The Society for Innovation, Technology, and Modernisation (Socitm) has released a series of recommendations to update and build up resilience in the UK public sector, which a focus on cybersecurity posture and the future of AI.

The society’s new Public Sector Digital Trends report highlights the need for consistently modernised security systems and infrastructure revamps to keep up with the ever-evolving technology ecosystem and the threats and risks inherent to its developments.

Among its recommendations, Socitm points to some of the key ways the public sector can benefit from emerging technologies, as well as its many hurdles to keep up in an evolving tech ecosystem.

Cybersecurity 

Citing the escalation of global threats permeating the cyber landscape, Socitm urged the public sector to stay afloat.

The organisation cited two significant technical shifts that organisations are taking and should continue to take to stay secure.

Adopting zero trust models, which assumes threats can exist both inside and outside a network perimeter, was advised to be adopted.

Further, as vulnerabilities in the Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) enyrption protocol increase, organisations are adopted Transport Layer Security (TLS), which employs cryptography to improve data integrity and confidentiality, as well as greater resilience to ‘man in the middle’ attacks.

While these two cybersecurity methods will increase the safety of systems, Socitm noted several challenges affecting the landscape, including the need for further investment to keep systems up to date, and compliance issues which may delay updates.

“The volatile, risk-filled landscape of cybersecurity so often gives our adversaries free rein to innovate faster than those who create for the online safety of all of us,” Danny Dresner, professor of cybersecurity in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Manchester.

AI

In terms of AI adoption in the public sector, Socitm identified a range of beneficial applications, ranging from speeding up data analysis and organisation, to process automation, and improving the efficacy of citizen service interfaces.

However, it noted two main factors that will determine the pace of AI’s adoption across the public sector, despite the hype.

This includes the public sector’s capability and capacity to take on complex AI projects, given other pressing priorities the sector faces as well as the AI skills shortage plaguing the UK.

Compliance and regulatory concerns – around the quality of data, AI bias, the transparency of algorithms, and concerns about liability – are all set to transform the rush to AI into a quagmire of compliance woes.

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Harnessing Data

Successive governments have championed the idea of harnessing data to create better outcomes for the UK, and public organisations should not miss out on the importance of data.

The public sector typically harnesses data to enhance public services, build trust, and improve outcomes for residences.

Socitm found a trend in the increased use of place-based insights for specific, community focuses data problems and solutions.

Emergency response teams are also increasingly relying on data for training and to better support vulnerable communities, and pro-active, data-drive interventions are on the rise as councils and universities use data identity and address issues earlier.

Infrastructure and Cloud

Noting the increased reliance on cloud services and infrastructure to prop up connected spaces, Socitm highlighted the need for the public sector to reassess its infrastructure needs and capabilities.

This includes investigating the interoperability of its systems, including hybrid cloud platforms, to ensure the appropriate flexibility.

One key issue is that the investment in IT infrastructure has struggled to keep pace with demand and digital developments, a major hurdle as well designed infrastructure is the basis for managing complex patchwork datasets across different systems.

Further, as many IT suppliers offer a cloud-only service, public sector organisations need to be prepared, or will risk losing out on the data harnessing and AI capabilities that will improve their offerings and keep them secure.