunities of large language models and look at how government can effectively manage them in the coming years Continue Reading
-
News
20 Sep 2023
Parliament passes sweeping Online Safety Bill but tech companies still concerned over encryption
Ofcom will consult on standards to enforce new powers, but tech companies remain concerned about the impact of the bill’s ‘spy clause’, which could require them to scan encrypted messages Continue Reading
-
Opinion
20 Sep 2023
The most important law you’ve never heard of - the Electronic Trade Documents Act
The UK's Electronic Trade Documents Act has come into force, and it promises to make international trading easier, cheaper, faster and greener - but only if companies and government adopt its measures Continue Reading
-
News
19 Sep 2023
Braverman puts pressure on Meta to pause end-to-end encryption plans
The home secretary is calling on Meta to halt its plans to introduce encrypted messaging services on Facebook and Instagram until the company puts measures in place to detect abuse Continue Reading
-
News
19 Sep 2023
New revelations from the Snowden archive surface
A decade after Snowden exposed NSA’s mass surveillance in cooperation with the British GCHQ, only about 1% of the documents have been published – but three major facts can finally be revealed thanks to a doctoral thesis in applied cryptography by Jacob Appelbaum Continue Reading
-
News
19 Sep 2023
Post Office employee changed story for witness statement used to destroy subpostmaster
Post Office inquiry hears how an auditor changed her story about a subpostmaster to help win court battle Continue Reading
-
News
19 Sep 2023
UK wants international collaboration on AI for development
Foreign secretary James Cleverly uses speech at United Nations General Assembly to set out vision for potential of AI technology to speed up development in the world’s poorest nations Continue Reading
-
News
18 Sep 2023
Government offers £600,000 to subpostmasters with overturned convictions
Subpostmasters wrongfully convicted of financial crimes based on evidence from faulty Horizon software will be offered £600,000 compensation by government Continue Reading
-
News
18 Sep 2023
Government seeks industry views on cyber threat to UK CNI
The Science, Innovation and Technology Select Committee is seeking evidence from the cyber sector as it launches an inquiry into the resilience of the UK's critical national infrastructure Continue Reading
-
News
15 Sep 2023
UK space sector needs more people with AI skills, according to survey
Space sector survey shows machine learning and artificial intelligence skills are highly sought after, as the industry struggles to recruit and retain people with the necessary talent Continue Reading
-
News
15 Sep 2023
Manchester police data breach a classic supply chain incident
The developing data breach at Greater Manchester Police follows a cyber attack on the systems of a key supplier of ID services to the force Continue Reading
-
News
14 Sep 2023
Bristol Uni to host one of Europe’s most power supercomputer clusters
A high-performance computer system being built at the University of Bristol will run thousands of GPUs to support research in artificial intelligence and scientific discovery Continue Reading
-
News
14 Sep 2023
Government appoints Dave Smith as UK national tech adviser
The former Rolls-Royce technology director will take over the role of UK national technology adviser, following government recruitment campaign for the role in the wake of former tech adviser Patrick Vallance’s departure Continue Reading
-
News
13 Sep 2023
GCHQ breached privacy rights of IT professional and security researcher, human rights court rules
The European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg finds UK intelligence services breached the privacy rights of two overseas nationals – an IT professional and a security researcher Continue Reading
-
News
13 Sep 2023
Patch Tuesday: Microsoft fixes zero-days in Word and Streaming Service
September 2023 brings a light Patch Tuesday, with two zero-days and five critical vulnerabilities listed in the latest release Continue Reading
-
News
12 Sep 2023
Ancient MoD IT systems could cause supply issues for frontline troops
Deliveries of inventory to the front line are being put at risk due to legacy IT systems and poor data, according to the National Audit Office Continue Reading