IT legislation and regulation
Understanding the law as it applies to IT management can be one of the hardest task for IT leaders, but the growing burden of regulatory compliance makes it essential. Legislation and regulation affects enterprise IT in many ways, not just in long-standing tasks such as contracts and software licensing. We examine the latest legal development and how they affect IT managers, and talk to the experts in IT legislation and regulation to explain what it means to your organisation.
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News
13 May 2024
Norway bolsters digital transformation drive
Norway’s government backs digital transformation with major capital investment this year Continue Reading
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News
11 Mar 2024
Vinnova launches National Digital Advancement project
Swedish state innovation initiative invests in a network of regional research and development centres Continue Reading
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News
15 Jun 2021
The Security Interviews: How to build a government model to ‘hack for good’
Kyle Hanslovan started Huntress to give back after a career in the intelligence sector. After US authorities took action to help people hit by the Microsoft Exchange attacks, we discussed how governments can ‘hack for good’ Continue Reading
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Feature
14 Jun 2021
Europe’s proposed AI regulation falls short on protecting rights
The European Commission’s proposal for artificial intelligence regulation focuses on creating a risk-based, market-led approach replete with self-assessments, transparency procedures and technical standards, but critics warn it falls short of being able to protect people’s fundamental rights and mitigating the technology’s worst abuses Continue Reading
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News
11 Jun 2021
IR35 tribunal sees Nationwide IT contractor lose second appeal against £70,000 HMRC tax bill
Tribunal dismisses second appeal by IT project manager Robert Lee that his contracts with Nationwide would fall out of scope of the IR35 legislation Continue Reading
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News
11 Jun 2021
CMA secures commitments from Google on future of cookies
The Competition and Markets Authority is opening a consultation on commitments offered to it by Google to ensure its Privacy Sandbox proposals do not harm digital advertising markets Continue Reading
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News
11 Jun 2021
UK promises tougher line on cyber crime
Speaking ahead of the G7 Summit, foreign secretary Dominic Raab says the UK is ready to take on cyber criminals and other malicious actors wherever they may be Continue Reading
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News
10 Jun 2021
BEIS confirms rogue umbrellas will be covered by single enforcement body’s clampdown powers
Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy moves to clarify that rogue umbrella firms will be in-scope of its soon-to-be-created single enforcement body, which will focus on protecting workers’ rights Continue Reading
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News
09 Jun 2021
FBI arrests distributors accused of selling An0m encrypted phones to crime groups
Working with overseas law enforcement, the FBI has arrested eight people and named a further 13 accused of distributing An0m phones to organised crime groups Continue Reading
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News
09 Jun 2021
RSA spins out fraud and risk unit as Outseer
RSA Security is transitioning its fraud and risk intelligence work into a new business to be called Outseer Continue Reading
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News
09 Jun 2021
Klarna takes on UK credit card providers with feature that breaks up online payments
Fintech unicorn introduces feature to its app in the UK which will challenge traditional credit card providers Continue Reading
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News
09 Jun 2021
Colonial Pipeline ransom seizure is a win, but don’t relax yet
The security community is enthusiastic about the US authorities’ recovery of a significant part of the Colonial Pipeline ransomware payment, but this positivity should perhaps be somewhat tempered Continue Reading
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News
08 Jun 2021
NHS Digital delays data collection plans until September
NHS Digital has postponed its proposed collection of GP data for two months, to allow more time for the public to understand the process and opt out if wanted Continue Reading
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News
08 Jun 2021
National data guardian calls for dialogue on NHS Digital GP plans
The UK’s national data guardian says it is important the public has clarity on how their confidential medical information will be used and kept secure under NHS data-sharing plans Continue Reading
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News
07 Jun 2021
EU privacy chief investigates use of US cloud services
Use of Amazon and Microsoft’s cloud services by public sector bodies in the European Union is being scrutinised by the bloc’s privacy watchdog Continue Reading
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News
07 Jun 2021
Bank of England calls for feedback on digital currencies
The UK financial services regulator is calling for feedback from organisations, including tech firms, on the use of cryptocurrency Continue Reading
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News
07 Jun 2021
IBM pushes back against US government data requests
Technology giant IBM says the US government has ‘no jurisdiction’ to request data from its European entities Continue Reading
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News
07 Jun 2021
Campaigners plan legal action over NHS data sharing
Privacy coalition aims to force NHS Digital to push back its plans to scrape medical information on millions of patients into a central database Continue Reading
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Opinion
07 Jun 2021
NHS Digital’s GP data-scraping plan must be publicised and delayed
The UK government must launch a national awareness campaign and delay this month’s planned GP data slurp, say privacy consultants Ben Rapp and Sara Newman Continue Reading
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News
04 Jun 2021
UK immigration exemption in Data Protection Act found unlawful
Court of Appeal rules immigration exemption unlawful, but further hearings will follow to decide what remedies must be put in place Continue Reading
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News
04 Jun 2021
IR35 reforms: Qdos research suggests room for improvement
The IR35 reforms came into force in April 2021, but research from contracting authority Qdos suggests some end-client organisation's compliance strategies require urgent improvement Continue Reading
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News
04 Jun 2021
BCS: Lack of communication over NHS GPDPR ‘astonishing’
The Chartered Institute for IT has warned that millions of people are not being properly informed of NHS Digital plans to harvest their data Continue Reading
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News
04 Jun 2021
Government action on ransomware epidemic gathers pace
The US government steps up action against ransomware operators, while the UK’s NCSC publishes guidance on preparing to deal with a ransomware attack Continue Reading
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News
03 Jun 2021
Tories fined over email data protection breaches
The Conservative Party broke the law by failing to properly keep records of who had unsubscribed from its mailing list Continue Reading
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Feature
02 Jun 2021
What the Telecommunications (Security) Bill means for UK industry
The Telecommunications (Security) Bill is intended to reinforce the security of the UK telecommunications infrastructure, but what are the implications for industry? Continue Reading
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Opinion
01 Jun 2021
Long-term thinking is vital to secure UK’s critical infrastructure
To face down the threat of cyber warfare against UK CNI, the government needs long-term thinking that looks beyond the next general election cycle, says Advent-IM’s Mike Gillespie Continue Reading
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News
01 Jun 2021
Businesses hail new Openreach rural full-fibre focus
BT broadband provision division announces next step in gigabit broadband deployment programme to offer levelled-up connectivity for premises in hardest-to-reach parts of the UK Continue Reading
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News
01 Jun 2021
Ex-IT manager stole over £800,000 from NHS trust
A former senior IT manager at an Essex NHS trust has pleaded guilty to defrauding his employer out of more than £800,000 Continue Reading
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News
28 May 2021
Privacy experts concerned over NHS data collection plans
Security and data privacy experts warn NHS Digital that its data collection plans could increase risk and cause a public backlash Continue Reading
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News
28 May 2021
IR35 reforms: Blanket-banning firms risk losing contractors and suffering reputational damage
Research by contrator-focused accountancy firm inniAccounts shines a light on how contractors are responding to their clients’ handling of the IR35 reforms Continue Reading
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News
27 May 2021
BCS demands reform to rules on computer evidence following Post Office Horizon scandal revelations
Professional IT body wants changes to how computer evidence is used in court in the wake of the Post Office case Continue Reading
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News
27 May 2021
Uber signs collective bargaining agreement with GMB
Uber and GMB sign “landmark” collective bargaining agreement with no ability to negotiate on earnings, attracting criticism from smaller unions that it lacks teeth Continue Reading
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News
27 May 2021
MP-backed push to stop tech giants claiming super-deduction tax relief thwarted
Move to prevent the likes of Amazon using the government's new super-deduction policy to minimise their UK tax liabilities even further fails to win support in the House of Commons Continue Reading
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News
27 May 2021
TCS opens its first European innovation centre in Amsterdam
Netherlands capital hosts TCS’s latest innovation hub, which will bring together an ecosystem to address the challenge of sustainability Continue Reading
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News
27 May 2021
NGOs file complaints against Clearview AI in five countries
Privacy and human rights organisations have asked data protection regulators in the UK, France, Austria, Italy and Greece to investigate controversial facial recognition company Clearview AI Continue Reading
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News
26 May 2021
More data stolen in January 2021 than in all of 2017, says report
The volume of data being stolen through breaches is growing steadily and shows no sign of slowing, according to a report from Imperva Continue Reading
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News
26 May 2021
Millions of pounds lost to crypto fraud on social media
More than £63m has been lost nationally by victims of investment fraud via a social media platform, says Action Fraud Continue Reading
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News
25 May 2021
IR35: MPs denied vote to amend Finance Bill to ‘curb or kill’ umbrella companies
MPs were denied the opportunity to vote in favour of amending the incoming Finance Bill to ‘curb or kill’ umbrella companies, prompting industry watchers to double down on calls for regulation Continue Reading
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News
25 May 2021
Threat of group GDPR legal action haunts CISOs
The vast majority of security leaders questioned for a new report say they are concerned about the possibility of group legal settlements against them following a serious data breach Continue Reading
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News
25 May 2021
McAfee to change terms of auto-renewing consumer plans
Consumers who found their McAfee antivirus contracts auto-renewed will be able to get out of their contracts and get their money back Continue Reading
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News
25 May 2021
Industry reflects on three years of GDPR
Looking back on 12 tumultuous months, we assess how GDPR has weathered the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic and Brexit, and consider what the coming year may hold for data protection Continue Reading
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Opinion
25 May 2021
Online Safety Bill: an opportunity for tech to get it right
Long-awaited proposals for regulating internet companies still leave much to be defined – and the tech sector must take the lead in finalising a plan that works for society and government Continue Reading
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News
24 May 2021
IR35: MPs urged to back ‘curb or kill’ umbrella company-focused Finance Bill amendments
Two amendments to the incoming Finance Bill that have the potential to ban the use of umbrella companies are being voted on by MPs in the House of Commons today Continue Reading
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News
20 May 2021
UK regulators commit to closer cooperation on digital economy
Two UK regulators have issued a joint statement and signed a memorandum of understanding on the need for closer collaboration on digital markets Continue Reading
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News
20 May 2021
Pandemic tech use heightens consumer privacy fears
Report on consumer attitudes to privacy finds evidence of a “heightened sense of fear” as digital footprints expand inexorably Continue Reading
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News
20 May 2021
GDPR-readiness of EU Cloud Code of Conduct wins backing of European data protection authorities
The EU Cloud Code of Conduct, which aims to help IT buyers source GDPR-compliant cloud services, has found favour with the European Data Protection Board Continue Reading
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News
20 May 2021
UK government publishes framework on automated decision-making
The framework focuses on making the use of algorithms and automated decision-making systems within the public sector more ethical, transparent and accountable Continue Reading
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News
19 May 2021
Reports of stolen Irish health service data being leaked online
Leaking of deeply confidential and personal information on patient healthcare marks a new low for the criminal Conti gang Continue Reading
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News
19 May 2021
Barclays first bank to publish online scam refund details
All banks must be transparent about the proportion of victims of authorised push payment fraud they refund, says consumer rights organisation Which? Continue Reading
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News
18 May 2021
Microsoft EU Data Boundary dubbed ‘smoke and mirrors’
Data protection experts claim Microsoft’s decision to create an EU Data Boundary is a tacit admission that it routinely transfers and processes the personal data of European citizens outside the bloc Continue Reading
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News
18 May 2021
Irish High Court dismisses legal bid by Facebook over EU-US data transfers
Latest twist in long-running legal battle sees Facebook lose legal bid to prevent the Irish Data Protection Commissioner suspending its transfer of data about European citizens to the US Continue Reading
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Opinion
17 May 2021
Post Office scandal: The rise of computers and the decline of English justice
The Post Office prosecuted its subpostmasters up and down the country with a zeal that would not have embarrassed the Inquisition Continue Reading
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News
17 May 2021
IR35 reforms: Government gifted roadmap to umbrella regulation by ex-senior policy adviser
Rebecca Seeley Harris, a former senior policy adviser to the Office of Tax Simplification, has joined forces with Offpayroll.org founder James Poyser to pen a draft policy to help the government fast-track its umbrella market regulation plans Continue Reading
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Opinion
17 May 2021
Why new EU rules around artificial intelligence are vital to the development of the sector
Shawn Tan, CEO of global AI ecosystem builder Skymind, explains why the European Union’s new rules on artificial intelligence are a good thing Continue Reading
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News
14 May 2021
Dutch police used deep learning model to predict threats to life
Dutch police developed a deep learning model in their EncroChat investigation to predict which messages contain serious threats to life Continue Reading
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Opinion
14 May 2021
The shape of fraud and cyber crime: 10 things we learned from 2020
While a pandemic-driven increase in cyber crime and an exacerbation of existing fraud trends were, to a large extent, to be expected, the LexisNexis Risk solutions UK cybercrime report 2020 still contained a few surprises Continue Reading
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News
13 May 2021
Too many disconnected systems in government, says minister
Cabinet Office minister Julia Lopez wants to address issues with legacy systems, improve digital skills across government and improve department collaboration, including in procurement Continue Reading
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News
13 May 2021
Biden beefs up public-private security cooperation
Joe Biden has signed a new Executive Order to harden US cyber security and government networks, with an emphasis on information sharing Continue Reading
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News
13 May 2021
Verizon DBIR underscores year of unprecedented cyber challenge
Verizon 2021 Data Breach Investigations Report draws predictable conclusions as the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic continues to be felt Continue Reading
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News
12 May 2021
UK government publishes Online Safety Bill draft
Bill builds on previous commitments by the government, which has added new measures to uphold democracy and freedom of speech while making tech giants more accountable Continue Reading
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News
12 May 2021
Openreach extends analogue switch-off to further 700,000 homes and businesses
UK broadband provider ramps up the pace of its plan to stop selling copper-based broadband and traditional voice services across the UK by 2025 Continue Reading
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News
12 May 2021
UK to fund national cyber teams in Global South
Government will commit millions of pounds to supporting vulnerable countries in establishing cyber capacity Continue Reading
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News
11 May 2021
Government to reform Computer Misuse Act
Home secretary Priti Patel will explore reforming the Computer Misuse Act as calls mount for the 31-year-old law to be updated to reflect the changed online world Continue Reading
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News
11 May 2021
SolarWinds CEO calls for collective action against state attacks
SolarWinds CEO tells NCSC’s CyberUK conference he is exploring the possibility of collaborating with other companies on collective cyber action against attacks backed by nation states Continue Reading
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News
11 May 2021
Colonial Pipeline ransomware attack has grave consequences
The ramifications of a major ransomware attack against a US fuel pipeline operator could spread far and wide Continue Reading
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News
10 May 2021
HMRC facing calls to do more to tackle mini umbrella fraud in wake of BBC investigation
Contracting stakeholders are calling on HMRC to take more ‘visible action’ against mini umbrella companies, after a BBC Radio 4 File on 4 report claimed the UK is losing ‘hundreds of millions’ in tax each year through these firms Continue Reading
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News
10 May 2021
NCSC Active Cyber Defence blocks surge of pandemic scams
The NCSC responded to a surge in online scams last year as it moved to protect both the general public and critical national services during the pandemic Continue Reading
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News
07 May 2021
NCSC publishes smart city security guidelines
Guidance for local authorities, IT and cyber professionals aims to ensure the security of connected, smart city projects Continue Reading
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News
07 May 2021
Cyber accreditation to improve legal standing of security pros
Institute of Cyber Digital Investigations Professionals will help incident responders and cyber investigators get the professional recognition they deserve Continue Reading
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News
06 May 2021
Government urged to add scam protections to Online Safety Bill
Group of organisations calls for the government to use the Online Safety Bill to protect people from cyber scams Continue Reading
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News
06 May 2021
Scammers accidentally reveal fake Amazon review data
More than 13 million records relating to an organised fake review scam have been found on an unsecured ElasticSearch database, implicating hundreds of thousands of people in unethical behaviour Continue Reading
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News
05 May 2021
Why ITAM can aid IT-fuelled business recovery
As a sense of normality returns, we look at why IT asset management is the stealth tool for clearing a path towards greater digitisation Continue Reading
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Feature
05 May 2021
How GCHQ proposes to implement and use ethical AI
The rise of cyber crime and the escalating threat vectors facing the UK have led GCHQ to invest in automated threat detection and response systems to meet this challenge, as well as liaising with the private sector for the first time Continue Reading
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News
30 Apr 2021
MPs accuse government of unduly interfering in information commissioner appointment
Cross-party group of MPs says government is influencing the appointment of a new information commissioner by explicitly seeking a candidate who will support its policy agenda, rather than regulate independently Continue Reading
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News
30 Apr 2021
Government gets updated powers to intervene on tech-related M&A deals on national security grounds
The National Security and Investment Bill has secured royal assent, giving the government the legislative support it needs to intervene on business transactions in a variety of tech-related industries on national security grounds Continue Reading
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News
29 Apr 2021
G7 countries to cooperate on digital regulation
Digital and technology ministers outline their agenda for how technology can be used to facilitate the post-Covid recovery, signalling closer collaboration in key areas of the digital economy Continue Reading
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News
28 Apr 2021
Covid-19 security challenges leave bank customers at risk
Challenges arising from the pandemic have left gaping holes in banking security, putting consumers at risk of fraud Continue Reading
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Opinion
28 Apr 2021
IR35 private sector reforms: What firms need to do now the start date has passed
While the start date for the onset of the IR35 private sector reforms may have passed, firms in-scope of the revamped tax avoidance legislation may find themselves still with plenty of compliance work still to do Continue Reading
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News
28 Apr 2021
NHS App to serve as vaccine passport for foreign holidays
Existing NHS App will have vaccine passport functionality added to it, transport secretary confirms Continue Reading
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News
27 Apr 2021
UK supermarkets to trial age estimation tech for alcohol purchases
Biometric age estimation technology developed by Yoti to be tested in UK supermarkets for alcohol purchases as part of government-led digital identities initiative Continue Reading
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Opinion
27 Apr 2021
Why we need to reset the debate on end-to-end encryption to protect children
Private messaging is the front line of abuse, yet E2EE in its current form risks engineering away the ability of firms to detect and disrupt it where it is most prevalent Continue Reading
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News
27 Apr 2021
Apple OS updates patch multiple security holes
The much-heralded release of the privacy-centric iOS 14.5 also brings patches for multiple CVEs, and users of Apple smartphones, tablets and notebooks are best advised to update as soon as possible Continue Reading
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News
23 Apr 2021
HMRC downplays significance of CEO email ‘questioning’ legal basis of loan charge policy
A document dump of emails shared between HMRC officials has prompted loan charge campaigners to further question the legal footing of the government’s controversial disguised remuneration policy Continue Reading
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News
22 Apr 2021
GCHQ: Cyber investment a guarantor of UK’s global status
GCHQ director Jeremy Fleming sets out a vision for the UK’s cyber security future Continue Reading
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News
22 Apr 2021
Researchers shed more light on APT29 activity during SolarWinds attack
RiskIQ’s Atlas threat intel team uncovers new patterns and threat infrastructure used in the SolarWind’s attacks Continue Reading
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Opinion
22 Apr 2021
Security Think Tank: Security culture must underpin vaccine passports
What are the security challenges presented by vaccine passports, and how should they be designed and used with ethics and privacy in mind? Continue Reading
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News
21 Apr 2021
NCSC offers teachers free cyber security training
The NCSC’s latest security training offer builds on a package of measures designed to protect schools from cyber attack Continue Reading
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News
21 Apr 2021
EU lays out plans to regulate AI development
Proposal aims to encourage the development of ethical artificial intelligence systems that do not infringe the human rights of EU citizens Continue Reading
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News
20 Apr 2021
Health app myGP adds Covid-19 vaccine passport function
The new feature is described as the UK’s first NHS-assured Covid-19 certification feature Continue Reading
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News
20 Apr 2021
UK’s proposed IoT cyber security law gathers momentum
New statistics appear to vindicate UK government proposals to force suppliers to be upfront about IoT security Continue Reading
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Opinion
20 Apr 2021
Security Think Tank: ‘Legitimate interest’ crucial for vaccine passports
What are the security issues and challenges presented by vaccine passports, and how should they be designed and used with ethics and privacy in mind? Continue Reading
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News
15 Apr 2021
Biden sanctions Russia over SolarWinds cyber attacks
US president imposes new sanctions on Russia following malicious cyber attacks against the US and allies Continue Reading
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News
15 Apr 2021
Ireland’s DPC launches probe into Facebook leak
The Irish Data Protection Commission has launched an ‘own volition’ inquiry into the leak of data from 500 million Facebook profiles Continue Reading
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E-Zine
15 Apr 2021
CW Middle East: Qatari regulator launches platform to help combat money laundering
The Qatar Financial Markets Authority is using a digital platform to enable financial services professionals to assess their knowledge of anti-money laundering and combating the financing of terrorism. Also in this issue, read how the Covid-19 pandemic has changed the IT spending patterns among enterprises in Saudi Arabia. Continue Reading
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News
14 Apr 2021
CMA provisionally clears merger of Virgin and O2
Six months after being requested to review joint venture that could transform UK’s wired and wireless communications provision, UK competition watchdog CMA removes potential major hurdle to Virgin and O2 merger Continue Reading
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News
14 Apr 2021
FBI accesses ProxyLogon target servers to disrupt cyber criminals
US Justice Department reveals successful court-authorised effort to clamp down on ProxyLogon exploitation Continue Reading
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News
14 Apr 2021
Remote workers largely supportive of a UK right to disconnect
The introduction of a “right to disconnect” in the UK is popular among workers and has backing from trade unions Continue Reading
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News
14 Apr 2021
EU set to tilt AI balance in favour of citizen rights
New draft EU regulations aim to protect people from biased decision-making Continue Reading
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Opinion
14 Apr 2021
Security Think Tank: Vaccine passports cannot be taken lightly
What are the security issues and challenges presented by vaccine passports, and how should they be designed and used with ethics and privacy in mind? Continue Reading
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Opinion
14 Apr 2021
Security Think Tank: Vaccine passports must be secure by design
What are the security issues and challenges presented by vaccine passports, and how should they be designed and used with ethics and privacy in mind? Continue Reading
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News
13 Apr 2021
EncroChat lawyers raise questions over use of PII secrecy orders on UK decryption capabilities
Lawyers claim that public interest immunity certificates may have been used to withhold information on UK intelligence agencies’ ability to decrypt encrypted communications Continue Reading
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Feature
12 Apr 2021
Why some jobseekers have turned to cyber crime during the pandemic
Research shows that many people have been seeking cyber crime-related work on the dark web, but why? Continue Reading