IT for government and public sector

What happens if Silicon Valley’s AI investment bubble bursts?

US tech giants are burning through unprecedented amounts of capital to develop artificial superintelligence, but authoritarian regimes around the world could keep the pursuit of a techno-utopian future alive when the bubble subsides Continue Reading

By

• Kyle Hiebert, Computer Weekly

UK ICO publishes AI and biometrics strategy

The UK data regulator has outlined how it will approach the regulation of artificial intelligence and biometric technologies, which will focus in particular on automated decision-making systems and police facial recognition Continue Reading

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• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Whitehall fails to recognise digital procurement challenge, says PAC

Committee concerned that Government Commercial Function doesn’t understand the scale of reform needed to address long-standing digital procurement issues, including lack of skills and leadership Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

HMRC phishing breach wholly avoidable, but hard to stop

A breach at HMRC saw innocent taxpayers tricked into letting scammers impersonate them through simple phishing attacks leading to account takeover. Such attacks are avoidable, but hard to stop Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

UK’s error-prone eVisa system is ‘anxiety-inducing’

People experiencing technical errors with the Home Office’s electronic visa system explain the psychological toll of not being able to reliably prove their immigration status in the face of a hostile and unresponsive bureaucracy Continue Reading

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• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Building the foundations: A national roadmap for digital identity and sovereign data

Now the UK government has offered some clarity on the future of private and public sector digital identity services, it's time to work together to put the essential foundations in place to make digital ID work for everyone Continue Reading

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• David Crack, Association of Digital Verification Professionals

Put ROCs before SOCs, Qualys tells public sector

Putting risk operations before security operations may help government agencies and other public sector bodies better manage the myriad threats they face, and make better decisions for the security of all Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

NCSC sets out how to build cyber safe cultures

The UK’s National Cyber Security Centre has published guidance for security teams and leaders on how to foster accessible and appropriate cyber security cultures in their organisations Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Investigatory powers: Guidelines for police and spies could also help businesses with AI

Computer Weekly talks to Muffy Calder, technology advisor to the UK’s investigatory powers commissioner, about privacy, intrusion and artificial intelligence Continue Reading

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• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Microsoft outlines three-pronged European cyber strategy

Microsoft chair Brad Smith outlines an expansive cyber programme targeting governments across Europe with enhanced threat intelligence and support Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

European Commission should rescind UK data adequacy

Civil society organisations have urged the European Commissioner to not renew the UK’s data adequacy, given the country’s growing divergence from European data protection standards Continue Reading

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• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Fortifying the future: The pivotal role of CISOs in AI operations

The Security Think Tank considers how CISOs can best plan to facilitate the secure running of AI and Gen AI-based initiatives and ensure employees do not inadvertently leak data or make bad decisions. Continue Reading

By

• Aditya K Sood, Aryaka

Dutch university’s rapid response saved it from ransomware devastation

Eindhoven University of Technology has planned multi-factor authentication and regularly practised cyber crisis drills – yet it still fell victim to attackers who exploited gaps in its defences Continue Reading

By

• Kim Loohuis

Interview: Manish Jethwa, chief technology officer, Ordnance Survey

The UK mapping service has moved on a long way from paper maps as it now looks to use artificial intelligence to understand, interpret and derive insights from geographical data Continue Reading

By

• Mark Samuels

Preparing for AI: The CISO’s role in security, ethics and compliance

The Security Think Tank considers how CISOs can best plan to facilitate the secure running of AI and Gen AI-based initiatives and ensure employees do not inadvertently leak data or make bad decisions. Continue Reading

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• Elliott Wilkes, ACDS

HMRC aims to improve customer service with £1.5bn IT investment

The department is on the hunt for customer relationship management system and contact centre as a service suppliers, following criticism of its customer service Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

US cyber agency CISA faces stiff budget cuts

CISA is one of several US agencies facing drastic budget cuts under the Trump administration Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

The hidden security risks of open source AI

The Security Think Tank considers how CISOs can best plan to facilitate the secure running of AI and Gen AI-based initiatives and ensure employees do not inadvertently leak data or make bad decisions. Continue Reading

By

• Brian Fox, Sonatype

Microsoft Copilot AI saves civil service hours of admin work

Over a third of Microsoft 365 users who took part in trials across government departments claimed they saved more than half an hour in productivity a day Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Cyber and digital get over £1bn to enhance UK’s national security

The government has set out plans to spend over a billion pounds on digital and cyber warfare capabilities to enhance the UK’s ability to defend itself and fight offensive wars Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

AI security: Balancing innovation with protection

The Security Think Tank considers how CISOs can best plan to facilitate the secure running of AI and Gen AI-based initiatives and ensure employees do not inadvertently leak data or make bad decisions. Continue Reading

By

• Javvad Malik, KnowBe4

NPCC calls for better tech investment

The National Police Chiefs’ Council sets out a series of digital ambitions and asks for £220m per year in the upcoming spending review to scale up science and technology capabilities Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Rethinking secure comms: Are encrypted platforms still enough?

A leak of information on American military operations caused a major political incident in March 2025. The Security Think Tank considers what can CISOs can learn from this potentially fatal error. Continue Reading

By

• Russell Auld, PAC

How cyber security professionals are leveraging AWS tools

It’s now essential for IT security teams to have oversight of cloud computing, and AWS offers a plethora of tools to make managing it easier. Find out how cyber pros are using them in the wild Continue Reading

By

• Nicholas Fearn

Signalgate is a signal to revisit security onboarding and training

A leak of information on American military operations caused a major political incident in March 2025. The Security Think Tank considers what can CISOs can learn from this potentially fatal error. Continue Reading

By

• Mike Gillespie and Ellie Hurst, Advent IM

Post Office slammed after deleting social media comments on IT scandal

Post Office accused of suppressing the views of victims of the Horizon scandal by deleting comments on social media platforms Continue Reading

By

• Bill Curtis

Gov.uk Wallet open to public sector bodies

Government departments can soon begin to add documents to Gov.uk Wallet, as the Government Digital Service publishes guidance for public sector bodies on how to use the smartphone app Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

UK biometric surveillance exists in ‘legal grey area’

The rapid proliferation of ‘biometric mass surveillance technologies’ throughout the UK’s public and private sectors is taking place without legal certainty or adequate safeguards for the public Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Four successful strategies for public sector technology recruitment

Four key strategies public bodies can adopt to attract talented IT professionals Continue Reading

By

• Graeme McNaull, Executive Director – Public Sector, Harvey Nash

Government launches search to link UK to European supercomputers

As part of Horizon 2020, the UK recently signed up to an EU initiative to support the expansion of high-performance computing for AI Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Armed forces charity steps in to address cyber mental health crisis

CIISec and military charity PTSD Resolution hope to address a gathering mental health crisis among frontline cyber professionals Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Security vs. usability: Why rogue corporate comms are still an issue

A leak of information on American military operations caused a major political incident in March 2025. The Security Think Tank considers what can CISOs can learn from this potentially fatal error. Continue Reading

By

• Elliott Wilkes, ACDS

Norway’s autonomous bus moves into the fast lane

In a small but ambitious project in Stavanger, Norway, autonomous buses are proving they might one day solve a critical problem: the chronic shortage of bus drivers Continue Reading

By

• Pat Brans

When leaders ignore cyber security rules, the whole system weakens

The US ‘Signalgate’ debacle is a case study in how security collapses when leadership treats basic rules as optional Continue Reading

By

• Raihan Islam, defineXTEND

Preparation and appreciation – the human factor in incident response

A typical incident response effort is highly technical, so where do soft skills come in and how do you know how effective your team is? We look at a measurement option and the human consideration in these scenarios Continue Reading

By

• Dan Raywood

What are the best practices for securing AWS tech stacks?

An AWS tech stack can aid business growth and facilitate efficient operations, but misconfigurations have become all too common and stall this progress Continue Reading

By

• Nicholas Fearn

Essex Police discloses ‘incoherent’ facial recognition assessment

An equality impact assessment of Essex Police live facial recognition deployments is plagued by inconsistencies and poor methodology, undermining the force’s claim that its use of the technology will not be discriminatory Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Labour puts Humphrey AI to work for council admin

A tool built on the government’s Humphrey AI toolset is being piloted by 25 councils to take notes during meetings Continue Reading

Police Digital Service board director quits several months after CISO departs

The Police Digital Service has confirmed it’s in the process of recruiting a new CISO, as Companies House documents confirm one of its board members left the organisation earlier this month Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

Microsoft raises posse to target dangerous Lumma malware

Microsoft, along with a consortium of partners, has seized and disrupted a significant part of the Lumma malware-as-a-service network used to steal data and funds Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

DSIT makes £5.5m of funding available to new projects

The government is focusing on easing the regulatory burden that can often hamper the introduction of innovative technologies in the public sector Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

HMRC begins escape from Fujitsu’s grip through £500m contract

HMRC looking for a supplier to support its planned exit from three Fujitsu datacentre contracts Continue Reading

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• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

NCSC: Russia’s Fancy Bear targeting logistics, tech organisations

The NCSC and its partner agencies have blown the whistle on an extensive campaign of malicious cyber attacks orchestrated by the Russian state Fancy Bear operation Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Fujitsu raked in £80m from HMRC in March alone, despite Post Office scandal

HM Revenue & Customs described as a UK ‘cash cow’ for the Japanese IT giant at the centre of the Post Office Horizon scandal Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

UK Fraud Bill targets benefit claimants for mass surveillance

The UK government’s proposed Fraud Bill will disproportionately place millions of benefit claimants under constant surveillance, creating a two-tier system where people are automatically suspected of wrongdoing for seeking welfare Continue Reading

By

• Anna Dent

Ransomware attacks dropped by a third last month

Reported ransomware attacks eased off during April following a dramatic spike in the first quarter of 2025 Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Botched Post Office IT projects continue to drain public purse

Millions more pounds of public money spent by the Post Office as a result of an IT error that exposed the personal details of Horizon victims Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Interview: Driving tech innovation at the BBC

Computer Weekly speaks to Jatin Aythora, director of BBC Research and Development, about self-belief and learning from different industries Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Tackling the UK’s cyber threats

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we report from the National Cyber Security Centre’s annual update on the state of UK security and examine the emerging threats. The chief data officer of Standard Chartered bank discusses preparing for artificial intelligence. We also look at the networking implications of GPU-based AI datacentres. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Chinese cyber spooks lure laid-off US government workers

A Washington DC-based think tank has published evidence that Chinese intelligence services have been running a network of digital ‘front’ companies targeting laid-off government workers as recruits Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Legal Aid Agency breach may encompass millions of people

Legal Aid Agency says the data of anybody who applied for legal aid over the past 15 years has been compromised in a cyber attack Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Calm settles over digital identity market - for now... (Hark, is that Big Tech on the horizon?)

A relative calm has settled over the digital identity sector after months of worry and vitriol – for now, at least. Digital ID players have largely welcomed the government’s announcement of the ... Continue Reading

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• Bryan Glick, Editor in chief

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

Dutch universities call for reduced dependence on Big Tech

Dutch universities are calling for greater digital autonomy as more research and educational data is stored in American clouds, posing risks to academic freedom, privacy and accessibility Continue Reading

By

• Kim Loohius

Government sets up guidance for 10-year R&D commitment

Research and development is one of the main areas of focus for Labour’s Plan for Change as it readies its Industrial Strategy Continue Reading

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• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Post Office performs costly 30-year U-turn on Horizon

Post Office Horizon replacement magnifies missed opportunity as move from the controversial Horizon system to an off-the-shelf alternative is going back to a plan it rejected in the 1990s Continue Reading

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• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Mid-career professionals must learn to understand and use AI as GenAI tips balance

Whether in the finance, IT or legal sectors, artificial intelligence will change the way businesses operate and how their people work Continue Reading

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• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Security tests reveal serious vulnerability in government’s One Login digital ID system

A ‘red teaming’ exercise to simulate cyber attacks on the government’s flagship digital identity system has found that One Login can be compromised without detection Continue Reading

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• Bryan Glick, Editor in chief

How digital identity will empower people and drive economic growth

The government has finally plotted out the future of digital identity in the UK in a way that makes sense for private sector, public sector, and citizens. Now let's make it happen Continue Reading

By

• David Crack, Association of Digital Verification Professionals

Government starts private sector engagement on digital ID and Gov.uk Wallet

Following concerns from the digital identity industry that Gov.uk Wallet would dominate the market, the government has offered private sector providers a ‘critical role’ in its future, as it revealed further details on the wallet Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Post Office scandal inquiry to publish first findings this summer

Inquiry announces that findings on compensation and human impact will be presented in the next few months Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

UK government outlines plan to surveil migrants with eVisa data

Electronic visa data and biometric technologies will be used by the UK’s immigration enforcement authorities to surveil migrants living in the country and to ‘tighten control of the border’, attracting strong criticism from migrant support groups Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Roundtable: Why did customers sail away from VMware?

At Nutanix’s recent .Next event in the US, customers talked about why they migrated away from VMware and the pain points that accelerated their decision to switch hypervisor Continue Reading

By

• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

Humphrey AI tool powers Scottish Parliament consultation

AI-powered Consult tool has helped the Scottish Parliament to organise feedback from a public consultation into themes Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

UKRI must do more to drive innovation agenda and avoid fraud

UKRI’s funding of research and innovation to support the government’s growth strategy has room for improvement Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

May Patch Tuesday brings five exploited zero-days to fix

Microsoft fixes five exploited, and two publicly disclosed, zero-days in the fifth Patch Tuesday update of 2025 Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Controversial Post Office Horizon system could stay until 2033

Post Office seeks off-the-shelf Horizon replacement as part of £492m tender that includes ongoing support for Horizon up to 2033 Continue Reading

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• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Gov.uk One Login loses certification for digital identity trust framework

The government’s flagship digital identity system has lost its certification against the government’s own digital identity system trust framework Continue Reading

By

• Bryan Glick, Editor in chief

NHS trust cloud plans hampered by Trump tariff uncertainty

Essex NHS wants to move some capacity to the Nutanix cloud, but can’t be certain prices will hold between product selection and when procurement plans gain approval Continue Reading

Evidence reveals Post Office scandal victims short-changed in compensation payouts

Subpostmasters who appealed compensation payments have significantly increased ‘worryingly undervalued’ settlements Continue Reading

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• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

University will ‘pull the plug’ to test Nutanix disaster recovery

University of Reading set to save circa £500,000 and deploy Nutanix NC2 hybrid cloud that will allow failover from main datacentre Continue Reading

By

• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

Government calls on tech companies to join crime-cutting campaign

The justice secretary met with 30 tech companies to discuss how technology can help to tackle prison violence and reduce reoffending rates Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Government launches £8.2m plan to encourage girls into AI

The government is investing in teacher training and student support to get more girls into maths classes, ultimately leading to AI careers Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

UK government set to finally meet with digital identity providers - but will anything change?

Wednesday 14 May is set to be an important day in the long, slow, painful evolution of the use of digital identity in the UK. For the first time since the government announced its digital wallet ... Continue Reading

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• Bryan Glick, Editor in chief

Nordic countries plan offline payment system for disaster backup

Board member of the Bank of Finland reveals plan as likelihood of losing internet connectivity increases amid geopolitical tensions Continue Reading

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• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Government will miss cyber resiliency targets, MPs warn

A Public Accounts Committee report on government cyber resilience finds that the Cabinet Office has been working hard to improve, but is likely to miss targets and needs a fundamentally different approach Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Preparing for post-quantum computing will be more difficult than the millennium bug

The job of getting the UK ready for post-quantum computing will be at least as difficult as the Y2K problem, says National Cyber Security Centre CTO Ollie Whitehouse Continue Reading

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• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

US tells CNI orgs to stop connecting OT kit to the web

US authorities have released guidance for owners of critical national infrastructure in the face of an undisclosed number of cyber incidents Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

UK Digital Services Tax survives US trade negotiations

The UK will retain its Digital Services Tax on tech giants in a landmark US trade agreement that paves the way for a future digital tech deal Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

NHS launches digital tool to improve cancer care

Cancer 360 tool aims to bring together data on cancer patients in one place, allowing clinicians access to all the information through the Federated Data Platform Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

UK government websites to replace passwords with secure passkeys

Government websites are to replace difficult-to-remember passwords with highly secure passkeys that will protect against phishing and cyber attackers Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Oxford Uni adds cyber resilience module to MBA programme

Oxford University’s Saïd Business School is working with cyber response specialist Sygnia to help future business leaders get on top of security Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Schools pilot exam results app that could save £30m

Exam results and certificates will be provided digitally in a pilot the government hopes will lead to huge financial savings Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

UK hands Indian IT suppliers competitive boost in trade deal

Trade deal will exempt IT workers from India from paying National Insurance contributions for three years Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

DSIT aims to bolster expertise with year-long secondments

To drive forward its Plan for Change, the Labour government is looking to hire 25 experts for the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology Fellowship programme Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Government industrial strategy will back cyber tech in drive for economic growth

With over 2,000 cyber security businesses across the UK, the government plans to target cyber as a priority to grow the economy  Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Unspoken risk: Human factors undermine trusted platforms

A leak of information on American military operations caused a major political incident in March 2025. The Security Think Tank considers what can CISOs can learn from this potentially fatal error. Continue Reading

By

• Aditya K Sood, Aryaka

Fintech summit reveals what’s next for sector

The UK’s fintech sector attracted $3.6bn investment last year, which was only bettered by the US, but how will UK fintech continue to grow? Continue Reading

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• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

EU acts to mend ailing AI competitiveness

Lack of private investors, malformed markets and over-regulation present a big challenge for European officials trying to turn the continent into a global AI superpower Continue Reading

By

• Mark Ballard

Beyond the hook: How phishing is evolving in the world of AI

Phishing attacks are evolving. Gone are the days of clumsy, error-ridden emails that were easy to spot – today’s campaigns harness advanced techniques to bypass even the latest defences. A new approach is needed Continue Reading

By

• Isla Sibanda

Driven by data: The RAF’s revamped maritime patrol capabilities

Computer Weekly visited RAF Lossiemouth to see how its fleet of Boeing P-8A surveillance aircraft, supported by NetApp storage, keep watch over the North Atlantic gap Continue Reading

By

• Stephen Pritchard

Security and verification concerns dog debate over Data (Use & Access) Bill

With the long-awaited Data (Use & Access) Bill returning to the House of Commons on 7 May, there remain pros and cons in the bill in relation to financial crime and cyber security Continue Reading

By

• Andrew Churchill

Accused by algorithm

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we shine a light on the Ministry of Justice’s controversial use of crime prediction algorithms. The CIO of Boehringer Ingelheim sets out how his organisation has built a data platform that is paving the way for the pharmaceutical giant to embrace AI and quantum computing. And, with the fallout from the VMware-Broadcom merger showing no signs of letting up, we weigh up what the migration options are for VMware vSAN users. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Security Think Tank: What CISOs can learn from Signalgate

A leak of information on American military operations caused a major political incident in March 2025. The Security Think Tank considers what can CISOs can learn from this potentially fatal error. Continue Reading

By

• Javvad Malik, KnowBe4

Government and Ofcom disagree about scope of Online Safety Act

MPs heard different views from the online harms regulator and the UK government about whether and how the Online Safety Act obliges platforms to deal with disinformation Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

India’s Hexaware targets public sector business as it expands UK operation

Indian heritage IT services firm opens office in Canary Wharf and sets is sights on growing its UK public sector business Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Will the government be able to achieve its £45bn savings target through tech?

Computer Weekly takes a closer look at Whitehall’s ambitious plans to save billions through the adoption of digital technologies, whether the goal is achievable, and why there is such a big focus on AI Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Signalgate: Learnings for CISOs securing enterprise data

A leak of information on American military operations caused a major political incident in March 2025. The Security Think Tank considers what CISOs can learn from this potentially fatal error Continue Reading

By

• Todd Thiemann, Principal Analyst

Progress made on government’s Post Office Capture redress, but concerns remain

Latest meeting between campaigners and business department seen as positive, but frustration and concerns remain Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Is the Investigatory Powers Tribunal powerless?

Five judges have found the Investigatory Powers Tribunal has no statutory powers to impose financial sanctions against police and intelligence services. Their findings raise significant and serious concerns about the integrity of our legal system. Continue Reading

By

• Maria Theodoulou, Partner at Stokoe Partnership Solicitors