IT for government and public sector

Top 10 Nordic IT stories of 2021

Computer Weekly selects some of the biggest Nordic tech stories of 2021 Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Top 10 IR35 stories of 2021

The extension of the IR35 reforms to the private sector in April 2021 has provided Computer Weekly with lots to write about this year Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

Is the IT sector beset by fear-mongering?

The arms race between hackers and security teams has led to a plethora of new technologies, but it can be hard to differentiate between sensible cyber purchases and those that are promoted by exaggerating risk Continue Reading

By

• Peter Ray Allison

A trial relying on computer evidence should start with a trial of the computer evidence

Learning from the Post Office Horizon scandal - the most widespread miscarriage of justice in recent British legal history Continue Reading

By

• Stephen Castell

Top 10 government and public sector IT stories of 2021

Technology is an increasingly important part of government policy in the UK – while the digital transformation of the public sector continued during 2021, albeit slowly in some places Continue Reading

By

• Computer Weekly Staff

IT services spending recovery to get renewals boost in 2022

IT services and BPO deals worth $18.5bn globally up for renewal next year, adding fuel to already-expected high growth Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Top 10 cloud storage, DR and datacentre storage stories of 2021

Key articles from 2021 that demonstrate the growing importance of cloud storage and disaster recovery, but also the snags that lead to cloud repatriation and difficulties restoring from the cloud Continue Reading

By

• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

Defra and MoJ hit with £120m IR35 tax bill despite using HMRC guidance

Government departments landed with tax bills totalling just over £120m over contractor IR35 status errors, despite receiving HMRC guidance and training Continue Reading

By

• Brian McKenna, Senior Analyst, Business Applications

Security Think Tank: Reframing CISO-boardroom relations

Security learning is a career-long process, so as 2021 draws to a close, participants in the Computer Weekly Security Think Tank sum up the most important cyber lessons they’ve taken away from the past 12 months Continue Reading

By

• Emma Bickerstaffe, Information Security Forum (ISF)

CDEI research pinpoints barriers to trustworthy AI exploitation

Survey of UK business by the Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation has disclosed the patchiness of artificial intelligence and data-driven technology adoption across different economic sectors Continue Reading

By

• Brian McKenna, Senior Analyst, Business Applications

Pressure on government to pay fair compensation to subpostmasters left out of current schemes

MPs demand that the subpostmasters who defeated the Post Office in court should be properly compensated for their losses and suffering Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Gig economy algorithmic management tools ‘unfair and opaque’

Report published by Worker Info Exchange warns of algorithmically enabled rights abuses in the gig economy, noting the insufficient transparency of employers and the lacklustre nature of legal redress Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

After Log4j, December Patch Tuesday piles on the pressure

December’s Patch Tuesday update from Microsoft contains several critical CVEs, but this month all attention is focused on the fall-out from Log4Shell, and burn-out is becoming a real issue Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Digital Ethics Summit: Innovation needs regulation to be ethical

Experts attending the 2021 Digital Ethics Summit spoke out against the idea that regulation will stifle technological innovation, arguing that setting clear rules will produce more ethical innovation Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

UK government to take ‘whole-of-society’ approach to cyber

Second iteration of the UK’s National Cyber Strategy broadens its focus to build a ‘whole-of-society’ security posture Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

UK advances research of autonomous robots in lab environments

The Defence Science and Technology Laboratory has been awarded new funding to develop the equipment alongside industry and academia Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Almost half of networks probed for Log4Shell weaknesses

Close to half of corporate networks have already been actively targeted by individuals seeking to exploit the critical Log4Shell Apache bug Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Joint committee publishes report on improving Online Safety Bill

MPs and peers release report on Online Safety Bill following five-month inquiry into the draft legislation and make a number of recommendations on how it can be improved to deal with harmful content and abuse on the internet Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Lords urge regulators to evolve as digital change accelerates

A cooperative approach with common objectives is needed to resolve potential conflicts between bodies in digital regulation as well as better oversight, according to a House of Lords Communications and Digital Committee report Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Government must go further after agreeing to pay compensation for wrongly convicted subpostmasters

The government has agreed to pay compensation to former subpostmasters wrongly convicted in the Post Office Horizon IT scandal, but continues to refuse to pay a significant group of victims Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Scottish government announces support for right to disconnect

The Scottish government is the first in the UK to publicly support a right to disconnect, which would give people the ability not engage in digitally enabled work-related activities outside of their contracted hours Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

What is Log4Shell, and why are we panicking about it?

It’s been described as a ‘design failure of catastrophic proportions’ that threatens the very fabric of the digital world. Find out what the Log4j2 Log4Shell panic is all about, and what you should do about it Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

SMEs dominate list of 200 fastest growing tech companies

List of 200 fastest growing companies in the public sector is made up primarily of small and medium-sized enterprises, which collectively earned £936m from government contracts in the past fiscal year Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Julian Assange can be extradited to the US to face espionage and hacking charges, court rules

High Court overturns decision not to extradite WikiLeaks founder after US government gives assurances over his treatment Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Singapore and UK sign digital trade deal

Described as the world’s most comprehensive digital agreement between two countries, the deal supports the UK’s bid to join Trans-Pacific Partnership to build trade connections with 11 Indo-Pacific markets Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Drone killer app saves Swedish lives

Drones could get life-saving equipment to heart attack victims ahead of emergency services staff, increasing survival rates Continue Reading

By

• Pat Brans, Pat Brans Associates/Grenoble Ecole de Management

Channelling Nordic startup innovation towards global survival

Nordic startup innovation offers global organisations the green light towards sustainability Continue Reading

By

• Matthew Staff

Edge storage: Four key points

Edge storage is driven by rapidly emerging edge computing and data gathering use cases. We look at why it makes sense to store data at the edge and the key challenges involved Continue Reading

By

• Stephen Pritchard

Loan charge: Tax experts call on chancellor for simpler, more affordable policy settlement terms

A group of tax barristers and accounting experts are calling on Rishi Sunak to force HMRC to revise its loan charge settlement terms Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

PAC scrutinises failure of large government IT modernisation projects

From unskilled senior government officials to over-reliance on outsourcers and contractors, the factors underpinning unsuccessful tech-driven transformation initiatives are investigated in a new report Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

CDEI publishes roadmap for UK AI assurance ecosystem

Publication from CDEI sets out the steps required to verify the effectiveness, trustworthiness and compliance of artificial intelligence systems Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Home Office slammed over police IT legacy replacement delays

Modernisation initiative has seen a significant increase in costs and several changes in scope, and measures introduced to address issues seem ineffective, says Public Accounts Committee report Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

What are the challenges associated with the MITRE ATT&CK framework?

Businesses sometimes struggle to use the MITRE ATT&CK framework effectively. Learn more about some of the challenges, and how to overcome them Continue Reading

By

• Shannon Flynn, ReHack Magazine

How Estonia’s country-as-a-service scheme has attracted tens of thousands of foreign entrepreneurs

 Continue Reading

2021 another record-breaker for vulnerability disclosure

More than 50 CVEs were logged every day in 2021, more than at any time since records began, while ethical hackers continue to prove their value Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

CIO interview: Nicola Wadham, Financial Ombudsman Service

CIO Nicola Wadham brings Computer Weekly up to speed on the Financial Ombudsman Service’s IT challenges and successes Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

UK privacy chief denies conflict of interest in new role

UK information commissioner will join a private law firm that represents technology companies she used to regulate, raising questions about conflicts of interest and drawing ‘revolving door’ criticisms Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Loan charge: MPs call on financial secretary for new independent review into HMRC policy

In a seven-page letter to newly appointed Treasury minister Lucy Frazer, MPs highlight the legal flaws in HMRC's controversial loan charge policy and demand a new independent review Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

UK technology issues contributed to Afghanistan withdrawal chaos

Multiple problems including email management, collaboration restrictions and lack of technical expertise may have risked the lives of thousands of Afghans, according to whistleblower Raphael Marshall Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Labour reshuffle expands shadow ministerial team on digital, technology and innovation policy

New Shadow Cabinet includes three Labour spokespeople covering issues around digital, data, technology, science and innovation issues Continue Reading

By

• Bryan Glick, Editor in chief

Government makes £116m pledge to help UK's green-tech firms innovate to fight climate change

The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has outlined its commitment to helping UK green-tech businesses bring to market innovations that could help fight climate change Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

Security Think Tank: Attackers leveraging the supply chain

Security learning is a career-long process, so as 2021 draws to a close, participants in the Computer Weekly Security Think Tank sum up the most important cyber lessons they have taken away from the past 12 months Continue Reading

By

• Paddy Francis

Digital measures confirmed under UK procurement overhaul

A new platform and data standard will be introduced as part of a government move to bring simplicity and transparency to contracting Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

AI assistant Bürokratt to reduce bureaucracy in Estonian government

Estonia to launch a Siri-like digital assistant that will automate the completion of government service requests Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

MI6 will ‘open up’ to tech firms to innovate faster than adversaries, says chief Richard Moore

MI6 will use investment fund to back tech companies to develop long-term technologies that will help it to keep pace with China and Russia Continue Reading

Parents more equipped for home learning than teachers

Home learning was more easily embraced by parents than teachers, with parents saying they had the tech in place for remote schooling Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

IT Priorities 2022: Pandemic’s long tail for cyber buyers

Pandemic response has been top of mind for cyber leaders these past 18 months, and as Covid-19 turns two, the TechTarget/Computer Weekly IT Priorities 2022 study shows buyers are still focused on how Covid has upended the workplace Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Winter plan for health and social care gets £250m tech boost

Upgrades in screening to reduce waiting times and remote monitoring are among the initiatives to benefit from the budget allocation Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Cyber attacks and severe space weather among extreme risks faced by UK

An attack on the country’s critical infrastructure and severe space weather events could bring the UK to a halt, says Lords report Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Australia’s NSW to build A$40m digital twin

The spatial digital twin brings together government data sources to provide insights for urban planners and residents to support decision-making and see into the future Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

IR35: Government consultation on umbrella companies fuels regulation hopes

The government has embarked on a consultation to understand better how the umbrella market works, which is a move that has been cautiously welcomed by contracting market stakeholders Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

Serious violence duty in PCSC Bill would gut UK data rights

Proposed data gathering powers for UK police could override existing data protection rules, damage citizens’ trust in essential public services and further entrench discriminatory policing practices Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

UK government publishes tech-enabled adult social care plan

Ten-year plan will see NHSX working on areas such as assistive technologies, and improved connectivity for care homes Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

COP26 reflections, tech sector reacts to Sunak on skills – Computer Weekly Downtime Upload podcast

Caroline Donnelly, Clare McDonald and Brian McKenna reflect on datacentres and climate change, the tech sector’s reaction to government IT skills investment, and the Post Office scandal story Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK
• Clare McDonald, Business Editor
• Brian McKenna, Senior Analyst, Business Applications

Security Think Tank: Think people, processes and systems

Security learning is a career-long process, so as 2021 draws to a close, participants in the Computer Weekly Security Think Tank sum up the most important cyber lessons they’ve taken away from the past 12 months Continue Reading

By

• Cate Pye, PA Consulting

Unesco member states adopt AI ethics recommendation

The non-binding recommendation seeks to define a common set of values and principles to guide the development of ethical AI globally Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Wolverhampton to pilot app that rewards healthy behaviours

Tool is aimed at helping local residents eat better and exercise more Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

A ‘whole of society’ approach to cyber may be on the horizon

Nominet Cyber managing director David Carroll reflects on the NCSC’s latest annual review amid 2021’s fast-evolving threat landscape Continue Reading

By

• David Carroll, Nominet Cyber

Swedish researchers are patiently developing a useful quantum computer

By 2028, the Wallenberg Centre for Quantum Technology in Sweden expects to have a useful quantum computer Continue Reading

By

• Pat Brans, Pat Brans Associates/Grenoble Ecole de Management

MI6 will ‘open up’ to tech firms to innovate faster than adversaries, says chief Richard Moore

MI6 will use investment fund to back tech companies to develop long-term technologies that will help it to keep pace with China and Russia Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

HMRC denies outside-IR35 hiring ban as accounts reveal agency’s reliance on umbrella workers

HM Revenue & Customs accounts reveal marked rise in total number of temporary workers it engages, with most of them providing services through umbrella firms Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

Technology horizon-scanning programme launched by UK regulatory bodies

Goal of the initiative is to build knowledge and understanding of emerging tools Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

HP patches bugs in over 150 printer models

More than 150 HP multifunction printers are at risk of compromise through a series of newly disclosed vulnerabilities, one of them wormable Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

UK government launches report on digital trade

Report outlines future opportunities and challenges such as the rise of digital protectionism and poor infrastructure Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Over 100 civil society groups call for changes to EU AI Act

Civil, human and digital rights organisations sign open letter calling on European policymakers to put fundamental rights at the heart of the proposed Artificial Intelligence Act Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

ICO warns facial recognition company Clearview AI it could face £17m fine over privacy breaches

The UK’s information commissioner has issued a preliminary decision to fine Clearview over £17m for breaching UK data protection law and invited the company to make representations Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

UK announces standard for algorithmic transparency

Public sector organisations will pilot artificial intelligence governance framework and evolve it based on feedback Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

British Army picks Immersive Labs for cyber training

The British Army will make Immersive Labs’ security training platform available to all serving personnel Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Cabinet Office slammed after advising users to ditch UKCloud as further investment nears

The Cabinet Office is facing criticism after details emerge that at least one major government department has briefed suppliers to migrate away from UKCloud Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

DWP extends Capita contract for Scottish jobs programme

Scotland’s JETS job-matching scheme, which uses digital tools to support people looking for work, extends contract with Capita Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Three latest trends and developments around the Mitre ATT&CK framework

Framework is set to receive important updates to help organisations and businesses evolve their cyber security. Learn more about what it offers Continue Reading

By

• Shannon Flynn, ReHack Magazine

Post Office inquiry clears up opaque stance on subpostmaster compensation

The chair of the Post Office scandal public inquiry has confirmed the compensation of a group of subpostmasters will be revisited Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Government must prove its plans to police encryption work, says ex-cyber security chief

Ciaran Martin, the former UK cyber security chief, says the government must explain how it can access encrypted communications without damaging cyber security and weakening privacy Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

British Army announces transformation programme

The Future Soldier initiative will see a modernisation supported by use of emerging technologies and bolstered cyber capabilities Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Post Office supported 1999 law change that eased prosecutions using computer evidence

The Post Office made clear its support for a change in UK law regarding computer evidence that was making prosecution 'onerous' - a change which later helped to wrongfully convict subpostmasters Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

UK government announces NHS digital delivery review

Report from NHS Digital chair Laura Wade-Gery sets out recommendations on how to approach digital transformation in the public health system Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Apple sues under-fire malware firm NSO

Lawsuit alleges spyware firm NSO Group targeted Apple’s users, adding to the pressure on the under-fire company Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

The value of open source in Europe

Open source offers immense benefits across the private and public sector and enables organisations to tap into world-class expertise Continue Reading

By

• Heikki Nousiainen, CTO and co-founder, Aiven

Police tech introduced with little scrutiny or training

A Lords inquiry into the adoption of advanced algorithmic technologies by police in England and Wales has been told that new tools are being introduced without proper training and with little scrutiny of their impacts Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

NHSX and NHS Digital to merge with NHS England

Overhaul part of recommendations under a digital delivery review led by NHS Digital chair Laura Wade-Gery Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Home secretary urged to respond to concerns over EU travel systems

Priti Patel is challenged over the various issues relating to new border checks affecting UK residents travelling to the European Union, in aspects such as facial recognition and algorithmic profiling Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Upcoming holidays prompt ransomware warning from authorities

Ransomware gangs know how calendars work, and may target their attacks around major holidays to take advantage of more people being off work, according to a new alert Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

More wrongful convictions overturned in Post Office scandal

Seven more subpostmasters have been cleared after the Post Office charged them for crimes caused by its faulty Horizon software, taking the total of people wrongfully convicted to 72, with more to come Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

CIO interview: Karl Hoods, CDIO, Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Moving to the cloud, developing staff skills and responding quickly to the pandemic – from a public sector IT leader’s perspective Continue Reading

By

• Mark Samuels

DHSC reluctant to confirm details of digital delivery review

Sajid Javid heightens expectations around Wade-Gery review at NHS conference, but health department is unable to say when it might be delivered Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

UK holds international digital government conference

Countries convened to discuss digital transformation issues and the application to services of technologies such as AI and digital identity. Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Back to the past with government identity

The UK government plans to spend up to £400m developing yet another digital identity system – why is taxpayer money going into a time warp when there is surely a better and cheaper way? Continue Reading

By

• Jerry Fishenden

Subpostmasters asked to withdraw support for Post Office scandal inquiry

Subpostmaster campaign group founder calls for members to withdraw support for public inquiry into Horizon IT scandal over lack of adequate compensation Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Government to legislate to make APP fraud reimbursement mandatory

UK payments regulator wants to reduce the huge sums of money lost to authorised push payment fraud and is calling on the banking and tech industries to play their part Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

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 Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Six more former subpostmasters have convictions overturned

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

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

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 Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

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 Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

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 Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

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 Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

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 Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

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 Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

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 Continue Reading

By

• Pat Brans, Pat Brans Associates/Grenoble Ecole de Management

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 Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

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 Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor