There are just three weeks left until the first annual Financial Services Technology Summit, delving into the vast and transformative world of technology in the financial sector.
The inaugural event from DIGIT will take place at Dynamic Earth on the 1st of May, featuring a range of speakers, exhibitors, and panel discussions exploring the top trends and topics affecting financial services.
FS Technology aims to contextualise some of the most prominent trends in the financial industry, delving into technical advancements ranging from AI, to Blockchain and the Cloud.
As technology continually permeates the ever-important sector, and as geopolitical tensions make the future all the more uncertain, it has become even more essential for financial services leaders to lock into technology trends to advance their business impact.
The day’s agenda is chock full of exceptional leaders who will share their expertise and perspective on how technology continues to shape financial services.
Stephen Bosarge, Senior Director: UK Enterprise & Corporate, Dell Technologies
Dave Townsend, CIO Technology Platform Lead, Lloyds Banking Group
Mari Parry, Principal AI Engineer, BlackRock
Charles E James, Head of Sales & Business Development, Salt Group
Adam White, Channel Manager UK&I & Northern Europe, Utimaco
Franita Neuville, Sales Director, London Stock Exchange Group
Rob Mossop, COO, Sword Group
Yanna Winter, CIO, Generali Insurance
Adrian Culley, Head of Engineering, SafeBreach
Adam Preis, Director of Product Marketing, Ping Identity
James Peet, Director of Practice Identity and Access Management, Ensono
Louise Beaumont, SVP Global Open Banking and Open Finance, Mastercard
Shauna Mullin, Head of Product, Direct and Advice, M&G
Philip Intallura, Group Head of Quantum Technologies, HSBC
DIGIT is offering a full day of financial services technology talks, including a breakfast briefing from dotnext for early birds keen to start their financial services technology journey.
You can find the full agenda, as well as our exhibitors and sponsors, here.
Registration is still open – you can register your attendance for the event here.
More than half (56%) of C-suite executives below the rank of CEO, excluding CHROs, are likely or extremely likely to leave their current role in the next two years, Gartner Inc. predicts.
The October 2024 Gartner survey of 200 CxOs – defined as C-suite leaders reporting to the CEO, revealed that over a quarter (27%) are likely or extremely likely to leave in the next six months.
The survey also found that executives are reporting an increase in workload compared to two years ago, with two thirds (67%) agreed they are asked to do more in their role.
Over half (58%) agreed their organisation relies more heavily on their function or business uni, with 44% agreeing they are more stressed by their work responsibilities.
“Heightened executive turnover is a challenge for organizations as a less-tenured executive team typically means lower enterprise growth, which is the most important metric organizations rely on to track enterprise performance,” said Alexander Kirss, senior principal in the Gartner HR practice. “Compounding the issue, more tenured executives are more likely to leave within the next two years than executives who are newer in their roles.”
Companies where executives have an average tenure of five years or more outperformed on revenue, customer experience and other key metrics, compared to companies with executive teams that have less than five years average tenure, according to the Gartner survey.
“CHROs have a key role in mitigating CxO attrition, however they face headwinds,” continued Kirss. “Fewer than one in four CxOs say their CHRO is effective at strengthening the C-suite’s ability to function as a cohesive team. On top of that, just 23% of CxOs report their CHRO is effective at managing tension between C-suite members.”
Gartner has provided a range of recommendations for CHROS to mitigate attrition. This includes taking on the role of a career coach for c-suite leaders, with a focus on learning and development.
CHROs should also focus on building trust with CEOs by ensuring executives understand the CEO’s priorities and regularly engage in candid communication with the CEO, including opportunities to showcase their expertise.
Gartner also says that CHROs should also serve as executive mental health champions, helping peers identify sources of work stress, and provide coaching to improve work-life balance.
The UK economy grew more than expected in February, data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) shows.
The UK’s GDP grew by 0.5% in February, a shock to economists who had predicted no economic growth in the winter month.
Services and manufacturing sectors are the main culprits, as their activity picked up after a slow start to the year.
January had seen no growth, so the boost in February gives greater confidence to the Labour government and its Plan for Change to transform and strengthen the British economy.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves has been leading the charge for economic growth, while inflation continues to rise, sewing further doubt among consumers.
“These growth figures are an encouraging sign – but we are not complacent – we must keep going further and faster on our Plan for Change,” Reeves said in her response to the data.
“The world has changed, and we have witnessed that change in recent weeks,“ she continued. “This government will remain pragmatic and cool-headed as we seek to secure the best deal with the United States that is in our national interest.
“At the same time we will be relentless in our work to kickstart economic growth, provide security for working people and renewal for Britain.“
The UK is among the myriad countries the US will hit with tariffs after a 90 day pause on the action – the UK will face a 10% tariff on all goods entering the US, which could injure British exporters and overall economic growth.
Businesses are already concerned about the recent rise in taxes, as well as water and energy bills, and increases in council tax. The cost-of-living crisis appears to have not faded away despite efforts. Global uncertainty has certainly not helped the overall economic outlook.
Within manufacturing, factories showed an uptick in activity, with production growing 1.5% in February, a turnaround since its 0.5% fall in January.
The services sector, the UK’s largest, grew by 0.3% in February, though it did see 0.1% growth in January. Construction also grew in February, by 0.4%, after a 0.3% fall in the former month.
“The economy grew strongly in February with widespread growth across both services and manufacturing industries,” ONS director of economic statistics Liz McKeown said.
“Within services, computer programming, telecoms and car dealerships all had strong months, while in manufacturing, electronics and pharmaceuticals led the way and car manufacturing also picked up after its recent poor performance.
“Across the last three months as a whole, the economy also grew strongly with broad-based growth across services industries.”
Exception, an Edinburgh-based digital transformation company, has announced the successful completion of a management buyout (MBO), marking a significant milestone in the company’s journey.
Led by its dedicated leadership team, the buyout positions Exception for continued growth, innovation, and independence as it transitions into its next chapter with a renewed focus on helping businesses harness AI and operate more efficiently.
“We are thrilled to take this bold step forward,” said Alasdair Hendry, managing director of Exception.
“This buyout is a testament to the strength of everyone in the company, the trust of our stakeholders, and our belief in the exceptional value we deliver.
“With this change, we’re poised to accelerate our growth, invest in our people, and sharpen our focus on supporting businesses to make the most of AI, streamline operations, and achieve greater efficiency.”
Exception’s employees and clients can expect a seamless transition, with no disruptions to operations or service.
The management team has reaffirmed its dedication to fostering a culture of innovation, collaboration, and excellence.
Moving forward, Exception aims to empower its clients by leveraging cutting-edge AI solutions to drive productivity and cost savings in an increasingly challenging and digital world.
“We are incredibly proud of what Exception has achieved over the past 23 years and are delighted to see the company transition into this exciting new phase under Alasdair and the management team’s leadership,” non-executive director Scott McGlinchey said.
“Their vision to empower businesses with AI and drive efficiency aligns perfectly with the innovative spirit we’ve always championed. We have full confidence in their ability to take Exception to even greater heights and wish them every success in this next chapter.”
Exception was founded in 2002 and specialises in scalable digital solutions for businesses around the UK. The company serves both public and private sector firms with a new emphasis on AI integration to help optimise business operations in the digital age.
Child sex offenders are using online dating sites at high rates and may be trying to gain access to children through their parents, a report has warned.
The report from the Childlight Global Child Safety Institute, hosted at the University of Edinburgh, found men who sexually offend against children are nearly four times more likely to use dating sites than non- offenders.
The research found nearly two thirds (66 per cent) of men who have sexually offended against children used dating platforms – with over one in five offenders using dating apps daily.
Researchers say the findings highlight the need for stronger regulation of dating apps to protect users against child sex offenders.
“Child sexual exploitation and abuse is a global public health emergency that requires emergency measures. New risks are emerging and protections have not kept pace,” Debi Fry, Childlight’s global director of data and professor of international child protection research at the University of Edinburgh.
“But it’s preventable, not inevitable. It means focusing not just on reactive law enforcement measures but on proactive prevention strategies that tackle the underlying determinants of abuse — including the financial and technological ecosystems that sustain it.”
Childlight’s findings are based on a self-reported survey of 5,000 men in Australia, the UK, and US.
The research found 11.5% of men surveyed admitted having sexual feelings towards children and 11% confessed to sexual offences against minors.
The survey asked questions of men relating to carrying out online behaviour that could be classed as child sex abuse. It indicated that one in nine men in the US, 7% in the UK, and 7.5% of men in Australia admitted to such behaviour.
The research provides distributing insights into shocking perpetrator behaviour online.
Experts say offenders may appear trustworthy, as they are more likely to have a child in their house, work with children, and have a higher education level.
The report also found men who have committed sexual offences against children engaged more frequently in certain online activities, like online shopping, dating, and gaming.
They are also more likely to own and use cryptocurrency and to buy sexual content online.
“Our findings provide clear evidence that dating apps lack adequate child protection measures, and these loopholes are being exploited by child abusers to target single parents and their children,” Professor Michael Salter, report co-author, and director of the new Childlight East Asia and Pacific Hub at UNSW Sydney, said.
“There’s no reason why the robust user identification methods we have in other industries, such as banking and gambling, should not also have to be adopted by dating app platforms. Similarly, there are a range of AI tools and systems that can flag problematic words and conversations that can and should be used.”
To better protect children, Professor Salter recommends user verification processes, such as mandatory ID checks, and tools to detect predatory behaviours, like grooming language or suspicious messaging patterns.
He also calls for education campaigns to raise single parents’ awareness of risks and how to spot red flags to protect their families, and better platform accountability which may require new regulation.
The findings are part of a broader investigation into the multi-billion dollar industry of child sexual exploitation and abuse.
The research also reveals that mainstream companies are among those benefiting from, and perpetuating, a multi-billion-dollar global trade in the technology-facilitated sexual exploitation and abuse of children (CSEA). They include payment transfer firms and social media platforms where illegal child sexual abuse images are present and where abuse-related traffic can increase advertising revenues.
The report warns that sexual exploitation and abuse of children has become a pandemic, impacting more than 300 million every year.
More than four in ten businesses (43%) and three in ten charities (30%) reported experiencing any kind of cybersecurity breach or attack in the past year, new government statistics reveal.
The UK government released data from its cybersecurity breaches survey, which revealed a decrease in the number of cyber-attacks faced by UK businesses in the past 12 months.
UK businesses faced about 612,000 cyber-attacks or breaches, while UK charities faced about 61,000. This is a marked decrease from the 2024 data, which showed that 50% of UK businesses faced an attack or breach, equating to 718,000.
The survey said the decrease was mainly driven by fewer micro and small businesses identifying phishing attacks, though the prevalence of breaches and attacks in medium and large businesses remain high and on par with 2024 figures.
Of the businesses and charities that experienced a breach in the past 12 months, phishing attacks remain the most prevalent, the survey found, experienced by 85% of businesses and 86% of charities.
Businesses reported an increase in temporary loss of access to files or networks from last year (7% vs 4%), while charities experienced a rise in loss of access to third-party services (5% vs 1% in 2024).
Cyber Hygiene
The UK government survey found a mixed bag when it comes to cyber hygiene across businesses and charities of various sizes.
The survey found that small businesses are encouragingly showing improvement in many cyber hygiene practices, including increased uptake of cybersecurity risk assessments, cyber insurance, formal cybersecurity policy covering cybersecurity risks, and business continuity plans that address cybersecurity.
Conversely, high-income charities showed a decline in several of these areas compared to last year, including in identifying cyber risks, reviewing supplier risks, and having a formal cybersecurity strategy in place.
Still the majority of businesses and charities have implemented basic technical controls, like malware protection, password policies, network firewalls, backing up data securely, and restricted admin rights.
However, other measures have lower rates of adoption, such as two-factor authentication, virtual private networks for staff, and user monitoring.
Risk Management and Supply Chains
The survey revealed a troubling trend as relatively few businesses or charities are taking steps to review the risks posed by their immediate suppliers and wider supply chain.
Just over one in ten businesses said they reviewed the risks posed by their immediate suppliers (14%) and under one in ten were looking at the wider supply chain (7%). Among charities, the respective figures were slightly lower (9% at their immediate suppliers, and 4% at their wider supply chain).
This varied by size, possibly reflecting a more complex supply chain, with around a third of medium businesses (32%) and nearly half of large businesses (45%) reviewing the cybersecurity risks posed by their immediate suppliers, in comparison to 22% of micro businesses and 21% of small businesses.
While cybersecurity remains a high priority for the majority of businesses (72%) and charities (68%), a trend emerged that board-level responsibility for cybersecurity has steadily declined among businesses since 2021.
Larger organisations to have a higher prioritisation of cybersecurity (92%) compared to businesses overall (72%).
Cyber-crime
According to the government, some cyber breaches and attacks do not count as cyber-crimes according to the law, so the survey presented some separate statistics for this phenomenon.
20% of businesses and 14% of charities have been victims of at least one cyber-crime in the past year, the data found. This means that just under half of businesses identifying a breach or attack ended up being victims of a cyber-crime.
The larger the business, the more likely they were to experience a cyber-crime, the survey found, with 52% of all crimes being reported by large organisations. The same pattern was found among charities based on relative income.
While the level of overall crime remained static, the prevalence of ransomware among businesses increased from less than 0.5% in 2024 to 1% in 2025.
UK businesses experienced approximately 8.58 million cyber-crimes of all types in the last 12 months, which includes non-phishing crimes and fraud. Charities in the UK experienced around 435,000 cyber-crimes in the same time span.
Enterprise IoT spending growth has hit a multi-year low, but could be set for a resurgence, according to IoT Analytic’s State of IoT Spring 2025 report.
Enterprise IoT spending grew 10% in 2024, according to the analysis, the lowest market growth rate the firm observed since covering the market in 2014.
This slowdown comes on the back of macroeconomic uncertainties that led to reduced corporate investments in 2024, especially in the manufacturing sector, and in Europe.
“[We] began to see increasing weakness in the Industrial and IoT market already during quarter three, as well as an unexpected contraction in manufacturing PMI below 50 across all regions except China,” Kurt Sievers, CEO of NXP Semiconductors said at a Q3 2024 earnings call, exemplifying the tough conditions on key supply chain flows in the IoT market.
Hardware segments, including industrial automation and specific semiconductor subsegments) were the hardest hit, particularly the controllers and gateways segment, which saw an 8% decline in spending in 2024.
Despite these struggles, IoT software and connectivity services maintained strong growth.
Infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS) and software-as-a-service (SaaS) supporting IoT deployments remained resilient, experiencing a 22% and 21% year on year growth in enterprise spending, respectively.
In terms of investments, the top 20 IoT-related startup investments in the latter half of 2024, 45% of the investments were related to software. Meanwhile, IoT services related to wireless connectivity experienced slightly faster YoY growth, from 17.3% in 2023 to 17.7% in 2024.
The report does have some good news for the future, as enterprise Io market growth is set to accelerate in 2025. Starting this year, the enterprise IoT market growth is forecasted to re-accelerate, growing at 14% CAGR through 2030.
Hardware is also poised to see accelerated growth, the analytics firm predicts, with controllers and gateways forecasted to recover to a modest 4.5% CAGR through 2030. However, specific hardware and semiconductor segments – those at the intersection of IoT and AI – are expected to see a much larger growth rate.
“We anticipate QCT IoT revenues to increase by more than 20% on a year-over-year basis with growth across consumer, industrial and networking,” Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon said in a Q4 2024 earnings call.
By 2027, organisations will implement small, task-specific AI models, with usage volume at least three times more than those of general-purpose large language models (LLMs), Gartner predicts.
While general-purpose LLMs provide robust language capabilities, their response accuracy declines for tasks requiring specific business domain context.
“The variety of tasks in business workflows and the need for greater accuracy are driving the shift towards specialized models fine-tuned on specific functions or domain data,” said Sumit Agarwal, VP analyst at Gartner.
“These smaller, task-specific models provide quicker responses and use less computational power, reducing operational and maintenance costs.”
Enterprises can customise LLMs for specific tasks by employing retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) or fine-tuning techniques to create specialized models.
In this process, enterprise data becomes a key differentiator, necessitating data preparation, quality checks, versioning and overall management to ensure relevant data is structured to meet the fine-tuning requirements.
“As enterprises increasingly recognise the value of their private data and insights derived from their specialized processes, they are likely to begin monetising their models and offering access to these resources to a broader audience, including their customers and even competitors,” said Agarwal.
“This marks a shift from a protective approach to a more open and collaborative use of data and knowledge.”
By commercialising their proprietary models, enterprises can create new revenue streams while simultaneously fostering a more interconnected ecosystem.
Enterprises looking to implement small task-specific AI models must consider a range of factors in the process.
This includes piloting contextualised models in areas where business context is crucial or where LLMs have not met response quality or speed expectations.
Gartner also recommends identifying use cases where single model orchestration falls short, and instead, employ a composite approach involving multiple models and workflow steps.
Organisations should also prioritise data preparation efforts to collect, curate and organise the data necessary for fine-tuning language models.
Simultaneously, invest in upskilling personnel across technical and functional groups such as AI and data architects, data scientists, AI and data engineers, risk and compliance teams, procurement teams and business subject matter experts, to effectively drive these initiatives.
A new survey from Stack Overflow has unveiled a transformative shift in the developer community, with open-source AI emerging as a pivotal force.
The survey of over 1,000 global developers, reveals that an impressive 82% have some experience with open-source AI, a trend that is particularly pronounced among the 25-34 age group, with 60% reporting significant engagement.
Notably, developers with the least work experience (0-5 years) show the highest familiarity at 71%, indicating that open-source AI is becoming a key area of expertise and exploration for newer developers.
Among the most recognised AI models, GPT-4o, DeepSeek and Gemini’s popular models all stand out. Remarkably, two of the top five models are open-source, reflecting the growing prominence of these tools in the developer community.
For developers not using open-source LLMs, the top five models for awareness are Nova Pro (Amazon), Jamba, QwQ, Phi-4, and Mistral Large 2, with all but Nova Pro being open-source.
The survey also highlights that developers with 0-5 years of experience are most familiar with DeepSeek (open-source) and Google (proprietary) models. Those with 5-15 years of experience show higher familiarity with LLMs, particularly GPT-4o (33%), DeepSeek V3 (31%), and o1 (31%).
When asked to rank various models, Claude Sonnet and o1 received high average normalised ranks despite lower awareness, while Gemini had a low average rank despite high awareness.
This suggests that some lesser-known models are highly valued by those who are familiar with them.
Trust in open-source AI is highest for personal projects and learning, with 66% of respondents giving it a top-box score.
Proprietary AI also garners trust for personal and learning purposes (52%), but less so for strategic or development work.
Security remains a concern for 44% of respondents regarding open-source AI, though 48% do not see it as a significant issue.
“Open-source AI is rapidly becoming a cornerstone for developers, especially those early in their careers,” Erin Yepis, senior analyst, market research and insights, Stack Overflow said.
“The high trust in open-source models for personal and learning projects underscores the community’s confidence in these tools. As the technology evolves, we expect its adoption to continue growing, driven by the next generation of developers.’’
The survey underscores the growing prominence and trust in open-source AI among developers, particularly for personal and learning applications. As the technology continues to evolve, its adoption is expected to rise, driven by early career and younger developers.
While data centre energy usage continues to rise – now accounting for more than 1.1% of global energy consumption – average carbon emissions per unit of energy consumed are trending downwards, new data from Structure Research shows.
The independent research firm found that the growing adoption of renewable and carbon-free energy sources is contributing to this downward trend of carbon emissions.
Total energy usage increased from 178.5 TWh in 2019 to 310.6 TWh in 2024, while emissions intensity fell from 366.9 mtCO2e/GWh to 312.7 mtCO2e/GWh over the same period.
“Data centres are foundational to the modern digital economy, and that means they carry a growing environmental responsibility,” said Philbert Shih, managing director of Structure Research.
“What this report shows is that while energy consumption continues to climb, providers are making meaningful progress in efficiency and renewable adoption.
“The industry is clearly moving in the right direction—but transparency and accountability will be critical as sustainability expectations evolve.”
Amid rising energy demands, the research suggests progress when it comes to sustainability. Energy usage by ESG leaders grew 17.9% over the last five years, with renewable energy consumption growing by 27.9%.
Hyperscalers are now using renewable sources for approximately 91% of their total energy needs, the research found, with data centre providers reaching 62%.
Carbon-free energy, including nuclear, is emerging as a key part of the data centre energy mix as power constraints grow in Tier 1 markets.
Further, the average power usage effectiveness (PUE) of data centre providers declined from 1.44 in 2019 to 1.38 in 2024, while hyperscale PUEs remained at an industry-leading 1.22. This is a marked improvement as the energy entering the data centre gets evermore closer to the amount used to run its servers.
However, data centre water consumption did increase by 9.6% over five years, driven by demand for liquid cooling to support AI workloads and higher rack densities.
Structure Research’s analysis found that ESG reporting across the sector is becoming more common, though significant variation remains in the scope and depth of disclosures. The report emphasizes the importance of transparency in environmental reporting and urges providers to include more granular, region-specific data in future disclosures.
Ransomware attacks have reached new highs and lows, research from BlackFog shows.
While ransomware attacks have surged in numbers, the profitability of the popular cybersecurity threat is dwindling, according to BlackFog’s State of Ransomware Q1, 2025.
The cybersecurity firm found that March 2025 set a new record, with over 100 publicly disclosed attacks, a 8% rise compared to March of last year. This is also the largest number of attacks the company’s seen since it started tracking them in 2020.
March’s figures pushed the first quarter of 2025 to also reach a new high, with 278 publicly disclosed ransomware attacks.
Based on these numbers, BlackFog estimated that around 2124 unreported ransomware attacks happened during the first quarter of 2025, which would be a 113% year-on-year rise.
About 95% of disclosed ransomware attacks included a data leak, the report found, showing that data exfiltration is still a major priority of ransom groups.
The healthcare sector had the most ransomware attacks, BlackFog found, followed by government organisations, the education sector, and service providers.
The US was also the top targeted country according to the group.
In March specifically, 39 different ransomware groups were responsible for the attacks, with Qilin, Clop, and Akira leading the charge.
February also saw a marked increased in the number of ransomware attacks compared to last year, a rise of 35% to 77 total disclosed attacks.
Twenty-five different gangs were responsible for the attacks that month, with RansomHub taking responsibility for nearly 10% of all victims over the month.
Tracing back to January, the month saw 92 disclosed ransomware attacks, a 21% increase from last year. The month’s record-breaking figure was beat out by March’s stats, but still set an unprecedented pattern for the start of the year. 32 ransomware groups claimed responsibility for the attacks in January.
While 2025 started off with big numbers in terms of the amount of attacks, BlackFog found that the current average ransom demand is $663,582, which is dwarfed by the average ransom demand reported in July 2024 by Comparitech, which was $5.2m in the first half of 2024.
So, while ransomware attacks may be up, it may indicate that ransomware groups are forced to execute more attacks as payouts shrink.
While the majority of UK businesses believe that adopting a hybrid working approach has boosted their people’s productivity and wellbeing, many are still keen for workers to return to the office more frequently.
This is according to the latest Business Outlook Tracker from Grant Thornton UK, which surveyed 607 mid-sized businesses across the UK, finding that almost three quarters (71%) are currently using a hybrid working approach.
In Scotland, this figure drops to 37% of business adopting a hybrid working model at the moment.
Surveyed UK businesses expressed a range of positive outcomes from their adoption of a hybrid working model, with 83% saying that it had boosted productivity, with the same amount saying they believed it positively impacted their worker’s wellbeing.
Further, 86% believe that their workers prefer a hybrid working approach, with 85% thinking this model is beneficial for their business.
In Scotland, 95% of businesses adopting a hybrid model believe it has boosted productivity, with 100% believing that it has positively impacted worker wellbeing.
Despite these benefits, the majority (85%) of these respondents are still keen that their people spend more time in the office than they are currently.
This may be due to a recognition that in-person interactions can often be more beneficial for specific activities – in fact, over three quarters (78%) of the UK businesses who are currently adopting a hybrid approach say that it is impacting their ability to provide adequate support and development for younger or trainee employees.
Still, it is difficult in the current market to defend this stance, as many workers, particularly in tech, have hybrid or flexible working options as a dealbreaker for a new job. Further, renting an office space is no small expense.
“A blended approach to in-office working and working from home has become an established way of operating for many organisations since the pandemic,” Richard Waite, people and culture director and head of talent and recruitment, Grant Thornton, UK, said.
“Employees tend to see this as a significant benefit – valuing the flexibility it offers and the ability to better balance professional and personal commitments.
“In turn, many businesses have also seen a boost to their employees’ wellbeing and productivity but recognise that the need for in-person interaction and connectivity has not gone away with some activity, such as training and development or group collaboration, still requiring that in-person, human element.
“For many businesses, finding the right balance that works for their business, their people, and their clients or customers, needs careful time and consideration.
“It’s important to ensure that both they and their people can benefit from the opportunities a hybrid and more flexible working approach can offer, while still ensuring that critical business needs are met and that specific groups of people within the organisation, such as newer or early in their career employees, are not disadvantaged.
Cyber experts at the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) have shared new advice to help protect individuals from the threat of digital surveillance posed by spyware apps.
The NCSC has partnered with international counterparts in Australia, Canada, Germany, New Zealand, and the US to reveal details about malicious cyber actors which use two forms of spyware to target individuals in Uyghur, Tibetan, and Taiwanese communities as well as civil society groups.
The malicious software – dubbed MOONSHINE and BADBAZAAR – hide malicious functions inside otherwise legitimate apps in a technique known as ‘trojanising’.
Once installed, the apps can access various functions including microphones, cameras, messages, photos, and location data, including real-time tracking, without the user being aware.
The apps have been specifically targeting individuals internationally who are connected to topics that are considered to pose a threat to the Chinese state’s stability, the advisory warns, with some designed to appeal directly to victims or imitate popular apps.
Examples include ‘Tibet One’ and Audio Quran apps that have supported targets’ native languages and were promoted in online forums frequented by intended users, as well as some apps imitating the likes of legitimate brands such as Whatsapp and Skype.
Individuals at risk of being targeted by these spyware apps are strongly encouraged to follow new advice to help protect their devices and data.
“With our international and industry partners, we are committed to helping equip individuals at risk of online surveillance with the information they need to counter spyware threats,” NCSC director of operations Paul Chichester said.
“We are seeing a rise in digital threats designed to silence, monitor, and intimidate communities across borders, and the use of these two forms of spyware is clearly unacceptable.
“The NCSC urges people at higher risk to exercise heightened vigilance and follow our practical advice outlined in the advisory to help keep their devices and data safe.”
A further advisory contains technical analysis of the spyware as well as steps for app store operators, developers, and social media companies to better protect their users.
The advisory warns that the individuals most at risk include: Taiwanese independence; Tibetan rights; Uyghur Muslims and other ethnic minorities in or from China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region; democracy advocacy, including Hong Kong, and the Falun Gong spiritual movement.
Concerns regarding the unsettled regulatory and legal environment moved into the top rank of emerging risks for the first quarter of 2025, according to a Gartner, Inc. survey of enterprise risk leaders.
The survey of 266 senior risk and assurance executives – taken in the first quarter of 2025 – revealed that the unsettled regulatory and legal environment, which is marked by increasing compliance complexity and costs due to regulatory authority changes, moved from the third most cited spot in 3Q24 and 4Q24 to rank as the most cited in 1Q25 (Table 1).
“The global political arena is seeing transformative shifts, driven by elections that have ushered new governments into power across key economies, making the issue one that executives want to better understand and address before they face real consequences,” said Gamika Takkar, director, research, key initiative leader for the Gartner Risk & Audit Practice.
Source: Gartner
Root Causes
In addition to the unsettled regulatory and legal environment after the U.S. election, Europe and other regions are preparing for consequential elections that could also reshape regulatory landscapes. These political transitions carry the potential to redefine compliance frameworks, posing challenges for businesses striving to adapt to new legal realities.
Adding to the complexity is the divergent approach to artificial intelligence (AI) regulation across regions. While some governments champion AI innovation through flexible regulatory measures, others intensify scrutiny, complicating the compliance landscape for companies operating globally. This regulatory tug-of-war leaves businesses grappling with the challenge of aligning their AI strategies with disparate legal requirements.
Potential Consequences
The consequences of an unsettled regulatory and legal environment affect every aspect of business operations. As new administrations take the helm, the focus on regulatory scrutiny and enforcement can shift dramatically.
In certain jurisdictions, rules that were once rigorously enforced may fall by the wayside, leaving businesses in a state of flux as they attempt to anticipate and respond to these changes.
The financial burden of compliance is also evolving as different standards across borders reshape the cost landscape. Companies may be compelled to hire specialised staff or adapt their operations to adhere to varying regulations.
This financial strain can impact profitability, forcing businesses to re-evaluate their strategies and resource allocation in the face of mounting compliance costs.
To effectively navigate these challenges, organisations should assess their risk exposure in four critical policy areas:
Trade, tariffs, and supply chain disruptions: Companies must prepare for critical input shortages, retaliatory tariffs, shifts in trade routes, increased production costs, capital investment uncertainty, exchange rate volatility, and lower consumer demand.
Regulatory and legal volatility: Rapid changes in industry-specific regulations, uncertain legal and compliance costs, shifting tax policy, changes in federal spending, and evolving AI regulation require vigilant monitoring and adaptation.
Shifting geopolitical landscape: Reduced government spending on foreign aid, employee safety concerns, business continuity challenges, and critical shipping lane disruptions necessitate strategic planning and risk mitigation efforts.
Immigration and workforce changes: Shifting talent availability, productivity losses, weakened critical expertise, labour cost uncertainty, and legal and compliance changes demand agile workforce strategies.
“Businesses can better position themselves to adapt to these emerging threats by prioritising potential disruptions and shifting resources to mitigate risks,” said Takkar.
Corndel, in partnership with Imperial Executive Education and supported by Microsoft, has launched The Enterprise AI Academy which will skill 10,000 professionals in artificial intelligence by the end of 2025.
Together, Corndel and Imperial, supported by Microsoft are launching a pioneering AI Academy.
Recognising that AI is only as powerful as the data that fuels it, the academy combines cutting-edge AI education with essential data skills—ensuring enterprise organisations can confidently drive innovation, efficiency, and compliance.
Delivered through Corndel’s proven human-centric approach, it provides employees with hands-on learning tailored to real-world business challenges.
Companies that embrace this shift now will gain a critical competitive advantage, with Corndel research showing that 61% of employees haven’t received any AI-specific training and research by Microsoft & LinkedIn showing that employees are taking things into their own hands.
78% of AI users are bringing their own tools to work missing out on the benefits that come from strategic AI use at scale and putting company data at risk. Without structured AI training, businesses risk falling behind as employees struggle to harness AI’s full potential.
Enter a smart collaboration between one of the largest AI companies, one of the world’s leading universities for science, technology, engineering, medicine and business, and the UK’s leading provider of professional workplace training.
“At Corndel, we believe that AI is not just a tool—it is the future of work, and businesses that embrace its potential will drive innovation, efficiency, and growth,” said James Kelly, CEO of Corndel.
“Our AI Academy is designed to equip businesses with the skills needed to integrate AI effectively, empowering leaders to make informed decisions and teams to apply AI-driven solutions that deliver real impact.
“With the power of Microsoft’s innovation and Imperial’s world-leading research and insight, we are ensuring that businesses are not just AI-ready but AI-driven.”
“AI is already transforming industries, and upskilling professionals to work effectively with these technologies is a global imperative,”said David Brown, director of executive education at Imperial Executive Education.
“Through this groundbreaking collaboration with Corndel and Microsoft, we are creating a new standard for AI education that balances rigorous academic learning with practical business application and ethics.”
Speaking at a Corndel event, Simon Lambert, Microsoft UK Chief Learning Officer, shared Microsoft’s vision of AI as a transformative general-purpose technology that is not only generating significant demand for new human and technical skills, but is creating a whole new dimension of work, redefining not just where and when we work, but who we work with—humans and artificial intelligence collaborating side by side. (is this all a quote? Are the italics meant to be in there?)
“At Microsoft, we recognise that AI is reshaping industries and creating unprecedented opportunities for innovation. However, to fully harness its potential, organisations must invest in developing AI skills within their workforce,” said Simon Lambert, chief learning officer at Microsoft UK.
“This initiative with Corndel and Imperial exemplifies our UK commitment to empowering professionals with the necessary expertise to thrive in the AI-driven economy and, drive economic growth and competitiveness”.
AI-powered cyberwarfare attacks are now becoming a supercharged cyber weapon and organisations are scrambling to fill in their defence gaps, Armis, the cyber exposure management & security company, warns.
Nearly three-quarters (73%) of IT decision-makers globally express concern about nation-state actors using AI to develop more sophisticated and targeted cyberattacks.
“AI is enabling nation-state actors to stealthily evolve their tactics to commit acts of cyberwarfare at any given moment,” said Nadir Izrael, CTO and co-founder of Armis.
“At the same time, threats are emerging at overwhelming rates from smaller nations and non-state actors leveraging AI to elevate to near-peer cyber threats. It is imperative that cybersecurity leaders shift their programs left of boom, enabling them to stop cyberattacks capable of crippling their operations before there’s any impact to their organisation.”
81% of IT leaders say moving to a proactive cybersecurity posture is a top goal for their organisation in the year ahead but nearly 3 in 5 (58%) organisations admit that they currently only respond to threats as they occur, or after the damage has already been done.
In the UK, nearly half (49%) of organisations have experienced some disruption to their digital projects due to the perceived threat of cyber warfare.
The vast majority (88%) of UK IT decision makers that responded to Armis’ survey said they were concerned about the potential impact of global cyber-attacks from nation-states, a 32% rise from last year.
Further, nearly half of UK IT leaders said they have already experienced a cyber-attack, while two thirds (68%) are reconsidering their suppliers as a result of global socioeconomic conditions.
Compounding these global issues are internal sector struggles like regulatory compliance and a cyber skills gap.
More than half (52%) of IT leaders cited complex regulations as an overwhelming challenge for their team. Further, the rise of AI is contributing to an already stark skills gap, as nearly half (48%) said their teams did not have the skills to use AI cyber tools.
Market consolidation, complex regulatory landscapes and gaps in legacy security tool stacks have challenged organisations’ abilities to stay ahead of threats.
While many wish to implement AI-driven cybersecurity tools in a proactive defence move, half of IT decision-makers surveyed acknowledge their teams lack the necessary expertise to implement and manage the technology.
“Current industry dynamics create an appealing environment for malicious actors to intensify their efforts through automated AI offensive driven technologies,” said Michael Freeman, head of threat intelligence at Armis.
“Organisations that leverage proven AI security solutions will realise a greater impact in their ability to equip their teams with the resources and time they need to anticipate the tactics that could be used against them and harden their environments in response.
“Embracing a more proactive approach to threats has never been more important, and closing that divide between intention and ample preparation is within reach thanks to significant advancements in cyber exposure management.”
When it comes to global results, 85% of IT decision makers confirm that offensive techniques regularly bypass their security tools.
The report also found a lack of faith among companies toward their government’s defence abilities, with 53% believing that their government can defend its citizens against cyberwarfare, while just a third (33%) strongly agree that their organisation is prepared to handle a cyberwarfare attack and respond to related threats.
Across the globe, IT decision-makers consistently point to three dominant state-sponsored threats: Russia (73%), China (73%), and North Korea (40%).
Concerningly, nearly three quarters (72%) of IT leaders believe that the cyber capabilities of nation-state actors have the potential to trigger a full-scale cyberwar, with devastating consequences for global critical infrastructure.
Three-quarters (75%) believe that cyberwarfare attacks will increasingly target institutions representing free press and independent thought – a sharp rise from last year’s 42%.
Meta is expanding its teen accounts feature – which was introduced to Instagram last year – to Facebook and Messenger amidst increased calls for child safety across its platforms.
Teen accounts have built-in protections that limit who can contact teens and the content they see. Under 16s are automatically placed into Teen Accounts, and teens require a parent’s permission to change any settings to make them less strict.
Meta says that since introducing the settings to Instagram last year, 97% of teens aged 13-15 have stayed in these built-in restrictions, which the company believes offers the most age-appropriate experience for younger teens.
Since September, there are at least 54 million teens globally in Teen Accounts, Meta says.
The social media giant is expanding their teen accounts to Facebook and Messenger which will offer similar, automatic protections to limit inappropriate content and unwanted contact which is currently available on Instagram teen accounts.
The rollout will begin with teens in the US, UK, Australia, and Canada, though it will be rolled out to other countries soon.
Meta will also be expanding the protections of its current Teen Account measures on Instagram. This includes preventing users under 16 from going Live on their Instagram account unless a parent gives them permission to do so.
Teens under 16 will also need parental permission to turn off features that blur images containing suspected nudity in direct messages. These updates are expected to come in the next couple of months.
Most of the restrictions will include those already available on Instagram, including restricting teen accounts to only receive messages from users they’ve messaged before or who they follow, and to only allow teen’s friends to view or reply to their stories. Tags, comments, and mentions will also be limited to those already connected to a teen’s account.
Further, teen accounts will have a reminder to leave the social media app after an hour, and a quiet mode will automatically be selected for overnight.
Innovate Finance, the UK industry body for FinTech, has joined growing calls to hold social media platforms responsible for growing cases of online fraud in an effort to promote its anti-fraud strategy.
Measures included in this strategy range from improved data sharing to sharing liability with social media and telecommunications platforms, to building a ‘world beating UK anti-fraud tech industry.”
Fraud has a devastating effect on the UK economy, with the cost of payments fraud at least £1.2 billion annually.
The impact of fraud risks not only consumer confidence in digital finance, but also disproportionately affects those on lower incomes, and 70% of victims suffer wider negative impacts including mental and physical health and debt.
Social media platforms have been facing major scrutiny from fintech organisations, including challenger bank Revolut, for their contribution to the rise in online fraud. Major banks have called on social media platforms, like Facebook, and telco groups to share some liability for the rise of online fraud, which can often punish consumers – and their banks – financially.
Revolut found that over half (58%) of all UK fraud in 2024 could be traced back to Meta, which includes Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp.
Innovate Finance has joined calls for these platforms to share liability for fraud originating on their platforms.
“Fraud accounts for over 40% of crime but receives less than 1% of police resources,” Janine Hirt, CEO at Innovate Finance, said. “Given the scale of the threat posed to consumers and businesses alike, we urgently need a more collaborative, targeted, and effective strategy that aspires to smash fraud in the UK.
“This plan sets out how we can harness technology via data sharing to strengthen collaboration between industry and law enforcement. Current data sharing initiatives, while effective, operate in silos, which can make it difficult in practice. Critically, there is nothing in place with the critical mass or scale required to crush organised fraud. There is widespread agreement that establishing a National Anti Fraud Centre would be the appropriate vehicle to deliver this.
“We also need to update our laws, including the Online Safety Act 2023, to make tackling crime a shared responsibility between payment providers and the social media and telecommunications firms that allow fraud to take place on their platforms.
“By acting now, the UK Government can lead the way in tackling fraud, protecting consumers and reinforcing its position as a global leader in secure and innovative finance.”
Innovate Finance’s report revealed some damning statistics regarding the origin of online fraud. The industry body found that three quarters (77%) of Authorised Push Payment (APP) fraud originates online, and the digital social platforms are the single largest source of fraud origination. Fraud originating from Meta constitutes 60.5% of all reports received, the industry body said.
However, it pointed out, payment service providers are solely responsible for reimbursing victims of fraud, which Innovate Finance says leaves a “significant responsibility gap.”
The industry body therefore calls on the government to update the Online Safety Act to introduce a reporting framework for fraud, a redress fund, distribution mechanism, and a dispute resolution process.
Industry heavyweights from the energy and technology sector are set to take part in the first meeting of the UK’s new AI Energy Council to address the sustainability concerns of AI.
The Council is set to look at clean energy, like renewables and nuclear, advising on improving energy efficiency and sustainability in AI and data centre infrastructure, such as the use of water.
The council is also expected to take steps to ensure the secure adoption of AI across the UK’s energy network itself.
Established in January, the council will bring together expert insights on the energy demands of AI, as the UK plans on putting it front and centre of its drive for economic growth.
Concerns over the energy demands needed to power AI data centres is an issue faced by countries the world over.
The UK is trying to address this issue with its efforts including a focus on AI Growth Zones – dedicated hotbeds of AI development in areas which can access at least 500MW of power. Representing the equivalent of enough energy to power roughly two million homes, the government hopes this strategy will attract private investment from AI companies looking to get set up in the UK, as well as creating jobs.
It remains to be seen if these hotbeds will influence energy prices due to their requirements, or how these hotbeds will affect the UK’s net zero ambitions.
“The work of the AI Energy Council will ensure we aren’t just powering our AI needs to deliver new waves of opportunity in all parts of the country, but can do so in a way which is responsible and sustainable,” secretary of state for science, innovation, and technology, Peter Kyle said.
“This requires a broad range of expertise from industry and regulators as we fire up the UK’s economic engine to make it fit for the age of AI – meaning we can deliver the growth which is the beating heart of our Plan for Change.”
The UK government has also been working with Ofgem and the National Energy System Operator to deliver reforms to the UK’s connections process. Subject to final signoffs by Ofgem, these reforms could release more than 400GW of capacity from the connection queue – accelerating projects vital to economic growth such as the delivery of new large scale AI data centres.
Joining the council are 14 organisations: EDF, Ofgem, National Energy System Operator (NESO), Scottish Power, National Grid, Google, Microsoft, Amazon Web Services, and chip designer ARM, and infrastructure investment firm Brookfield.
“We are making the UK a clean energy superpower, building the homegrown energy this country needs to protect consumers and businesses, and drive economic growth, as part of our Plan for Change,” secretary of state for energy security and net zero, Ed Miliband said.
“AI can play an important role in building a new era of clean electricity for our country and as we unlock AI’s potential, this Council will help secure a sustainable scale up to benefit businesses and communities across the UK.”
The British Business Bank has committed £36m to Osney Capitals Fund 1 to support pre- and early-stage startups in the cyber sector.
The funding is through the Bank’s Enterprise Capital Funds programme, which is oversubscribed form its original target of £50m, is the first UK-focused cyber specialist seed fund to focus exclusively on early-stage UK cybersecurity.
Osney Capital, a Cheltenham-based sector specialist venture capital firm, is led by Adam Cragg, Josh Walter, and Paul Wilkes, who each bring decades of experience in technical, commercial, and regulatory environments in cyber and national security as well as early-stage investing.
The government-backed Bank’s Enterprise Capital Funds programme has helped develop and maintain effective venture capital provision in the UK, lowering the barriers to entry for emerging fund managers.
The programme has backed 50 funds, representing more than £2.5bn of finance and helps those fund managers specifically targeting early-stage businesses with long-term growth potential.
“We are pleased to make this commitment to Osney Capital’s Fund I, which aligns with our objective of supporting promising companies to access the long-term investment they need to fulfil their growth potential,” Christine Hockley, managing director and co-heads of funds, British Business Bank, said.
“Cyber resilience lies at the heart of the UK’s role as a responsible cyber power. Our commitment to Osney Capital will capitalise on the strong investment opportunity offered by growing UK companies within the sector while also building the UK’s national resilience.”
Mark Sims, senior director, funds, British Business Bank, added: “The UK is a leader in cyber security innovation but is experiencing a shortage in funding for cyber security companies from specialist investors at the pre-seed and seed stage.
“By committing to Osney Capital’s Fund I we are working to fill this equity gap, whilst backing businesses developing technologies to protect themselves, their customers and their products.”
Paul Wilkes, partner at Osney Capital said: “The talent and technologies from the UK’s early-stage Cyber security ecosystem are world class and represent a fantastic opportunity for investors and the UK economy as a whole.
“We’re delighted to have the support of the British Business Bank as we launch this fund, and look forward to supporting the next generation cyber pioneers in the UK.”
Global IT spending is set to suffer in 2025 due to the wave of new tariffs introduced by the US administration as technology prices skyrocket and supply chains are disrupted, according to the IDC.
The research foundation says that global IT spending could be cut in half over the next six months as a result of the wide-ranging tariffs.
Not only will these tariffs have a direct inflationary effect on technology prices in the US, but growing concerns about a broader economic slowdown will lead to weaker investment by businesses and consumers around the world, even prior to any slowdowns appearing in earnings or economic data.
The IDC published a ‘downside scenario’ on 31 March, predicting that global IT spending would grow by 5%, rather than the 10% growth it currently projected in its baseline forecast. While this scenario was modelled before the latest tariff announcements in April, it did take in to account the potential impact of a broadening economic slowdown.
While the details of final tariffs don’t align exactly with that downside scenario, the IDC expects its baseline forecast will move towards the lower end of that 5-10% range over the next few weeks.
The IDC is therefore creating a new downside scenario to reflect the possibility of a broadening global trade war, which could include additional tariffs and retaliatory measures by many countries.
“This situation remains highly fluid and dynamic,” the IDC said in a blog post. “Tariffs set to be implemented on April 9 may yet be adjusted or postponed, and the response in other countries could include stimulus measures to protect short-term economic stability in China and elsewhere.
“This is a moving target, but the risk of a global recession is higher than one week ago, with some economists now pegging it at 40%, and this uncertainty will have an immediate effect on business and consumer confidence.”
The IDC says the affects of the new tariffs will have an “inflationary impact on tech prices in the US, as well as disrupting the wider supply chain.
This impact is expected to be most immediate in devices, compute, storage, and network hardware, as well as data centre construction, and it is likely that software and services will also be affected if the tariffs are implemented for longer.
Despite mitigation efforts, US customers can expect to feel the effect of higher prices almost immediately, with price hikes materialising rapidly.
“The broad, unfocused nature of these new tariffs leaves manufacturers little room to adjust,” the IDC said.
While the research foundation expects that service providers will try to maintain their investments in AI, it is in no doubt that the slowing economy will have a direct impact on IT spending.
Inadequate cybersecurity measures are costing small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the UK £3.4 billion, according to a new report from Vodafone Business.
The findings highlight the necessity for businesses to safeguard against rising cybersecurity threats, which result in financial losses each year due to data breaches, system downtime, and reputational damage.
Cyber-attacks against SMEs have surged in recent years, with studies revealing that more than a third (35%) experienced a cyber incident in 2024 alone. More than a quarter (28%) suffered between one and five attempted attacks, while 6% were targeted up to 10 times a year.
Many SMEs encounter difficulties in addressing these threats due to budget constraints, limited expertise, and competing business priorities, which impact their ability to implement comprehensive cybersecurity strategies.
Vodafone Business’ findings corroborate this, showing that over half (52%) of UK SME employees have received no cybersecurity training, while almost a third (32%) of SMEs had no cybersecurity protections in place at all.
Further, more than a third of SMEs (38%) invest less than £100 a year in cybersecurity, with more than two-thirds (64%) having staff working from home or other off-site locations regularly.
Shockingly, 60% of SMEs allow employees to use their own IT equipment when working from home, with a fifth (19%) of remote workers being targeted by cyber-criminals.
To try and stem the problem, more than one in eight (15%) SME employees have been banned from working from home due to the risk of falling victim to a cyber-attack.
“SMEs are the backbone of our economy, yet they are losing a staggering £3.4 billion annually due to inadequate cybersecurity,” Nick Gliddon, CEO, Vodafone Business UK, said.
“In today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape, cyber threats are becoming more sophisticated, and SMEs are increasingly in the crosshairs of cybercriminals. Investing in robust cybersecurity is no longer optional – it is a business imperative for protecting sensitive data, maintaining customer trust, and ensuring long-term resilience.
“At Vodafone Business, we understand the critical role SMEs play in driving innovation and growth, and we are committed to equipping them with the right tools and expertise to stay protected. However, SMEs cannot tackle this challenge alone.
“Greater collaboration between businesses, industry leaders, and government authorities is essential to providing these businesses with the resources, education, and support they need to strengthen their cyber defences.
“By working together, we can create a safer, more secure digital environment that empowers SMEs to grow with confidence in an increasingly connected world.”
Maven Capital Partners has completed a £3.4 million investment in Edinburgh-based Epod Solutions Group Limited, the cloud-based logistic software solution firm better known as Podfather.
The transaction includes from Maven Investor Partners and IFS Maven Equity Finance, from the Investment Fund for Scotland (“IFS”), managed by Maven and delivered by the British Business Bank. The investment will be used to further scale and internationalise the business, as well as support the rollout of its latest enterprise software solution.
Established 25 years ago, Podfather has built up a strong reputation for its commitment to innovation and customer support, positioning the business as a trusted partner to a diverse blue chip client base looking to enhance their logistics operations.
Podfather operates across multiple industries, including logistics, construction, food & drink, and healthcare, with its platform offering a fully integrated enterprise solution which includes route planning and optimisation electronic proof of delivery, vehicle checks, real-time tracking and notifications, and detailed reporting.
The fleet management solutions market is experiencing strong growth, driven by the increased use of remote fleet management technology by operators seeking to improve efficiency, sustainability and safety. This increased adoption means the market is expected to reach $84.3 billion by 2032, at a CAGR of 17.4%
“Podfather is a leading operator within its field, and we are delighted to have provided our clients with the opportunity to invest in this well established and profitable business,” David Milroy, partner at Maven, said.
“With our backing, and the clear ambition of Colin and his team, we are confident Podfather’s growth strategy can be realised and we look forward to helping the business capitalise on the growing market opportunity.”
Colin McCreadie, managing director at Podfather, added: “Maven’s backing comes at an exciting time for Podfather as we continue to innovate and scale, and it further strengthens our position as a leading player in logistics management software.
“We are working to bring a new, innovative product to market, and through this partnership, we can accelerate that launch process. Most importantly, this partnership will enable us to deliver even greater value to our clients, helping them operate more efficiently, make smarter decisions and stay ahead in an increasingly complex logistics landscape.”
Sarah Newbould, senior investment manager, Nations & Regions Investment Funds, at the British Business Bank, said: “Podfather is a great example of a well-established Scottish business using technology to drive efficiency and enhance operations.
“The Investment Fund for Scotland is committed to backing high-growth companies that strengthen the local economy, and adds to the many businesses within Scotland’s tech ecosystem already benefitting from the fund. We are pleased to support Podfather as it continues to scale, expand its market reach, and develop new cutting-edge products for the industry.”
Over 300 jobs are set to be created as a new £450 million investment programme looks to upgrade Scotland’s electricity distribution network.
The Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks Distribution (SSEN) announced five contract partners as part of the programme which will update overhead lines, substations, wooden poles, and improve the underground networks of Scotland’s electricity grid.
The five companies include OCU Utility Services Ltd, Clancy Ltd, Freedom Group Ltd, Macaulay Askernish Ltd and Brush Group, which will lead the delivery of upgrades in nine allocated areas within SSEN’s north of Scotland license area.
This region includes rural communities, towns and villages, as well as Dundee and Aberdeen, stretching to Argyll, the Highlands, and all of Scotland’s isles.
SSEN says that the investment will make the existing electricity network in Scotland more resilient and provide additional capacity to support the decarbonisation of communities and industry.
The work will support the realisation of SSEN’s net zero goals, and play a critical role in delivering the holistic benefits the move to net zero will provide communities.
SSEN’s distribution network takes electricity on the final part of its journey into homes and businesses, so it’s a critical link to allow people to connect both existing devices – and new technologies like EV chargers, solar panels, and heat pumps – to the network.
“Decarbonising Scotland’s economy depends heavily on significant investment in the upkeep and futureproofing of our electricity system, so the network can meet the demand from users now and in the future,” Gillian Martin MSP, the Scottish government’s acting cabinet secretary for net zero and energy, said.
“I welcome this substantial investment from SSEN Distribution in the north of Scotland, which will not only bring benefits for our workforce, our supply chains, and our regional and national economies but also support our net zero targets.”
SSEN’s director of large capital delivery, Fraser Hood, said: “We’re proud to have signed agreements which will deliver massive improvements to local electricity networks in the north of Scotland.
“The transformative investment we’re making means we’re in the best-possible position to deliver an electricity system which will support sustainable economic growth, benefit the environment in the decades to come, and create significant job opportunities during construction in communities across the north of Scotland.
“In selecting these five contract partners after a fair, open, and competitive tendering process, we’ve secured the ability to deliver our massive programme of investment efficiently and effectively. This transformation will ensure increased resilience, flexibility, and capacity for our 800,000 customers in the north of Scotland.
“The way these partnerships have been drawn up will mean we can reduce supply chain risks and secure the specialist skills we need to help deliver decarbonisation effectively for our customers and communities.”
Think you don’t know much about AI compared to your coworkers? You aren’t alone, as most executives and tech workers in the UK and the US pretend to know more about AI than they actually do.
This is according to Pluralsight, which surveyed 1,200 technology decision-makers and practitioners in the US and the UK, revealing that the tech industry is rife with AI paradoxes.
Despite 95% of tech executives citing AI skills as crucial for ensuring job security, 61% of tech workers said that using generative AI tools for work is seen as ‘lazy’ at their company.
“In addition to the systemic misrepresentation of AI knowledge, Pluralsight also found that AI is complicating perceptions about how work is getting done,” said Chris McClellen, chief product and technology officer at Pluralsight.
“Fears about AI supplanting jobs is becoming the new norm and employees are quietly worried that using AI in their daily routine looks lazy. In this paradigm, organizations need to empower their workforce with AI training to truly drive innovation, enhance productivity, and stay competitive in the evolving digital landscape.”
Fake It Till You Make It?
The survey found that employees and executives alike aren’t always upfront about their AI knowledge. About one in eight (80% in the US, 77% in the UK) of employees admit to pretending to know more about AI than they actually do. However, the boss might be telling the tallest tales: C-suite executives admit to exaggerating even more – a whopping 91% – by pretending to have AI knowledge they don’t possess.
To combat employee insecurities over their AI knowledge, over half of companies are offering dedicated training to upskill staff in AI. That means they’re pretending for now, but it won’t be long before they’re truly knowledgeable on the subject.
Fear of Replacement
Whether you’re an executive or tech professional, the fear of your role being replaced by AI runs deep. Nine in ten (90%) of workers were said that losing their roles to AI was at least somewhat likely.
People are more afraid of being replaced by AI than they were a year ago when Pluralsight released its 2024 AI Skills Report, with 19% more respondents indicating that they felt it was ‘very likely’ their role could be replaced by AI in the 2025 report.
Despite the fact that nearly half of organisations (49%) have actually added AI-related jobs, companies are still developing five year plans that include AI-driven staff reductions. By 2030, workers should expect the most impact in departments that handle analytics (41% US, 36% UK), content creation (40% UK, 37% U.S.), billing (39% UK, 36% U.S.), marketing (36% in both markets), and sales (35% in both markets).
AI Survival Skills
In the midst of fears about being replaced by AI, there is an almost unanimous (95%) agreement among tech executives – having AI skills is the ‘best way’ to ensure job security.
And this seems supported, as 50% of employers list AI skills as ‘highly preferred’ when looking for talent, while 20% list them as ‘mandatory.’ Additionally, 84% of companies said they would likely replace or outsource talent to support AI initiatives when they lack internal talent.
Tech workers feel the pressure to keep their skills sharp. Respondents are significantly more concerned (74% to 91%) about their skills becoming obsolete due to AI than they indicated in the 2024 AI Skills Report – a 17% jump. The message in the data is clear – tech workers must make AI upskilling a priority in order to thrive in an increasingly AI-driven landscape.
AI adoption is surging as seven in ten UK businesses fully integrate GenAI into their operations, with some even progressing to implement agentic AI for greater automation, efficiency, and impact.
This is according to findings in a new survey from PagerDuty Inc, based on the insights of 1,000 IT and business executives across the US, UK, and Australia, and Japan, revealing that more than half (51%) of companies are already leveraging AI agents.
In the UK, confidence in GenAI has skyrocketed, the survey found, with nearly three in four (73%) of British organisations fully integrating GenAI tools into their company. The majority (77%) also state confidence in IT getting the biggest benefits from AI integration.
The adoption of GenAI has surged, with McKinsey & Company reporting usage in at least one business function rising from 33% in 2023 to 71% by July 2024. Now, agentic AI adoption is poised to accelerate even faster while reshaping automation and decision-making across industries. Companies are no longer just experimenting.
The latest PagerDuty survey data shows that 94% of companies believe they will adopt agentic AI more quickly than GenAI, with 55% strongly agreeing that they will integrate it across their organisations at an accelerated pace.
As businesses look to automate complex workflows and drive efficiency, agentic AI is emerging as the next phase of AI-driven transformation, offering faster deployment and deeper operational impact.
The research also found that organisations that have already fully implemented GenAI are far more likely to have already deployed agentic AI (71%), compared to just one in five (19%) of companies that have yet to fully implement GenAI.
Companies are putting great expectations on AI deployment, however. Six in ten (62%) of companies expect more than 100% ROI from agentic AI, with an average expected return of 171% on their investment.
This is a staggering assumption considering the current ROI waiting game plaguing investors who have shelved out millions betting on AI’s potential. Still, organisations are just now seeing a return on their AI investment and implementation, and agentic AI’s applications may be more directly related to business operations and productivity than other GenAI uses.
GenAI, for instance, has already delivered strong financial results, with an average ROI of 152% – but this also shows the potentially inflated confidence organisations have in agentic AI.
When it comes to how agentic AI will affect business operations, organisations have high hopes. More than half (52%) expect agentic AI to automate or accelerate between 26% and 50% of their workloads, unlocking significant operational efficiencies.
As far as the future impact of AI, 44% of business leaders expect agentic Ai to have a greater overall impact than GenAI, while 40% believe the latter will prove more transformative, demonstrating companies are divided on whether agentic AI will cause an industry shift similar to GenAI.
While hopes may be high, business leaders have learned many lessons from GenAI adoption. Two in five (44%) of business leaders cite rushed AI adoption without proper planning as the biggest challenge, which is one of the mistakes leaders hope to avoid repeating from their GenAI deployment. Cost control (40%), improved employee training (37%), and stronger data infrastructure (37%) were also among the top priorities for AI strategy refinement.
Organisations are also willing to spend big when it comes to AI implementation, with 75% of firms investing $1 million or more on AI initiatives. This reflects a commitment to long-term AI-driven transformation, showcasing ongoing interest in AI implementation leading to increasing budget allocations.
“Leaders need to provide tangible, quantifiable benefits from their AI deployments if they want to justify the investment,” said Eric Johnson, chief information officer at PagerDuty.
“PagerDuty’s latest survey data illustrates how strongly organisations believe agentic AI will help unlock real value from AI and automation, as 62% of survey respondents anticipate triple-digit ROI. Companies that successfully integrate agentic AI into their operations can expect increased efficiency gains by automating complexity and accelerating decision-making.”
Many organisations learned firsthand that insufficient training hindered GenAI adoption and are taking a different approach with agentic AI. Every company surveyed has various plans to implement agentic AI training, with 61% prioritising organisation-wide seminars or structured initiatives. Additionally, 56% of organisations will offer an external course to their employees, while 52% plan to host official office hours and formal internal mentorship programs to ensure employees can effectively integrate and leverage AI agents in their workflows.
As AI continues to revolutionise the UK economy, a worrying new disconnect is emerging in the workplace, with leaders and employees having very different views of how AI-ready their organisation is.
Corndel’s 2025 Workplace Training Report reveals a growing disconnect between leaders and employees in their perceptions of their AI preparedness and points towards a significant opportunity for employers to address the shortage of data and AI skills across industries.
The latest report found that HR leaders are confident about their organisation’s AI readiness, with 88% confident in leadership’s ability to guide AI adoption and 60% very confident that training programs are equipping employees with the necessary skills for digital transformation.
However, the view from the organisation’s front lines is less optimistic. While 71% of middle managers actively leverage AI in their daily tasks, 52% of employees said they have never used AI tools.
Alarmingly, although 97% of HR leaders claim their organisations offer AI training – and 50% believed it to have been comprehensive – only 39% of employees report having received it.
Among younger employees, 74% use AI tools regularly, but just 52% have received formal training — and only 14% rate this training as highly effective.
As a result, one-third of UK employees feel unprepared to adopt AI in the next one to three years.
Only 55% of employees trust their managers to lead digital transformation effectively, and just four in 10 believe they can adopt AI tools themselves. This lack of knowledge and access to AI tools threatens to undermine the potential gains that businesses expect from AI adoption.
48% of senior leaders admit they haven’t yet used an AI tool, compared to 29% of middle managers. While it’s not uncommon for leaders to be less involved with day-to-day tooling, this becomes problematic when they’re expected to set direction, identify opportunities, and support their teams, yet without sight of how these tools actually work.
This knowledge gap may explain why CEOs overestimated the potential gains from AI adoption last year.
According to PwC’s 28th Annual Global CEO Survey, 34% of CEOs reported profitability improvements, significantly below the 46% who had anticipated these outcomes.
“Many senior leaders are being asked to set AI strategies without hands-on experience of the tools themselves,” explains Sean Cosgrove, chief commercial officer at Corndel.
“The National Data Strategy has already flagged the gap in leadership-level data skills, which extends to AI. Leaders don’t just need a vision for AI adoption—they need a real understanding of the skills their workforce requires. For many, even foundational AI skills like crafting effective prompts for generative AI are missing. That’s a gap we need to close.”
According to Corndel, many organisations are focusing their training efforts on narrow groups, such as technical teams or senior leadership, rather than an offering across the broader workforce.
Yet, Corndel found that 88% of employees using generative AI are in non-technical roles, meaning that the people most likely to use AI day-to-day—managers, customer service reps, and analysts—are often receiving the least by way of training. Without proper training, AI adoption is likely to remain low, stalling the promised impact of AI.
“Our research shows that leadership teams are confident in their AI strategies, but many employees don’t feel prepared to keep up.
“Without the right training, AI adoption stalls before it even starts. Organisations must take a more strategic approach to AI skills development—reaching beyond technical teams to the workforce.” said Sean Cosgrove.
Organisations that understand the need for cross-departmental AI literacy and embrace AI across all functions are 2.5 times more likely to prioritise reskilling and upskilling, capturing substantial cost efficiencies and revenue gains.
Multi-cloud and cloud firewalls are becoming the standard, according to a new report from AlgoSec on the today’s network security landscape.
The report identifies significant shifts in cloud platform adoption, deployment of firewalls and Software-defined Wide Area Networks (SD-WAN), as well as Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) implementation and AI.
Based on comparative findings from 2024 and 2025, AlgoSec’s research includes responses from security, network, and cloud professionals across 28 countries and evaluates market leaders including Cisco, Microsoft Azure, AWS, Check Point, Palo Alto Networks, and more.
The report found that security visibility gaps are driving a shift in security management. 71% of security teams struggle with visibility, which is delaying threat detection and response. The lack of insight into application connectivity, security policies and dependencies are proving to be a significant risk
Businesses also continue to adopt multi-cloud environments, with Azure becoming the most widely used platform in 2025, with multi-cloud and cloud firewalls becoming the standard.
Further, despite complexity, firewall and SD-WAN adoption is growing. Multi-vendor strategies make firewall deployment more challenging.
In terms of customer base, Palo Alto Networks took the lead, but Fortinet’s NGFW is gaining traction. SD-WAN adoption jumped, with Fortinet rising from 19.1% in 2024 to 25.8% in 2025.
Zero-trust awareness is at an all-time high, with 56% of businesses fully or partially implementing it, though 20% are still in the learning phase. SASE adoption is also growing, with Zscaler leading at 35%, while Netskope has gained 15% market share.
The research also added to the evidence that AI and automation are reshaping security.
AI-driven security tools are improving real-time threat detection, but implementation and privacy concerns remain a challenge. Automation is now critical, with application connectivity automation ranked as the top priority for minimizing risk and downtime.
“As businesses expand their digital footprints across hybrid and multi-cloud environments, securing network infrastructure has become a top challenge,” said Eran Shiff, VP of product at AlgoSec. “We are seeing a major shift toward automation, orchestration and risk mitigation as key security priorities. Adoption of SD-WAN and SASE continues to rise, while awareness of AI-driven security and zero-trust principles is stronger than ever.”
Legacy technology and tech debt are holding back banks in their digital transformation efforts, new research from RS2 has found.
The firm’s report found that banks are spending 70% of their budgets on maintaining these legacy systems, often employing a costly ‘path and upgrade’ strategy to their systems.
“All banks recognise the burden of technical debt which is the result of their continued reliance on legacy systems,” the report read.
This method is sapping resources, the research found, placing strain not just on budgets but on IT workers scrambling to mitigate risks and even adopting new technology on old, outdated systems.
The patching strategy has often left banks with fragmented platforms that are often incapable of sharing data, leading to data silos. This can compound to decreasing customer satisfaction as firms are blocked from extrapolating accurate data on customer experience due to their own tech.
Still, while ‘patch and upgrades’ has its own issues, other strategies present their own risks.
A simple ‘rip and replace’ method – where firms overhaul their systems entirely – can present significant levels of operational risk as these new systems require testing and proving at the individual but also interoperational level.
Phased introductions of new systems and technologies can smooth these transitions, allowing individual systems to be tested before being integrated across the firm.
RS2 has other advice for implementing new technologies and reducing the spend on legacy systems: using AI.
Rather than partnering with new technology vendors or adopting new systems right away, RS2 advises that firms integrated AI-powered orchestration layers to enhance their systems.
This, RS2 says, will help meaningful improvements are adopted to optimise performance and minimise costs.
An AI-enabled orchestration layer can act as a “central intelligence hub”, RS2 says, that can link an organisation’s platforms and enable data-sharing and centralised metrics to better optimise performance.
RS2 says that this adoption can lead to improved fraud detection, payment optimisation, and automated compliance and regulatory reporting.
By 2030, Gartner predicts that most machine-learning models will rely on synthetic datasets, a bold forecast that signals a major shift in the way organisations approach data-driven decision-making.
As businesses become increasingly reliant on data to power insights, automation and innovation, privacy constraints, data scarcity and inherent biases are becoming increasingly apparent in real-world datasets.
For data professionals trained in AI ethics, data engineering and model development, this transition presents both challenges and unprecedented opportunities.
Synthetic data has the potential to solve the most complex challenges in data analytics by eliminating data scarcity to improve data diversity and bias mitigation, completely redefining what’s possible in AI model development.
Skills in data simulation, statistical modelling and privacy-preserving techniques are becoming essential as the novel data form reshapes the analytics landscape and the opportunities it presents for businesses, and we need to be equipped to harness its full potential.
Role of Synthetic Data
Synthetic data is artificially generated information that mirrors the patterns, structures and statistical properties of real-world data without exposing any sensitive information and is created using advanced techniques such as algorithms, simulations and generative models like GANs (Generative Adversarial Networks).
The growing appeal of this innovation lies in its ability to address some of the complex challenges in data analytics, including increasing privacy concerns, limited access to quality data and the need for more diverse and representative datasets to train fairer AI systems.
Organisations are already utilising synthetic data to overcome these challenges across various sectors to fill data gaps where real-world data is scarce, expensive or difficult to obtain.
In healthcare, researchers are using this data to model patient outcomes without breaching confidentiality and in finance, it’s being used to test fraud detection systems without relying on customer information. In the retail sector, synthetic data is enabling companies to simulate consumer behaviour and optimise store layouts or product placements without collecting personal shopping histories.
Synthetic data is being utilised to enhance everything from predictive modelling to software testing and customer insights and by enabling more robust, diverse and privacy-compliant datasets, synthetic data is transforming how businesses approach analytics.
Privacy Pros and Cons
One of the most compelling advantages of synthetic data as a replacement for real-world data is its ability to enable businesses to comply with privacy regulations while leveraging AI-driven insights and acknowledging ethical considerations.
As synthetic data can mimic the patterns of real-world data without compromising privacy, this makes it a powerful tool for ensuring compliance with stringent global regulations such as GDPR and CCPA, particularly in industries such as healthcare, finance and education.
Businesses can train AI models, test systems and develop predictive analytics while complying with all privacy regulations, enabling innovation without the same legal and ethical risks as with real data.
However, the innovation is not without its challenges. If poorly generated or based on biased source data, it can not only replicate but even amplify existing inequalities or inaccuracies.
Data hallucination is also a risk as if synthetic datasets include unrealistic or misleading information, this can result in flawed outputs. The transparency and overreliance on this data are called into question if synthetic data is used without adequate validation or human oversight.
While it offers a valuable balance between innovation and compliance, its efficacy relies on strong data governance, high-quality data generation methods and ethical data practices. Only when used responsibly can it truly redefine what’s possible in data analytics without compromising trust or integrity.
Issues around fairness and representation in data are long-standing and synthetic data is rectifying these issues by generating vast volumes of diverse and balanced data. Machine learning models can now learn from data which includes underrepresented cases and scenarios, forming a more complete picture that improves accuracy and reduces bias.
In healthcare, as an example, synthetic data can help train diagnostic models to recognise symptoms across different demographics. In facial recognition technology, it can be used to better represent varied skin tones and features. Across all sectors, these datasets can be tailored to specific use cases, enabling businesses to fine-tune models for particular environments, customer behaviours or risk scenarios.
The value of synthetic data ultimately lies in how it’s managed. Data teams must be equipped to manage the complexities of synthetic data generation, validation and ethical assessment. Without the right expertise, there is a risk of producing unrealistic data or reinforcing hidden biases.
Upskilling in areas such as bias detection, data quality assurance and synthetic data tooling is essential. In the hands of skilled experts, synthetic data becomes a strategic asset in building smarter, fairer and more resilient AI, but only with strong human oversight.
Synthetic First Future
Synthetic data is fast becoming a competitive advantage to businesses, enabling faster, safer and more inclusive AI development and is already reshaping how businesses approach analytics and innovation.
Businesses must equip their analytics teams now with the skills to generate, validate and manage synthetic datasets responsibly, ensuring quality, mitigating bias and maintaining ethical oversight.
Companies that prioritise investment in this technology’s capabilities and a skilled workforce to oversee them will unlock new levels of agility and innovation, particularly in industries where data access is restricted or highly regulated.
The opportunities presented by the adoption of synthetic data are clear and the organisations that act today will be the ones shaping tomorrow’s analytics.
CISOs lost on average $1.7 million from cyber scams in 2024, a new report from BrandShield found.
The report, which surveyed 200 cyber leaders from the UK, US, and Europe, found that 98% of organisations experienced some form of cyber-attack in 2024, with 94% of CISOs lost at least half a million dollars due to cyber scams.
With these staggering numbers, 76% of CISOs anticipate an increase in their 2025 threat monitoring budgets. Those that suffered more losses plan to spend more to prevent them.
This reflects the urgent need to address escalating cyber threats. The trend indicates a heightened focus on preventive measures, with 39% expecting a budget increase of up to 10% and 29% anticipating a more significant boost of 11 to 25%.
With this intention to spend more on cybersecurity, CISOs are also reconsidering their vendors. Over three in four (77%) of CISOs are considering switching their cybersecurity providers, primarily in pursuit of holistic, comprehensive risk coverage.
CISOs are prioritising integrated, end-to-end solutions that provide robust and scalable security across multiple threat vectors, with 22% identifying holistic coverage as a primary motivator for switching cybersecurity provider.
Cost-effectiveness actually ranked quite low among reasons for switching, and only 13%, indicating that CISOs are more focused on effectiveness than on simply reducing costs.
The survey also found that specifically, brand reputation is a prominent concern when it comes to cyber incidents like brand impersonation (31%), executive impersonation (28%), and phishing and scams (27%).
The threats not only target organisations directly, but also exploit their reputation, highlighting the growing overlap between cybersecurity and brand protection.
When it comes to external threats, CISOs pointed to rogue mobile apps (27%), social media impersonations (27%), and compromised credentials (27%) as their top concerns. These threats underline the evolving nature of cyber threats, where scams and exploitation are increasingly causing serious risk to organisations.
When looking at the biggest cybersecurity challenge in 2025, CISOs are navigating an era of rapid transformation. Cyber leaders cited economic pressures, including in supply chains (19%), AI (18%), 5G and increased connectivity (17%), and regulatory changes (17%) as the top concerns for the current year. State-level threat actors (15%) and quantum computing (14%) were also noteworthy challenges.
The pattern shows that global instability and tensions, as well as emerging technologies and their necessary governance, will continue to challenge organisations in the cyber landscape.
Royal Mail, the UK postal service, is investigating a potential data breach, which could expose many gigabits of user data leaked to the dark web.
A user on BreachForum, a dark web forum, claimed on 31 March to have breached Royal Mail, impacting third-party supplier Spectos.
The threat actor, called ‘GHNA’ on the forum, claimed to have stolen 144GB of data, including personal information such as PII addresses, confidential documents, and video meeting recordings.
Other data points could also be affected, including locational data on post office and deliveries, the WordPress database of Royal Mail websites, and mailing lists from Mailchimp.
In a sample shared by the threat actor, 293 folders with 16,549 files were included, containing names, addresses, phone numbers, company information, and even screenshots of meetings between Spectos and Royal Mail.
The threat actor also alleged that this was not the first time German-based Spectos lead to a data leak from the Royal Mail.
Spectos released a statement on April 1 confirming that it had suffered a cyber incident it was investigating, later revealing to Infosecurity that they could confirm that “unauthorised access” to their systems and personal customer data had happened.
However, the firm said that there were “no indications of an internal attack or the use of leaked access data.”
The firm said that they are taking all the necessary legal and technical steps to mitigate risk, and that their systems are being continually protected and monitored to avoid these incidences.
Royal Mail has said that they are aware of the claim on the dark web and confirmed that Spectos is one of their suppliers.
Spectos told BleepingComputer that Spectos had been the target of a cyber-attack since 29 March 2024, but that the specific scope of the incident is being investigated.
While Royal Mail and Spectos have yet to reveal more details surrounding the cyber incident, Hudson Rock, a cybersecurity company, has alleged that the hackers gained access to Royal Mail’s systems via employee credentials that were compromised from a Spectos info stealer malware incident back in 2021.
In this case, the infected Spectos employee’s credentials provided a gateway to Royal Mail Group’s systems,” Alon Gal,Hudson Rock CTO, said. “The stolen data sat dormant until recently, when it was weaponized in these high-profile leaks.”
Royal Mail is no stranger to security incidents – the postal service faced a breach back in 2023 in an attack claimed by LockBit.
Heriot-Watt University confirmed plans to host The Niparo Summit on Space Sustainability on 21-22 May, featuring leaders and influencers from across the international space sector.
The Niparo Summit is at the forefront of bringing together academia, government and industry to create actionable next steps for space sustainability and orbital debris mitigation, in a highly complex geopolitical and billion dollar space industry.
The announcement has been welcomed by the UK Government, UK Space Agency and Space Network with high profile speakers confirmed for the event alongside leading academics from Edinburgh, Glasgow, Strathclyde and Durham universities.
Heriot-Watt is one of UK’s leading universities for space photonics, quantum, robotics and AI, with the Global Research, Innovation and Discovery (GRID) facility. Key themes for the summit will focus on space law and insurance.
Head of Space Sustainability Ray Fielding, at the UK Space Agency said, “Space sustainability is a priority for the UK, with satellite technologies vital for modern life and underpinning 16% of our national GDP. That’s why we’re supporting the Niparo Summit, an important forum for debate and discussion that will bring international businesses, academics, and government officials together in Edinburgh.
“The UK Space Agency works with partners across Scotland and the UK to foster greater global collaboration on this vital topic while driving forward the development of new technologies and innovations that can help preserve the space environment for decades to come.”
CEO Andy Campbell of Space Network, the UK and Europe’s leading community of space professionals said, “Space Sustainability has never been more high profile from an industry and public perspective. It has to be a priority.
“The Niparo Summit is crucial to bringing together leaders to ensure space remains a safe and accessible domain for current and future generations.”
Professor Gillian Murray PhD, deputy principal enterprise & business, Heriot-Watt University said, “Heriot-Watt University is driving innovation in space sustainability, bringing together leading researchers, industry experts, and policymakers to tackle one of the sector’s biggest challenges. Hosting the Niparo Summit reflects our commitment to fostering collaboration and ensuring that space remains a safe and accessible domain for future generations.
“As the space industry continues its rapid expansion, higher education has a vital role to play in shaping its future. By working closely with businesses, government, and international partners, we can accelerate technological advancements, influence policy, and develop the talent needed to support a thriving and sustainable space economy. Through research, innovation, and knowledge exchange, we can push the boundaries of what is possible, ensuring that sustainability remains at the heart of space exploration and development.”
Niparo was the UK’s first space sustainability consultancy and think tank for the space industry, founded by Dr Nic Ross an astrophysicist and space law expert. Now in its third year the Niparo Summit brings together world leaders and influencers from academia, space agencies, government and business.
The events are renowned for creating a unique atmosphere, with decision makers and thought leaders all in the same room at the same time, enabling deep dives into complex issues and action plans for space sustainability.
The event has received wide support across the space industry. Scotland is at the forefront of the UK’s space ambitions with world leading small satellite manufacturing, data analysis, research and testing facilities, and plans for launch capabilities from SaxaVord Spaceport in the Shetland Islands later this year.
The UK Space Agency has prioritised space sustainability and is delivering a portfolio of supporting activities, including debris removal and in-orbit servicing.
Space sustainability has never been more high profile with space vital to critical infrastructure for modern economies and the rapid increase in launch capabilities and satellites, leading to an increasing threat of orbital collisions and debris falling to earth.
According to the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) there are currently over 14,000 satellites in orbit and over 120 million pieces of space debris from launches, collisions and wear-and-tear of which only a few thousand are large enough to track. The Niparo Summit provides a forum to inspire international collaboration for prevention, mitigation and regulation.
The Information Commissioner’s Office has issued an apology for delayed data protection complaint response times.
“Anyone who has felt the need to make a complaint to us deserves a timely response,” an ICO spokesperson said. “Our current response times are not where we want them to be, and we know how frustrating this is for people who are asking for our help.”
The ICO noted the overwhelm their staff has been under as the regulator received 746 more complaints in the period from October to December in 2024 than in the same period in 2023.
The regulator says it plans on getting back to its commitment to respond to 80% of complaints within 90 days – it only managed this with 12% of complaints in the last three months of 2024.
In the last quarter of 2024, the ICO received over 10,000 data protection complaints, an 8% year-on-year increase. This could mean that data protection violations are on the rise, which would be alarming considering data regulation laws may change soon, introducing more confusion when it comes to data governance.
Conversely, it could however mean that more people than ever are aware of their data protection rights and are choosing more often to exercise them in the form of complaints.
To meet the growing demand, the ICO is recruiting 19 members of staff to help it deal with the ongoing increase in complaints.
The ICO said that it is also exploring the use of automating tools – not in decision making processes, but in lessening administrative tasks so that case officers can spend more time on complaints.
“We want to thank people for their patience while we address this issue,” the ICO spokesperson said. “Our frontline staff continue to work hard to respond to all complaints and we are confident that our approach will bring about the necessary improvements. Please be assured that we continue to triage cases and prioritise those that urgently need attention.”
Steam, the online gaming platform, has topped the list for the most imitated brand in the first quarter of 2025, according to research from Guardio.
The cybersecurity firm’s Brand Phishing Report for Q1 2025 found that for the firs time, Steam beat out big tech competitors such as Meta and Microsoft for the most imitated brand in phishing scams.
Scammers have been targeting the massive gaming community by impersonating Steam to warn users about supposed account issues, like payment failures or suspicious login attempts. These fake messages are designed to trick victims into entering their login credentials on counterfeit websites, which then steal their account information.
In addition to account-related scams, some phishing attempts will claim you’ve won a Steam gift card or a special promotion, prompting you to click on fraudulent links to claim your prize.
Besides Steam, Microsoft, Meta, and Roblox rounded out the top four most impersonated brands in phishing scams.
For Microsoft scams, scammers typically impersonate Microsoft support, contacting users over account problems or security breaches. Users are often directed to fraudulent websites that prompt them to enter personal information or download malware.
Meta has seen a rise in scams related to account security, with scammers sending fake login issues or security warnings. They typically try to crease a sense of urgency, asking users to click on a link that leads to a phishing page designed to steal personal information or login credentials.
Scammers on Roblox often impersonate Roblox support, claiming account suspensions or payment issues, while others falsely inform users they’ve won a gift or prize, and asking for payment details to claim it.
Guardio also found a range of rising scam trends in their Q1 2025 research, including toll fee scams.
Toll fee scams – scams surrounding toll roads mainly in the US – surged dramatically in Q1 2025. Scammers have been sending out text messages claiming you have an unpaid toll fee, directing victims to fake websites designed to steal sensitive information – Guardio saw this increase by 604% in Q1 2025.
Tax season scams were also on the rise, with scammers impersonating tax services, including the US Internal Revenue Service (IRS), sending phishing emails, texts, or phone calls claiming issues over people’s tax filings.
Closing down sales also contributed to 2025’s phishing scams.
Guardio recommended using security tools, verifying sources, and being skeptical of offers with urgency when trying to dodge scammers online.
The British Business Bank, the UK’s largest domestic investor in venture and venture growth capital, has announced a €20m to a funding round from EU tech investor Revaia.
The fund will invest in high-growth technology scale-ups across Europe and the UK with a focus on sustainable innovation. The firm partners primarily with mission-driven entrepreneurs, helping them scale their companies globally from growth stage to IPO or buyout.
The British Business Bank joins a syndicate of global investors and LPs, including Bpifrance, the European Investment Fund (EIF), BNP Paribas Cardif and JP Morgan. The commitment from the British Business Bank has also helped support Revaia’s UK expansion, with the firm establishing a permanent UK presence.
Revaia has a dedicated ESG team that supports portfolio companies with their sustainability journey. The Fund has already invested in sectors focusing on resilience such as energy transition, AI for insurance, and cybersecurity.
As well as supporting the Bank’s strategic objective to build the modern, green economy, this commitment is also the latest in the British Business Bank’s support for female-led fund managers.
“Successfully closing Revaia Growth II is a testament to the strength of our team, our strategy, and our investors trust in our ability to scale European tech leaders,” Alice Albizzati, founding partner a Revaia, said.
“With €600 million under management, a strong portfolio, and rapid deployment in high-growth sectors like energy transition and AI, we are reaffirming our ambition: to be the partner of choice for Europe’s next tech champions, providing not only capital but also the operational expertise to accelerate their growth.
“We are excited to continue supporting visionary entrepreneurs who are committed to lasting and sustainable value-creation.”
Christine Hockley, managing director and co-head of funds, British Business Bank, said: “Revaia’s focus on scaling up sustainable technology businesses will support both our mission of improving access to growth capital in the UK and enabling the transition to a net zero economy by improving access to finance for sustainable businesses.
“I am also very pleased to welcome another female-led fund to the Bank’s funds portfolio unlocking the potential of women across the economy.”
Technology consultancy AND Digital has appointed Elaine Van Der Berg as Chief for Growth for Scotland, marking a strategic focus on helping businesses across the region unlock greater value through digital transformation.
Elaine Van Der Berg brings over 25 years of leadership experience across global tech firms including Amazon Web Services (AWS), Capita, Autodesk, and Dell Technologies. Most recently, as CEO of Edinburgh-based tech company Pufferfish, she led the business through a period of rapid transformation.
With a career spanning Europe and Asia-Pacific, Elaine has a proven track record of driving business growth through sharp strategic thinking, customer obsession, and a clear focus on delivering high-impact results that matter to end users and stakeholders alike.
“Scotland is brimming with ambition and potential,” Van Der Berg said. “I’m excited to join AND Digital to help organisations unlock it, bringing clarity to their digital agenda and driving meaningful, sustainable growth and deeper engagement, powered by the right technology, skills, and culture.”
AND Digital partners with organisations to deliver measurable outcomes through digital, whether it’s accelerating innovation, increasing customer engagement, or unlocking new revenue streams. With a proven approach that blends strategic insight and hands-on capability, AND Digital helps clients go further, faster.
“We see a real underserved opportunity in Scotland and are investing in the region,” Will Sargeant, UK general manager at AND Digital, said. “Elaine brings strong local insight alongside technology and data lead thinking that will help our clients to grow their revenue, save money and accelerate their digital journeys. All vital in the current market. I am really excited to have her join our Scottish Leadership team to make that happen.”
Van Der Berg’s appointment comes at a pivotal moment for AND Digital in Scotland, as the company looks to deepen its presence across key sectors and support clients in delivering digital initiatives that drive real-world impact. Her engagement is set to play a central role in shaping the next phase of growth for both AND and its clients across the region.
Financial and related professional services exports from across Britain grew by 18.4% in 2022, the latest available data, according to a new report from TheCityUK.
Scotland saw its financial and professional services exports increase by 14.7% year-on-year in 2022, the research found.
The report reveals that in 2022, industry exports totalled £158bn, equivalent to around £22 in every £100 of export income in Britain.
Almost half (47%) of that contribution originated outside London, with the South East (10.1%), Scotland (6.6%), the North West (5.3%), and Yorkshire and the Humber (4.9%) making the largest contributions to Britain’s total financial and related professional services exports.
Scotland’s exports from financial services accounted for 7.3% of Great Britain’s total financial service exports in 2022. Professional services exports from Scotland accounted for 4.1% of the national total.
All regions and nations across Britain generated trade surpluses in financial services in 2022. London had the largest financial services trade surplus of £41.8bn, followed by the South East (£6.8bn) and Scotland (£5.2bn).
Most British financial and related professional services exports went to non-EU countries (71%), while the EU accounted for the remaining 29%.
For the UK as a whole, the US was by far the largest destination for industry exports in 2022, accounting for 33% of the total, with other leading destinations including Luxembourg (5.7%), France (5.2%), Ireland (4.2%), and Germany (3.6%). Overall, the UK is the world’s second largest exporter of financial services, after the US.
“As geopolitical tensions mean trade wars are a prominent risk for the global economy, the importance of services trade to the UK economy is noteworthy,” Anjalika Bardalai, chief economist and head of research, TheCityUK. “The UK remains a global leader in services trade, with services playing a more significant role in trade in the UK than in most other OECD countries.
“The UK is a globally leading exporter of services—and financial and related professional services are particularly central to these exports. With nearly half of these exports originating outside London, it is clear that British regions and nations play a vital role in catering to international markets.
“Given the continuing trade policy uncertainty and the contribution financial and related professional services makes right across the country, it is crucial to foster an environment that supports its continued growth and competitiveness.”
TheCityUK shared a series of policy recommendations for industry, government, and regulators to work together on to support all parts of the country to grow their export potential.
This includes improving information about trade opportunities, growing the UK’s share of key global financial and related professional services opportunities, and building leadership around key areas of future demand.
Screen-printed biodegradable soil sensors which can be composted at their end of lifecycle could enable farmers to improve crop yield while reducing e-waste, researchers from the University of Glasgow say.
The sensors, developed by engineers from the University of Glasgow in collaboration with colleagues from the Łukasiewicz Institute of Microelectronics and Photonic (IMiF) are made from electronic materials which degrade into plant nutrients, acting as fertiliser to help crops grow.
The research is a key development in a wider international project called TESLA, which stands for Transient Electronics for Sustainable ICT in DigitaL Agriculture. The £1.8m project is funded by UK Research and Innovation and CHIST-ERA, a consortium of research funding organisations in Europe and beyond.
TESLA is led by the University of Glasgow and brings together partners from McGill University in Canada; Tampere University and VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd in Finland; Łukasiewicz Research Network – Institute of Microelectronics and Photonics in Poland and the CSEM Centre Suisse d’Electronique et de Microtechnique SA in Switzerland.
The project aims to develop a complete system where the biodegradable sensors are powered by solar cells and supercapacitors also made from sustainable materials, enabling a fully environmentally friendly solution for precision agriculture monitoring.
The new technology aims to support global efforts to make food production more efficient and sustainable as populations grow and climate change presents new challenges for large-scale farming.
The biodegradable front-end sensors are paired with conventional electronics to monitor crop health. The team say their modular approach enhances the reusability of the overall existing electronic systems and significantly reduces electronic waste, resulting in a much lower overall environmental impact. Detailed environmental impact assessments conducted by the researchers shows that operating the electronics in this way improves sustainability.
Their modular hybrid electronics architecture has been applied to ‘digital agriculture,’ a new approach to farming which uses networked sensors directly applied to crops to monitor their environment and their growth. Digital agriculture could help to meet the 70% increase in global demand for food that experts believe will be needed by 2050.
However, the current generation of sensors used in digital agriculture are made from non-recyclable materials. That means an expansion in the use of digital agriculture would also create an increase in environmentally harmful electronic waste when the devices reach the end of their lifecycles.
In a paper published in the journal ACS Applied Electronic Materials, the team describe how they made a digital agriculture sensor from sustainable materials, combining a biodegradable patch with a matchbook-sized reuseable electronic module. The sensor patches are manufactured using a screen printing process, similar to that used in t-shirt printing. This low-cost, low-energy method of manufacturing could help enable the large-scale deployment necessary for the wider adoption of digital agriculture around the world.
In this work, conductive tracks are printed onto a biodegradable polymer substrate using graphene-carbon ink. Then, a sensing layer made from molybdenum disulfide is printed on top – so all materials used naturally break down into plant nutrients.
Data from the sensors, which are sensitive to the changes in pH and temperature which can be caused by infections in crops, are collected by the electronic module. The data can be sent wirelessly to computers, which could in the future help farmers build up a detailed picture of the health of their crops.
Lab tests showed the sensors can reliably monitor soil pH levels, with consistent performance demonstrated in solutions ranging from pH 3 to pH 8 over the course of two weeks. The team also demonstrated that the sensors can detect traces of ethephon, a widely used plant growth regulator that can be toxic to humans and wildlife if it contaminates groundwater. At the end of their useful lifecycle, the sensors degrade into key primary and secondary nutrients to support future plant growth.
Dr Joseph Cameron, of the University of Glasgow’s James Watt School of Engineering, is a co-author of the paper. He said: “Reliable food production is one of the world’s most pressing problems, with more than 800 million people around the world suffering from malnutrition today. Digital agriculture could be the key to maximising our ability to produce enough food for a growing population.”
Co-author Andrew Rollo, also of the James Watt School of Engineering, said: “The system we’ve developed could go a long way towards cutting down the carbon footprint of digital agriculture. The sensors themselves can be ploughed back into the fields to help nurture crops, and the electronic modules with less environmentally friendly printed circuit materials can be reused for several years.
“Our analysis suggested that replacing the sensors once every three months could reduce the environmental impact of the system by 66%, and 79% over five years compared to disposing of the entire device each time.”
The James Watt School of Engineering’s Professor Jeff Kettle led the research. He said: “We urgently need to find a way to make digital agriculture more sustainable in the years to come. Currently, around 80% of the world’s electronics head straight to landfill once they’ve reached the end of their useful life, which creates massive environmental and public health challenges from the toxic materials which many of them contain.
“We’re keen to continue expanding our biodegradable sensor’s ability to detect other key indicators of plant growth and soil health. That could include adding sensitivity to ‘forever chemicals’ like PFAs, which have significant environmental impact.”
The team’s paper, titled ‘Hybrid agricultural monitoring system with detachable biodegradable and printed pH sensor with a recyclable wireless sensor network for sustainable sensor systems’, is published in ACS Applied Electronic Materials. Researchers from the Łukasiewicz Research Network – Institute of Microelectronics and Photonics and Central South University of Forestry and Technology co-authored the paper.
The research was supported primarily by funding from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), as well as the São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP).
A new campaign group has launched for former subpostmasters in Scotland who were affected by the Post Office Horizon IT scandal.
The Horizon scandal sent shockwaves through Britain’s postal service and government, exposing systemic failures that led to the wrongful prosecution of hundreds of subpostmasters. The miscarriage of justice left profound scars, devastating victims’ mental health and financial security.
The group, called the Scottish Postmasters for Justice and Redress, will launch on 2 April 2025 at the Scottish Parliament, lead by former subpostmaster Rab Thomson who face a wrongful conviction as a result of the scandal, which was overturned after 22 years.
The group is also open to former users of Capture, an accounting software used by the Post Office, and ECCO+, a software used in the Post Office in the 90s who may have dealt with consequences due to their faults.
The group aims to support subpostmasters who are appealing their convictions, or who have paid money to the Post Office to cover losses computed in the system, as well as subpostmasters who were affected in other ways.
Last year, England and Wales introduced a law that would exonerate many of the subpostmasters who were convicted for post office losses where Horizon data was used as the basis of evidence. Following this, 700 former subpostmasters had their convictions overturned.
The Scottish Parliament issued a similar law in May of last year – as the legal system differs in Scotland, and the Procurator Fiscal prosecuted defendants rather the Post Office, a different law was required.
Since then, 64 out of the 97 convicted subpostmasters that have come forward have seen their convictions overturned. 86 of these have so far been assessed, while 22 have been rejected and the remaining 11 are still being assessed.
Cabinet secretary for justice and home affairs Angela Constance, who submitted the Scottish legislation, welcomed news of the group, saying: “I very much welcome this event and the continuing need to raise awareness of the UK government redress schemes for victims of the Post Office miscarriages of justice scandal.
“The Scottish government continues to encourage anyone who considers they suffered an injustice to come forward. There is no time limit under the legislation and the Scottish government will always look into any cases where people give their name as a possible miscarriage of justice case.
“Redress is the responsibility of the UK government, and I am keen everyone who is entitled to it can access it. This event is a reminder of the need to help victims navigate through what has been and remains a traumatic experience, and I pay tribute to the work of all those involved in establishing the Scottish Postmasters for Justice and Redress Group.”
The group aims to provide a space to defend subpostmasters who may struggle with the burden of coming forward about their convictions.
The group is encouraging interested people or those with relevant experiences to join the group or come forward.
TecTonic Night Summit, the vibrant community event that celebrates Scotland’s thriving digital and creative business ecosystem, will return on May 29, 2025, as part of Glasgow Tech Week.
Acting as the week’s premier “market square” evening gathering, TecTonic will provide an inclusive, high-energy showcase of innovation, connectivity and collaboration within Scotland’s tech, digital and creative community.
This May, TecTonic will once again connect entrepreneurs, investors, creatives, and digital talent from Scotland and beyond, making Glasgow the ultimate destination for the digital and innovation community.
The event will follow Glasgow City Innovation District’s (GCID) headline event, Fusion Fest, and complement a variety of curated sessions and gatherings across Glasgow Tech Week, 26 – 31 May 2025, spotlighting our city’s innovation landscape.
“The strength of Scotland’s tech, digital and creative sectors lies in our commitment to collaboration and the sharing of ideas across disciplines and communities,” Nick Murray, director of TecTonic, said.
“TecTonic Night Summit embodies that ethos, bringing together 50+ partners and community groups, a diverse array of thinkers, creators, advisors and entrepreneurs to celebrate how we are evolving as an ecosystem.”
Dana Schwendtner, chapter lead at F*ckUp Nights Glasgow, a partner of the event, shared her excitement about the summit’s role in amplifying Glasgow’s dynamic community: “Glasgow’s entrepreneurial ecosystem has grown tremendously in recent years, becoming a vibrant hub of creativity and innovation.
“We’re thrilled to support an event that highlights the incredible local talent and celebrates the creativity, resilience, and collaboration at the heart of Glasgow’s tech scene. Events like this highlight Glasgow’s network’s strength and potential for future growth.”
Johnston Carmicheal Chartered Accountants return as sponsors, along with Barclays Eagle Labs, CalypsoTech and Shepherd and Wedderburn LLP.
Shaun Millican, partner and head of Business Advisory and Technology & Life Sciences at Johnston Carmichael, said: “We’re proud to support TecTonic Night Summit, an event that brings Scotland’s entrepreneurial and digital communities together in a meaningful and dynamic way.
“At Johnston Carmichael, we are committed to working alongside ambitious founders and business leaders, providing hands-on support, strategic advice, and financial expertise to help them achieve their growth objectives. Events like TecTonic play a crucial role in fostering collaboration, knowledge-sharing, and investment in Scotland’s innovation ecosystem. We’re excited to be part of it and to offer up guidance via Office Hours on the night.”
Attendees can expect an engaging mix of interactive digital experiences, including AR and VR installations, business growth and tech career mentorship, exhibitors, a local creator marketspace, keynote sessions, live music, and performances celebrating the diversity of Scotland’s tech, digital, and creative ecosystem.
Highlights include ecosystem collaboration, mentorship and business advice, interactive installations, a creators courtyard, and a startup and business service showcase.
TecTonic Night Summit promises to be an inclusive, energising convergence of Scotland’s innovators, a celebration of the unique creativity and entrepreneurial spirit of Glasgow’s tech, digital and creative community, and a vital element of Glasgow Tech Week’s mission to promote connectivity and growth within Scotland’s burgeoning tech sector.
Scotland’s sustainable energy entrepreneurs are scaling up their businesses in a collaboration with Shell UK.
As the country accelerates its transition to net zero, the role of high-growth firms in delivering the energy transition and increasing UK growth has never been more important.
In response, the Shell LiveWire programme has opened applications for its newest cohort. Last year, 29 firms, made up of business owners, entrepreneurs, and key decision makers, took part. Since joining the Shell LiveWire programme, the businesses have reported real, tangible successes, including the creation of over 50 jobs.
The first cohort also reported a 34% average increase in turnover, with all participants feeling more equipped to grow the business after the programme.
Further, 83% have achieved measurable improvements in business performance, and 83% have new contracts or sales following the programme.
Shell UK appointed business support organisation Elevator to deliver the programme.
The fully-funded initiative helps those with key decision-making powers to access the skills, networks, and resources required to drive innovation within their companies and beyond.
Applicants invited to apply must ensure they are making a positive contribution to the energy transition with their business model.
The programme encompasses a wide range of sectors, including renewable energy, sustainable construction, green transport, business services, and circular economy.
“Through Shell LiveWire, we are helping businesses that have the potential to shape the future of energy,” Anthony Harte, head of social impact, said. “We understand the challenges of scaling innovative solutions in a complex market, and this programme is designed to equip ambitious businesses with the tools, connections, and strategic support they need to grow.”
Rachel Ross, CEO designate of Elevator, said: “We’re looking for ambitious businesses with the potential to make a real impact. If you’re scaling an innovative company that’s committed to playing a part in energy transition – this is your opportunity to gain unparalleled access to industry leaders through coaching, mentoring, masterclasses and the crucial ongoing support network that defines the programme.”
The UK’s National Cyber Security Centre is encouraging UK organisations to take immediate action to mitigate a vulnerability affecting Next.js, a popular open source web development network.
The framework is often used to build full-stack web applications in use in the UK and around the world.
The NCSC has published a security advisory detailing an authorisation bypass vulnerability present in Next.js, a popular and open-source React-based web development framework that is used to build full-stack web applications in use in the UK and around the world.
An attacker may be able to exploit this vulnerability by sending an external request to the system that the system treats as an internal request, bypassing authorisation checks and giving unauthorised access to sensitive data.
Proof-of-concept exploits for this vulnerability are widely and freely available.
The vulnerability, CVE-2025-29927 was fixed by Next.js in March after it was reported to the maintainers in February.
The vulnerability made it possible for requests to skip critical security checks, such as authorisation cookie validation, before accessing further routes, Next.js explained.
Versions affected include all versions of 13.x before 13.5.9; all versions of 14.x before 14.2.25, all versions of 15x before 15.2.3; and all versions from 11.1.4, up to but not inclusive of 12.3.5.
“If updating to a fixed version is not feasible, the vendor has recommended that external user requests containing the “x-middleware-subrequest” header be blocked from reaching your Next.js application,” the NCSC said in its guidance. “This should be a temporary measure until updating to the latest version is possible.”
The NCSC also recommends monitoring logs for potential attacks, for example x-middleware-request headers in external requests.
According to Next.js, applications hosted on Vercel, Netlify, and deployed as static exports were not affected by the vulnerability.
Users should also ensure that they update to one of the latest fixed versions listed on the vendor’s website at their earliest opportunity.
Heriot-Watt University, the University of Strathclyde, and Age Scotland are leading a new network focusing on how technology can enhance the social, mental, and physical capacities of people with dementia.
The £2 million CONSOLIDATE network is one of four announced by the UKRI’s Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) in partnership with the Alzheimer’s Society.
The networks aim to develop novel technologies that promote independent living and enhance the quality of life for people with dementia.
Professor Alan Gow, healthy ageing co-lead of the Global Research Institute in Health and Care Technologies, is the Heriot-Watt lead for the network.
There are currently around one million people in the UK with dementia. This is projected to rise to 1.4 million people by 2040.
A survey by the Alzheimer’s Society revealed that 85% of people said they would want to stay at home for as long as possible if diagnosed with dementia.
Research suggests that dementia progression can be slowed by promoting or protecting functional capacities, including cognitive skills and self-care activities.
CONSOLIDATE will focus on how technology can enhance and support the functional capacities of people living with dementia.
For those in the earlier stages of dementia, the network will explore how technology can enhance existing functional capacities.
As the disease progresses, it will focus on how technology can anticipate people’s changing needs and provide assistance for declining or lost skills, without hastening that decline.
The CONSOLIDATE team has several partners to help deliver the three-year programme.
They include Alzheimer Scotland, Meeting Centres Scotland, Carers Scotland, the Community Renewal Trust and NHS Boards from the Scottish Borders to the Highlands and Islands.
People living with dementia will be central to the research and design process.
The network will co-design solutions responding to the needs identified by people living with dementia, ensuring those are financially and geographically accessible.
Professor Alan Gow from Heriot-Watt’s School of Social Sciences, said: “Technology has immense potential to support people living with dementia, from virtual assistants promoting social, mental, and physical engagement, smart sensors to monitor activity, and even robots that aid with daily tasks – the tools exist.
“But to truly support independence, the design of these technologies must be driven by the needs and aspirations of the people they are there to serve.”
Dementia is progressive, and people at different stages have different needs in terms of what would enable them to live independently.
Mario Parra Rodriguez, Professor in the University of Strathclyde’s Department of Psychological Sciences and Health, said: “By equipping emerging technologies with knowledge contributed by relevant disciplines and mapping such developments to the needs and preferences of those who will benefit from them, we can achieve unprecedented levels of personalised care.
“CONSOLIDATE moves away from the ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach as it aims to support the development of new technologies that can adapt to the changing needs of diverse populations living with dementia.”
Anna Clements, head of Dementia at Age Scotland, said: “At Age Scotland, we believe that working with people who have lived experience of dementia is essential to everything we do. Any new technology must be designed with them, not just for them.
“For example, sensor technology can help make living spaces safer and more secure, but people living with dementia want more than to simply be monitored.
“They want technology that supports their independence, helps them stay engaged and allows them to live independently for as long as possible.
“Focusing only on safety, while important, doesn’t help people retain their abilities or stay as active as they’d like. For those in the early stages of dementia, we want to explore how technology can support their independence now while also adapting to their future needs.”
EPSRC executive chair Professor Charlotte Deane said: “Dementia is a major challenge in the UK and globally. As people are living longer, the number of people living with dementia is increasing.
“With most people wishing to remain at home, we are investing in research that could lead to new technologies and innovations that will help keep people safe and independent.
“These networks will bring together a wealth of expertise from across academia, healthcare, charities and, crucially, people with lived experience to find solutions that will lead to healthier and more fulfilling lives for those affected by dementia.”
Individuals and groups are invited to join CONSOLIDATE, with opportunities to participate in and shape activities and apply for research funding.
The outlook for the Scottish tech sector remains positive according to the latest industry report from ScotlandIS, the membership and cluster management organisation for Scotland’s digital technologies industry.
Despite a challenging economic and geopolitical climate, almost three quarters (73%) of firms expressed optimism for the year ahead, a feeling driven by expectations of growth and the promise of new opportunities for the sector.
While a slight decline from last year’s 78% optimism, the figure remains high, reflecting an overall positive outlook for the next 12 months.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the biggest expected growth area for 2025 is in AI and machine learning (ML). The expansion of this technology subsector has continued steadily, going from 62% of firms expecting to see new opportunities in the sector in 2024 to 69% in 2025.
Predictably, the demand for skills in AI and ML also increased, with 70% of businesses anticipating a requirement for skills in this area.
While the majority of respondents reported a positive outlook for 2025, some smaller businesses anticipate challenges when it comes to growth, with 16% of firms indicating cash flow was substantially more difficult in 2024 – an increase from 3% in 2023.
In response to the survey results, ScotlandIS plans to form even closer ties with policymakers, industry bodies and educational providers to address these growth challenges and help businesses scale effectively.
Karen Meechan, CEO at ScotlandIS said: “There’s a lot to be excited about in the Scottish tech sector right now. For example, the UK government’s increased focus on AI, has driven huge growth for our industry in that area. This is reflected by some encouraging responses to our survey and it’s great to see a strong sense of optimism continue as we progress further into 2025.
“With the ongoing geopolitical and economic challenges, the fact we’ve seen some slight softening when compared directly with last year’s results is hardly surprising. Seeing the Scottish tech sector remain so positive, even in the middle of a very tough climate for businesses, is testament to how resilient our industry really is.
“Given what our members are telling us, it’s important we don’t forget about the bigger picture. Like a healthy ecosystem, our sector needs support in order to thrive.
“Over the last year, we have shared over 400 opportunities with our members to support them entering new markets, building strategic partnerships and accessing the talent essential for growth. Looking at the year ahead, we will continue to back up our members, working closely with governments and policymakers to show just how valuable our tech sector really is.”
Stephen Coleman, CEO and co-founder of CodeBase said: The global technology landscape is evolving at an increasingly rapid pace, with advances in AI and a shifting investment landscape creating both challenges and opportunities. As this report shows, these macro movements are being felt in Scotland. The issues are complex and multi-faceted, but Scotland has assets, talent and infrastructure which can collectively create a strong tech economy.
“Techscaler is a vital part of that infrastructure; supported by many great partners like ScotlandIS, we are working to help create more startups, and supporting the increasing numbers of scaleups to help them achieve their high growth potential. This survey is a valuable tool as we collectively navigate towards a better future for Scotland.”
There’s a growing appetite for using AI to implement enterprise automation in the US and the UK, new research from Jitterbit found, but data divides and security concerns are still presenting obstacles.
The study, conducted by Censuswide Research reveals that IT and line-of-business teams are increasingly aligned in their efforts to close the data gap and drive greater collaboration to alleviate IT bottlenecks and offload growing demands on IT teams.
And while enterprises are racing to leverage AI-driven automation and application development, resources, security concerns and integration hurdles remain obstacles.
The research found a growing data divide, with 67% of enterprises today deploying over 500 applications, creating significant data silos.
IT teams are also dealing with the brunt of resource demand for enterprise automation seven out of ten times.
Further, while nearly all (99%) of IT leaders acknowledge the need for seamless integration and automation, yet 71% still lack a unified platform to achieve it.
“The path to success is clear: businesses must break down data silos and automate workflows to thrive in the age of AI,” said Jitterbit president and CEO Bill Conner.
“While many organizations still struggle to find the resources across IT, IS, and line-of-business teams to bridge this ‘data divide,’ the opportunity for those who can is immense. We’re on the cusp of a new era of efficiency and innovation, driven by true end-to-end AI automation.”
The research, which gathered insights from 1,000 IT decision-makers in the US and the UK, also found that the majority of (97%) IT leaders are recognising the importance of empowering non-technical users to build, deploy and maintain applications and integrations, ensuring faster time to value.
Despite barriers, agentic AI appears to be on the horizon, as 99% of enterprises have integrated AI into their operations; early-adopter organisations increasingly see agentic AI as the next frontier.
About a third (31%) of enterprises are already planning for agentic AI, signaling the next wave of autonomous decision-making enterprise AI solutions, which require end-to-end AI.
However, IT workers are still facing major challenges, including in cybersecurity, data privacy, scaling, resources, and compliance.
Half (50%) of IT leaders cite vulnerabilities in AI-powered, third-party integrations as their top data security concern. This underscores the urgent need for robust AI security protocols, platform security controls, and accountability processes.
“Legacy automation, designed to execute isolated tasks, is no longer sufficient enough to keep up with modern business demands,” said Jitterbit CTO Manoj Chaudhary. “Agentic AI is driving a fundamental shift — moving from task-based automation to intelligent automation with adaptive workflows that drive real business outcomes. By leveraging AI-driven decision-making, enterprises can break free from data silos and IT bottlenecks, enabling seamless end-to-end automation.”
Business links, trade, and investment is “at the heart” of Scotland’s long-standing relationship with the USA, First Minister John Swinney said ahead of his first stateside visit.
The First Minister said he will use his platform at Tartan Day to build on the existing links and strengthen relations between Scottish and US businesses, and focus his efforts on bringing jobs and investment to Scotland.
In addition to leading Scotland’s presence at the annual Tartan Day Parade, the First Minister will promote Scotland as a ‘world-class’ place to do business, champion Scotland’s culture sector at an event at Carnegie Hall featuring some of Scotland’s best artists, and lead a discussion and Q&A on Scotland’s progressive and international outlook at the Council on Foreign Relations.
He will also meet with a number of key current and potential investors to promote the economic opportunities on offer in Scotland.
“Scottish culture is celebrated the world over – it brings people together, and it shares Scotland with the world. Tartan Week in New York is a wonderful example of that,” the first minister said.
“But these events are more than just a chance to celebrate our culture. They are an opportunity for us to foster new business relationships and strengthen the trade and investment ties between our two countries.
“The US is a priority trade partner for Scotland, and consistently the top country for Scottish exports. In 2023, we exported nearly £4 billion of goods to America, and we imported roughly the same amount.
“America is also the top investor in Scotland, with over 700 companies employing over 115,000 people in key sectors. That is a tremendous and welcome contribution to our economy and our communities.
“I want to attend Tartan Week to maintain, and further grow, these important links – links which have for centuries been at the heart of our relationship with the USA.”
President of the National Tartan Day New York Committee Kyle Dawson said: “We’re delighted that the First Minister will be joining our NYC Tartan Week festivities. It’s a privilege to provide a platform that facilitates and strengthens international relationships and in the spirit of celebrating Scottish culture and heritage in the United States we look forward to welcoming the First Minister to our events.”
The French anti-trust regulator has fined Apple 150 million euros (£125m~) for what it says it an abuse of its dominant market position for its tracking permissions tool.
The French Competition Authority is issuing the fine to Apple over its App Tracking Transparency (ATT) tool which asks user’s permissions if an app can track their personal data for targeted advertising purposes.
Anyone familiar with EU regulation about permissions and online tracking would think that Apple’s tool would get a thumbs up from any data protection authority, but the tool has faced criticism from app developers.
The French regulator said that the way the tool was implemented “was neither necessary nor proportionate to Apple’s stated objective of protecting personal data.”
ATT will provide a pop-up to a user when they first open a newly downloaded app, presenting a universal message explaining app tracking and asking users for consent to track, or to “Ask app not to track.” Many apps already provide a consent pop up on their app, but Apple introduced this feature to create a “consistent” prompt about tracking for all developers.
The prompt is also the same for all of Apple’s own apps as well.
The French authority said that the tool created too many consent windows, making it difficult for users to navigate their iOS devices.
The watchdog also raised concerns about the tool’s neutrality, as it could potentially penalise smaller publishers which rely on third-party data tracking for their revenue and success.
Apple has explained their disappointment in the ruling, saying that the tool was made to protect people’s privacy and offer more transparency about app tracking.
“That prompt is consistent for all developers, including Apple, and we have received strong support for this feature from consumers, privacy advocates, and data protection authorities around the world,” Apple said. “While we are disappointed with today’s decision, the French Competition Authority (FCA) has not required any specific changes to ATT.”
A major new grant will help to establish the University of Glasgow as one of the UK’s leaders in atom-by-atom of analysis of materials which could support human habitations on the Moon and beyond.
UKRI’s Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) has provided the University with £5.3m in new funding to support the establishment of an on-campus atom probe tomography (APT) facility.
The new facility, which will be called the Space Nanomaterials Atom Probe, or SNAP, will be the first of its kind in Scotland and one of just six in the UK.
It will be the UK’s only facility to offer access to next-generation atom probe equipment and will be the only atom probe worldwide to specialise in space science challenges.
Atom probe tomography is a uniquely powerful analysis tool which allows researchers to examine the composition of materials down to the atomic level.
It uses an ultra-precise laser to shear off individual atoms, which are then pulled into a detector and analysed for information about both their chemical composition and their original position in the material.
The data collected by the process produces a highly-detailed 3D atomic model of the original sample.
The SNAP facility will help scientists to see in exquisite detail how materials developed to withstand the rigours of future space missions react to long-term exposure to the vacuum, along with extreme changes in temperature, and exposure to harsh radiation.
The versatility of the atom probe tomography equipment makes it ideally placed to analyse a wide range of materials.
Once the SNAP facility opens in 2028, it will also help to provide insights into the composition of materials which will enable advanced new devices for the quantum, semiconductor and energy sectors.
Dr Luke Daly, of the University of Glasgow’s School of Geographical & Earth Sciences, led the bid for funding and will be project lead for the installation of SNAP.
Researchers from the University of Oxford and the Scottish Universities Environmental Research Centre (SUERC) will co-lead the project.
He said: “Atom probe tomography provides unique data that’s unobtainable in any other way, so we’re delighted to have received this funding from EPSRC to set up a facility that will provide services right at the cutting edge of atomic characterisation.
“The UK’s booming space sector will benefit from access to SNAP, which will provide new insights into how materials are affected by space weathering.
“When satellites and other space infrastructure are exposed to radiation, solar wind, and cosmic rays in space, they can fail. By visualising this damage at the atomic scale, we can develop new materials that are more resilient to these challenging conditions.”
Dr Daly, a planetary science researcher, has previously used atom probe tomography techniques to analyse fragments of ancient asteroid samples brought to Earth by space missions, helping to unravel the mystery of the origins of the Earth’s water.
The University of Oxford’s Dr Paul Bagot, who is co-investigator on the project, said: “I’m delighted to be part of the team bringing the first atom probe system to Scotland. This instrument will not only advance cutting-edge space-related research at Glasgow, but it will also be closely integrated within the growing UK APT community – SNAP will boost the opportunities available to researchers in the UK interested in the potential of APT, and our team will ensure current and future generations of scientists utilise this important new acquisition.”
Professor Eric Yeatman, vice principal and head of the College of Science & Engineering, said: “We’re grateful to EPSRC for helping us to establish SNAP through a funding bid which was overseen by my predecessor as Head of College, Professor Dame Muffy Calder. SNAP is the newest addition to the University of Glasgow’s expanding suite of advanced analysis, characterisation and fabrication facilities. It will help further establish the University as a one-stop shop for cutting-edge materials development and testing, enabling characterisation from centimetre to atomic scales.”
Professor Dame Muffy Calder of the School of Computing Science said: “It’s a testament to the University’s breadth and depth of expertise across a wide range of disciplines that we’re able to establish an atom probe tomography facility here in Glasgow. SNAP will help enable breakthrough developments not just for our space scientists, engineers, geologists and chemists but researchers working across the UK and beyond.”
Researchers from Cybernews discovered that around 1.5 million images were exposed from a leak targeting LGBTQ and kink dating apps on iOS devices.
The apps were all developed by M.A.D. Mobile Apps Developers Limited, and included BDSM People, CHICA, TRANSLOVE, PINK, and BRISH, exposing sensitive user data.
Hackers exploited publicly accessible hardcoded ‘secrets’ in the apps code, which allowed unauthorised access to storage buckets containing highly sensitive content.
These secrets include API keys, passwords or encryption keys – exposing these can be dangerous as credentials placed in client application are accessible to anyone, and are easily abused by threat actors.
This puts users at risk of extortion, social engineering attacks, and even persecution in regions where LGBTQ+ identities are criminalised.
The most disastrous of these the Cybernews researchers found were the leaked secrets which granted access to user photos in Google Cloud Storage buckets, which had no passwords.
The apps – which were aimed at the BDSM, sugar, and LGBTQ+ communities – services around 800,000 to 900,000 people.
M.A.D. Mobile was initially informed about the leak on 20 January, but according to the BBC, did not take action until the news outlet notified them last week.
The firm has since fixed the problem, but has yet to explain why it happened or how it failed to protect the sensitive data.
1.5 million private photos were exposed, including profile pictures and pictures sent via direct messaging. Text and user names were not stored in the same way as these photos, so it would be difficult for threat actors to link photos and names of users, but the risk exists.
Typically, cyber research teams wait until a breach has been secured before publishing their findings. However, as Cybernews had already informed M.A.D. Mobile of the breach back in January and still received no response, the research team decided to raise the alarm bells and at least inform users of the leak.
The research team’s findings were part of a larger survey of iOS App vulnerabilities. The research team downloaded 156,000 iOS apps, finding that 71% of all analysed had at least one secret exposed. On average, apps exposed 5.2 secrets in their code.
Business confidence in Scotland rose by two points during March to 55%, according to the latest Business Barometer from Bank of Scotland.
Scottish businesses reported higher confidence in their own business prospects month-on-month, up 15 points at 65%. When taken alongside their optimism in the economy, down 11 points to 44%, this gives a headline confidence reading of 55% (vs. 53% in February).
Looking ahead to the next six months, businesses in Scotland identified their top target areas for growth as investing in their team, for instance through training (46%), evolving their offering, for example by introducing new products or services (43%) and entering new markets (36%).
The Business Barometer, which surveys 1,200 businesses monthly and which has been running since 2002, provides early signals about UK economic trends both regionally and nationwide. This data was gathered between the 3rd – 17th March, ahead of the Spring Statement.
“It’s great to see business confidence in Scotland continuing to climb and remaining above the UK average, buoyed by stronger confidence from firms in their own trading prospects,” Martyn Kendrick, Scotland director at Bank of Scotland Commercial Banking, said.
“Scottish businesses are focused on further growth. Whether their strategies involve investing in their team or tapping into new markets, we’ll continue to support them in their ambitions.”
National picture
Overall, UK business confidence was 49% in March – the same as in February.
While firms’ optimism in their own trading prospects held steady at 57%, their confidence in the wider economy dropped one point to 40%.
The West Midlands and London were the joint most-confident of any UK nation or region in March (both 62%), followed by the North West (59%).
Sector insights
Retail confidence rose seven points to 58%, a post-pandemic high, reflecting positive trading prospects.
In contrast, the manufacturing sector saw the largest decrease in business confidence this month, declining 12 points to 39%, due to increased concerns about supply chain disruptions. Construction firms also saw a decline to 48% and businesses in the service sector saw confidence decline to 47%.
“Business confidence remained steady this month, suggesting that UK companies may have been waiting to see the impact of government decisions at home and globally,” Hann-Ju Ho, senior economist, Lloyds Commercial Banking, said.
“Despite this, today’s data continues to reflect a positive growth trend in the UK economy. With confidence maintaining last month’s high, business leaders are optimistic, noting that investing in their development and workforce will position them well to seize future growth opportunities.”
Paul Kempster, managing director for Commercial Banking Coverage, Lloyds Business & Commercial said: “The findings of the latest Business Barometer are encouraging, maintaining the previous month’s uplifted business confidence and economic optimism across the UK.
“At Lloyds, we are committed to supporting businesses and our range of financial services and expertise are designed to help firms navigate the evolving economic landscape, seize new opportunities, and achieve their growth ambitions.”
The rise of generative AI has changed the landscape of bot traffic, with automated users of informational web content now outnumbering humans, according to new research from F5.
The 2025 Advanced Persistent Bots Reportanalysed 207 billion web and API transactions from November 2023 to September 2024. It examined records from customers with existing bot defenses in place, demonstrating how automated traffic operators behave when confronted with countermeasures.
The report found that 50.04% of page requests for web content were from automated sources, compared to 22.3% of search requests on web and 21.5% of ‘add to cart’ transactions.
It suggests significant growth in the kind of web scrapers used by LLM providers by major LLM providers, and the persistence of these bots to continue sending requests when blocked.
In total, 21.22 billion of the transactions monitored (10.2%) came from a variety of automated sources, some of them benign, but 10 billion (4.8%) comprising malicious bot traffic.
“When we break down automated traffic by the flow (function) it is targeting, Content is now well ahead of any other area on web platforms,” said David Warburton, director of Threat Research Team, F5 Labs.
“For years, bot traffic has primarily been targeted at Search flows, as well as all aspects of the user journey from when someone signs up or logs in to use a service, to the point when they add an item to their basket, check out or seek to change their password.
“The huge upsurge in content scraping, undoubtedly associated with the explosion of Generative AI and LLMs, underlines how dynamic bot traffic is and the need for organisations to be constantly on watch for changes in attack patterns.”
Bots ease up – but not for everyone
Patterns and prevalence of bot traffic varied according to industry. The most targeted industries on web were hospitality (44.6% of traffic from bots), healthcare (32.6%) and eCommerce (22.7%).
On mobile, entertainment (23%) was by far the most targeted sector, well ahead of eCommerce (4.5%) and QSR (4.2%).
Several industries still experience high levels of credential stuffing attacks that seek to take control of user accounts. On web, over a third of login attempts for companies in the technology sector were attempted account takeovers (33.5%), ahead of general retail (25.7%) and gaming (19.6%). On mobile, such attacks were most prevalent against entertainment companies (24.7%) and eCommerce providers (23.8%).
The sophistication of attacks also varied by industry. The vast majority of automated traffic targeting healthcare on both web and mobile was classed as ‘basic’. Other industries experienced relatively high levels of more sophisticated traffic considered ‘advanced’ – the top three on web being general retail, bank, and airline.
Despite the high levels of bot traffic, the majority of industries tracked experienced a decline in automated activity compared to 2023, suggesting that bot controls in place were having the desired effect.
The outliers were hospitality on web, which increased by 18.3% and QSR on web, up by 11.2%. Although it experienced a much greater share of bot traffic on mobile than any other industry, the entertainment sector recorded a 11.5% decrease from 2023.
“Certain industries are perennial targets for unwanted bot traffic,” said David Warburton. “Hospitality experiences high volumes because aggregators want to scrape hotel room rate and availability data, or malicious actors are trying to steal loyalty points. In turn, eCommerce providers are targeted by resellers and bots trained to exploit voucher and gift card data.
“These data also show how certain industries have adapted over time: widely targeted sectors such as airlines and financial services have built up defenses to frustrate less sophisticated attackers, meaning they must now contend with a higher proportion of traffic from more advanced, highly persistent operators.”
The report also assessed the impact of deterrence on bot traffic, comparing the experiences of customers who were monitoring automated traffic with those who were mitigating it.
On mobile, the trend was clear and expected. Organisations mitigating traffic saw a significantly lower share of automated activity in their Search traffic (0.9% compared to 24.8% for those monitoring), a pattern matched in Login (5% for mitigators compared to 21.7% for those monitoring) and Sign up (2.4% compared to 21.7%).
On web it was a different story. In most workflows automated traffic was higher for organisations that were actively mitigating bots. These customers saw 20.9% of automated traffic in Search versus 14.9% for those simply monitoring, and the equation was the same in Add to Cart (19.2% vs. 18.2%), Checkout (8.6% vs. 7.4%) and Account Recovery (6.6% vs. 4.6%).
“Typically we expect mitigation to lead to a decline in bot traffic, as operators that are blocked move on in search of weaker targets,” said David Warburton. “That was true to some extent in this analysis, but we also saw operators who had been frustrated try even harder to access the information they were seeking.
“While it feels counterintuitive that mitigation should lead to an increase in traffic, it also makes sense in certain contexts. There are now whole business models built around the scraping of data, prices and intellectual property: those operators are not going to give up easily when they are deterred.
“An increase in traffic means these actors are trying harder and in more ways, not that they are succeeding in breaching defenses. The consistent trend of this research, and all of our experience at F5, is that mitigation works and deterrence makes a difference.”
UK organisations are set to increase AI investment by more than 25% in 2025, according to data from the latest Freshworks AI Workplace report.
The new report also found that over half of employees now consider AI as a necessary tool (61%), leading to an expected increase in AI investment across a majority of organisations (54%) during 2025, an average increase of 29%.
The increase in AI investment across organisations reflects the increasingly pivotal role the technology is having on business success. Just 4% of UK organisations plan to decrease investment levels this year.
Currently, 74% of UK organisations believe IT vendor pricing is correct. This level of accessibility of AI tools with limitless potential will help organisations increase spending levels in 2025.
AI’s impact at work therefore appears that it is only going to increase and spending levels are expected to produce greater RoI levels as employee experience continues to improve.
Organisations are expected to increase AI investment in 2025, as a combination of accessibility and the technology’s impact continue to rise.
The expected investment surge arrives after 72% of UK workers felt positively about the impact AI has had on their workload. This positive employee experience will be a key driver for increased AI investments in the future.
Employers are now expecting employees to be proficient in everything AI-related. 63% of organisations are willing to invest in AI upskilling courses for employees this year as well.
AI is now more widely used and accessible than ever before. Organisations are now feeling the impact it is having on productivity, employee experience and capabilities. 80% of UK workers now consider it a powerful tool, whilst 64% of employees now describe AI tools.
The increase in AI investment could spell good news for the employee experience as tools become more readily available to make their working lives smarter and more efficient.
“The significant jump in AI investment by UK organisations underscores the transformative impact AI is having on business operations and employee experiences,” Ian Tickle, senior vice president and general manager international at Freshworks, said.
“As both the accessibility and resulting benefits of AI tools continue to increase, businesses across the UK are now ramping up investment levels to deliver them even greater returns.
“We’ve seen the positive impact our AI-powered solutions have on organisations across all sectors – including helping businesses streamline their operations, improve productivity, and ultimately provide better services to their customers.
“Our uncomplicated solutions are powerful yet easy to implement, easy to use, and easy to configure – and are built to make a real difference in weeks, not months, let alone years.”
Ofcom has issued a £1.05 million fine to OnlyFans for failing to provide accurate information to formal requests on its age assurance measures on the platform.
The website is known to host sexually explicit content, and says that visitors must be at least 18 years of age. To verify this, the company uses facial age estimation technology from a third party to analyse a selfie from a prospective user to determine their age.
OnlyFans initially reported to Ofcom that the age estimation tech was set to flag anyone who appeared under the age of 23, who would be asked to provide a form of ID to prove their age.
OnlyFans’ parent company Fenix International, alerted Ofcom in January 2024 that it had provided incorrect information about the ‘challenge age’ set for its age estimation technology, prompting Ofcom to launch an investigation.
The company was instead flagging people who looked to be under the age of 20.
The regulator looked into if Fenix had failed to accurately respond to formal requests for information, eventually revealing a number of concerns.
Ofcom expects that robust checks are in place to ensure information is properly interrogated, crosschecked, and reviewed through appropriate channels, prior to it being submitted in response to a formal information request.
The company took over 16 months to discover that it had provided Ofcom with inaccurate information, and Ofcom has said that a more robust fact checking process would have resulted in the incorrect submission coming to light sooner.
As a result of these failings, Ofcom has imposed a financial penalty on Fenix of £1.05 million, which will be passed on to HM Treasury. Thisincludes a 30% reduction from the penalty the regulator would otherwise have imposed, as a result of resource savings achieved through Fenix accepting the findings and settling the case.
“When we use our statutory powers to request information from platforms, they are required, by law, to ensure it is complete, accurate and delivered to us on time,” Suzanne Cater, Ofcom’s enforcement director said.
“Receiving accurate and complete information is fundamental for Ofcom to do its job as a regulator and to understand and monitor how platforms are operating. We will hold platforms to high standards and will not hesitate to take enforcement action where we find failings.”
Three main issues were highlighted by Ofcom when deciding how big of a fine to issue.
Fenix is a large, well-resourced company which Ofcom argues is well aware of its regulatory obligations.
The data inaccuracy undermined Ofcom’s ability to carry out its regulatory function, given it led to inaccurate data being published by Ofcom.
Further, after Fenix identified the error, it took over two weeks for the company to report the issue to Ofcom.
The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has fined Advanced Computer Software Group Ltd (Advanced) £3.07m for security failings that put the personal information of 79,404 people at risk.
Advanced provides IT and software services to organisations, including the NHS and other healthcare providers, and processes people’s personal information on behalf of these organisations as their data processor.
The fine, which is the regulator’s first to a data processor, relates to a ransomware incident in August 2022. Hackers accessed certain systems of Advanced’s health and care subsidiary via a customer account that did not have multi-factor authentication (MFA).
The cyber-attack was widely reported at the time, with reports of disruption to critical services such as NHS 111, and other healthcare staff unable to access patient records.
The investigation found that personal information belonging to 79,404 people was taken, including details of how to gain entry into the homes of 890 people who were receiving care at home.
The ICO’s investigation concluded that Advanced’s health and care subsidiary did not have the appropriate technical and organisational measures in place to keep its health and care systems fully secure prior to the 2022 incident – including gaps in the deployment of MFA, a lack of comprehensive vulnerability scanning and inadequate patch management.
“The security measures of Advanced’s subsidiary fell seriously short of what we would expect from an organisation processing such a large volume of sensitive information,” John Edwards, Information Commissioner, said.
“While Advanced had installed multi-factor authentication across many of its systems, the lack of complete coverage meant hackers could gain access, putting thousands of people’s sensitive personal information at risk.
“People should never have to think twice about whether their medical records are in safe hands. To use services with confidence, they must be able to trust that every organisation coming into contact with their personal information – whether that’s using it, sharing it or storing it on behalf of others – is meeting its legal obligations to protect it.
“With cyber incidents increasing across all sectors, my decision today is a stark reminder that organisations risk becoming the next target without robust security measures in place.
“I urge all organisations to ensure that every external connection is secured with MFA today to protect the public and their personal information – there is no excuse for leaving any part of your system vulnerable.”
The regulator announced its provisional intention to fine Advanced £6.09m in August 2024. Advanced then submitted representation on the provisional decision, which have been ‘carefully considered by the ICO.’
Several factors from these representations led to a reduction in the fine, including Advanced’s proactive engagement with the NCSC, the NCA, and the NHS in the wake of the attack and other steps taken to mitigate the risk of those impacted.
The ICO and Advanced have now agreed to a voluntary settlement. Advanced has acknowledged the ICO’s decision to impose a reduced fine and agreed to pay a final penalty of £3,076,320 without appealing.
John Edwards added: “I welcome the settlement with Advanced which concludes our investigation into this incident, providing regulatory certainty to organisations without the delay and cost of an appeals process.”
Organisations must be taking proactive steps to assess and mitigate risks, such as implementing comprehensive MFA (or an equivalent measure), regularly scanning for vulnerabilities and keeping systems up to date with the latest security patches.
NatWest Group, of which Royal Bank of Scotland is a subsidiary, is announcing its ambition to significantly expand its support to UK businesses by offering 10,000 entrepreneurs the change to join its Accelerator community in 2025.
The banking firm will also set out its long-term strategy to support the UK’s growth coals through new university partnerships.
Since the programme was founded in Birmingham in 2015, the bank’s Accelerator has grown its hub network to 12 sites across the UK. These hubs have supported 9,737 businesses since 2015, raising over £684m in investment and creating over 12,000 jobs.
The first to launch in Scotland was in Glasgow in 2016, and now, almost ten years on, Royal Bank, as part of NatWest Group, will be partnering with up to 10 UK universities to open new business accelerators in the next three years. This investment in the bank’s accelerator programme will support thousands more entrepreneurs from across the UK to run and grow their businesses.
Universities have become a key focus for the Government’s industrial strategy, which recognises that R&D-led and innovation-centered concepts have a significant role to play in accelerating economic growth
Through these new partnerships, the bank also aims to support high growth businesses who, with the correct support, could experience rapid expansion in their market share, revenue or workforce over a sustained period.
The bank wants to target businesses in the ‘innovation economy’ in particular, in sectors such as Technology, Healthcare Tech, Life Sciences and Fintech, as these sectors offer considerable potential to the growth of the UK economy.
“It’s a testament to how much the Accelerator has achieved that today we are setting out plans for its expansion – starting with our ambition of supporting up to 10,000 entrepreneurs in 2025,” Robert Begbie, CEO of NatWest’s commercial and institutional franchise, said.
“As the UK’s biggest business bank we are ambitious for the UK and believe that by unlocking the potential of entrepreneurs we can support sustained economic growth.
“The next stage of the Accelerator’s expansion will involve partnering with more UK universities, combining our strengths to help entrepreneurs commercialise their ideas and kickstart economic growth.”
UK companies are losing an increasingly large sum of money each year due to poor website experience despite spending a substantial amount on marketing technology, research from Storyblok has revealed.
300 senior business leaders at large and mid-sized e-commerce companies in the US and Europe were asked a range of questions about their company’s website performance, accessibility, and marketing technology costs.
Surprisingly, 46% of UK businesses said their website had recently embarrassed them in from of a key stakeholder or customer, however, 98% said their website met all or most of their expectations.
These figures are almost identical to research Storyblok conducted in 2023 that revealed 47% of UK businesses were embarrassed by their website and 90% said their website met their expectations.
Businesses invested, on average, £486,000 over the past five years, with 48% spending more than £500,000 – up from 25% in 2023. Only 3% of businesses believe they receive a poor ROI on their marketing technology spend compared to 9% in 2023.
Despite soaring marketing technology budgets, the time taken to maintain websites continues to grow.
In 2023, companies reported an average of 3.5 hours per week spent on routine tasks, this has now grown to 4.3 hours with 8% reporting more than 10 hours spent.
Revenue lost through poor website performance has grown from £47,000 in 2023 to £71,500 per year, with 15% of businesses estimating they lose more than £100,000.
For the first time, Storyblok also surveyed website accessibility, finding that 47% reported having at least some accessibility functionality for people with vision, hearing or mobility impairments.
Twenty-eight per cent reported having no accessibility functionality despite the European Accessibility Act – which comes into force at the end of June – requiring any company doing business with customers in the EU to provide accessible digital services.
“When we conducted this research two years ago, we were surprised to find so many businesses were embarrassed by their website and believed it was losing them vast sums of money,” Dominik Angerer, CEO and co-founder of Storyblok said.
“What made it more puzzling is that the majority of businesses said that they received good ROI on their marketing technology. Fast forward to today, and we are genuinely shocked to find the situation has got worse.
“Businesses are losing a lot more money, maintenance times are increasing and costs are soaring. Yet, satisfaction with marketing solutions has increased.
“To make sense of this research, we have to realise that many businesses do not understand that they can and should expect a lot more from their marketing tech.
“A new generation of composable architecture and solutions provides a much more cost and time-effective solution than inefficient legacy tech stacks that are increasingly unfit for their purpose.
“Nearly all the problems we uncovered in this research would be solved if business leaders raised their expectations and embraced modern marketing technology.”
The average return on investment (ROI) for AI-focused investment was just 2.5% in the last year, data from Bowmore Asset Management shows.
AI investment was outperformed by other industries and general funds in terms of its returns, despite attracting an estimated $110bn in global investment in 2024.
Generalist tech firms beat out the AI sector, with 4.3% returns on their investments on average.
Other industries – video games, fintech, cybersecurity, cloud computing, and payments all had higher returns on their investments when compared to AI.
The results may be inflated by AI’s high valuations and relatively recent entry into the investment foray. As the emerging technology progresses and takes further hold, investors may see greater returns in the near future as speculative valuations solidify.
“AI remains a hugely exciting sector but it pays not to be too overweight in a sector and certainly not a sector where it becomes hard to justify valuations,” said Jonathan Webster-Smith, chief investment officer at Bowmore.
“AI companies had seen such a strong run in their share price that the sector had tempted investors away from some of their core principles such as diversification.”
Previous research from 2024 also found the same trend: mean number of deployed AI projects that have shown meaningful ROI dropped 9.4% according to a report from Appen.
AI appears to not be going anywhere, and investors may just have to be patient to see monetary ROI from AI investments. Within companies, however, organisations are seeing returns on productivity and ROI, though a lack of training appears to be holding some benefits back.
The AI investment landscape has also seen a shakeup after the introduction of DeepSeek’s AI chatbot that offers similar capabilities to OpenAI’s GPT models with a much smaller price tag and associated power requirements.
Patience may be running thin for investors waiting to see the benefits of AI across industries as the technology improves productivity, but faces hurdles when it comes to data, governance, and regulation.
Tech entrepreneur and business leader Tom Adeyoola will head up Innovate UK, the government body that is part of UKRI, the country’s largest public research funder.
He will be replacing interim chief Stella Peace following a competitive recruitment process.
Adeyoola brings a range of experience from technology, investment, entrepreneurship, and digital transformation. As co-founder of Extend Ventures, he has worked with Innovate UK to improve diversity in grant funding and support underrepresented entrepreneurs.
He also serves on the steering board of The Startup Coalition, advocating for high-growth tech businesses across the UK.
Once confirmed by parliament, Adeyoola will act as Chair of Innovate UK, part of the largest national public research funder, helping businesses turn cutting-edge ideas into real-world products.
The agency funds companies, drives technologies, and oversees the UK’s Catapult Network, which connects businesses with world-class R&D expertise.
Through its £100 million Innovation Accelerator programme, it is already creating high-skilled jobs and new opportunities in Glasgow, Manchester, and the West Midlands, helping these regions become global hubs for research, from advanced manufacturing to life sciences.
In 2023/2024, over 450,000 innovators across the country were supported by the agency.
People could see faster medical deliveries, air taxis cutting journey times, and greener transport options through Innovate UK’s flagship Future Flight Challenge, which works with businesses and regulators to develop drone technology and zero-emission aircraft.
“With his experience in technology, entrepreneurship, and digital transformation Tom Adeyoola is the right person to ensure Innovate UK delivers real impact – backing pioneering businesses, scaling up breakthrough innovations and ensuring the UK leads in the industries of the future,” science minister Lord Vallance said.
“I thank Stella Peace for her excellent contribution as interim Executive Chair, and Indro Mukerjee as Executive Chair before her, and I look forward to working with Tom as we continue to make the UK the best place in the world to start and grow an innovative business.”
Adeyoola served on the Board at Channel 4, where he focused on digital transformation and championed innovation funding in the creative industries. He has also been a driving force in exploring the impact of generative AI on the economy, from education to public services.
His blend of business, technology, and policy expertise will hopefully make him well-placed to steer Innovate UK’s investments, helping pioneering companies scale up.
“Tom Adeyoola’s appointment is excellent news for Innovate UK and the whole of UKRI,” UKRI chief executive professor Dame Ottoline Leyser said.
“His experience and insight as a technology entrepreneur and business leader will bring enormous benefits and expertise to the organisation at this critical time.
“I’d like to take this opportunity to thank Dr Stella Peace for her superb leadership as interim Executive Chair. Stella will continue to play a major role for UKRI as Innovate UK’s Executive Director of Healthy Living and Agriculture.”
Under Tom Adeyoola’s leadership, Innovate UK will continue backing businesses and driving forward the government’s Plan for Change – supporting pioneering businesses, create high-value jobs, and turn cutting-edge ideas into solutions that improve lives across the UK.
“Innovate UK plays a vital role in catalysing the businesses that will shape the UK’s future economy – whether through cutting-edge technologies, the creative industries, or AI,” incoming executive chair of Innovate UK, Tom Adeyoola said.
“I look forward to working with partners across the ecosystem, industry and government to ensure our investments have a multiplier impact, driving innovation that fuels economic growth and strengthens the UK’s position as a global leader in science and technology.”
Adeyoola’s recruitment is subject to a pre-appointment scrutiny hearing by the Science, Innovation, and Technology Select Committee.
A new study from Asana’s Work Innovation Lab has revealed that two years on from AI’s rollout within workplaces, two thirds (67%) of companies are still failing to scale the technology across their organisation.
Asana’s latest study shows that whilst AI is being rolled out within organisations, its use is siloed in a ‘leadership bubble’ and the technology is built and used mostly for solo use cases rather than across teams which is preventing wide adoption across companies.
The study, which surveyed 3,182 workers at companies across the US and the UK, as well as 112,000 workers at over 350 organisations using Asana’s AI, reveals the key blockers that are prohibiting AI from ‘taking off’ within large organizations – and the productivity gains that can be made by resolving these issues.
The Leadership Bubble
According to the findings, AI adoption in many companies is happening in a ‘leadership bubble’ – executives are all-in, but employees are on the sidelines.
Senior leaders are 66% more likely to be early AI adopters than their employees, and managers are 38% more likely to use AI weekly than individual contributors. As a result, adoption becomes bloated at the leadership level without infiltrating down to individual contributors.
Some of the key reasons for this AI ‘leadership bubble’ include employee skepticism, which is still rife within organisations. Individual contributors are 39% more skeptical of AI than their company leaders.
Further, job security worries continue, as employees are about a third (32%) more worried about job security than company leaders.
The study did fine that AI’s delegation nature is better suited to executives. Workers who frequently delegate to humans are 1.9 times more likely to delegate to AI. But for more junior employees, delegation – whether to people of AI – often feels foreign.
These findings point to a lack of dialogue around AI between executives and employees. Whilst 59% of companies track AI’s financial return on investment (ROI), only 23% measure employee satisfaction around AI. By creating this dialogue with employees, companies can spot critical blind spots like areas of skepticism and concern about jobs.”
Dr Mark Hoffman, collaborative intelligence lead at Asana’s Work Innovation Lab commented: “If employees feel like AI is something that is happening to them, not for them, adoption will stall, and it won’t scale. That’s why companies that do track employee satisfaction and feelings around AI are 32% more likely to see AI adopted across job levels, not just at the leadership level.”
Who is AI Built For?
Another key blocker to scaling AI goes back to how AI workflows are built within companies. Most AI adoption starts as a solo experiment. These experiments matter, but they don’t scale.
According to Asana’s study, 49% of AI workflows are built for individual use, yet these individual-first workflows drive only 6% of downstream adoption by colleagues and peers. This is because they are not designed for the team first.
Additionally, many teams prohibit AI from scaling within their organisation due to challenges working across teams. Only 21% of employees say teams across their organisation work together effectively.
However, Asana’s study shows that employees who work across teams are much more likely to adopt AI. When employees collaborate with another employee using AI, they are 30% likely to adopt AI themselves.
However, when AI is embedded in cross-functional workflows, adoption takes off. In fact, users are an eye-popping 46% more likely to adopt AI when a cross-functional partner is already using it.
According to Asana’s data, AI is creating partnerships between departments that do not usually work together.
One of the most common, yet unlikely pairings on AI workflows and projects is the IT and HR department. Marketing and IT, and Marketing and Finance are also more likely to work together using AI than other departments.
In addition, the cross-functional workflows that save the most time tend to connect business functions with other teams in the organisations.
Marketing and sales, for instance, reported saving over 124 seconds per workflow executed, and finance and marketing reported saving over 75 seconds per workflow.
“Before companies can truly scale AI within their organization, they must first examine how team work happens,” Hoffman said.
“If teams are operating in silos, workers are more likely to continue using AI for solo use rather than unlock AI use within teams – and crucially, across different team functions, where we are seeing the strongest impact from AI”
A rising amount of the UK public say that laws and regulation would increase their comfort with AI, new research from the Ada Lovelace Institute and the Alan Turning Institute has found.
About seven in ten (72%) of Britons say that more regulation would make them feel better about AI, up from 62% in 2023.
The nationally representative survey of 3,513 UK residents provides valuable insights into the public’s awareness and perception of different uses of AI, their experiences of harm and their expectations in relation to governance, regulation, and the role of AI in decision-making.
It follows a previous survey carried out in 2022, before the release of ChatGPT and other LLM-based chatbots, which was published in 2023.
Within the research, however, a range of awareness, perceptions, and concerns were identified, varying across different demographics.
The survey found that public awareness of different AI uses varies widely. While 93% have heard of driverless cars and 90% of facial recognition in policing, only 18% were aware of the use of AI for welfare benefits assessments.
It also found that large language models (LLMs) have gone mainstream, with 61% saying they have heard of LLMs and 40% saying they have used them before, demonstrating a rapid adoption since their release to the public in 2022.
As far as benefits, the public sees speed and efficiency improvements the top positive impact of AI, which has stayed the same since the 2022/23 survey.
However, levels of concern have increased across all six uses of AI asked about in both surveys, with common concerns being around overreliance on technology, mistakes being made and lack of transparency in decision-making.
Further, the public have particular concerns about the use of their data and representation in decision-making. 83% of the UK public are concerned about public sector bodies sharing their data with private companies to train AI systems.
When asked about the extent to which they felt their views and values are represented in current decisions being made about AI and how it affects their lives, half of the public (50%) said that they do not feel represented.
Harm and Regulation
The survey also shows that exposure to harms from AI is alarmingly widespread. Two thirds of the public (67%) reported they have encountered some form of AI-related harm at least a few times, with false information (61%), financial fraud (58%), and deepfakes (58%) being the most common.
This is accompanied by strong public demand for laws, regulation and action on AI policy. 72% indicate that laws and regulations would increase their comfort with AI – an increase from 62% in 2022/23.
88% of people believe it is important that the government or regulators have the power to stop the use of an AI product if it is deemed to pose a risk of serious harm to the public and over 75% said government or independent regulators, rather than private companies alone, should oversee AI safety.
The survey also found support for the right to appeal against AI-based decisions, and for more transparency. 65% said that procedures for appealing decisions and 61% said getting more information about how AI has been used to make a decision would make them more comfortable.
Recognising that much of the existing evidence on public attitudes to AI does not adequately represent marginalised groups, the survey deliberately oversampled three underrepresented demographics: people from low-income backgrounds; digitally excluded people; and people from minoritised ethnic groups, such as Black, Black British, Asian, and Asian British people.
The survey found that attitudes vary between different demographics with underrepresented populations reporting more concern and perceiving AI as less beneficial. For example, 57% of Black people and 52% of Asian people expressed concern about facial recognition in policing, compared to 39% in the general population.
Across all of the AI use cases asked about in the survey, people on lower incomes perceived them as less beneficial than people on higher incomes.
“This new evidence shows that – for AI to be developed and deployed responsibly – it needs to take account of public expectations, concerns and experiences,” Octavia Field Reid, associate director of the Ada Lovelace Institute, said.
“The Government’s current inaction in legislating to address the potential risks and harms of AI technologies is in direct contrast to public concerns and a growing desire for regulation.
“This gap between policy and public expectations creates a risk of backlash, particularly from minoritised groups and those most affected by AI harms, which would hinder the adoption of AI and the realisation of its benefits. There will be no greater barrier to delivering on the potential of AI than a lack of public trust.”
Professor Helen Margetts, programme director for public policy at the Alan Turing Institute, added: “To realise the many opportunities and benefits of AI, it will be important to build consideration of public views and experiences into decision-making about AI.
“These findings suggest the importance of government’s promise in the AI Action Plan to fund regulators to scale up their AI capabilities and expertise, which should foster public trust. The findings also highlight the need to tackle the differential expectations and experiences of those on lower incomes, so that they gain the same benefits as high income groups from the latest generation of AI.”
Scotland has the opportunity to unlock unprecedented economic growth if they engage with the energy transition and digital innovation, according to Deloitte and the Fraser of Allander Institute.
The pair’s latest report has considered the divers of productivity in Scotland where the nation needs to better grasp emerging opportunities.
While Scotland has made significant progress in decarbonising the energy system, which has been accompanied by a growth in jobs in renewables, there are still huge opportunities in Scotland as the nation seeks to decarbonise homes, buildings and transport systems.
The research also considers how Scotland’s public assets could be better leveraged to promote growth and improve productivity. With the public sector owning approximately 10% of the country’s land and 23,000 of its buildings, the paper suggests a bold approach is key to untapping significant potential and stimulating supply chains and job creation.
On the energy transition, Lesley McEwan, director, Infrastructure & Capital Programmes at Deloitte in Scotland, said: “Investment is of course crucial, but while capital budgets are constrained, we need to consider what other levers the public sector can pull to maximise Scotland’s potential in the energy transition.
“Public sector land and buildings could play a pivotal role in the development of broader policy initiatives, like the development of heat networks or data centres.”
Speaking on AI and digital innovation, Angela Mitchell, senior partner for Scotland at Deloitte, said: “Scotland punches above its weight when it comes to qualifications and training, and yet businesses in many sectors struggle to find the talent they need. So, although we’re a highly qualified nation, there are thousands of ‘economically inactive’ people, and we can’t match the skills we have to the jobs that need to be filled.
“This is where AI could have a phenomenal impact, if we use it in the right way – rather than replacing workforces, it could free up skilled workers to do their jobs better and, ultimately, achieve more. The UK Government has signalled its intention to do this with its own civil service, and it’s something Scotland should be following suit on.
“Renewable energy and digital technology are two arenas where Scotland should be ahead of the curve. But the public, private and academic sectors must come together, and be prepared take bold steps – using all the tools at our disposal to properly leverage our wealth of knowledge and experience in these areas. If we get it right, we could create a future where Scotland’s energy and digital prowess fuels global demand, while driving economic prosperity at home.”
The UK’s unicorns have nurtured the most tech founders across Europe, with 45 UK-founded unicorns fuelling 393 startups across the region.
According to data from Accel and Dealroom, the the UK outperformed other countries in Europe in terms of its startup support from unicorns.
Dubbing these high-growth unicorns as founder factories, the fresh report looked at how $1bn valued companies in Europe were affecting the wider ecosystem.
With founders and staff that have already successfully navigated the startup journey, these unicorns are best placed to be the epicentre of wider entrepreneurial talent.
While London is the city with the highest density of unicorns in the UK, with 34, Edinburgh shone as the Scottish lead, with 2 unicorn founder factories, and 26 tech-enabled startup spinouts.
Accel and Dealroom tracked performances and trends across European companies, finding that UK firms came out ahead of top European competitors, such as Sweden, Germany, and France, in terms of startup growth from unicorns.
However, in terms of independent startup performance, Sweden’s Klarna and Spotify generated the most new startups, with 66 and 61 respectively. That said, the UK’s collective efforts pulled ahead.
In the UK, Deliveroo generated the most startups, with 53, followed by Revolut with 46, Wise with 30, and Monzo with 23.
Edinburgh-based Skyscanner was the only UK startup outside of London to have produced more than 20 startups, with 23.
These startups are often founded by former unicorn staff, and the report found that these startups were often based in the same city as the original unicorn, making these regions into successful tech hubs attracting even more talent.
“Back in 2000, Europe’s tech ecosystem was nascent. However, 25 years on, our data highlights the vibrant tech ecosystem that exists today and how the network effects that Silicon Valley has long benefited from are now at work across Europe and Israel,” Harry Neils, partner at Accel said, as reported by UKTN.
“Beyond repeat founders, teams with experience across product, engineering, and management have also been on the startup journey before, and are applying their insights and learnings to building the next generation of businesses set up for long-term success.”
Enterprise AI and ML is on the rise, but security is now being put to the test to see if it can keep up with the emerging tech’s rapid advancement.
A new report from Zscaler makes clear that the power and perils of AI loom larger than ever, as threat actors continue to push the boundaries of AI’s malicious capabilities.
The Zscaler report analysed 536.5 billion transactions from AI/ML tools between February and December 2024, revealing surprising but on trend shifts in enterprise usage worldwide.
The report saw that AI and machine learning tool usage saw an exponential year-on-year rise, with 36 times more transactions from over 800 AI?ML applications in the Zscaler cloud. This highlights the explosive growth in enterprise interest – as well as growing dependence – on these technologies.
ChatGPT remains the top application used by transaction volume with nearly half (45.2%) of all transactions, despite ongoing debates over its security implications.
Enterprises blocked 59.9% of all AI/ML transactions, reflecting concerns around AI data security and the steps companies are taking in shaping their approaches to AI governance.
ChatGPT was also the most-blocked AI application among known applications, followed by Grammarly, Microsoft Copilot, QuillBot, and Wordtune, reinforcing growing interest and caution when it comes to AI-powered writing and productivity assistants in enterprise settings.
The growing risk of AI adoption is highlighted by the sheer amount of data being transferred via these AI tools which amounted to 3624 TB according to the report.
When it comes to sectors, finance & insurance, as well as manufacturing, generate the most AI/ML traffic, with 28.5% and 21.6% share of all AI/ML transactions in the Zscaler cloud. Services (18.5%), technology (10.1%), healthcare (9.6%), and government (4.2%) trailed significantly.
The report also highlighted that AI continually amplifies cyber risks, fueled by advancements in deepfake technology, emerging open source AI models, and autonomous attack automation – undoubtedly making threats more adaptive, targeted, and difficult to detect.
The report highlights the double-edged sword of AI proliferation across enterprises.
Two thirds of recruitment leaders noted hiring candidates with AI skills is more challenging than recruiting for other tech roles, with virtually all respondents saying finding candidates with both the soft and technical skills to thrive in tech is significantly more challenging.
The findings come from General Assembly’s State of Tech Talent report, revealing 68 per cent of enterprises have to offer higher salaries to candidates with AI skills, an increase from 64 per cent reported last year.
The survey was taken from 500 HR professionals worldwide, to better understand evolving AI skills and implement innovative reskilling and upskilling initiatives.
Additional findings note that over three quarters of tech hiring leaders are concerned that the procedures they’ve followed to hire skilled AI workers wasn’t sustainable to build a long-lasting, diverse pipeline of talent.
“Enterprise businesses are keen to secure AI talent but are overlooking the fundamental truth that AI is only as good as the data it learns from,” Stuart Harvey, CEO of Datactics said.
“Hiring challenges are becoming an increasing problem, but businesses should consider investing in upskilling their existing teams in data management, governance and quality to improve data readiness.”
“AI is only as effective as the data it processes and without structured, accurate and well-governed data, businesses risk AI systems that are flawed. The rush to deploy AI without a strong data foundation is a costly mistake and in a competitive AI landscape, only those who get their data right will be the ones who thrive.”
Six in ten organisations surveyed noted an increased need for AI skills has correlated with a heightened need for diversity initiatives, as building a diverse workforce from varying backgrounds is beneficial when implementing AI strategies. This is also an essential tenant of reducing bias in AI systems.
However, the study did reveal that the future of DEI is in question, as 24% of HR professionals surveyed say their companies have scaled back or eliminated their focus on DEI hiring in tech.
The appetite for skills-first hiring, however, has tripled in the past two years. 18% of HR professionals are increasingly likely to look first at certifications and non-degree education when hiring for remote software engineering, data analytics, data science, and UX design.
Beyond technical skills, soft skills also play a major factor in hiring, with 95% of respondents saying its now harder to source candidates with both technical and soft skills than three years ago.
“Artificial Intelligence is already having a transformative impact on businesses, enabling efficiencies in areas like data analysis, fraud detection and forecasting which deliver tangible benefits to people and organisations,” Sachin Agrawal, managing director for Zoho UK.
“However, the path to broader AI adoption is not without challenges. The growing shortage of AI talent at executive level raises concerns around the future of AI including its ethical use which includes consideration of data privacy. This knowledge gap isn’t only a technical oversight, it is a serious risk.”
“As AI adoption accelerates, global collaboration will be required to equip the workforce with the skills to navigate an AI-driven future. Government, regulators, educators, and industry leaders must work together to establish comprehensive training frameworks that ensure workers at all levels, technical and non-technical, understand AI’s capabilities, risks, and ethical implications and can use it effectively in the right way.
“This includes integrating AI literacy into education systems, developing upskilling programs, and ensuring that AI proficiency is accessible to all, preventing skill gaps that could widen economic and social divides.”
Sextortion is a growing problem for unsuspecting teen boys as the UK’s National Crime Agency reveals that 74% of boys do not fully understand the online threat.
‘Sextortion’ involves people being financially blackmailed after an offender threatens to release nude or sexual photos of the victim.
The threat is more commonly associated with targeting women and girls, but people of all genders and ages can be under targets.
The NCA found through their research that about three in four (74%) didn’t see requests for nude images as a warning sign or attempt of ‘sextortion’, while about the same number (73%) were not aware of how to report these incidents.
Just over one in ten (12%) admitted that they may be at risk of ‘sextortion’.
All age groups and genders have been targeted by sextortion, which is often motivated more by money than sexual gratification, but the NCA is now aiming their awareness at boys aged 15 to 17.
The NCA’s CEOP Safety Centre received 380 reports of ‘sextortion’ in 2024 and in the first five months of 2024, police forces received an average of 117 reports of ‘sextortion’ from under 18’s each month. However, offenses related to child sexual abuse are generally underreported and the actual figure is likely to be higher.
In the year to June 2024, the US National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) received an average of 556 reports of sextortion per week, amounting to over 28,000 global cases per year – up from 26,718 the previous year.
“Sextortion is unimaginably cruel and can have devastating consequences for victims,” Alex Murray, NCA Director of Threat Leadership, said.
“This campaign will help empower young boys, giving them the knowledge to spot the dangers posed by this crime type and how to report it. It supports them to understand that if it does happen, it is never their fault.
“It will also take the advantage away from the criminals responsible, whose only motivation is financial gain.
“Sadly, teenagers in the UK and around the world have taken their own lives because of ‘sextortion’, which has been a major factor behind launching this campaign.
“We are also issuing guidance to parents and carers about how to have conversations with young people to help them spot the dangers posed by perpetrators of ‘sextortion’.
“A lot of victims feel responsible for the situation they find themselves in. But we need them to know this is absolutely not the case; you are not to blame and help and support is available. As well as raising awareness, we want to encourage young people to report incidents to an adult they trust, the police or to the CEOP Safety Centre.”
Meta may change its entire personalised advertisement model across Facebook and Instagram in the UK following a landmark settlement.
Human rights campaigner Tanya O’Carroll first filed a lawsuit against Meta for £1.2tn in 2022, saying that the company’s terms and conditions around personalised advertisement went against UK data laws.
In the lawsuit, she demanded that Facebook and Instagram stop collecting and processing her data for the means of targeted advertisement. Her claim was backed by the UK’s data watchdog, the ICO, which could mean the case sets a precedent for the rest of the UK.
The UK’s data protection authority supported the case, and said that they would support other people in the UK who want to exercise their right to object to their data being processed for targeted advertisement.
“This is an individual settlement, but I believe its ramifications extend far beyond me,” said O’Carroll, reported by The Guardian. “The key factor is the UK data protection authority, which backed my case and has publicly stated that it will support people in the UK who wish to exercise their right to object to online targeted ads. I think that beyond the life of this case, the writing is on the wall for Meta – people want a choice on surveillance ads, and the right to object gives them exactly that.”
The ICO has said that people should have the right to opt out of their data being processed for targeted advertisements, and this choice should be “clear” to users.
Meta, however has come out against the ruling, saying that it takes its responsibilities under GDPR seriously.
The company is now debating the possibility of creating a subscription service for UK users, which would create an ad-free version for a fee. This would mean that the free version not only has ads, but has targeted ads based on user data that Meta can then sell to data brokers for personalised advertisement. Meta’s current advertising model accounts for almost all of Meta’s revenue, about 98%.
The tech giant explained that Facebook and Instagram were free for UK consumers because of personalised advertising generated from personal data Meta collects and sells.
The subscription fee idea was first trialled in the EU after Meta was found in breach of GDPR as it did not have a legal basis for collecting the personalised data for targeted advertising.
The EU soon threw this model out, however, after it became clear that a pay or consent model did not offer users a genuinely free choice to not have their personal data collected and sold by the tech giant for targeted ads.
It remains to be seen how much of a ripple effect this current settlement will have on the UK, some regulators, like the Competition and Markets Authority, have been pressured by the government to take a more pro-business stance in an bid to stimulate economic growth. While the ICO is an independent regulator, it remains to be seen what action it will take following the case, or following any changes to Meta’s policy.
Technology giant IBM will back plans with the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NSCS) and Department of Science Innovation, and Technology (DSIT) to encourage more young people in cyber careers.
IBM has announced that it will provide the online platform for the CyberFirst Girls competition – a UK-wide programme open to girls between the ages of 12 and 13.
The CyberFirst Girls Competition, currently run by the NCSC, is the UK’s flagship cybersecurity programme for schools, with more than 85,000 students across the country having taken part since its launch in 2017.
It puts students through a series of cyber challenges from cryptography and networking to artificial intelligence, building up their skills and encouraging them to consider future careers in the field.
To support the next generation of cyber talent, IBM will provide the platform for the 2025 edition of the competition.
Improving the diversity of the UK’s cyber sector is a key priority for the government, with women currently accounting for just 17% of our cyber workforce.
Though average salaries in the sector exceed £56,000 – with the top 20% of earners receiving salaries between £73,000 and £350,000 – almost half of UK businesses (44%) also report having cybersecurity skills gaps, meaning it’s more pressing than ever to ensure the next generation of cybersecurity leaders are joining the ranks.
Further, research from BCS, the Chartered Institute for IT, showed that here are about half a million women missing from the tech industry, highlighting the persistent gender gap in the sector, which permeates into cybersecurity.
“If we’re going to keep the UK safe from the threats we face online, then we need to build a diverse workforce which is reflective of every community in the country,” minister for cybersecurity Feryal Clark said.
“By partnering with IBM to deliver the next edition of the CyberFirst Girls Competition, we’re driving forward our plans to do exactly that – building up the skills of young girls across the country and nurturing the next generation of UK cyber leaders.
“The girls who will benefit from this support could even go on to represent the UK Cyber Team – the cream of the crop of British cyber talent who will fly the flag for us across the world – and I’ll be proudly cheering the team on today as they head to Dublin for their first international competition.”
Chris Ensor, NCSC Deputy Director for Cyber Growth, added: “Over the past decade, the CyberFirst Girls Competition has offered tens of thousands of young women a fun opportunity to test their cyber skills against real-world cyber problems.
“I’m delighted that a new partnership across government and the private sector will be taking forward the delivery of this vital initiative which is inspiring the next generation of cyber security professionals.
“We need a cyber industry which reflects our diverse society and encourages the most talented individuals to keep our digital lives secure.”
The move to boost cyber skills is part of the government’s wider work to grow the economy and develop the successful UK cybersecurity sector, which is now worth £13.2 billion, up 12% on the previous year.
“IBM is delighted to build upon our partnership with the National Cyber Security Centre by supporting the CyberFirst Girls competition with DSIT,” Mark Hughes, IBM global managing partner for cybersecurity said.
“Our commitment to fostering diversity in cybersecurity remains unwavering, as highlighted in our ‘Diversity & Inclusion in Cybersecurity’ initiative.
“This new collaboration is a significant step towards nurturing the next generation of cyber leaders, ensuring a more inclusive and robust industry.
“We are confident that this partnership will make a substantial impact in encouraging more young girls to pursue rewarding careers in cybersecurity.”
The House of Lords Communications and Digital Committee has launched a new inquiry into media literacy.
The inquiry calls for evidence surrounding how media literacy initiatives int he UK are currently working, what examples of good practice are, and if the UK has the right regulatory and legislative framework for delivering media literacy.
Media literacy is crucial to ensure individuals can understand, and make informed decisions about what they see, hear, and read in both traditional and online media, the Lords committee says.
According to Ofcom, only 45% of UK adults are confident they can judge whether sources of information are truthful. Just 30% are confident they can identify whether content is AI generated.
Children and young people, who are increasingly active online, face challenges in recognising online advertising, and distinguishing between real and fake content.
Despite its importance, media literacy initiatives have suffered from short-term and small-scale funding. While media literacy is taught in some schools, it does not form part of the national curriculum.
The inquiry asks if any changes are needed in how formal education is treating media literacy, and investigates the role it plays in its development.
“The ability to critically analyse media, communications and online content is of increasing importance to us all,” launching the inquiry Baroness Keeley, chair of the committee, said.
“Being media literate can help protect people of all ages from scams, disinformation and exposure to harmful content.
“As online AI tools become increasingly powerful it is vital that the public can understand what they are seeing and why. The fact that less than a third of adults are confident they can identify AI-generated content is deeply concerning.
“We want to understand how the UK can get better at media literacy. We are falling behind internationally, so it is important to examine what we can do to improve media literacy education both in schools and into adulthood.
“The strength of our inquiry will depend on the quality of the evidence we receive, so I would encourage anyone with knowledge or an interest in this area to submit their evidence to us by 11 April.”
NatWest Group has entered a partnership with OpenAI as part of a collaboration to support its AI deployment efforts across the bank.
This is the first collaboration of the AI giant with a UK bank. NatWest has been prolific in its AI adoption, which has taken a central role in its customer experience strategy as well as its efforts to cut costs and eliminate fraud.
The agreement will see NatWest gain access to all of OpenAI’s products, as well as an early view of the company’s upcoming products. Further, the banking group will gain consultancy and executive input for its AI implementation.
“Our strategic focus on bank-wide simplification continues to make life easier for both our customers and colleagues,” NatWest group CIO, Scott Marcar, said.
“With the needs of customers evolving at an extraordinary pace, it’s our role to be a trusted partner and meet their expectations faster and more effectively than ever before. AI is already playing a vital role in our digital transformation; helping colleagues across the bank to serve customers in a more personalised and productive way.
“We now have the potential to accelerate this even further by accessing OpenAI’s newest technologies and expertise. As we adapt to advances in technology, we will continue to do so in the safest and most responsible way, prioritising our customers and colleagues every step of the way.”
With over 275 AI projects being explored and around 25 use cases in production, NatWest has already seen substantial improvements in how it operates and serves customers. The GenAI functionality offered by Cora+, NatWest’s digital assistant, has shown a 150% improvement in customer satisfaction, while reducing the number of times a colleague needs to intervene.
The development of the bank’s digital assistant services for customers will be a key area of focus, including new ways that customers can use AI to help them with more complex tasks, including the identification, reporting and resolution of fraud and scams.
In addition, NatWest believes there is opportunity to leverage digital assistants to help customers better understand their financial position, using AI and help them to plan and set goals for the future.
“Around 80% of our retail customers bank with us entirely digitally, which is why continually innovating to deliver the best digital experience possible is a non-negotiable,” CEO of Retail Banking at NatWest Group, Angela Byrne, said.
“GenAI is already transforming how we interact with our customers, both digitally and by better enabling colleagues. Our work with OpenAI will take this even further through redefined digital experiences and helping to offer even better protection from threats like fraud and financial crime.”
Giancarlo Lionetti, OpenAI’s chief commercial officer said: “This wide-scale collaboration with NatWest underscores its commitment to deliver industry-leading digital banking experiences.
“The first wave of activities will deliver tangible benefits to both NatWest’s customers and employees, while our ongoing work together paves the way for future AI banking innovations.”
Finance leaders are focused on AI-enabled technology solutions and intelligent process automation to align their investments with broader business goals of enhancing speed, agility, and competitive advantage, Gartner, Inc says.
“CFOs are increasingly playing a strategic role in shaping technology roadmaps that support enterprise-wide innovation,” said Mike Helsel, senior director analyst in the Gartner Finance practice.
“Over 70% of CFOs have expanded responsibilities beyond finance to include enterprise data and analytics, AI, and corporate strategy, driving a focus towards finance technologies that support such enterprise initiatives.”
A Gartner survey of 383 finance leaders was taken in October 2024 and showed that generative AI (GenAI), machine learning (ML) and cloud enterprise resource planning (ERP) are the top technologies expected to receive future investment in the finance function.
The top ten finance technologies to receive the highest future investment, according to Gartner, are:
1. Generative AI
2. Machine Learning
3. ERP (cloud)
4. Intelligent Applications
5. AI Governance
6. Automated Machine Learning
7. Analytics and Business Intelligence
8. Big Data Analytics
9. Cloud Analytics
10. Reporting Automation
GenAI and ML
“Finance AI technologies, including GenAI and ML, are leading future finance investments. In fact, 50% of finance leaders are planning significant increases in GenAI spending,” said Helsel.
“However, many finance leaders face challenges with fragmented automation technologies, which limit end-to-end process value creation. Addressing these challenges is crucial for realizing the full potential of technology investments.”
Metrics, analytics, and reporting, along with planning, budgeting, and forecasting are among the top priorities for finance functions in 2025. This is driving the push toward AI and advanced analytics tools that transform finance operations by providing real-time insights and enhancing enterprise decision-making processes.
Future investments are set to rise over 3% overall in core finance technologies led by cloud ERP (38%) and financial planning software (FPS) (24%) which are essential to core finance operations, with new AI augmentations enhancing their capabilities.
Eighty-seven percent of respondents from organizations that have already implemented ERP solutions say they have plans to replace or upgrade them in the next three years.
“The substantial adoption levels and value of cloud ERP make it the top overall technology for finance functions,” said Helsel. “New self-service AI and data analytics capabilities being rolled out by cloud ERP vendors are providing an incentive for finance functions to upgrade, so they can better provide insights to the business in real time and at scale.”
ScotlandIS celebrated 25 years as the Scottish tech ecosystem’s membership and cluster management organisation with its 15th annual Digital Tech Awards.
With a theme of birthday, the night at the Radisson Blu in Glasgow served as a celebration not just of the esteemed winners representing Scotland’s best and brightest in the tech sector, but also as an opportunity to honour the longstanding work of ScotlandIS in bolstering Scotland’s tech industry.
The awards revered a variety of sectors, from data and AI, fintech and managed services, to engineering and education. The event highlighted the diversity of work in the Scottish tech ecosystem.
With over 100 entrants, ScotlandIS’s esteemed judges diligently narrowed the selection to just 12 winners, representing cybersecurity, AI, and data excellence.
“Every year it does get harder to select the winners from the amazing array of applications,” Karen Meechan, CEO of ScotlandIS, said.
“That’s 25 years of supporting and championing Scotland’s technology industry. For quarter of a century we have stood alongside Scotland’s tech ecosystem, promoting innovation. From internet adoption, to the space tech, AI, and fintech revolutions, we have gone from strength to strength, and that is thanks to everyone in this room,” she added.
This year’s awards included longstanding categories such as tech for good, cyber excellence, and tech rising star, as well as new selections, including Outstanding Managed Service Provider.
This first-time category went to Lugo, which was recognised for its people-focused leadership and impactful customer service innovations.
Highlighting AI’s influence in the tech sphere, ScotlandIS honoured Inicio AI, a female-led fintech startup which won the award for Service Innovation for its AI training tool which aids businesses in money management.
“You can probably tell from my accent that we originate a bit further down South, but the Scottish system has been so supportive of us so we decided to make it our home,” Rachel Curtis, Inicio AI said upon receiving the award.
DeepMiner won the Data Trailblazer award, and CEO Duncan Hart thanked his customers, which include the Scottish government, “for taking us on when our technology was cutting edge, and it still is cutting edge.”
Recognising the importance of employee wellbeing and retention, ScotlandIS awarded the prize for Best Wellbeing at Work to Sopra Steria, a consulting and software development company. The firm won for its Employee Trust Fund that was first started in 1981, which supports employees going through hardship.
ScotlandIS celebrated 25 years as the Scottish tech ecosystem’s membership and cluster management organisation with its 15th annual Digital Tech Awards.
With a theme of birthday, the night at the Radisson Blu in Glasgow served as a celebration not just of the esteemed winners representing Scotland’s best and brightest in the tech sector, but also as an opportunity to honour the longstanding work of ScotlandIS in bolstering Scotland’s tech industry.
The awards revered a variety of sectors, from data and AI, fintech and managed services, to engineering and education. The event highlighted the diversity of work in the Scottish tech ecosystem.
With over 100 entrants, ScotlandIS’s esteemed judges diligently narrowed the selection to just 12 winners, representing cybersecurity, AI, and data excellence.
“Every year it does get harder to select the winners from the amazing array of applications,” Karen Meechan, CEO of ScotlandIS, said.
“That’s 25 years of supporting and championing Scotland’s technology industry. For quarter of a century we have stood alongside Scotland’s tech ecosystem, promoting innovation. From internet adoption, to the space tech, AI, and fintech revolutions, we have gone from strength to strength, and that is thanks to everyone in this room,” she added.
This year’s awards included longstanding categories such as tech for good, cyber excellence, and tech rising star, as well as new selections, including Outstanding Managed Service Provider.
This first-time category went to Lugo, which was recognised for its people-focused leadership and impactful customer service innovations.
Highlighting AI’s influence in the tech sphere, ScotlandIS honoured Inicio AI, a female-led fintech startup which won the award for Service Innovation for its AI training tool which aids businesses in money management.
“You can probably tell from my accent that we originate a bit further down South, but the Scottish system has been so supportive of us so we decided to make it our home,” Rachel Curtis, Inicio AI said upon receiving the award.
DeepMiner won the Data Trailblazer award, and CEO Duncan Hart thanked his customers, which include the Scottish government, “for taking us on when our technology was cutting edge, and it still is cutting edge.”
Recognising the importance of employee wellbeing and retention, ScotlandIS awarded the prize for Best Wellbeing at Work to Sopra Steria, a consulting and software development company. The firm won for its Employee Trust Fund that was first started in 1981, which supports employees going through hardship.
The winners of the 10th Scottish Knowledge Exchange Awards have been revealed.
An event held at the Edinburgh Futures Institute on the 19th March brought together Scotland’s rich ecosystem of talent to celebrate transformational collaborations between businesses, communities, universities, colleges, and research institutes which are solving industry challenges, improving productivity, advancing research and supporting Scotland’s ambition to be one of the most innovative small nations in the world.
Developments in renewable energy, mental health, medicine and food and drink scooped awards across 10 categories.
Business Minister Richard Lochhead said: “It was good to see the full breadth of academic and business-led innovation on show at Interface’s annual awards.
“It demonstrated why our expertise in so many sectors is revered around the world, from renewable energy and health technology, to food and drink.
“Scotland has been at the forefront of many of the world’s most impactful innovations, from the MRI Scanner and penicillin to televisions and telephones. Yet, by combining research and business, so many new and exciting Scottish breakthroughs are just on the horizon and that is something we should all champion.”
Amelia Whitelaw, Director of Interface, which organises the Awards, said: “The Scottish Knowledge Exchange Awards celebrate successful partnerships where knowledge is shared to create new solutions. The nominees and winners we are celebrating exemplify how collaboration drives valuable advancements. These partnerships have led to the development of new technologies, products, and services that contribute to economic progress and societal benefit. Their innovations are not only transforming Scotland but also have the potential to make a global impact.”
The winners are listed below.
Innovation of the Year – sponsored by HGF Ltd
SolarSub Ltd, in collaboration with the National Manufacturing Institute Scotland (NMIS) at the University of Strathclyde, for refining the design of a solar panel cooling system, optimising it for manufacturing and scalability. Additionally, in partnership with Heriot-Watt University, the technology underwent rigorous field trials to evaluate its performance under extreme heat conditions, ensuring its robustness and efficacy.
Innovator of the Future – sponsored by Highlands and Islands Enterprise
Joint winners: Dr Dayi Zhang and Matthew Gibson
Dr Dayi Zhang, Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) Associate working with the University of Strathclyde and Inspectahire Instrument Co. Ltd for developing a portable, non-invasive ultrasonic device that revolutionises whisky cask monitoring. Designed for Scotland’s iconic whisky industry, the device enhances safety, reduces costs, and minimises carbon emissions, aligning with net zero goals. This innovation preserves cultural heritage while driving environmental progress and local economic growth.
Inward Investment Impact – sponsored by International Social Enterprise Observatory
Canon Medical Research Europe and the University of Edinburgh for bringing new AI Innovation and thinking to the heart of the business. The relationship contributed to increased inward investment and headcount in Canon Edinburgh as well as new collaborative research funding opportunities in the research and translation of Causal AI.
Knowledge Exchange Champion – sponsored by Knowledge Exchange UK
Winner: Professor John Bachtler
Professor John Bachtler has transformed Scotland’s regional policy knowledge exchange through 40 years of leadership at the European Policies Research Centre at the University of Strathclyde. He advanced policy innovation via networks such as EoRPA and IQ-Net, linking Scotland with European policy frameworks. His strategic insights, mentoring, and impactful KE collaborations strengthened regional development policy, inspired future leaders, and enhanced Scotland’s European policy influence.
Highly Commended: Dr Andrea Rodriguez and Dr Bryan McCann
Dr Andrea Rodriguez, the University of Dundee, for sustaining engagement and impact on non-academic audiences by co-designing an international knowledge exchange programme on youth homelessness. Helping Young People Feel at Home took a multi-agency approach, involving critical thinking and dialogue with young people in Scotland and Brazil to improve service provision and professional practices.
Dr Bryan McCann, Glasgow Caledonian University, has championed knowledge exchange throughout his academic career, establishing several strategic partnerships within the physical activity and mental health sectors. These partnerships have facilitated innovative and high-quality student placements, generated income for impactful knowledge exchange programmes, and contributed to health and wellbeing across Scotland.
Knowledge Exchange Heroes – team and individual – sponsored by Azets Ltd
Individual
Susan Armstrong, KE Lead at Glasgow Caledonian University, has been instrumental in transforming the knowledge exchange landscape at the university through her strategic and collaborative approach. Her efforts, dedication, and unwavering support have significantly advanced the university’s KE initiatives, benefiting both the academic community and industry partners.
Team
The Scottish Centre for Food Development and Innovation (SCFDI) at Queen Margaret University has for 10 years championed KE in the food and drink sector in Scotland. They have developed progressive models for industry/academia KE career pathways, supported an impressive SME client portfolio and attracted increasing attention from global food companies and retailers.
Making a Social Difference
Scottish Action for Mental Health (SAMH) and Glasgow Caledonian University are collaborating to review, redesign and deliver SAMH’s Psychological Wellbeing services. Through partnership SAMH and GCU have developed the Time for You service, supporting mental health of thousands of members of the public via immediate access to free mental health support, delivered by GCU Trainee Psychologists.
Renewable Parts Ltd and the University of Strathclyde’s collaboration applies circular economy principles within the wind turbine decommissioning process, promoting the refurbishment and remanufacturing of high-integrity, high-value parts within the wind energy sector, instead of being recycled and returned to raw materials or, worse still, landfill. This circularity approach will have a significant impact on the UK economy and net-zero targets.
Multiparty Collaboration
Winner:
Medical Device Manufacturing Centre (MDMC) – Heriot-Watt University, the University of Edinburgh, the University of Glasgow, the University of Dundee, Robert Gordon University and over 170 medical device companies, to develop and commercialise innovative medical devices.
Highly Commended:
The Underwater Intervention for Offshore Renewable Energies (UNITE) project, a partnership between The National Robotarium, Heriot-Watt University, Imperial College London, Frontier Robotics and Fugro, is developing advanced AI and autonomous systems for undertaking remote inspections of offshore wind farms to offer a safe, efficient and sustainable solution for global energy providers.
Place-based Impact sponsored by Business Gateway
Winner:
Digital Dairy Chain – Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC), the University of Strathclyde, the University of the West of Scotland, First Milk, Lactalis, NMR, SmartSTEMs, Kendal Nutricare, CENSIS and Cows & Co, is transforming the dairy sector across the South and West of Scotland and Cumbria. This partnership is driving innovation, enhancing productivity, and stimulating job creation, contributing to sustained economic growth in the region.
Highly Commended:
Control of Sheep Scab – Moredun Research Institute, Lewis and Harris Sheep Producers Association, The Old Mill Veterinary Practice, Scottish Government, The Crofters of Lewis & Harris, Lewis Crofters, Neil Fell Mobile Dipping Ltd, Zoetis Animal Health Ltd and Bimeda Ltd has developed a community-led approach to prevent and control sheep scab. This project demonstrates how a coordinated, collaborative effort can effectively prevent disease, improve sheep welfare and productivity, and rekindle a strong sense of community.
Powerful Partnership sponsored by Skillfluence
Vertebrate Antibodies-EpitogenX Ltd and the University of Aberdeen have developed transformative AI-powered diagnostics leveraging the innovative Epitogen® recombinant technology for diagnosing autoimmune and infectious diseases. This long-term collaboration has yielded world-first solutions, fostering global recognition, creating skilled talent, and driving economic and health advancements.
The UK’s advertising watchdog has released a report detailing the disturbing trend of sexualisation and stereotyping in depictions of women in gaming apps.
The Advertising Standards Authority found that while most companies involved in their research into in-game ads were taking appropriate steps to ensure women and girls were not displayed in a harmful way, a number of breaches of this were identified.
The findings are released at a pivotal time for women and girls in the UK and the globe as the ASA cited research showing that 44% of the UK population is concerned about the objectification of women and girls in ads.
Harmful ads of apps were found in the ASA’s three-month monitoring of 14 gaming apps, including animated content.
This included harmful stereotyping of women as sexual objects, sexual encounters that were implied to be non-consensual, and the use of pornographic tropes.
The new research follows previous ASA investigations which upheld 11 complaints in cases where in-app ads were found to have harmfully objectified women, or even condoned violence against them, which took place over the last two years.
Previous surveys from the ASA reveal public concern in the representation of idealised body images for women, and the overall objectification of women and girls, which highlighted concerns that these images and ads could leave lasting negative impressions of women and girls.
“No one – especially children – should be exposed to ads that reinforce harmful gender stereotypes, especially those that may incite or condone violence against women,” the ASA said in its report.
Following the report, the Committees of Advertising Practice (CAP) has published specific guidance for in-app ads to help advertisers get it right, and ASA plans to further engagement with the in-app ad industry to ensure that guidance is widely seen and understood and will continue to take a strong stance on ads which cause harm.
OpenAI is facing a privacy complaint in Europe after its AI chatbot ChatGPT hallucinated a false murder allegation.
A Norwegian individual is being backed by data privacy advocacy group Noyb after ChatGPT generated a false response that the man was convicted of killing his two children, and attempting to murder his third.
This is one of ChatGPT’s more disturbing hallucinations – which is the technical term for when generative AI’s generative musings go completely off the rails, spurting out complete falsehoods.
Previously, the chatbot has provided incorrect birthdates and other biographical facts, but this hallucination said that an innocent man had murdered his own children, and was convicted of a crime that was not even committed.
The query that prompted the shocking response was quite simple as well – the individual simply asked ChatGPT who he was, which immediately prompted the chatbot to respond with a full story about a murder case that never happened.
In the past, OpenAI has offered to block responses that show incorrect information, but does not allow individuals to correct incorrect information its chatbots generate.
This is against the EU’s GDPR, which provides individuals the right to rectify personal data mistakes.
GDPR also stipulates that data controllers – which would include OpenAI – ensure that the personal data they have or produce about an individual is correct.
The Noyb case filing posits that OpenAI is therefore in breach of two key GDPR stipulations about personal data accuracy.
“The GDPR is clear. Personal data has to be accurate,” Joakim Söderberg, data protection lawyer at Noyb, said in a statement.
“If it’s not, users have the right to have it changed to reflect the truth. Showing ChatGPT users a tiny disclaimer that the chatbot can make mistakes clearly isn’t enough. You can’t just spread false information and in the end add a small disclaimer saying that everything you said may just not be true.”
While a breach of GDPR can lead to a fine of up to 4% of a company’s annual global turnover, a lawsuit of this severity could bring into question the legality of OpenAI’s model when it comes to accuracy assurances and personal information production.
OpenAI has already faced a range of data privacy roadblocks on its way to AI domination. It faced a temporary block in Italy, and then a fine of 15 million euros for using people’s personal data without a proper legal basis under GDPR.
The EU is known to set the standard for global regulation, taking a relatively cautious approach to emerging technology’s roll out, and having some of the most strict data protection regulations for companies in the world.
Still, the EU appears to be grappling with just how to regulate generative AI, with its unprecedented proliferation and potential for economic growth, its developing societal disruption, and budding penchant for chaos – be it in the global market, the surge of deepfakes, or its use by cyber-criminals.
The EU seems stumped in other GDPR cases having to do with the world’s most popular AI chatbot. Poland’s data protection board has yet to decide on a privacy complaint made against ChatGPT back in 2023, and the Irish data watchdog has urged against a headstrong approach to regulating generative AI.
The new lawsuit, brought up by data privacy titans Noyb, could be a watershed moment for the EU to finalise its position on just how much generative AI can get away with before GDPR must put its foot down.
A new R&D development designed to support the growth of semiconductor packaging has received a £9 million funding injection, helping to reshore a critical part of the UK’s £500 million electrification supply chain and create new opportunities for manufacturers to access new markets and cut costs.
Hosted by the National Manufacturing Institute Scotland (NMIS), the new development, which is funded by Innovate UK and set to open in 2025, will be located in Inchinnan, Renfrewshire, forming part of the University of Strathclyde’s Advanced Net Zero Innovation Centre (ANZIC).
Providing an advanced packaging scale-up line for power electronic semiconductors, this new capability – a first in Europe – will support the faster production of semiconductor chips, reducing packaging times for UK firms from months to just days.
Semiconductors play a crucial role in many aspects of modern life, powering essential technologies like renewable energy systems critical to achieving net zero goals.
They are also vital for advanced computing, data storage, wireless communication, and the automotive sector. However, global materials shortages, limited manufacturing capacity, and a lack of facilities for innovation have left the UK supply chain reliant on international markets for key components, resulting in long delays.
Packaging, a key stage in semiconductor manufacturing, protects core components and readies them for use in a range of technologies.
The process is evolving to accommodate more devices and functionalities within single packages and the UK’s semiconductor packaging market, valued at £500 million and employing 15,000 people, is projected to reach £750 million by 2030, with the NMIS facility set to further accelerate growth.
The NMIS scale-up packaging line will support UK companies with developing new solutions and expanding the use of UK-manufactured wafers – thin slices of semiconductor material used in electronic circuits – while addressing critical production gaps.
By tapping into the expert support and state of the art equipment at the 600 m² development, manufacturing firms can potentially unlock access to the growing market for semiconductors, reinforcing Scotland’s position as a hub for advanced manufacturing and innovation.
“At the NMIS we work with manufacturers of all sizes to help them boost productivity and efficiency and we’re excited to help grow the semiconductors supply chain here in the UK and secure a lead in sector innovation,” professor Matt Boyle, director of electrification at NMIS, said.
“Working closely with the Compound Semiconductor Applications (CSA) Catapult, our focus is on highly specialised packaging, using our established engineering expertise to stay ahead of rising demand. Facilities and equipment for packaging have until now been the missing piece of the puzzle, and the new packaging line unlocks the potential to reshore manufacturing to the UK.
“This is just the beginning – our aim is to accelerate semiconductor manufacturing, allowing companies to explore new technologies and implement testing without disrupting day-to-day production. We look forward to collaborating with firms from across the supply chain and within our vast network, including the High Value Manufacturing (HVM) Catapult.”
Martin McHugh, chief executive officer at CSA Catapult said: “This new facility will allow semiconductor and packaging companies to try and test new ideas, helping to de-risk the commercialisation process and bring their products and solutions to market quicker.
“The facility will also allow us to expand the capabilities and relationships built under the Driving the Electric Revolution programme, working closely with colleagues from NMIS to take innovative packaging solutions developed at CSA Catapult into a state-of-the-art scale-up facility in Scotland.
“This transformation of ideas into products will be the key to unlocking the full growth potential of the UK’s semiconductor industry, helping to further develop our world-leading strengths in advanced packaging across a range of industries.”
Apple has been told by the EU that it needs to open up its operating systems on its mobile devices to allow for better interoperability with other technology companies.
This marks the first time the EU has issued an order to a company for infringing regulations set out in the Digital Markets Act.
In the ruling, the EU Commission said that Apple will have to take a number of measures to allow smartwatches and other devices to access Apple’s iOS operating system, which is currently solely available on Apple devices.
Apple will also have to take measures to improve transparency and effectiveness in the ways software developers gain access to features available on the iPhone.
The EU claimed that the ruling has issued “regulatory certainty” to both the company and developers.
The “effective interoperability” the ruling aims to ensure will mean a “better choice for consumers in the fast-growing market for innovative connected devices,” European Commission executive vice president Teresa Ribera, said.
Apple, however, has pushed back on the decision, saying that it will slow down innovation.
“Today’s decisions wrap us in red tape, slowing down Apple’s ability to innovate for users in Europe and forcing us to give away our new features for free to companies who don’t have to play by the same rules,” Apple said in a statement.
Apple did say it would continue to work with the EU commission to come to an understanding on the EU’s concerns.
The EU Commission also said that Google was not making enough changes to comply with the DMA, including still giving preference to its own services in search results, and prohibiting app developers from directing users to cheaper options outside Google’s own Play Store.
Google called the EU’s findings and recommendations “quite simply, misguided.”
Robotics researchers have reached a breakthrough as scientists are able to safely and securely remotely operate a robot on the Sellafield nuclear site, with huge potential for the future of the UK’s nuclear clean-up mission.
Sellafield Ltd is part of the NDA group, which is responsible for decommissioning 17 of the earliest nuclear sites across the UK. For the last two years the UK has used quadrupedal robots through the RAICo programme and its supply chain in its efforts to clean up these sites.
More recently, the UK has worked with AtkinsRealis on the integrated remote monitoring project to deploy a customised Boston Dynamics Spot Quadrupedal Robotic ‘dog’ for a range of tasks including remote inspections, data gathering and clean-up work.
The latest trial takes remote operations a step further by removing the operator from the nuclear site all together, thanks to a highly secure virtual access network and live-streamed footage.
“This successful trial marks a significant milestone in our journey towards integrating advanced robotics into our operations at Sellafield,” Deon Bulman, ROV equipment programme lead at Sellafield Ltd said.
“The ability to remotely operate robotic systems like Spot demonstrates how digital innovation can enhance safety, efficiency, and decision-making on nuclear-licensed sites.
“By collaborating with AtkinsRéalis, we are exploring cutting-edge solutions that not only support our decommissioning mission but also pave the way for future advancements in remote operations.”
This is the first time this type of remote virtual site access has been trialled on a nuclear licensed site, though AtkinsRéalis has already deployed the technology at major construction projects around the world.
“Sellafield Ltd has pioneered the adoption of technology across its operations, and this latest milestone is another step forward for the role of robotics in decommissioning,” Richard Brook, technology solutions lead for decommissioning at AtkinsRéalis said.
“Virtual site access is already being used in the delivery of major infrastructure programmes: this trial is a big step towards unlocking its benefits for nuclear licensed sites without compromising safety or security.”
Tech.co, the US tech news and and research outlet surveyed 1,036 business leaders, exploring how business security might be impacted by emerging technologies.
The greatest risk that generative AI poses to companies, according to the survey, is the potential for the exposure of proprietary data.
If employees enter company or client data into a chatbot, they may be exposing identifiable information to the company that own the bot.
Despite the noted understanding of this risk, only 27% of businesses have implemented policies that strictly limit the kind of data that can be shared with AI models.
Worse still, is that policies that are introduced may not be up to best practice, as a third (32%) are simply reviewing and approving AI tools before usage, and 21% are just banning certain job roles from using AI.
Another 11% are just banning AI usage outright, which could risk their company falling behind with the times.
While this may be the safest option when it comes to risk, it also removes any possible benefits of utilising generative AI tools, especially as Tech.co’s report revealed that 61% of business leaders say AI has improved their work-life balance.
However, AI appears to be proliferating, as the proportion of businesses using AI has jumped significantly year-on-year, from 66% to a whopping 85%.
The more popular AI use continues to become amongst employees, the greater the need to regulate its usage. The safety of company data should remain a priority across all businesses.
“The results from our latest Tech.co research has proved rather alarming, and shows that many businesses are unaware of the dangers of using AI unchecked,” editor of Tech.co, Jack Turner, said.
“These pitfalls could be minimal, from creating some embarrassing AI-generated copy, right up to opening themselves up to cyber-attacks.
“With the vast majority of businesses now using AI in some capacity (85%), companies need to educate themselves, and their employees, on the perils of using such a powerful tool without enforced guidelines.”
Ransomware is the top predicted cybersecurity threat for 2025, according to new research from enterprise software company Ivanti.
The finding, from the company’s 2025 State of Cybersecurity Report: Paradigm Shift, is especially concerning given more than one in three (38%) of the 2,400 security professionals surveyed say that ransomware will become even more dangerous when powered by AI.
In comparison to the threat level, only 29% of security professionals say they are very prepared for ransomware attacks – leaving a significant gap in preparedness (29%), highlighting the need for more robust security measures.
In today’s landscape, a more sophisticated and adaptable approach to cybersecurity is necessary, one that takes into account the trade-offs between business risk and reward, rather than solely focusing on absolute protection.
Exposure management offers a more effective solution for managing and mitigating risk in the complex environment.
Ivanti’s research shows that the concept of exposure management is well understood; for example, 49% of security professionals say their company leaders possess a high level of understanding for exposure management.
Yet, organizations are not taking steps to embrace the practice; just 22% say they are increasing investments in exposure management in 2025.
“Business leaders are now having to get used to considering the impact that cyber risk has on broader business risk. Exposure management is a tool to help organizations evaluate vulnerabilities and risks across a range of objectives – including business goals – to deliberately balance security and operations,” said Daniel Spicer, chief security officer at Ivanti.
“However, for exposure management to be successful, organizations should ensure collaboration between security and other departments, conduct risk assessments that align with the organization’s risk appetite, and prioritize mitigation of the most impactful vulnerabilities.”
Ivanti research also found a range of struggles companies face in their security posture.
Even though 83% of security teams claim to have a documented framework for identifying risk tolerance, just over half (51%) of these individuals state that their current framework is not closely followed, rendering it nearly as ineffective as not having a framework at all.
Another issue cited by security and leadership professionals is tech debt – one in three say tech debt is a serious concern, which compromises security posture and hampers growth and innovation.
For instance 37% say they can’t uphold basic security practices and 43% say their systems are more susceptible to security breaches due to accumulated tech debt.
Further, most organisations continue to operate in silos, leaving significant data blind spots – areas with insufficient data to make informed security decisions – which challenges managing security risks.
For example, 62% of respondents claim silos slow security response times and 53% note weakened security postures.
The report’s findings underscore the need for organizations to fully adopt exposure management, break down operational silos and tackle technical debt to enhance their security posture and support business growth.
By fostering collaboration between security professionals and business leaders, and implementing comprehensive risk management strategies, organizations can drive resilience and maintain a competitive edge.
Santander UK has announced that 95 bank branches will be closed across the UK, including 10 in Scotland, putting around 750 jobs at risk.
A range of changes will also be hitting remaining branches, as the banking giant announced it will cut hours across 36 branches, while 18 will be converted to counter-free sites. More than a third of the Spanish-owned company’s 444 UK network will be affected in the transformation.
The overhaul will result in just 349 branches left in the UK, 290 of which will still have full-services, and five which will have ‘work cafes’.
More than 4% of Santander UK’s 18,000 strong workforce will be at risk as a result of the changes – about 750 jobs. The current plans are still under consultation with unions before they are set to go ahead.
Most of the planned layoffs are related to the closure of bank branches, but around 12% would be due to proposed hourly reductions.
The closures and redundancies appear to be in response to the ongoing trend of customers switching to digital banking options as opposed to in-person services.
Santander reported a 63% rise in digital transactions since 2019, while in-branch transactions fell by 61% in the same time.
“As customer behaviour changes, we are ensuring that our branches remain fit for the future,“ a Santander UK spokesman said. “Our new combination of full-service branches, alongside work cafes, counter-free branches and reduced hours branches, aims to provide the right balance between digital banking and face-to-face money management and guidance.”
Changes are expected to start in June, with 18 branches being converted to counter-free, and the majority of branches reducing their hours to three day weeks by the end of June.
However, the bank did say it would recruit 95 new community bankers in affected locations, with hopes to rehire some affected staff in these jobs.
The company said that in order to serve affected local areas, 18 new banking hubs will be required. These are typically funded by Cash Access UK, which is funded by many UK lenders, including Santander.
“To support the changes, Santander will be proactively contacting all potentially vulnerable customers by phone and will assist those customers of closing branches to find other ways to bank that best suit their needs,” Santander said.
About 6,000 staff are set to be affected as Lloyds Banking Group overhauls its IT department.
After thousands of roles in technology and engineering across the bank were placed under review weeks ago, employees were informed on Tuesday morning if they were keeping their positions, being placed in new roles, or at risk of losing their job.
It has been reported that most employees have kept their job, though the reshuffle means that some employees may be forced to work in a new office location, or in a role they do not have the risk experience or skills for.
Lloyds credited the overhaul to its ambitions to drive forward its strategic transformation as it shifts to a more digital focus.
The bank aims to ensure that engineers and technologists in the firm have the skills and capability to support its customers digitally as they continue to close branches across the UK.
The company did also assure that a net 1,200 new roles are being created, though some roles will be lost.
New roles will be mainly in the IT department, including software and platform engineering, technology, architecture, and data.
The bank also currently has over 1,000 live vacancies for roles in the UK as it looks to hire people with the right skills for its digitisation.
“As we remain focused on achieving engineering excellence and building highly skilled tech teams as we move faster forward to deliver great outcomes for our customers, we are creating 1,200 net new roles,“ said a spokesperson.
“Making changes means not only creating new roles and up-skilling colleagues, but also saying goodbye to talented people who have been part of the group’s success in the past.
“Where that is the case, we will do everything we can to support them with the changes recently announced.
“We know change can be uncomfortable, but we are excited about the opportunities ahead as we propel forward to achieve our growth ambitions and delivering exceptional customer experiences.”
Abertay University has been named the top International School for video games design, with programmes ranked in the global top 10 at both undergraduate and postgraduate level.
Abertay extended its long track record as one of the world’s elite games universities in this year’s edition of the Princeton Review’s global rankings for games design courses.
Now ranked 8th in the world for undergraduate programmes and 7th at postgraduate level, the University retained its established place as the number one institution in Europe.
Professor Jim Bown, dean of the Faculty of Design, Informatics and Business said: “These rankings are really important to us because they recognise the excellence of our academic staff and the student experience here at Abertay, while also providing crucial guidance to applicants making their decisions on where to study.
“Maintaining our position as one of the world’s best providers takes a lot of hard work from our Faculty members and professional services colleagues, coupled with ongoing investment in the latest facilities and equipment and a strong commitment to working closely with the games industry and linking our approach to its needs.”
Ryan Locke, head of the Centre for Excellence in Computer Games Education at Abertay University added: “Abertay’s position as an international leader in games is based on our track record in delivering top quality education but also in the many strands of research, innovation and knowledge exchange work which underpin our programmes.
“When you study at Abertay you are learning from some of the very best in the business and our programmes are designed with the right mix of academic rigour, industry experience and enterprise support needed to support student success.”
The Princeton Review recognised the strength of Abertay’s campus-based courses, including Professional Masters in Games Development; MSc Computer Games Technology programmes; BSc (Hons) Computer Games Technology; BSc (Hons) Computer Game Applications Development; BA (Hons) Game Design and Production; and BA (Hons) Computer Arts.
Abertay is one of the global birthplaces of video games education, having pioneered the world’s first degrees in the discipline in 1997.
It is also a national Centre for Excellence in Computer Games Education, with specialist facilities including one of Europe’s largest PlayStation 5 development labs, an Emergent Technology Centre, a Vitural Production Research Environment, and a range of development studios and labs.
Hiring managers are encountering an increasing number of AI-generated applications as AI tools become more advanced.
While 75% of hiring managers say AI has helped them identify stronger candidates, 74% have come across AI-generated resumes and cover letters.
This is according to online career resources platform Resume Genius, which released findings from its 2025 AI Impact on Hiring Survey, which polled 1,000 full-time US employees to understand how AI is transforming recruitment.
One of the most disturbing findings from the research shows that nearly one in five (17%) hiring managers reported encountering candidates using deepfake technology during video interviews.
More commonly, candidates are seeing AI generated resumes and cover letters (47%), creative work or portfolio projects (35%), user profiles (33%), with some even using AI to cheat on online skills assessments (29%).
“Why would someone use AI to fake an interview?” Eva Chan, career expert at Resume Genius said. “Our guess is that it’s about beating the system. Some candidates may see AI tools as a way to get past automated screening, appear more polished, or even have someone else take the interview for them.
“Others might feel pressured to present an ‘ideal’ version of themselves to overcome hiring biases. Whatever the reason, AI is making it more difficult than ever for employers to know who’s really behind an application.”
Younger hiring managers appear to be the best at spotting AI being used in a job application.
Forty-six percent of Gen Z hiring managers have caught candidates using AI to cheat on assessments, compared to 32% of Millennials, 26% of Gen X, and 18% of Boomers.
Using AI In Hiring
According to the survey, 76% of hiring managers say AI is making it harder to determine if candidates are authentic, raising concerns about AI-generated applications and deepfake technology in recruitment.
Despite these challenges, AI is widely viewed as an asset in the hiring process, as 78% report that AI makes hiring faster and more efficient, with 75% saying that the technology helps them identify stronger candidates.
About seven in ten (71%) agree AI can reduce bias and improve diversity in hiring, though 58% are concerned about AI-generated applications.
One in three (31%) don’t believe AI will significantly impact hiring at all.
Concerns about candidate authenticity through AI-assisted applications have risen from 53% in the company’s survey from last year.
This also has a generational split, with 79% of Millennials most likely to believe AI promotes diversity, and 83% believing in the tech’s ability to speed up hiring.
GenZ (62%) and Baby Boomers (63%), however, are the most concerned about AI-generated applications.
When it comes to how hiring managers use AI, nearly half (48%) use AI to screen resumes and job applications before a human review.
Forty-six percent rely on AI to match candidates to job roles based on skills, and 30% use AI to automate initial candidate outreach and communication.
A further 30% are using AI to reduce bias in their hiring decisions, while one in five (19%) use AI-assisted video interviews to assess candidates.
While more and more CVs are generated by AI and screened by AI, when it comes to the content, AI is also playing a central role.
About four in five (81%) hiring managers now prioritise job candidates who have AI-related skills, with Gen Z hiring managers ranking AI proficiency as their top hiring factor.
Among the 1,000 hiring managers surveyed, 19% said they are not prioritising AI-related skills.
Most sought after skills include: using AI tools like ChatGPT, MidJourney, and automation software (36%); problem-solving and critical thinking skills for AI-related challenges (35%); understanding and applying ethical AI use (33%); and integrating AI into workflows or systems (31%).
“Ten years ago, Excel was a marketable skill that gave many job seekers an advantage over others vying for the same role. Now, it’s knowing how to creatively use AI,” said Scott.
“Being comfortable with tools like ChatGPT, MidJourney, and automation software isn’t just a novelty — it’s something many hiring managers expect.
“They’re looking for candidates who can go beyond the basics and actually use AI to speed up processes and create more impactful work. Candidates who can demonstrate they know how to use AI effectively, whether for problem-solving, creativity, or workflow automation, stand out in today’s job market.”
The increasing energy and data demands of AI means that nearly half (44%) of all new UK data centres are predicted be dedicated for AI workloads over the coming five years as the global push for AI accelerates.
This is according to new data from Ciena, which found similar patterns across the globe, with the global average of new data centres expected to be dedicated to AI workloads is 43%.
The rapid growth of AI workloads is driving a major transformation in data center network infrastructure, with global data center experts anticipating a significant increase in interconnect bandwidth needs over the next five years.
The survey, conducted in partnership with Censuswide, queried more than 1,300 data center decision makers across 13 countries.
More than half (53%) of respondents believe AI workloads will place the biggest demand on data center interconnect (DCI) infrastructure over the next 2-3 years, surpassing cloud computing (51%) and big data analytics (44%).
With AI model training and inference requiring unprecedented data movement, data center experts predict a massive leap in bandwidth needs.
In addition, when asked about the needed performance of fiber optic capacity for DCI, 87% of participants believe they will need 800 Gb/s or higher per wavelength.
“AI workloads are reshaping the entire data center landscape, from infrastructure builds to bandwidth demand,”said Jürgen Hatheier, chief technology officer, International, Ciena.
“Historically, network traffic has grown at a rate of 20-30% per year. AI is set to accelerate this growth significantly, meaning operators are rethinking their architectures and planning for how they can meet this demand sustainably.”
The survey also fond that, as requirements for AI compute continue to increase the training of Large Language Models (LLMs) will become more distributed across different AI data centres.
According to the survey, 81% of respondents believe LLM training will take place over some level of distributed data centre facilities, which will require DCI solutions to be connected to each other.
When asked about the key factors shaping where Ai inference will be deployed, the respondents ranked AI resource utilisation over time as the top priority (63%), followed by reducing latency (56%), data sovereignty requirements (54%), and strategic locations for key customers (54%).
The UK government is seeking expert insight into the data brokerage industry and the potential security risks it could bring to the foray as new data protection laws move through parliament.
Data brokers – companies that collect personal data and sell these datasets to other firms that can then use them for targeted marketing and or sales – have seen themselves in the spotlight more and more as the public becomes evermore conscious that their everyday interactions with the world wide web are a sought-after commodity.
“The UK government is seeking views to understand more about organizations that take part in data broking and the wider industry,” the Department for Science, Innovation, and Technology said. “In particular, the government would like to understand the operations, security practices, and customers of data brokers, to support policy development.”
Any and all organisations involved in the process of data brokerage – those that use the services, supply the data, as well as brokerages themselves, have been invited to give evidence to DSIT about the practice and any security concerns that may arise from it.
Those outside of its direct realm, including academics and public advocacy groups, are also able to share their views.
DSIT’s concerns seem reasonable, considering the amount of data these brokers hold make them a tantalising target for cyber-criminals.
Their often lacklustre approach to security has also led to a number of leaks – National Public Data, based in Florida, faced a data leak last year that affected 1.3 million people. Another US-based data broker, Gravy Analytics, which often sells location-based data, faced a breach this year, with cyber-criminals claiming to have stolen 17TB of data.
With the UK’s Data (Use and Access) Bill (DUAB) going through the legislative process, it makes sense that the UK is taking note of the data brokerage’s potential as a data security liability
The new bill posits itself as a more business friendly alternative to previous data protection legislation, though it maintains to uphold the same level of data protection and security as GDPR.
In trying to tow this fine line, the new bill is proposing the creation of data intermediaries which would enable the sharing of data via smart data schemes, acting as a third party between involved organisations.
DSIT has explained that data intermediaries differ from data brokers in a key way, as data intermediaries facilitate the sharing of data that a subject would like to share, whereas a data broker does not “rely on the agreement of the individual (the data subject) and act in their interest” in the same way a data intermediary should.
The current inquiry therefore mainly focuses on possible security concerns arising in the data brokerage industry, and how this may affect national security
Interested parties may share their insights with DSIT until 12 May.
A lack of trust in AI among public sector workers could be hindering adoption and digital transformation, the Ada Lovelace Institute says.
A briefing paper published by the Institute revealed that public sector appetite for AI is being hampered by a lack of trust in the technology, which could hold back its adoption and uptake.
“The success and acceptance of AI tools depends on their interaction with existing social systems, values, and trust,” the report found, showing that public sector workers are hesitant about the rapid adoption of AI.
AI is ‘sociotechnical’ according to the report, in that it is both influenced by and influences social contexts with potential ripple effects. Public sector workers seem apprehensive about the deployment of AI across a wide birth of applications when they cannot see direct reasons for its use.
The research, which was comprised of around 30 different reports and research publications, found that there is a lack of clear terminology about AI, which is inhibiting a proper understanding of its effective use.
Shared definitions for AI are needed, as well as a better understanding of where AI is being deployed across government and public services.
The public sector’s understanding of its own AI usage is severely lacking, which can hinder accountability and transparency, both crucial aspects of responsible AI implementation.
Public sector servants also have issues around the lack of evidence surrounding the effectiveness of AI tools.
Evaluating AI interventions in context is crucial in building trust for its needed use in the public sector, especially considering the sensitive data public servants often work with.
AI systems are only as good as the data they rely on – the research revealed that those using AI must mitigate limitation inn data collection in order to reach underrepresented groups.
The report seems to advice that the government treads carefully when implementing AI across the public sector, as successful implementation will require the public license.
“Moving out of step with public comfort can undermine the ability for the public sector to effectively use AI,” the report said.
To mitigate public backlash, mitigating data bias and increasing transparency can be vital.
Further, procurement of AI systems needs to be more transparent to avoid vendor lock in. Public sector procurers need assistance and guidance in these matters to ensure they do not waste funds and enter beneficial deals when acquiring AI technologies.
Gaps in AI governance seem to also be hindering public sector AI adoption, as servants and procurers often lack the confidence to acquire and use the tools.
The research paper urges the government to see AI as an opportunity to “reimagine” the public sector, not just automate it.
“Public sector leaders should see the rollout of AI as an opportunity to reimagine the state, rather than focusing solely on immediate efficiency gains or automating the status quo,” the paper said.
Cybersecurity concerns around cloud environments has prompted 44% of CISOs to change cloud service provider, cybersecurity provider Arctic Wolf found.
This is being driven by the fact that 24% of CISOs don’t believe their cloud environment is secure, and 43% think loud service providers overpromised the security protection they would receive.
The new business survey commissioned by Arctic Wolf looked at CISO’s security challenges on the cloud and explored ways in which organisations can improve their security posture with managed service providers (MSPs).
High security standards
Cloud providers have become increasingly critical to firms, with the technology enabling workers to access files and services from any location.
This has resulted in 73% of CISOs working with between two and five cloud service providers to support all the needs of their company’s workforce.
However, this vastly expanded threat surface, combined with a lack of in-house skills to secure it, means 53% of CISOs rely on a security-first mindset from their cloud providers.
Unfortunately, this has resulted in some cloud providers overinflating their security offering, leaving organisations exposed to cyber risks.
As a result, CISOs are having to be much more careful about the provider they choose to partner with, with 52% stating they would avoid cloud providers based on previous security incidents.
Hiring the right people
With 44% of businesses already spending between £101,000 and £250,000 on cloud migrations in the past 12 months there is a clear need for organisations to ensure they are working with trusted partners who can meet this security need.
Otherwise, companies will run the risk of having to spend more to not only move to new suppliers but also respond to the cost of a data breach.
The cost and resources needed for organisations to boost their own security skills and technology is often too prohibitive.
For example, KPMG estimates the annual budget for a security operations centre (SOC) is $14.6 million, which far outstrips many companies annual budget, let alone their IT spend.
Addressing this issue requires businesses to partner with outside experts who can work as an extension to IT teams.
This reduces the pressure on the company and enables organisations to access skills and technology which would be beyond their own budget.
For instance, 37% of CISOs who use a channel partner in a cloud migration saw an increase in security and risk management services, and 30% gained access to advanced technology like AI.
Not only do channel partners and MSPs help boost security, they can also provide stability to the perilous role of a CISO, with 92% stating it helps protect their jobs by sharing responsibility in case there is a cyber-attack.
CISOs who work with partners acting as an extension of their own team can use them to help inform response strategies, where they need to improve security in the future, cover skills gaps within their own team, and give them more insight into how they were targeted.
All of which helps show other C-suite executives what they should focus on and help them understand the more technical aspects of cybersecurity.
However, despite the clear advantages to security and job stability, only 22% of CISOs use a channel partner in their cloud migration process. This is leaving many exposed to unnecessary risk from attacks or job loss.
“It is clear that many organisations are struggling when it comes to securing cloud environments,” Clare Loveridge, VP and general manager EMEA at Arctic Wolf said.
“A combination of underdelivering cloud providers and a lack of in-house skills is resulting in a dangerous situation which can leave valuable company data exposed to risk. Simply adding more technology will not solve this problem.”
“Securing the cloud is a shared responsibility between the cloud provider and the organisation. While cloud providers offer good security tools it is important that you have a team of security experts to help you run the operation.
“Someone needs to be always on the lookout for emerging threats and be ready to respond in real time. This is why organisations can really benefit by partnering with a MSP to ensure they have the most up-to-date protection, and the relevant skills required to combat bad actors in this evolving threat landscape.
“Partnerships like this give customers the peace of mind, knowing that they make the most of their cloud environments safe in the knowledge they are protected.”
Chief information officers (CIOs) are less focused on enablement when it comes to new technology, and are now mainly focused on shaping business strategy and driving value.
This is according to new research from Logicalis, which released its annual CIO Report, revealing that 95% of organisations are actively investing in technology to create new revenue streams within the next 12 months.
According to the report, however, which surveyed 1,000 global CIOs, nearly all of these leaders regularly report to the board on return on investment (ROI).
This expanded mandate is heightened by the rapid emergence of new technologies. The report found that almost all organisations are exploring how next-generation technologies can specifically support commercial growth.
This trend shows no sign of slowing, with AI (95%), machine learning capabilities (93%), and Internet of Things (89%) initiatives among the most widely adopted emerging technologies over the past 12 months.
Releasing value from these investments remains a challenge. While 85% of CIOs report growing pressure for technology to demonstrate tangible business impact, many (64%) acknowledge that their next generation technology investments have yet to deliver anticipated returns.
As the gap between balancing investments and realised value intensifies, CIOs remain optimistic about the potential of these technologies.
Still, most (93%) tech leaders continue to juggle limited time and resources to ensure better business outcomes.
As CIOs consider innovations that support future growth, they must continue to navigate business-critical objectives.
Despite unprecedented spending on security solutions, 88% experienced cybersecurity incidents in the last 12 months last year, with 43% enduring multiple breaches raising questions about the effectiveness of security spending.
One area where they are beginning to see tangible financial results is through the integration of environmental technologies. Nine in ten (91%) CIOs have realised direct commercial benefits, and over half (53%) report these as significant.
With a good track record, it is no surprise that those investing in environmental sustainability initiatives have risen from 92% in 2023 to 95% over the past 12 months.
“For almost every business, technology has become the primary engine of innovation, growth and resilience,” Bob Bailkoski, global CEO of Logicalis Group, said. “With this dependence comes a new expectation of CIOs, they’re no longer just enablers of business strategy but drivers of commercial success.
“Whether through maintaining a keener focus on ROI from next-generation technologies, optimising security spending or maximising the financial benefits of sustainability initiatives, technology leaders need to seek out the right investments and partnerships that can help them deliver on their business goals.”
While most CIOs are confident that their IT spending is yielding a return, many (91%) believe there is room for improvement.
As challenges around complexity, resources and performance visibility remain, the report highlights the importance of fostering strong technology partnerships to help CIOs meet this changing landscape, alleviate pressures and unlock value.
Legislators in the US are calling on the UK for transparency surrounding the ongoing legal issues between the UK Home Office and Apple over encryption.
Five members of the US legislature have penned a letter to the UK Investigatory Powers Tribunal, a special court of the Home Office, urging the body to “remove the cloak of secrecy related to notices given to American technology companies by the UK.”
The letter referenced the alleged notice given to Apple from the Home Office which requested that the tech giant create a ‘backdoor’ to its encryption tools used to secure Apple users iCloud data.
By law, the notice cannot be publicesed, and the Home Office cannot confirm nor deny it issued any such notice.
Following the reporting of the notice, however, Apple withdrew its encryption services from the UK instead of complying with the order.
Now, Apple is appealing the order in a secret court so it can continue offering its encryption tool, known as Advanced Data Protection (ADP), to UK users without compromising its encryption.
The new letter, which was sent out on 13 March, a day before the closed-door tribunal, alleged that the Home Office’s request was an effort to “weaken the security of [Apple’s] iCloud backup service to facilitate spying by the UK government.”
The legislators echoed similar complaints from UK advocates pushing for an open hearing, as the notice has been widely reported on.
Lawmakers went on to argue that public hearings would enable a better assessment of the issue by allowing expert evidence to be reviewed from a wider berth of stakeholders, including cyber and privacy experts.
The case also has implications for public trust – without an open hearing, the public may not be aware on how changes in security offerings can impact the safety of their data, and further, it could erode public trust in decision making if they are left in the dark.
Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR), Sen. Alex Padilla (D-CA), Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ) and Rep. Warren Davidson (R-OH) comprise the signatories of the letter from the US government.
Similar requests were made by the Open Rights Group, Big Brother Watch, and Index on Censorship as well.
The US letter, however, does point to how the case could impact US and UK data flows and adequacy laws.
It was reported that even US President Trump mentioned the encryption case to Prime Minister Keir Starmer on his visit to The White House.
The expansive, intertwined business landscape in the UK has cyber risks lurking across the supply chain, with potential far-reaching effects.
This is according to Bitsight, a cyber risk intelligence firm, which released its Under the Surface: Uncovering Cyber Risk in the Global Supply Chain report which examined global and UK data, based on an analysis of 500,000 organisations over 61 million digital supply chain relationships.
The findings highlight how deeply interconnected businesses are, and how cyber risks in just one part of the supply chain can have disastrous, pernicious effects.
The study found that UK supply chains are typically larger and more complex than the global average.
The typical UK organisations uses 29.1 different providers and 81.6 different products, a 10% larger supply chain than the global average.
This brings an increase of risks, as the larger and more complex a supply chain, the greater the attack surface, increasing opportunities for cyber-criminals to infiltrate networks.
Supply chain risks don’t just come from direct providers – they extend through multiple tiers, creating hidden vulnerabilities that businesses may not be aware of.
Reliance on China
The research found an interesting trends – that three in ten (30%) of UK supply chain relies on organisations designated by the US Department of Defense as “Chinese Military Companies”.
The continued reliance on these providers underscores the challenge of securing the digital supply chain against foreign influence.
Even with increased scrutiny and regulatory efforts, Chinese state-linked firms maintain a significant foothold in UK industries, making it critical for organisations to assess their vendor relationships and mitigate potential risks.
The Hidden Pillars
he UK’s most influential global providers aren’t just big-name technology firms – they include niche software vendors that quietly power essential industries.
Bitsight research identifies “Hidden Pillars”, the lesser-known technology companies that serve large portions – or even the majority – of specific industries. A security failure at one of these companies could trigger cascading effects within and across industries.
Customer count does not equal criticality, the research found, as some niche providers serve only a handful of companies yet support massive market share in industries like energy, finance, and logistics.
In fact, some of the most critical software and infrastructure providers operate with fewer than 50 employees, yet their technology is embedded in Fortune 500 companies and global enterprises.
Organisations that supply digital products and services – known as providers – often face far greater cybersecurity challenges than the businesses they serve.
With larger attack surfaces, more complex vendor relationships, and increasing risk exposure, providers must take stronger measures to secure their own ecosystems.
On average, the research found that providers use 2.5 times more products and have ten times more internet-facing assets globally, making them more exposed to cyber threats.
While providers outperform consumers in four of six security standards – including DMARC, SPF, DKIM, and DNSSEC – they lag behind in areas such as patch management, open ports, insecure systems, and botnet infections.
The UK is no different, businesses exhibit better cybersecurity performance than their providers. Moreover regardless of provider size (as measured by market share) there are going to be some providers that fail to achieve or maintain a good security posture.
“Over the past year, we’ve seen several highly-visible security incidents that highlight how incidents in the digital supply chain can have a massive ripple effect across the global economy,” said Ben Edwards, principal research Scientist at Bitsight.
“Even the most security-conscious companies are vulnerable to weaknesses in their supply chain. Organisations must continuously evaluate their third party vendors and suppliers and work proactively to close security gaps.”
Chancellor Rachel Reeves is calling on regulatory bodies to slash red tape in a bid to cut costs and improve business growth in the UK.
Her aim is to cut administrative costs for businesses by a quarter, aiming to save billions by sending more regulators to the chopping block and streamlining core legal duties.
The new plan comes after the Prime Minister set out his vision for a more lean and agile state in a speech last week, abolishing NHS England in an effort to scrap duplication.
The PM and Chancellor are adamant that these changes will ensure that regulators will work for people, and not impede business growth.
The Chancellor’s plans are comprised of 60 growth boosting measures the government hopes will improve UK business outcomes, as well as attract foreign investment.
The government will set up a bespoke ‘concierge service’ to help international financial service firms get to grips with UK regulation in a bit to attract this foreign investment.
The Civil Aviation Authority has been pressed to permit at least two more large drone-flying trials in the coming months to streamline the regulatory process for drone manufacturing as well.
The Financial Conduct Authority will see many reforms and regulatory changes, as they review contactless payment limits, simplify mortgage lending rules, and issue more notices to startups when their applications are likely to be improved to support budding businesses.
“The world is changing and that’s why we must go further and faster to deliver on our Plan for Change to kickstart economic growth,” chancellor of the exchequer Rachel Reeves said.
“Today we are taking further action to free businesses from the shackles of regulation. By cutting red tape and creating a more effective system, we will boost investment, create jobs and put more money into working people’s pockets.”
The government is also calling on environmental regulators to review certain planning permissions regulations on the protection of certain species and ecosystems to allow more agile decision making on low-risk activities.
This, the government says, will allow regulators to focus on high-impact, high-priority areas, such as low-carbon infrastructure.
Regulators will also see their legal duties slimmed down in a bit to not waste time on redundant duties – financial regulators, Ofgem, Ofwat, and the Office for Road and Rail will see these reforms first.
A rise in social media and email scams as sparked a new warning from Action Fraud, the UK fraud and cyber-crime reporting service, which recorded 35,434 reports from 2024.
This dwarfed the 2023 figure of 22,530 reports made to the service.
Action Fraud found that the most common motives for social media hacking were either investment fraud, ticket fraud, or theft of the targeted account.
Various methods of hacking were highlighted including on-platform chain hacking, leaked passwords, and phishing.
On-platform chain hacking
This is when a fraudster gains control of an account and begins to impersonate the legitimate owner in order to gain accesses to authentication codes and passcodes sent via text. Typically, victims believe that a friend is messaging them, but the shared code is associated with their own account and the impersonator can use it to access the victim account.
Usually when an account is taken over, fraudsters monetise control of the account via the promotion of various fraudulent schemes, like fake tickets or crypto investment schemes, while impersonating the original account owner.
Leaked passwords and phishing
The other common method of hacking is when account details are gained via phishing scams, or the use of leaked information used from data breaches, such as leaked passwords. This becomes prevalent as people often use the same password for multiple accounts, so a leaked password from one website can leave many of their online accounts vulnerable to hacking.
“As social media and email account hacking remains the most reported cyber-crime this year, this Action Fraud campaign marks a critical issue for everyone who has online accounts. That’s why we’re raising awareness of the ways people can protect themselves online,” Adam Mercer, deputy director of Action Fraud, said.
“Follow Stop! Think Fraud advice and protect yourself online: enable 2-Step Verification on each online account you have – this will help prove your identity and stop fraudsters trying to steal or access your valuable information.
“Secure your social media and email accounts by ensuring each password is strong and uses three random words. Remember to never share your passwords with anyone else.”
Action Fraud has launched a campaign, with support from social media giant Meta, to inform the public on ways they can protect themselves from fraud and scams.
This includes enabling two-step verification to keep cyber-criminals out of accounts, even if a password has been compromised.
Further, email and social media passwords should be strong and different from all other passwords.
The UK government’s Crime and Policing Bill could potentially mean that the driving license database could be used by police as a facial recognition database, human rights group Liberty warns.
This would provide UK police with the biometric data of millions of people in the UK who have never committed a crime or been part of a criminal investigation.
The Bill, introduced to Parliament in February 2025, introduced a range of Home Office-sponsored changes which will extend police powers, especially when it comes to surveillance.
These measures include the prohibition of wearing face coverings at protests, as well as introducing “respect orders” when it comes to anti-social behaviour issues.
Under the new bill, the police would have access to driving license data from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA). This houses the data of over 52 million driver records.
Currently, the access to this data is yet to be stipulated under the bill, and will be determined by the secretary of state if the bill is adopted.
The secretary of state would need to create a code of practice for how the data should be used, as well as report annually on how the data is being used by police.
Although the bill does not specifically reference facial recognition technology, Liberty, the human rights group, stipulates that the legislation in its current form could enable the use of this technology.
This is despite the current Labour government denying that these powers would be use for facial recognition – but this could change with successive governments if the powers exist.
“This would represent a huge step in broadening the use of facial recognition technology away from police databases to everyone with a driving licence,” Liberty warned.
“Every photo on the DVLA database could be accessed by the police and essentially form a digital police line-up. If this is the intention, then the government should be transparent and invite proper scrutiny rather than sneaking through rights-restricting legislation.”
However, the Home Office shot back at these claims, as a spokesperson said that it these claims were not true, Computer Weekly reported.
“These provisions will have no impact on facial recognition,” the Home Office told the news outlet.
The prime minister is set to detail how he will make the state work for working people in a speech today in a “digital revolution” with an emphasis on AI.
New plans announced to support delivery of the PM’s overarching goal will include new AI and tech teams sent into public sector departments to drive improvements and efficiency in public services.
According to the PM, one in ten civil servants will work in tech and digital roles within the next five years with 2,000 tech apprenticeships turbo charging the transformation.
The prime minister is slated to say: “The great forces buffeting the lives of working people, and an era of instability driving in their lives….
“The need for greater urgency now could not be any clearer. We must move further and faster on security and renewal.
“Every pound spent, every regulation, every decision must deliver for working people…
“If we push forward with the digitisation of government services. There are up to £45bn worth of savings and productivity benefits, ready to be realised.
“And that’s before we even consider the golden opportunity of artificial intelligence. An opportunity I am determined to seize.”
The PM aims to fundamentally reshape the way the British state delivers and serves working people by becoming more tech-driven, productive, agile and mission focused, alongside further detail on the digitalisation of public services and the wider British state.
The approach is set to be underpinned by the mantra that “No person’s substantive time should be spent on a task where digital or AI can do it better, quicker, and to the same high quality and standard.”
The digitisation will include sweeping modernisations, and a new apprenticeship scheme, TechTrack, that will bring 2,000 apprentices into public sector departments by 2030, making sure the UK Government has the skills needed to overhaul public services using tech.
“There is a £45 billion jackpot to secure if we use technology properly across our public sector – but we can’t hope to come close to securing that if we don’t have the right technical talent with us in government,” technology secretary Peter Kyle said.
“Not only will these changes help fix our public services, but it will save taxpayer cash by slashing the need for thousands of expensive contractors and create opportunities across the country across the country as part of our Plan for change.”
Twenty high-growth businesses set to make a positive impact on Scotland’s economy are celebrating being named shared winners of the Regional EDGE prize fund of £400,000.
This new pilot award, aimed at businesses in Aberdeen, Perth & Kinross, Dundee and Angus, and the Highlands and Islands, is the latest initiative in the long-standing relationship between the Scottish Government and Scottish EDGE.
Funds were allocated through a competitive process, which involved pitching to a panel of judges and delivered in collaboration with local partners Opportunity North East, Elevator, GrowBiz and Highlands and Islands Enterprise.
The award ceremonies took place across four weeks in each of the regions’ hometowns, with industry leading keynote speakers in attendance including First Minister of Scotland John Swinney for the Perth and Kinross awards.
Of the 48 shortlisted finalists, eight entrepreneurs were awarded £10,000 including Little Birdie Foods for their nutrient-packed shots, and Brigid Bio for their biotech treatment of high risk fungal infections.
Eight further entrepreneurs secured £15,000 funding each including Ovis, for its wool pellet gardening alternative to plastic, and The Green Company, for condensed, eco-friendly cleaning solutions.
MedAscend took home a main prize of £50,000 for a training platform allowing medical students to improve their communication and diagnostic skills, as did Rescue Winch, for revolutionary paddlesport safety equipment.
As well as financial support, all winners will also benefit from becoming EDGE Alumni, granting them access to the organisation’s network of contacts and business acumen.
“The partnership between the Scottish Government and Scottish EDGE has long driven our ambition to become a world-leading start-up nation,” deputy first minister, Kate Forbes. “The new, Scottish Government-funded regional awards have been piloted to help fledgling businesses outwith the central belt develop and grow while capturing the competitive essence of entrepreneurism.
“I am delighted to see such a wide range of projects and businesses across all four regions being successful and hope the tangible injection of investment they have secured will help them take the next steps to growing and scaling their business propositions.”
Evelyn McDonald, CEO of Scottish EDGE said: “As Regional EDGE reaches its conclusion, we celebrate the incredible innovation, resilience, and entrepreneurial spirit that have flourished across Scotland’s diverse regions.
“With the invaluable support of the Scottish Government and our dedicated delivery partners, Regional EDGE has empowered ambitious start-ups in key areas, providing vital funding and mentorship to turn bold ideas into thriving businesses.
“The impact of this initiative will continue to be felt as these entrepreneurs drive growth, create jobs, and inspire the next generation of innovators across Scotland.”
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has issued a new report highlighting faults in the mobile browser market, taking particular aim at Apple and, to a lesser degree, Google.
The report identified a number of markets holding back innovation and ultimately limiting growth in the UK. Most concerns identified relate to Apple’s policies which determine how mobile browsers work on the company’s devices.
According to an independent inquiry, Apple’s policies on its iOS software is making it challenging for third-party web browsers to compete with the company’s own browser offering, Safari. The CMA also called out Google’s Android ecosystem for excluding competitors, thought to a lesser degree.
Specially, Apple requires all browsers on its iOS system to run on a WebKit browser engine, which the report found gives Apple’s own browser, Safari, an unfair advantage compared to other WebKit-based browsers. This stipulation also limits in-app browsing.
Further, the CMA also pointed out that having Safari pre-downloaded onto Apple devices and automatically selected as the default browser, which can be changed, gives the browser an unfair advantage.
Chrome’s pre-installation on Android systems was also called out by the CMA, though the watchdog did say that both Apple and Google have taken some recommendations on to make it easier for users to switch browsers.
Since the CMA’s initial investigation into the mobile browser app in January, Apple and Google have “addressed some, but not all,” of the watchdog’s concerns.
The CMA also called out the financial arrangement between Apple and Google which ensures that Google is the default search engine used on Apple browsers and devices.
Google paid Apple $20 billion to ensure that it was the default search engine on Apple devices and browsers back in 2022, which was revealed in an antitrust case in the US.
The CMA is currently reviewing both company’s market dominance and place to determine if they have strategic market status (SMS), which, under the CMA’s new remit, would mean that they could face higher forms of scrutiny from the watchdog.
Seeing as the company’s have well-established dominance across a number of remits – mobile browsers, devices, app stores, mobile ecosystems, search – it is likely that they will easily qualify for SMS.
Once this is decided, it is likely the CMA may impose a number of interventions the companies must follow, or face potential fines up to 10% of their annual turnover.
“Following our in-depth investigation, we have concluded that competition between different mobile browsers is not working well, and this is holding back innovation in the UK,” said Margot Daly, Chair of the CMA’s independent inquiry group.
“I welcome the CMA’s prompt action to open strategic market status investigations into both Apple and Google’s mobile ecosystems. The extensive analysis we’ve set out today will help that work as it progresses.”
Germany military missiles may soon be launched from Scotland’s SaxaVord Spaceport in Shetland in a new initiative from Europe to decrease its dependency on the US for military intelligence.
The UK and German space industries are joining forces to provide a rapid vertical launch capability into space for Europe as global geopolitical uncertainty mounts.
The new initiative was announced at the SpaceComm expo in London, where SaxaVord Spaceport and Germany company Rocket Factor Augsburg (RFA) announced they are supporting the launch of intelligence monitoring and gathering satellites as well as commercial satellites into orbit.
It follows the Trinity House agreement announced by the two governments in October last year, which is designed to deepen UK-German defence co-operation.
With RFA and other clients including HyImpulse, another German company, gearing up to lift off from SaxaVord, the UK’s only fully licensed vertical launch spaceport, the two nations are seeking to take the lead within NATO to step up Europe’s space launch ambitions.
Many European countries are “space-locked” – they lack their own access to space – meaning SaxaVord is attracting greater interest. This new initiative will provide vital capabilities to European countries and NATO members at a time of mounting geo-political and economic uncertainty.
Frank Strang, CEO of SaxaVord, said: “We have all our licences for orbital vertical launch already in place, and we are putting the finishing touches to infrastructure on site to support our partners – in particular Rocket Factory Augsburg (RFA) which has made a significant financial investment in our spaceport.
“SaxaVord has been collaborating closely with RFA for several years now and has been advocating for and driving this key UK-German initiative.
“We live in an unpredictable and ever more dangerous world and space as a domain has an ever increasing role to play in keeping us secure and protecting our economies.
“The UK and Europe have an asset in SaxaVord that can play a huge role in maintaining the status quo and, combined with RFA, a capability that can help defend our combined interests. We at SaxaVord are ready, willing and able to support this historic partnership.”
Jörn Spurmann, co-founder and CCO at RFA, said: “In a world where security challenges are evolving at an unprecedented pace, the partnership between RFA, SaxaVord, and the UK and German governments has never been more vital.
“Together, we are establishing a sovereign, rapid-response launch capability – one that is not just ready but built to act decisively when national and regional security demands it.
“By combining cutting-edge launch technology with SaxaVord’s strategic location, we are reinforcing the backbone of a resilient, agile European defence network in space.
“This collaboration not only strengthens UK-German ties but also fortifies allied security frameworks like NATO and the expanding Seven Eyes initiative. More than just cooperation, this is a decisive step toward securing Europe’s leadership in space defence and strategic deterrence.”
