IT for government and public sector

Second Post Office Capture conviction referred to appeal court

Conviction of 30 years has been referred to the Court of Appeal by the Criminal Cases Review Commission Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Capita left to deal with 13,000 civil service pension cases over a year old

More details of the Civil Services Pension Scheme administration backlog left to Capita revealed in parliamentary committee hearing Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Post Office still can’t find evidence for 1,400 scandal redress claimants, while people die waiting

Finding evidence for events that took place decades ago is a challenge for many subpostmasters seeking compensation through the Horizon Shortfall Scheme Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Bank of England IT project offers lessons for wider government

The UK central bank’s core IT system replacement project surprised MPs, who were unaccustomed to reviewing success stories – its achievement could potentially serve as a model for future government IT initiatives Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

US government launches Bureau of Emerging Threats

The US’ Bureau of Emerging Threats sits within the State Department and will supposedly help address national security threats arising from cyber attacks, the weaponisation of space and other emerging technologies Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Platformisation or platform theatre? Navigating cyber consolidation

The Security Think Tank looks at platformisation, considering questions such as how CISOs can distinguish between a truly integrated platform and 'integration theater, and how to protect unified platforms. Continue Reading

By

• John Bruce, Quorum Cyber

Amazon Web Services bags Fujitsu’s HMRC loss

US tech giant wins contract to run three datacentres for the government department after cutting ties with Fujitsu Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Emergency Microsoft, Oracle patches point to wider cyber issues

Emergency out-of-band patches from Microsoft and Oracle signal underlying security issues around update cycles and patching, and identity security and zero-trust, says the community Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

UK government boosts digital access for more than a million people

Since its launch last year, the UK government’s Digital Inclusion Action Plan has consistently met its targets, helping over one million people access the digital world Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

More tech funding is coming, promises NHS England’s chief clinical information officer

NHS England’s CCIO says details on funding for NHS tech will be announced in a month’s time, and will shift focus to community and primary care Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Cyber platformisation is a skills issue for security teams

The Security Think Tank looks at platformisation, considering questions such as how CISOs can distinguish between a truly integrated platform and 'integration theater, and how to protect unified platforms. Continue Reading

By

• Haris Pylarinos, Hack the Box

The UK government’s digital identity scheme: Dystopian nightmare or modernised public services?

Critics and supporters of digital ID are honing their arguments for the government’s consultation – but it’s the public that will decide. How should you choose? Continue Reading

Government digital identity – dystopia or dreamland?

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we examine the conflicting arguments for and against the UK government’s digital ID proposals. Our latest buyer’s guide looks at measuring the carbon footprint of AI. And we learn how a London NHS trust is using data to improve collaboration for the benefit of staff and patients. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Irish government launches CNI resilience plan

Ireland’s National Strategy on the Resilience of Critical Entities sets out a pathway to improved cyber resilience for the nation’s critical infrastructure, and establishes compliance with an EU directive Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Cyber platformisation: Don't fall into the 'integration debt' trap

The Security Think Tank looks at platformisation, considering questions such as how CISOs can distinguish between a truly integrated platform and 'integration theater, and how to protect unified platforms. Continue Reading

By

• Rik Ferguson, Forescout

DWP finally seeks reviewer of its subpostmaster prosecutions

Months after announcing review, the government has advertised for a reviewer to look over more than 100 prosecutions of subpostmasters by the Department of Work and Pensions Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Scotland launches five-year AI strategy

Scottish deputy first minister says the country aims to become a leader in AI through responsibly harnessing the economic and social benefits of the technology Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Essex Police halts live facial recognition over bias and accuracy risks

LFR deployments by Essex Police will not continue until risks associated with bias and inaccuracy have been reduced Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Cisa tells US organisations to harden endpoint management after Stryker attack

Last week’s cyber attack on the systems of a US medical services company by Iranian hacktivists has prompted an alert from Cisa, urging organisations to reinforce their defensive posture Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

UK government puts brakes on opt-out copyright exemption for AI

The UK government has ruled out forcing creatives to opt out of their intellectual property being used by artificial intelligence developers as its preferred solution to the AI-copyright controversy, but may still implement copyright exemptions later Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

AI makes debut in Bridewell cyber security in CNI report

Regulation has superseded cyber threats as the main driver of cyber security spending, and AI has made its debut for attack and defence, according to a CNI-focused report from Bridewell Continue Reading

By

• Brian McKenna, Enterprise Applications Editor

NHS digital ambition needs reality check amid frontline work pressures

The NHS 10-year plan is ambitious and brave. However, Cheshire and Merseyside GP Tom Micklewright says limited funding flexibility and pressure on primary care are among the issues hindering success Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Government announces redress scheme for families of Post Office scandal victims

Government offers two routes to financial redress for the families of victims of the Post Office scandal Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Post Office Horizon scandal explained: Everything you need to know

Computer Weekly has investigated the Post Office Horizon scandal since 2008 and is, in fact, part of the story. This guide contains essential information about the scandal Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

A simple online login is key to digital government success

While it’s not perfect, there’s one thing that can be said of Microsoft Azure Active Directory. It basically does what it’s supposed to, providing a relatively straightforward login for enterprise ... Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Apple issues first Background patch for WebKit browser flaw

Apple’s first ever Background Security Update fixes a WebKit browser engine bug that could enable threat actors to see and steal important data from their victims Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

UK MoD awards more than two dozen contracts for AI targeting systems

The UK Ministry of Defence is ramping up its investment into military artificial intelligence in a bid to increase the ‘lethality’ of the British armed forces Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

AI tools offer ‘near-real-time’ analysis of data from seized mobile phones and computers

Cellebrite demonstrates how AI tools are able to analyse the contents of mobile phones and computers during crime investigations Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Investigations Editor

Digital IDs edge closer to practical reality for UK businesses

Industries and policymakers are strongly aligned on the need for digital company IDs for UK businesses, as progress is made towards the implementation of a practical standard Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Technology accelerating crime, boosts case for national police service, says NCA chief

NCA director general Graeme Biggar says technology has helped criminals get smarter, faster and more connected, boosting case for National Police Service Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Investigations Editor

Contactless payment limit removal will happen overnight, but change won’t

Banks will be able to set their own contactless card payment limits from 19 March, following rule change by Financial Conduct Authority Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Beyond integration theatre: Building stronger cyber platforms

The Security Think Tank looks at platformisation, considering questions such as how CISOs can distinguish between a truly integrated platform and 'integration theater, and how to protect unified platforms. Continue Reading

By

• Joe Mayhew and Ahmed Tikail, PA Consulting

Health workers call for Palantir to be booted from NHS contracts

Health justice charity Medact warns that Palantir’s involvement in NHS data systems is a threat to patients and healthcare organisations Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Companies House restarts online services following cyber breach

Companies House was forced to pull its WebFiling service offline at the weekend after it emerged that a flawed update was putting data at risk of exposure Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

The upcoming King’s Speech - where are the words on AI?

Despite past promises of regulation on AI, there is no indication the Labour government is planning any legislation in the next session of Parliament - and that's an economic and social mistake Continue Reading

By

• Lord Chris Holmes, House of Lords

Whitehall unable to reduce consultancy spend amid digital skills shortages

Digital transformation projects rely heavily on external consultants, and while government aims to reduce costs, it holds no accurate data on how much it spends on consultancy services Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Cyber flywheel aims to kick-start UK cyber security startups

Company founder rallies CISOs, venture capital funders and government leaders to back startups in cyber security Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Revealed: How HMRC has been quietly building surveillance capabilities

HMRC has bought phone scanning equipment and analysis software capable of extracting data from mobile devices as it steps up its electronic intelligence gathering capabilities, an investigation by Computer Weekly reveals Continue Reading

By

• Amaar Chowdhury

Azure Local Disconnected looks the part for sovereignty. It isn’t.

Despite fanfare, Microsoft’s air-gapped cloud offer is far from GA-ready, can’t run Azure Kubernetes Service, maxes out workload clusters, and at scale can’t be truly disconnected Continue Reading

By

• Owen Sayers, Secon Solutions

How CISOs can build a truly unified and resilient security platform

The Security Think Tank looks at platformisation, considering questions such as how CISOs can distinguish between a truly integrated platform and 'integration theater, and how to protect unified platforms. Continue Reading

By

• Vaibhav Dutta, Tata Communications

UK falls behind on supercomputing amid slow investment, NAO warns

While UKRI has improved its oversight of research and innovation, funding remains fragmented and has been too slow to replace supercomputers Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

MP report calls for legislation to overturn Post Office Capture convictions

Report from MPs warns of unknown number of unsafe subpostmasters convictions based on multiple pre-Horizon systems Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

UK government ‘flying blind’ with poor data in charting regional growth

The government is being impeded in its bid to stoke economic growth across the regions, according to the Science, Innovation and Technology Committee Continue Reading

By

• Brian McKenna, Enterprise Applications Editor

Vulnerability reports: Increase in quantity, decrease in quality?

Bug bounties have become a staple of the cyber security toolkit, offering researchers a way to get paid to find and report bugs and giving businesses a route to fix unknown flaws. However, this model is now facing scrutiny. What is driving these concerns? Continue Reading

By

• Dan Raywood

The UK government’s digital identity scheme: Dystopian nightmare or modernised public services?

Critics and supporters of digital ID are honing their arguments for the government’s consultation – but it’s the public that will decide. How should you choose? Continue Reading

By

• Bryan Glick, Editor in chief

Met Office ‘supercomputing as a service’ one year old

Artificial intelligence is not key to the weather picture, as the forecasting and climate prediction agency lauds the benefits of moving from on-site supercomputers to cloud computing for scientific modelling Continue Reading

By

• Antony Adshead, Computer Weekly

UK government announces package to get more women in tech

The UK government aims to add billions of pounds to the economy through getting more women into the tech sector Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Cyber industry welcomes women, but challenges persist

Three-quarters of women working in security say they feel comfortable in the field, but women are still much more likely to be laid off and face persistent challenges around career advancement, according to a report Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Salesforce tracks possible ShinyHunters campaign targeting its users

Salesforce warns users of an uptick in malicious activity targeting Experience Cloud customers with misconfigured user settings via an open source tool Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Confidence in AI-powered cyber must be earned, not assumed

In security, familiar testing and validation approaches are not enough when it comes to AI. The question is not just whether an AI-powered tool works but how it actually behaves when it is stressed, manipulated, or forced to operate outside already known conditions. Continue Reading

By

• Haris Pylarinos, Hack The Box

Child rapist could have profiled victims through unaudited access to NHS databases

NHS analyst’s conviction for child sexual abuse offences raises concerns over unaudited access to patient data Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Microsoft patches zero-days in .NET and SQL Server

Zero-days in .NET and SQL Server, and a handful of critical RCE bugs, form the nucleus of Microsoft’s March Patch Tuesday update Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Whitehall launches digital ID consultation

Eight-week consultation aims to get the public’s view on how the proposed digital ID system would work, and contemplates introducing a universal unique identifier linked to the ID Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Met Police to ‘trial’ handheld facial recognition tech

London Mayor Sadiq Khan reveals in a scrutiny session with London Assembly members that the Met is set to trial a facial recognition phone app for police officers Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Open banking presents £43bn opportunity for UK economy if warnings are heeded

Open banking has already delivered billions of pounds to the UK economy and has huge future potential, but industry leaders warn against complacency Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

AI chooses nuclear escalation in 95% of simulated crises

With artificial intelligence increasingly deployed in analysis and decision-making in armed conflict, research shows AI systems will not naturally default to ‘safe’ outcomes in nuclear crises Continue Reading

By

• Charlotte Lang

UK to launch cyber fraud squad in April

The UK’s Online Crime Centre, launching next month, will bring together government, police, intelligence agencies, banks, mobile networks and tech firms to take coordinated action against cyber fraud Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Trump looks to power up post-quantum, AI security

The US has unveiled a six-pillar national cyber security strategy, with developing technological areas such as post-quantum cryptography and artificial intelligence front and centre Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

IBM takes a second shot at Post Office contract to replace Horizon

The US tech giant is bidding for a £323m contract to replace the Post Office’s flawed Horizon IT system, a decade after its previous attempt was abandoned due to complexities Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Platformisation without illusion: Separating integration from theatre

The Security Think Tank looks at platformisation, considering questions such as how CISOs can distinguish between a truly integrated platform and 'integration theater, and how to protect unified platforms. Continue Reading

By

• Aditya K Sood, Aryaka

Regulate AWS and Microsoft, says UK cloud provider survey

Open Cloud Coalition survey, commissioned ahead of the CMA’s decision on measures against the two hyperscale giants, finds competing cloud providers demand regulation Continue Reading

By

• Antony Adshead, Computer Weekly

Norway braced for foreign AI cyber attacks on vital petroleum computing

Nordic petrostate is preparing for war and turning the spotlight on vulnerabilities in its critical industries, as adversaries look for ways to damage the most important oil and gas producer to the EU Continue Reading

By

• Mark Ballard

Nordics ally with Baltics to accelerate digital wallet roll-out

Baltic and Nordic countries work together on a common certification system to support digital wallet applications Continue Reading

By

• Gerard O'Dwyer

Quarter of social care staff don’t use technology to deliver care

Government-commissioned survey finds 27% of care providers do not use any technology to provide care for patients Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

UK government departments not sold on shared services strategy, NAO report finds

Eight years on from the launch of the government’s shared services strategy, there is no clear ownership, funding remains uncertain and some departments are yet to fully commit Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Electronic health records are still creating issues for patients

Almost every NHS trust will have moved onto a digital system by this spring. Experts have cautioned many patients are still struggling to access their own health data Continue Reading

By

• Will Grimond

Sweden recommends citizens keep £81 in cash per adult in case of payment system crash

The central bank of Sweden says rapid digitisation could cause vulnerabilities in payment systems Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Spyware suppliers exploit more zero-days than nation states

Exploitation of zero-days by commercial surveillance and spyware developers outpaced exploitation by nation-state actors last year, according to a report Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Capita secures decade-long government contract amid failure in public sight

Outsourcing firm has won 10-year contract to supply government departments with tech-enabled business services Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Government wants to build digital ID system in-house

The Home Affairs Committee hearing on digital ID reveals consultation is due next week; there will be no central database; and while government wants to build the system in-house, it will not replace private digital ID providers Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Scandal victim gets leave to appeal decision to split case against Post Office and Fujitsu

Prominent scandal victim given leave to appeal High Court decision in his legal action against the Post Office and Fujitsu Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Iranian hacktivists muster their forces but state APTs lay low

Hacktivist activity surrounding the Iran war is sky-high but Iran’s state-backed cyber espionage actors have yet to show their hands, giving security teams a valuable window of time to shore up their defences Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Zero-day in Android phone chips under active attack

Google and Qualcomm have tag-teamed a serious vulnerability in the chipsets used in Android mobile devices, which has been exploited in the wild as a zero-day Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Tycoon2FA phishing platform dismantled in major operation

A Europol-led sting against the infamous Tycoon2FA MFA bypass phishing service has been successful, with operations disrupted and ringleaders and cyber criminal users identified Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

UK lab gets funding to drive foundational AI research

The government is providing six years of funding worth up to £40m in a bid to support UK researchers developing artificial intelligence models Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Landmark legal challenge against Home Office eVisa system heard

The UK High Court will examine whether the Home Office policy of refusing to issue alternative proof of immigration status outside of its electronic visa system is lawful Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Civil service veteran ‘incandescent’ as wait for pension hits four months amid outsourcing mess

Public servant of over 40 years, who has been waiting four months for pension payments to begin, says government has lost control Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Transnational AI regulation needed to protect human rights in the UK

Tech companies have told MPs and Lords they would welcome greater harmonisation in regulatory standards at a global level Continue Reading

By

• Charlotte Lang

Open cyber standards key to cross-platform integration

The Security Think Tank looks at platformisation considering questions such as how CISOs can distinguish between a truly integrated platform and 'integration theater, and how to protect unified platforms. Continue Reading

By

• Stephen McDermid, Okta

NS&I’s modernisation programme: A £3bn lesson in how to lose public trust

The UK Public Accounts Committee’s description of NS&I’s digital modernisation as a ‘full-spectrum disaster’ should concern far more than technology teams Continue Reading

By

• Ben Terrett

NHS SBS launches £250m patient communication framework

The procurement framework aims to help NHS organisations buy products and services to help communicate with patients more efficiently Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

NCSC: No increase in cyber threat from Iran, but be prepared

While cyber threat levels remain stable following the outbreak of war in the Middle East at the weekend, at-risk organisations in the UK should take steps to ward off potential reprisals from Iran-linked threat actors Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

NS&I seeks Bank of England counsel over project disaster

The Bank of England’s successful IT transformation, praised by the National Audit Office, is being used as a model for government departments, including NS&I, which faces a failing IT project Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

MPs launch inquiry into use of tech in education

The use of tech and artificial intelligence has the potential to help delivery of education in the UK, so a committee of MPs has launched an inquiry into its opportunities and challenges Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

UK government consults on social media ban for under-16s  

A UK government consultation launched today asks whether under-16s should be banned from social media, and age restrictions introduced for VPNs and chatbots Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Investigations Editor

How mainframe modernisation is powering government digital transformation

Mainframes are no longer seen as a constraint on public sector digital transformation, with government agencies abandoning rip-and-replace strategies in favour of modernising mainframe systems with hybrid cloud and AI Continue Reading

By

• Michael Vincetic

Australia inks five-year deal with Microsoft to drive AI and cloud adoption

The Digital Transformation Agency’s new agreement promises cost certainty, improved discounts, and a skills fund to support the government’s digital transformation agenda Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, Informa TechTarget

Qilin crew continues to dominate ransomware ecosystem

The Qilin ransomware gang remained ‘top dog’ in January 2026, with over 100 observed cyber attacks to its name, amid a rapidly evolving and fragmenting cyber criminal ecosystem Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

India AI Impact Summit: Open source gains ground, but sovereignty tensions persist

While open source artificial intelligence gained unprecedented recognition during the latest global AI summit, divisions over governance, market concentration and regulatory power cast doubt on whether the technology will benefit society as a whole Continue Reading

By

• Charlotte Lang

Deputy prime minister vows to reform justice system with AI

Initiatives to transform UK courts include launching a justice AI academy, an AI listing assistant and a new High Court digital system Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

US artificial intelligence developers accuse Chinese firms of stealing their data

Artificial intelligence developers are accusing Chinese firms of stealing their intellectual property following a spate of ‘distillation attacks’, despite their own alleged theft of training data Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

The UK’s proposed social media ban explained

The UK government will use new legal powers to lay the groundwork for an under-16 social media ban after its consultation on children’s digital well-being, but opponents warn the measures being considered will only treat the symptoms of the problem if they ignore the structural power of big tech Continue Reading

By

• Charlotte Lang

Application exploitation back in vogue, says IBM cyber unit

IBM’s X-Force unit observes an uptick in the exploitation of vulnerable public-facing software applications Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Police created ‘intelligence profile’ of BBC journalist subject to phone surveillance

Police and MI5 conducted seven unlawful operations to obtain phone data relating to former BBC journalist Vincent Kearney, the Investigatory Powers Tribunal heard today Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Investigations Editor

UK government commits £483m to Post Office for IT transformation

The UK government is to provide the next round of funding to support the Post Office’s move away from its controversial Fujitsu Horizon IT system Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Email from 1999 reveals Post Office ECCO+ system crash problems

ECCO+ system experienced freezes during transactions, which could have left Post Office branch account discrepancies Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Governments urged to step up enforcement of big tech amid rush to ban social media for under-16s

The Council of Europe’s Commissioner for Human Rights says that European governments should consider better enforcement against big tech companies before banning children from social media Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Investigations Editor

€126bn in Dutch tech projects blocked by permits and grid limits

Ex-ASML chief Peter Wennink’s deregulation solution triggers warnings from academics and government advisors Continue Reading

By

• Kim Loohuis

UK AI alignment project gets OpenAI and Microsoft boost

Altogether, £27m is now available to fund the AI Security Institute’s work to collaborate on safe, secure artificial intelligence Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

European politicians amplify disinformation about UN rapporteur

Government officials from the US and Europe have condemned UN special rapporteur Francesca Albanese for remarks about Israel she never made, based on a truncated clip circulating online that takes her statements out of context Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor