IT for government and public sector
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News
14 Jun 2024
Post Office scandal victims in Scotland have convictions quashed
Scotland follows England, Wales and Northern Ireland in exonerating wrongfully convicted subpostmasters en masse Continue Reading
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News
13 Jun 2024
General election 2024: Labour promises to boost digital infrastructure
The Labour Party manifesto for the UK general election promises a new industrial strategy and an overhaul of planning rules to help support the digital and tech sector Continue Reading
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News
23 May 2023
Starmer pledges to reform the NHS through technology
The Labour Party wants to create an NHS powered by ‘groundbreaking technology’, with genomics testing for every baby, modernising appointment booking and overhaul incentives for tech adoption Continue Reading
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News
22 May 2023
Post Office scandal – cover-up a ‘dark chapter’ in government, corporate and legal history
Third phase of public inquiry into Horizon IT scandal reveals extent of Post Office and Fujitsu cover-up of software problems that went on to write ‘as dark a chapter in our governmental, corporate and legal history as can be imagined’ Continue Reading
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News
22 May 2023
Facebook owner Meta fined record €1.2 billion over EU-US data transfers
Decision could have implications for other companies using Standard Contractual Clauses to share data between Europe and the US Continue Reading
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News
22 May 2023
Worker-focused AI Bill introduced by backbench MP Mick Whitley
Using the 10-minute motion rule, backbench Labour MP Mick Whitley has introduced a worker-focused artificial intelligence (AI) bill to Parliament, which outlines a similar approach to AI being advocated by unions in the UK Continue Reading
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News
19 May 2023
Spanish lawyers claim police hacking of EncroChat cryptophones breaches human rights law
Lawyers speaking at the Madrid Bar Association question the legality of a cryptophone hacking which has led to arrests of organised criminals in multiple countries Continue Reading
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News
19 May 2023
National semiconductor strategy: Balancing skills, migration and security
The UK government is putting £1bn into semiconductor research and design over the next 10 years to develop a robust chip sector Continue Reading
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News
19 May 2023
Campaigning former subpostmaster fears compensation for scandal victims will be delayed to 2025
The man who exposed the Post Office scandal fears a long delay for victims due to compensation process being "bogged down by bureaucracy" Continue Reading
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News
18 May 2023
Defra's tech review reveals legacy IT issues across government
The Public Accoubts Committee recently found that Defra has been unable to measure inefficiencies due to running legacy IT Continue Reading
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News
17 May 2023
Home Office pushes for more police facial-recognition deployments
An independent report commissioned by the biometrics commissioner of England and Wales reveals that the UK policing minister is pushing for wider adoption of facial-recognition technology by police, and further criticises the government’s proposed changes to surveillance oversight Continue Reading
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News
16 May 2023
Plexal launches Cyber Runway 3.0 accelerator programme
The latest iteration of Plexal’s government-backed cyber security startup accelerator will run four work streams to boost startups at various stages of maturity and growth Continue Reading
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News
16 May 2023
No10 Innovation Fellowship Programme ramps up AI focus
Second round of the programme, run jointly by Number 10 and the Government Digital Service, focuses on AI and automation Continue Reading
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News
16 May 2023
UK renews tech and science deal with Japan
Deal focuses on innovation and will see countries collaborate on networking and investment, joint R&D programmes, and exchange schemes Continue Reading
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Opinion
16 May 2023
Why we need a secure side door for encrypted apps, not a back door
Splitting a decryption key into multiple fragments held by 'guardians', including privacy rights group, may be an answer to policing encrypted messages Continue Reading
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News
12 May 2023
MEPs vote in raft of amendments to EU AI Act
The proposed amendments to the EU’s AI Act have garnered a mixed reception from both industry and civil society, with the former seeing it as too stringent and the latter as not stringent enough in many areas, despite positive progress in others Continue Reading
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News
12 May 2023
Post Office lawyer bragged how team ‘destroyed attack on the Horizon system’ and put woman in prison
A senior Post Office lawyer appeared gleeful in email about how his team helped prosecute a subpostmaster who was sent to prison Continue Reading
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News
11 May 2023
Investigatory Powers Tribunal finds NCA EncroChat hacking warrants were lawful
Investigatory Powers Tribunal refers questions over whether messages obtained from the EncroChat encrypted phone network are legally admissible back to the criminal court Continue Reading
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News
11 May 2023
AI outcry intensifies as EU readies regulation
Policymakers are battling to keep pace with AI developments, while experts warn of societal impact Continue Reading
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News
11 May 2023
Fujitsu staff had ‘unrestricted and unauditable’ remote access to Post Office branch systems
Fujitsu engineers could make changes to Post Office branch accounts without anyone knowing Continue Reading
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News
11 May 2023
Journalists’ confidential communications subject to unlawful spying, court hears
Campaign group Liberty and the National Union of Journalists tell Court of Appeal the government has not gone far enough to protect confidential journalist information and sources from surveillance Continue Reading
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News
10 May 2023
UKtech50 2023: Vote for the most influential person in UK technology
Our judges have selected the top 50 leaders from a shortlist of more than 300 people – now it’s your chance to tell us who you think is the most influential person in UK technology Continue Reading
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News
10 May 2023
Black Basta ransomware attack to cost Capita over £15m
Exceptional costs arising from the March 2023 Black Basta ransomware attack on the systems of outsourcer Capita will be somewhere between £15m and £20m, the organisation says Continue Reading
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News
09 May 2023
UKtech50 2023: The longlist of the UK’s influential tech leaders
Each year, Computer Weekly launches a search for the most influential people in UK IT, asking the tech community who it thinks should be in the top 50 – here is the longlist of everyone nominated for 2023 Continue Reading
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News
08 May 2023
Chat control: EU lawyers warn plans to scan encrypted messages for child abuse may be unlawful
Leaked legal advice warns that European ‘chat control’ proposals to require tech companies to scan private and encrypted messages for child abuse are likely to breach EU law Continue Reading
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News
05 May 2023
Capita pension clients told data may have leaked
Capita has told trustees of some of the pension funds for which it provides outsourced services that their customer data may have been stolen by the Black Basta ransomware operation Continue Reading
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News
02 May 2023
HMRC confirms potential April 2024 end date for double-taxation issue in IR35 compliance cases
HM Revenue & Customs launches eight-week consultation on plans to roll out a legislative tweak that would put a stop to the government tax collection agency over-collecting tax in IR35 non-compliance cases Continue Reading
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E-Zine
02 May 2023
The ethics of military AI
In this week’s Computer Weekly, as the defence sector looks into using artificial intelligence to create autonomous weapons, we examine the risks and ethics of military AI. Amazon Web Services is under fire for not providing vital emissions data to customers – we investigate the issues. And we find out what IT security teams can learn from a year of cyber warfare in Ukraine. Read the issue now. Continue Reading
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News
28 Apr 2023
Government is playing ‘psychic war’ in battle over end-to-end encryption
Peers hear that the UK government is being deliberately ambiguous about its plans to require technology companies to scan the content of encrypted messages Continue Reading
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News
28 Apr 2023
More Post Office software-related convictions overturned takes total to 86
A total of 86 former subpostmasters wrongly prosecuted for financial crimes after computer errors showed phantom losses have had convictions overturned Continue Reading
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News
26 Apr 2023
Police Scotland receive formal notice about cloud system
Scotland’s biometrics watchdog has issued Police Scotland with an information notice over its deployment of a cloud-based digital evidence system, following disclosure of major data protection concerns by Computer Weekly Continue Reading
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News
26 Apr 2023
UK government introduces Digital Markets Bill to Parliament
The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill will seek to level the playing field in digital markets by empowering regulators with new tools and powers to directly enforce competition and consumer protection laws Continue Reading
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News
26 Apr 2023
Post Office paid IBM millions when it ended proposed contract to replace Horizon
The Post Office ended a proposed contract with IBM to replace its controversial Horizon system after work had already started Continue Reading
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News
26 Apr 2023
UK taskforce set to drive generative AI safety and opportunities
The government has committed £100m to helping the UK develop and build out generative artificial intelligence capabilities Continue Reading
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News
24 Apr 2023
Emergency alert test review confirmed after ‘small number’ of mobile users excluded
In wake of emergency alert test on 23 April, government confirms review into why some 4G and 5G mobile phones were excluded Continue Reading
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News
24 Apr 2023
Finland and Estonia deepen cross-border digital partnerships
Finland and Estonia, two global tech pioneers, are increasingly sharing their expertise Continue Reading
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News
21 Apr 2023
UK biometrics watchdog questions police cloud deployments
The UK biometrics commissioner has warned that policing and justice bodies must be able to demonstrate ‘immediately and unequivocally’ that their cloud deployments are lawful Continue Reading
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News
20 Apr 2023
UK Emergency Alert Test sparks cyber fraud warning
Fraudsters and scammers are likely to use the upcoming test of the UK's new mobile Emergency Alert system as bait in their attacks, while misinformation and conspiracy theories spread Continue Reading
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News
20 Apr 2023
New GovAssure cyber regime launches across UK government
An enhanced cyber security regime is being put in place to better protect UK government IT systems from growing threats Continue Reading
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News
20 Apr 2023
Capita customer data was stolen in March ransomware attack
Capita says it has uncovered evidence of data exfiltration from a small proportion of its server estate following a cyber attack at the end of March Continue Reading
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News
19 Apr 2023
TUC says government is failing to protect workers from AI harms
TUC issues warning about artificial intelligence leading to more widespread workplace discrimination if the right checks are not put in place Continue Reading
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News
19 Apr 2023
Surrey and Sussex police spared fines after recording 200,000 phone calls without people’s knowledge
Police forces escape potential £1m fines following change of policy by ICO to protect the finances of public sector bodies Continue Reading
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News
19 Apr 2023
IT Priorities 2023: Budget optimism among EMEA IT leaders
IT leaders across the EMEA region are optimistic that their budgets will increase over the coming year Continue Reading
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News
19 Apr 2023
Global finance firms take part in NATO cyber attack simulation
Global financial services organisations take part in NATO annual event which simulates cyber attacks on critical infrastructure Continue Reading
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News
19 Apr 2023
CyberUK 23: Alert over mercenary Russian threat to CNI
Russian hacktivists supportive of their government’s war on Ukraine are turning their attention to disruptive or destructive attacks on critical infrastructure in the UK, the NCSC has warned Continue Reading
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News
18 Apr 2023
Fintechs get more certainty about open banking’s future direction
Fintechs have welcomed the UK open banking regulators recommendations for the future of the sector Continue Reading
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News
18 Apr 2023
Reduced spending on cloud services weighs European IT services market down
Reduced spending on cloud services in the EMEA region meant a year-on-year drop in total IT and BPO services spend Continue Reading
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News
18 Apr 2023
Tech companies and NGOs urge rewrite of Online Safety Bill to protect encrypted comms
The Online Safety Bill faces amendments in the House of Lords amid concerns that it could weaken the security of end-to-end encrypted communications for UK citizens Continue Reading
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Feature
18 Apr 2023
Why IAM systems are crucial for securing multicloud architecture
As business tools evolve into cloud-based services, organisations are finding themselves becoming ever more reliant on the cloud, but how can data be secured across so many different platforms? Continue Reading
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News
17 Apr 2023
Government launches Smart Data Council to lower utility bills
The council aims to find ways to use and encourage uptake of smart data to make it easier to switch utility providers and save money Continue Reading
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News
13 Apr 2023
Thousands at risk from critical RCE bug in legacy MS service
Thousands of organisations worldwide are at risk from three vulnerabilities – one critical – in a legacy Microsoft service that they may not be aware they are running Continue Reading
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News
13 Apr 2023
Sweden and Finland make advances in quantum computing
Separate Swedish and Finnish quantum computing projects make promising advances in the technology of the future Continue Reading
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News
13 Apr 2023
ICO responds to UK government AI regulation plans
The ICO has officially responded to the government’s plans for regulating artificial intelligence as outlined in its recent whitepaper, but called for clarity on certain aspects before the proposals are taken further Continue Reading
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News
12 Apr 2023
UK police double down on ‘improved’ facial recognition
The Met and South Wales Police have doubled down on their use of facial recognition technology after research found improved accuracy in their algorithms when using certain settings, but civil society groups maintain that the tech will still be used in a discriminatory fashion Continue Reading
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News
12 Apr 2023
April Patch Tuesday fixes zero-day used to deliver ransomware
A zero-day in the Microsoft Common Log File System that has been abused by the operator of the Nokoyawa ransomware is among 97 vulnerabilities fixed in April’s Patch Tuesday update Continue Reading
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News
12 Apr 2023
Gartner: Rebalance cyber investment towards human-centric elements
Security decision-makers need to reprioritise their investment outlooks towards people, rather than technology, according to the latest market forecast from Gartner Continue Reading
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News
12 Apr 2023
Bank of England starts recruiting Britcoin team
The Bank of England is recruiting people to join its team focused on the development of a digital pound Continue Reading
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News
11 Apr 2023
Anne Keast-Butler named as new director of GCHQ
The government has appointed current MI5 deputy director general Anne Keast-Butler to head signals and cyber agency GCHQ Continue Reading
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News
11 Apr 2023
UKtech50 2023: Help us find the most influential people in UK IT
Computer Weekly’s annual search for the 50 most influential people in UK IT is back – let us know who you would like to nominate for this year’s list Continue Reading
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News
11 Apr 2023
Scotland links its tech scaler programme with the NHS
As part of the deal, firms part of the tech scaler programme aimed at helping startups scale up will be given access to NHS regional test beds Continue Reading
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Opinion
11 Apr 2023
Security Think Tank: Adopt a coherent framework for ID first security
With IAM central to enabling appropriate access to cloud-based services, identity first security is becoming a key trend for IAM in the cloud. Continue Reading
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News
11 Apr 2023
Controversial Fujitsu contract with Post Office extended after technical challenges moving to cloud
The Post Office has extended a contract with Fujitsu after being unable to resolve technical issues related to migrating its IT to the cloud Continue Reading
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News
11 Apr 2023
DWP appoints former Boots IT chief Richard Corbridge as CDIO
In his new role as the chief digital and information officer for the Department for Work and Pensions, Corbridge will be responsible for a £1.4bn annual budget Continue Reading
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News
06 Apr 2023
Government to pump more than £100m into digital social care
As part of its Better Care Fund framework, the government has allocated £100m to accelerate digitisation in social care, £50m to improve data, as well as £35m for the creation of an innovation and improvement unit Continue Reading
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News
06 Apr 2023
Government on the hunt for national tech adviser
Applicants for the role, which pays up to £135,000, will need to have “deep experience” of innovation and technology development, along with a “fantastic network” in the sector Continue Reading
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News
06 Apr 2023
CCRC says ‘door open’ for more reviews of subpostmaster convictions
The Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) has told former Post Office workers the door is still open for them to come forward if they were prosecuted for financial crimes based on evidence from Horizon software Continue Reading
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News
05 Apr 2023
Quick-acting Rorschach ransomware appears out of nowhere
Emergent Rorschach ransomware strain is highly advanced and quite unusual in its capabilities, warn researchers, who say they have been unable to link it to any other known strains Continue Reading
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News
05 Apr 2023
Scottish police tech piloted despite major data protection issues
Scottish policing bodies are pressing ahead with a data sharing pilot despite data protection issues around the use of US cloud providers, placing sensitive personal data of tens of thousands of people at risk Continue Reading
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News
05 Apr 2023
CGI signs up to prison leaver employment initiative
IT supplier is working with training company specialised in helping prison leavers to find recruitment in the tech sector Continue Reading
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News
05 Apr 2023
Developers say Apple and Google are running app store monopolies
Coalition for App Fairness and its members speak to Computer Weekly about alleged anti-competitive practices of Apple and Google in their respective app stores, and call for urgent regulatory action to level the playing field Continue Reading
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News
04 Apr 2023
National Cyber Force carrying out daily hacking operations to disrupt hostile threats
Government discloses details about the National Cyber Force’s disruption activities against terrorists, organised criminals and nation states – and names first NCF chief as James Babbage Continue Reading
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News
04 Apr 2023
Threat researchers dissect anatomy of a Royal ransomware attack
Trellix researchers share the inside track on a Royal ransomware attack that hit one of its customers in late 2022 Continue Reading
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News
04 Apr 2023
UAE central bank selects partners for phase one of digital currency programme
The UAE central bank has kicked off the first phase of its project to launch a digital currency Continue Reading
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News
04 Apr 2023
Over 90% of organisations find threat hunting a challenge
Understaffed security teams and high levels of background noise are making basic security operations tasks a chore for defenders, according to a report Continue Reading
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E-Zine
04 Apr 2023
Revitalising UK digital government
In this week’s Computer Weekly, as the UK plummets down the international rankings for digital government, can its £400m identity system revitalise the UK’s digital strategy? We examine the container management platforms from the big six storage suppliers. And we look at the challenges of achieving IT sustainability while continuing to drive digital innovation. Read the issue now. Continue Reading
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News
03 Apr 2023
Three-day Capita outage was result of cyber attack
Public sector outsourcer Capita has confirmed a major outage which began on 31 March was the result of a cyber attack affecting its Office 365 apps Continue Reading
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News
03 Apr 2023
Wales launches innovation fund for pharmacy systems suppliers
The fund aims to help suppliers of pharmacy systems in the country to deliver an electronic prescription service Continue Reading
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News
31 Mar 2023
Generative AI central to Accenture’s tech vision
Generative AI will play a central role over the next 10 years as the digital and physical world become more and more integrated Continue Reading
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News
30 Mar 2023
OSC&R supply chain security framework goes live on Github
The OSC&R framework for understanding and evaluating threats to supply chain security has made its debut on Github to allow anybody to contribute to the framework Continue Reading
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News
30 Mar 2023
NCSC issues revised security Board Toolkit for business leaders
National Cyber Security Centre calls on CEOs and senior business leaders to take a more hands-on approach to cyber resilience with the launch of revised board-level tools Continue Reading
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News
30 Mar 2023
Wales is building a dragon of an NHS app
As NHS Wales is due to launch the public version of its own app, Computer Weekly takes a deep dive into the technical aspects of the Welsh NHS app, future plans and whether the expectations for the programme have stacked up to reality Continue Reading
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News
30 Mar 2023
UK government study reveals 50,000 people employed in AI sector
Government publishes baseline analysis of UK artificial intelligence sector as it pins hopes on future growth Continue Reading
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News
30 Mar 2023
NHS Highland rapped over data breach affecting HIV patients
NHS Highland inadvertently exposed the personal data of individuals likely to be accessing HIV services in a lapse of email hygiene Continue Reading
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Opinion
30 Mar 2023
Preventing artificial deception in the age of AI
The proposals contained in Westminster’s AI whitepaper are a good start, but more creative thinking and investment will be required to achieve a truly pro-innovation regulatory environment Continue Reading
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News
29 Mar 2023
UK government publishes AI whitepaper
Artificial intelligence whitepaper outlines UK government’s proposals to regulate the technology, which are based around creating an agile, “pro-innovation” framework Continue Reading
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News
29 Mar 2023
Generative AI presents opportunities and challenges to UK schools
Generative AI and LLMs hold great potential for use in the classroom, but the privacy and security implications of its use must be carefully considered, says the Department for Education Continue Reading
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News
28 Mar 2023
Alan Turing Institute unveils strategy to support UK AI
The strategy is built around helping the UK government realise its artificial intelligence ambitions, and focuses on areas where the UK can play a transformative role in shaping AI development Continue Reading
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News
28 Mar 2023
Apple security updates fix 33 iPhone vulnerabilities
A larger-than-usual update to Apple’s mobile operating system fixes more than 30 distinct vulnerabilities, including two serious issues that may potentially affect device kernels Continue Reading
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News
28 Mar 2023
AWS takes defence-focused startup accelerator Europe-wide after UK programme success
Nearly 12 months after the launch of the UK version of the AWS defence-focused accelerator programme, the cloud giant is expanding it Continue Reading
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E-Zine
28 Mar 2023
Is TikTok really a security threat to your business?
In this week’s Computer Weekly, with the UK government becoming the latest administration to ban TikTok, we ask whether the controversial social media app is really a security threat to enterprises. Technology guru Bruce Schneier tells us about the need to take back control of AI and the personal data it relies on. And we look at how firms are trying – and failing – to make AI work for online content moderation. Read the issue now. Continue Reading
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News
28 Mar 2023
Ransomware attacks up 45% in February, LockBit responsible
NCC Group says it observed a surge in ransomware attacks in February, with LockBit, BlackCat and BianLian all highly active Continue Reading
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News
27 Mar 2023
Lords AI weapons committee holds first evidence session
In first evidence session of Lords AI weapons committee, expert witnesses unpack claims that artificial intelligence in weapon systems will help military organisations to improve their compliance with international humanitarian law Continue Reading
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News
24 Mar 2023
Government must take the lead on STEM diversity
No single solution can increase diversity in the STEM sectors, says Science and Technology Committee, as it calls on government to take action Continue Reading
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News
24 Mar 2023
National Crime Agency sting operation infiltrates cyber crime market
The UK National Crime Agency has tricked thousands of potential cyber criminals into registering with a fake website pretending to offer tools for creating DDoS attacks Continue Reading
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News
23 Mar 2023
Tech Nation says UK needs roadmap to help tech sector reach $4tn
In its final report published before shutting for good in April, Tech Nation has outlined success of the UK’s tech sector to date, and explores at a high level what needs to be done to ensure massive future growth Continue Reading
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News
23 Mar 2023
GDS goes serverless to bring personalisation to online government services with One Login
GDS has opened up about the reasons why it’s opted for a serverless infrastructure to underpin One Login, and how it hopes the system will provide UK citizens with a more personalised experience Continue Reading
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News
22 Mar 2023
Government launches seven-year NHS cyber strategy
The new Cyber Security Strategy for Health and Adult Social Care lays out a plan for promoting cyber resilience in the sector by 2030 to protect services and patients alike Continue Reading
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News
22 Mar 2023
UK government launches international tech strategy as tool of diplomacy
The UK government has announced an international technology strategy to promote the country abroad, strengthening ties with allies and supporting developing nations Continue Reading
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News
21 Mar 2023
Nordics move towards common cyber defence strategy
Nordic countries agree to work together to improve their cyber defences amid increasing threat Continue Reading
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News
21 Mar 2023
MPs explore how to expand quantum computing in business
Commons Science and Technology Committee is looking for evidence of where the UK’s new quantum strategy needs improvement Continue Reading
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News
21 Mar 2023
GDS signs £24m worth of contracts for One Login
As the Government Digital Service (GDS) prepares for the official end of Gov.uk Verify, it signs three new contracts for its successor programme, One Login Continue Reading
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News
21 Mar 2023
Ransomware gangs harass victims to ‘bypass’ backups
Analysis reveals how cyber criminal gangs are turning to extensive, targeted harassment campaigns to force victims to pay up, even if their backups are in good order Continue Reading