Healthcare and NHS IT

IT is becoming increasingly critical for healthcare delivery. Vital initiatives such as electronic medical records, patient administration systems and telehealth are receiving growing investment in the NHS and elsewhere. Key technologies such as mobile, tablets and cloud are also essential for improving the healthcare industry with digital healthcare technology. Read the latest news about NHS IT and find resources on the broader world of healthcare IT with the news, case studies and advice in this topic section.

News 16 May 2023
CW Innovation Awards: Zuellig Pharma dispenses healthcare insights with data platform

The regional pharmaceutical giant’s business intelligence-as-a-service offering is touted to plug data gaps and has helped one pharmaceutical client improve customer loyalty Continue Reading
News 25 Apr 2023
How non-fungible tokens can be used to manage health data

Non-fungible tokens will give patients more ownership and control over their health data and improve its transparency in healthcare research, according to SingHealth clinicians Continue Reading

E-Zine 11 May 2023

CW EMEA: The future of work

In this month’s CW EMEA, we look at the future of work in Europe after the pandemic forced a change in entrenched human behaviour. For years, people talked about flexible working being the way forward, but scepticism within the management of large companies held it back. This all changed when Covid-19 began to spread out of control and governments and businesses quickly told people to work from home where possible. We also look at the increasing problem of IT failures in Dutch hospitals and how they are affecting patient care, highlighting the need to improve IT security in hospitals. Read the issue now. Continue Reading
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
10 May 2023

Dutch hospitals underestimate impact of cyber attack

IT failures in acute care organisations in the Netherlands have increased considerably since 2010, affecting patient care and stressing the need to improve IT security in hospitals Continue Reading
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
News 25 Apr 2023

UAE improves healthcare through information technology

Health authorities in the United Arab Emirates are increasing their emphasis on new, smart technologies to modernise healthcare services Continue Reading
News 25 Apr 2023

How non-fungible tokens can be used to manage health data

Non-fungible tokens will give patients more ownership and control over their health data and improve its transparency in healthcare research, according to SingHealth clinicians Continue Reading
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
News 13 Apr 2023

AstraZeneca launches African healthtech hub

AstraZeneca has launched its latest healthcare innovation hub, which will focus on using digital technology to improve healthcare in Africa Continue Reading
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
News 28 Mar 2023

AWS confirms healthcare accelerator startup programme participants

Public cloud giant Amazon Web Services confirms 23 startups have been added to its healthcare accelerator programme, which is centred on helping the sector tackle its staffing issues Continue Reading
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
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
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
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
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
News 20 Mar 2023

BBC cracks down on TikTok after review

The BBC is asking staff not to install TikTok on corporate-owned devices without a justified business purpose, although its use will still be allowed to share media content with its audiences Continue Reading
News 17 Mar 2023

UK TikTok ban gives us all cause to consider social media security

The UK government’s ban on TikTok should give all organisations cause to look into what information social media platforms are collecting on us, and what they are using it for Continue Reading
News 16 Mar 2023

BEC attacks doubled in 2022, outstripping ransomware

Massive growth in the volume of Business Email Compromise or BEC attacks was linked to a surge in successful phishing campaigns, according to data from Secureworks Continue Reading
News 16 Mar 2023

Mandiant: Dangerous MS Outlook zero-day widely used against Ukraine

A zero-day vulnerability in Microsoft Outlook that was fixed in the March Patch Tuesday update has likely been actively exploited by Russian actors for a year or more, and its use will now spread rapidly Continue Reading
News 15 Mar 2023

Chinese Silkloader cyber attack tool falls into Russian hands

A loader tool used by Chinese cyber criminals seems to have been enthusiastically taken up in recent weeks by Russian ransomware operators Continue Reading
News 15 Mar 2023

Microsoft patches Outlook zero-day for March Patch Tuesday

A highly dangerous privilege escalation bug in Outlook is among 80 different vulnerabilities patched in Microsoft’s March Patch Tuesday update Continue Reading
Feature 14 Mar 2023

As Covid fades away, what’s the future of remote work in Europe?

Many IT leaders are still supporting some form of work from home, and a trend is beginning to take shape in Europe Continue Reading
News 13 Mar 2023

MI5 to oversee new National Protective Security Authority

The new National Protective Security Authority will address various national security threats including state-sponsored cyber espionage against UK targets Continue Reading
Definition 07 Mar 2023

internet of medical things (IoMT) or healthcare IoT

The internet of medical things (IoMT) is the collection of medical devices and applications that connect to healthcare IT systems through online computer networks. Continue Reading
News 07 Mar 2023

Dutch hospitals underestimate impact of cyber attack

IT failures in acute care organisations in the Netherlands have increased considerably since 2010, affecting patient care and stressing the need to improve IT security in hospitals Continue Reading
Feature 07 Mar 2023

What can security teams learn from a year of cyber warfare?

With the passing of the first anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, we reflect on the ongoing cyber war, and ask what security leaders can learn from the past 12 months Continue Reading
News 07 Mar 2023

Spring Budget 2023: Campaign calls on government to ‘fix or ditch’ IR35

Ahead of next week’s Spring Budget, contracting authority ContractorCalculator is calling on freelance IT workers to join campaign centred on getting government to ‘fix or ditch’ IR35 tax rules Continue Reading
News 02 Mar 2023

Genomics England to use Sectra imaging system for cancer data programme

Genomics England has deployed an enterprise imaging system from supplier Sectra to link radiology and pathology images with whole genome sequencing data Continue Reading
Opinion 28 Feb 2023

Security Think Tank: Training can no longer be a compliance exercise

Historically, security training has tended to take a compliance-based focus, a ‘tick-box’ exercise using generic, off-the-shelf courses. This needs to change, says Hayley Watson of Turnkey Consulting. Continue Reading
E-Zine 28 Feb 2023

The race to net zero

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we examine the role of green technology in helping businesses contribute to the government’s 2050 net-zero targets. We talk to Spotify about the importance of open source technologies in the music streaming service. And we look at the way hybrid working is evolving as the post-pandemic workplace continues to change. Read the issue now. Continue Reading
News 27 Feb 2023

Scotland launches data strategy for health and social care

The five-year strategy aims to make it easier for people to access their own health and social care data, improve data flows between organisations, and transform the way data is used to enhance services Continue Reading
Opinion 27 Feb 2023

Cyber training in 2023 needs to drive measurable change

2023 will see more focus on security training programmes that not only provide employees with an understanding of the risks they face but more importantly drive measurable behavioural change, says PA Consulting’s Richard Allen Continue Reading
Feature 24 Feb 2023

AI in healthcare in northern Europe suggests future pathways

AI is used sporadically across northern Europe. If the healthcare sector is to provide affordable, high-quality care as the population ages and the economy falters, it will be needed more, experts say Continue Reading
Definition 24 Feb 2023

telehealth (telemedicine)

Telehealth, also referred to as telemedicine or e-medicine, is the remote delivery of healthcare services over the telecommunications infrastructure. Continue Reading
News 23 Feb 2023

WithSecure proposes ‘undo’ button for ransomware

WithSecure’s Activity Monitor technology supposedly overcomes the shortcomings of sandbox test environments, and may be able to stop ransomware attacks from ever happening Continue Reading
News 22 Feb 2023

Tony Blair and William Hague call for a remade strategic state to stoke UK innovation

Former Labour prime minister and former Conservative Party leader argue for a remaking of the British state to capitalise on artificial intelligence, biotech and climate tech, and reverse the country’s decline Continue Reading
News 22 Feb 2023

UK forces lead live-fire cyber war exercise

The seven-day Defence Cyber Marvel 2 exercise put cyber responders from 11 countries through their paces Continue Reading
News 22 Feb 2023

Researchers find new bug ‘class’ in Apple devices

A group of vulnerabilities in Apple products that stem from the ForcedEntry exploit used by spyware firm NSO constitutes a whole new class of bug, say researchers at Trellix Continue Reading
News 22 Feb 2023

Dutch cyber security professionals experience stress akin to soldiers in war zone, claims expert

Cyber attacks are taking a heavy toll on Dutch IT professionals, with over a third reporting that their mental health suffers as a result Continue Reading
News 22 Feb 2023

Half of cyber leaders to switch jobs by 2025, citing stress

A substantial number of cyber security leaders are plotting their great escape, saying the industry is leaving them too stressed to go on, according to a study Continue Reading
News 22 Feb 2023

Institute for Government cautions government to draw right lessons from pandemic

The Institute for Government has published a policy document warning government not to draw wrong lessons from data sharing during pandemic Continue Reading
News 21 Feb 2023

Care provider’s IT capability expands to support wider sector and beyond

Care Plus’s IT operation went from being under NHS control to an autonomous department selling its services Continue Reading
Opinion 21 Feb 2023

Cyber security training: Insights for future professionals

Future cyber security professionals need soft skills as well as technical ones, says security educator Sudeep Subramanian Continue Reading
Opinion 16 Feb 2023

Security Think Tank: New trends and drivers in cyber security training

Self-paced, interactive, bite-sized learning is becoming the optimum path for cyber security training in the workplace, says John Tolbert of KuppingerCole Continue Reading
News 15 Feb 2023

Multi-purpose malwares can use more than 20 MITRE ATT&CK TTPs

Report warns of the development of increasingly sophisticated, multi-purpose malwares, and calls on defenders to play close attention to the MITRE ATT&CK framework to ward them off Continue Reading
News 15 Feb 2023

Microsoft fixes three zero-days in February update

February’s Patch Tuesday update contains fixes for three previously unpublicised zero-days in Microsoft Office, Windows Graphics Component and Windows Common Log File System Driver Continue Reading
News 14 Feb 2023

Vidar, nJRAT re-emerge as prominent malware threats in January

Trojans and infostealers once again dominate the list of most commonly observed threats, according to Check Point’s latest telemetry Continue Reading
14 Feb 2023

Goodbye NHS Digital – a new era of NHS technology is upon us

As NHS Digital is officially merged into NHS England, we look at the history of the organisation and what the merger could mean for the future of NHS IT. Continue Reading
E-Zine 14 Feb 2023

Where next for NHS IT?

In this week’s Computer Weekly, as NHS Digital is folded into NHS England, we consider what the merger could mean for the future of NHS IT. We find out how data science and analytics has become an increasingly important function for the John Lewis Partnership. And we examine the importance of building empathy into metaverse applications. Read the issue now. Continue Reading
Opinion 14 Feb 2023

How to protect your business from fraud during a recession

This winter, the chilly winds of a global recession have fraudsters turning up the heat. PJ Rohall of SEON Fraud Fighters shares some guidance on how to bundle up against fraud Continue Reading
News 13 Feb 2023

KPMG launches metaverse and digital twin hub in Saudi Arabia

The Saudi Arabian government’s commitment to investing in metaverse technology has attracted a KPMG centre of excellence to its shores Continue Reading
News 13 Feb 2023

Security buyers lack insight into threats, attackers, report finds

The majority of cyber security purchasing decisions are made without proper insight into the attackers organisations are facing, according to a Mandiant report Continue Reading
News 13 Feb 2023

Northern Ireland integrated care record set to go live in November

South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust will be the first in Northern Ireland to deploy the Encompass integrated care record system, followed by a phased roll-out to other trusts Continue Reading
Opinion 08 Feb 2023

Security Think Tank: Poor training is worse than no training at all

Bad security training is a betrayal of users, a security risk, and ultimately a waste of money, but there are some reasons to be optimistic about the future, say Mike Gillespie and Ellie Hurst of Advent IM Continue Reading
News 06 Feb 2023

The Security Interviews: How to overcome data protection compliance challenges

Complying with the vast swathe of data protection legislation around the world is complex, especially for smaller organisations without the necessary expertise. Could the compliance process be simplified, and if so, how? Continue Reading
Opinion 03 Feb 2023

Security Think Tank: In 2023, we need a new way to cultivate better habits

Regular, small adjustments to behaviour offer a better way to keep employees on track and cultivate a corporate culture of cyber awareness, writes Elastic’s Mandy Andress Continue Reading
News 02 Feb 2023

Goodbye NHS Digital – a new era of NHS technology is upon us

As NHS Digital is officially merged into NHS England, Computer Weekly takes a look at the history of the organisation and what the merger could mean for the future of NHS IT Continue Reading
Opinion 02 Feb 2023

Security Think Tank: Getting the training and development mix right

Rob Dartnall, CEO at SecAlliance and chair of Crest’s UK Council, describes the need for formal, varied and continuous development in the cyber security sector Continue Reading
News 02 Feb 2023

North Korea’s Lazarus gang exposes itself in opsec failure

WithSecure researchers linked a campaign of cyber attacks targeting medical research and energy firms to North Korea’s infamous Lazarus APT after a group member accidentally screwed up Continue Reading
News 01 Feb 2023

Cloud security top risk to enterprises in 2023, says study

A PwC study finds senior executives expect cyber attacks on cloud services to increase significantly this year Continue Reading
News 01 Feb 2023

UK Cyber Council and ISACA launch audit, assurance programme

The UK Cyber Security Council has teamed up with ISACA to partner on a new audit and assurance programme for security pros Continue Reading
News 31 Jan 2023

Mark Logan on his vision for a Scottish technology ecosystem

The Scottish Government’s entrepreneur advisor speaks to Computer Weekly about the philosophy behind an ambitious technology ecosystem strategy Continue Reading
News 30 Jan 2023

Tiger’s hybrid cloud storage targets medical imaging

Tiger Bridge targets vertical sectors that find it hard to migrate to the cloud by allowing data storage in the cloud while using files locally as if stored on-premise Continue Reading
News 27 Jan 2023

Hive ransomware gang taken down after FBI hacks back

The FBI hacked into Hive’s servers, stole its decryption keys and then took down its servers in a major action that has successfully disrupted a prolific and dangerous ransomware operation Continue Reading
News 25 Jan 2023

Boards struggle to resolve cyber risk in digital supply chains

Accelerated digitisation of supply chains is introducing more cyber risk for which many organisations seem unprepared, according to the BSI’s annual report on supply chain risk Continue Reading
News 24 Jan 2023

UK insurers need to up their game on cyber gaps, says PRA

Gaps and limitations in how insurers respond to cyber risk need to be addressed, according to the Bank of England regulator, the Prudential Regulation Authority Continue Reading
News 24 Jan 2023

SSRF attacks hit 100,000 businesses globally since November

There has been a dramatic increase in attacks exploiting the ProxyNotShell/OWASSRF exploit chains to target Microsoft Exchange servers Continue Reading
News 24 Jan 2023

Fake online contest makes Yahoo! most phished brand of Q4 2022

Yahoo! was the most frequently phished brand during the last three months of 2022, according to a report Continue Reading
News 17 Jan 2023

Crest throws support behind CyberUp CMA reform campaign

Cyber accreditation association Crest International has lent its support to the CyberUp campaign for reform to the Computer Misuse Act of 1990 Continue Reading
News 11 Jan 2023

Microsoft fixes EoP zero-day on January Patch Tuesday

On the first Patch Tuesday of 2023, Microsoft fixed an elevation of privilege vulnerability in Windows Advanced Local Procedure Call, which has been actively exploited in the wild and may be co-opted into ransomware campaigns Continue Reading
News 11 Jan 2023

NHS data platform costing £480m to supersede Covid-19 data store underway

NHS England has invited suppliers to tender for a data platform that will supersede the Covid-19 data store controversial for the involvement of data analytics firm Palantir Continue Reading
News 11 Jan 2023

Davos 2023: Pervasive cyber crime and cyber security gaps pose severe risk to organisations

Governments and organisations face tough trade-offs as they balance immediate problems caused by economic recession, energy shortages and rising interest rates with longer-term risks, including the impact of global warming Continue Reading
News 10 Jan 2023

Insurer Beazley introduces catastrophe bond to ease cyber risk

Insurance company Beazley says that its $45m cyber catastrophe bond will help to protect its balance sheet and enable it to offer more cyber insurance cover Continue Reading
News 04 Jan 2023

Diversity and inclusion figures high in New Year Honours List 2023

The New Year Honours List 2023 hailed those in the technology community who promote diversity and inclusion Continue Reading
News 29 Dec 2022

NHS-funded AI diagnosis tool benefits stroke patients

NHS England hails Brainomix stroke diagnosis tool for a tripling of the number of patients recovering to perform daily activities from 16% to 48% Continue Reading
Feature 29 Dec 2022

How Finland develops its national plan for investment in innovation

A small country with limited resources, Finland carefully chooses strategic technologies to lead it into the future Continue Reading
Feature 29 Dec 2022

Cyber security professionals share their biggest lessons of 2022

In the run-up to 2023, cyber security professionals are taking the time to reflect on the past few months and share their biggest lessons of 2022 Continue Reading