News

IT for government and public sector

• November 18, 2021 18 Nov'21

  Sky ECC provided free cryptophones to a Canadian police force

  Internal emails disclosed in a US court show how Sky Global supplied sample encrypted phones to a Canadian police force before its phone users became subject to an international police investigation

• November 18, 2021 18 Nov'21

  Six more former subpostmasters have convictions overturned

  A total number of 65 subpostmasters have now had criminal convictions overturned in Post Office Horizon scandal

• November 17, 2021 17 Nov'21

  HMRC should boost data analytics capability, says NAO report

  Department urged to develop its current set-up to better manage the range of taxpayers’ needs it encounters

• November 17, 2021 17 Nov'21

  ONS data points to rise in UK tech employment for women

  Female professionals accounted for 71% of the new jobs created between June and September 2021

• November 17, 2021 17 Nov'21

  Post Office agrees to share privileged legal information with Horizon scandal inquiry

  The Post Office will waive professional legal privilege for documents relating to legal advice it received regarding subpostmaster prosecutions

• November 17, 2021 17 Nov'21

  GovTech to enhance Government on Commercial Cloud

  GCC 2.0 will include improvements in user onboarding and provide single credential access to public cloud services and engineering tools, among other areas

• November 16, 2021 16 Nov'21

  Tech suppliers chosen for £5bn NHS digital records framework

  A pool of 46 firms has been selected to deliver digital document solutions and associated hardware and software

• November 16, 2021 16 Nov'21

  Blueprint for future high street shows tech’s role in creating thriving communities

  Technology will play an important role in creating thriving communities after Covid-19 lockdowns renew interest in local high streets

• November 16, 2021 16 Nov'21

  Can UAE become a world leader in AI?

  The UAE has launched multiple programmes as it bids to be a world-leading location for artificial intelligence innovation

• November 16, 2021 16 Nov'21

  NHS Digital announces sustainability pledge

  NHS Digital outlines its commitments and plans to tackle the net-zero challenge, including a new approach to cloud hosting

• November 15, 2021 15 Nov'21

  UK government proposes new rules for digital supply chain security

  Proposals could see IT service providers legally required to adhere to the NCSC’s Cyber Assessment Framework, among other things

• November 15, 2021 15 Nov'21

  Government bodies refuse FOI requests on basis of misleading database search times, says academic

  The Information Commissioner’s Office tells tribunal it would need to bring in external experts to search data using an Excel spreadsheet

• November 15, 2021 15 Nov'21

  Convictions of eight former subpostmasters in Scotland under review

  The Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission is investigating eight potential miscarriages of justice linked with faulty Post Office IT system

• November 12, 2021 12 Nov'21

  Royal Navy gets £100m electronic warfare boost

  Contract will see new technology deployed to bolster the UK's radar detection capabilities for the Royal Navy

• November 12, 2021 12 Nov'21

  New law needed to rein in AI-powered workplace surveillance

  MPs and peers call for new legislation to regulate the growing use of artificial intelligence in the workplace, which is being used to surveil workers’ performance and behaviour

• November 12, 2021 12 Nov'21

  Oversight of biometrics and surveillance should not go to ICO

  Biometrics and surveillance camera commissioner Fraser Sampson has panned the UK government’s proposed plan to absorb the functions of those roles under the remit of the information commissioner

• November 12, 2021 12 Nov'21

  LOTI to develop data ethics governance approach for London

  The technology and innovation office is working on the elements needed to ensure ethical standards in data projects in the capital’s boroughs

• November 12, 2021 12 Nov'21

  Government publishes research on maritime technology sector

  The report outlines opportunities and recommendations for the industry in areas such as autonomous systems and artificial intelligence

• November 10, 2021 10 Nov'21

  EU artificial intelligence regulation risks undermining social safety net

  Europe’s proposed artificial intelligence regulation will not adequately protect people from European governments' increasing use of the technology in social security decisions and resource allocation, says Human Rights Watch

• November 09, 2021 09 Nov'21

  Yoti develops age estimation algorithm for under-13s

  Age estimation technology developed by Yoti is being pitched as a way of helping social media platforms and other online businesses protect younger internet users from harm

• November 09, 2021 09 Nov'21

  NHS gets £250m boost to accelerate digital diagnostics plan

  NHS funding aimed at enabling faster detection of health conditions and reducing waiting times

• November 09, 2021 09 Nov'21

  Singapore ups ante in AI with sectoral programmes

  Singapore launches two national AI programmes to bolster adoption of AI by financial institutions and the public sector

• November 09, 2021 09 Nov'21

  Government and Post Office should stop discussing Horizon victim compensation and pay it

  The first hearing in the Post Office Horizon scandal public inquiry hears why victims should be paid compensation immediately

• November 08, 2021 08 Nov'21

  Gig economy workforce nearly trebles over five years

  Over four million people in England and Wales now work for gig economy platforms at least once a week, marking a nearly threefold increase since 2016

• November 08, 2021 08 Nov'21

  NHSX chief information officer outlines role of tech in achieving net zero targets

  The digital delivery unit will publish an update of its digital change framework to encompass sustainability, tackling areas such as artificial intelligence and data hosting

• November 05, 2021 05 Nov'21

  Digital secretary calls for permanent online safety committee

  Digital secretary commits to establishing ongoing oversight of the Online Safety Bill and its implementation, and suggests the grace period on criminal liability for tech company execs should be shortened from two years to a maximum of six months ...

• November 05, 2021 05 Nov'21

  HMRC IT transformation plans under strain, says NAO report

  The EU transition and higher-than-expected customer demand, as well as technical debt, are among the factors that could affect HMRC’s modernisation ambitions

• November 05, 2021 05 Nov'21

  Number of subpostmasters appealing convictions reaches 137 at one legal firm

  Former subpostmasters convicted of crimes based on data from error-prone Post Office computer system continue to embark on appeals

• November 05, 2021 05 Nov'21

  Police interview former Fujitsu staff for second time in potential perjury investigation

  Former Fujitsu staff who gave evidence in subpostmaster trials have been questioned by police for a second time

• November 05, 2021 05 Nov'21

  UK and US governments agree joint quantum collaboration

  Representatives from the two governments issue a joint statement on quantum information science and technology (Qist)

• November 04, 2021 04 Nov'21

  NAO raises concerns over systems preparedness for import controls

  Delivery of enhancements and funding issues for the second phase of the Customs Declaration Service are among the points highlighted in latest report

• November 04, 2021 04 Nov'21

  Fujitsu escaped huge lawsuit because Post Office behaved so badly in Horizon scandal

  How Fujitsu has so far avoided a huge lawsuit in relation to its role in the Horizon scandal

• November 03, 2021 03 Nov'21

  UK’s Labour Party hit by third-party data breach

  Data on Labour Party members was recently compromised in an apparent cyber attack on a third-party data processor

• November 02, 2021 02 Nov'21

  Electronic waste excluded from COP26 agenda

  Data sanitation industry group calls on UK government to add electronic waste to the climate summit’s agenda

• November 02, 2021 02 Nov'21

  Minister refuses to rule out fully autonomous lethal weapons

  Lords debate the UK’s stance on drones and artificial intelligence in conflict

• November 01, 2021 01 Nov'21

  Government investigates the future of drones in the UK

  Regulatory Horizons Council research explores the opportunities and regulatory challenges around unlocking the domestic drone market

• November 01, 2021 01 Nov'21

  No cloud storage for Belfast City Airport in Nutanix hyper-converged switch

  George Best Belfast City Airport ditches ageing Dell iSCSI SAN for Nutanix HCI for half the price of nearest contender, and gets DR site into the bargain. Cloud storage was a no-go for cost reasons

• November 01, 2021 01 Nov'21

  Covid pass deal to enable UK vaccine verification by EU countries

  Under the agreement, vaccination status of UK citizens will be digitally verified via the EU digital Covid certificate gateway

• November 01, 2021 01 Nov'21

  MPs and Lords grill Facebook over online safety efforts

  Facebook answers British lawmakers’ questions about the social media giant’s efforts to ensure the safety of its users, as part of legislative security of the government's proposed online safety bill

• October 29, 2021 29 Oct'21

  GDS secures up to £400m funding for One Login digital identity project

  HM Treasury agrees to spending review bid from Cabinet Office to create the new single sign-on system for government over the next three years

• October 29, 2021 29 Oct'21

  UK government launches consultation on AI in patents and copyright

  Evidence and views will be sought by UK government on how inventions and creative work made by AI should be protected

• October 28, 2021 28 Oct'21

  CIA sought revenge against Julian Assange over hacking tool leaks, court hears

  The CIA discussed kidnapping Julian Assange after WikiLeaks published thousands of documents revealing its arsenal of hacking tools, defence lawyers tell a London court

• October 28, 2021 28 Oct'21

  Illegal state surveillance in Africa ‘carried out with impunity’

  Analysis of surveillance laws and practices in six African countries finds that existing privacy laws are failing to protect citizens from illegal digital surveillance, which is being facilitated and enabled by global tech companies

• October 27, 2021 27 Oct'21

  ‘No-one extradited from UK to US has committed suicide,’ US tells court in Assange appeal

  US government claims that a district judge has given WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange a ‘trump card’ to avoid extradition  

• October 27, 2021 27 Oct'21

  Budget: Cloud and data added to R&D tax credits, tech skills and digital boost for departments

  Rishi Sunak announces plans to incentivise private sector investment in research and development, attract global talent and boost the UK’s skills base

• October 27, 2021 27 Oct'21

  Government commits millions to security investment

  Spending Review adds more than £750m of funding to improve cyber security resilience across government

• October 27, 2021 27 Oct'21

  TechUK slams government gift to big banks that will disadvantage fintechs

  The government will put challenger banks at a disadvantage through its reduction in the bank profit surcharge, says TechUK

• October 27, 2021 27 Oct'21

  PAC report slams reliance on consulting at NHS Test and Trace

  Consultants recruited to fill technical skills gaps on the NHS Test and Trace programme are expected to cost £300m amid concerns spend has gotten “out of hand”

• October 26, 2021 26 Oct'21

  Government selects network analytics tech to combat Covid-19 loan fraud

  The UK government has awarded a contract to network analytics software provider Quantexa as part of its efforts to fight fraud, especially that connected with Covid-19 business support schemes

• October 26, 2021 26 Oct'21

  Capita migrates systems to the cloud for TfL low emission zone expansion

  Capita has expanded its team and moved systems to the cloud to support Transport for London’s Ultra Low Emission Zone expansion