Improved 5G connectivity could supercharge the UK economy, by enabling productivity gains that add between £41 billion and £159 billion in cumulative GVA between now and 2035.
That’s according to the UK Government’s recently published Wireless Infrastructure Strategy, that calls 5G ‘the cornerstone of our digital economy’.
We’ve seen further studies that back up this prediction, suggesting the impact of 5G could cumulatively be £43 billion by 2030 across the UK economy, or up to over £6 billion in the manufacturing sector alone.
These studies highlight the winning combination of low latency and high bandwidth that 5G offers – which translates into faster data transfers and a better online experience – as being key to its success. Low latency prevents lags or delays, while high bandwidth helps ensure good quality. That’s why the UK Government wants to deliver nationwide 5G coverage to all populated areas of the country by 2030.
While the benefits will be felt right across our economy, use cases in the manufacturing, health and care, utilities, logistics and consumer sectors repeatedly come up as examples of where the impact could potentially be greatest.
But despite these buoyant estimates of a significant productivity boost, the truth is that most forecasts are wildly speculative; no one really knows yet just how much impact 5G will have on the economy. We are yet to see any use cases being delivered at the scale necessary to begin to demonstrate the billions of pounds in benefits that the studies have suggested.
Realising the benefits of improved 5G mobile connectivity relies not just on the UK’s wireless network operators and infrastructure providers investing in high-quality public and private 5G networks, but also on ensuring businesses, the public sector and consumers actually adopt these new technologies and 5G solutions at scale.
The trouble is, many organisations don’t yet fully understand the benefits 5G can bring them, and until they do, it’s difficult for providers to make the business case for investment.
With the UK Wireless Infrastructure Strategy highlighting the millions of additional pounds of public and private funding going into rolling out 5G across the UK, it is vital that we get the next steps right. We must ensure that such a significant investment leads to real tangible benefits for businesses, households and the public sector across the country.
Evaluating the impacts and benefits that come from an investment is often thought of as a process that happens after a project has been implemented. However, to maximise its impact, it is important that evaluation should inform thinking throughout the investment and policy making lifecycle, from inception right through to delivery and completion.
In this way, policymakers can understand where small changes in the way a project is delivered can maximise the impact of an investment.
We know 5G can bring significant economic gains across the UK, and we know the value of these benefits will vary from project to project.
But to successfully harness the full economic, social and environmental potential of 5G, we need not just continued investment in future-proofed mobile networks, but also diligent evaluation of that investment and of our policy making.
We also need to encourage wider adoption of 5G technology, for example, through raising awareness and engaging with industry to demonstrate the benefits of use cases, as well as using 5G technology where we can for the delivery of public services, such as in health and care and smart cities.
If we can do all this, we can unlock a more productive – and therefore more prosperous – future for both businesses and communities.
Over 101,000 stealer-infected devices with saved ChatGPT credentials were found on the dark web by cyberintelligence outfit Group IB.
Group-IB’s Threat Intelligence platform found these compromised credentials within the logs of info-stealing malware traded on illicit dark web marketplaces over the past year. The number of available logs containing compromised ChatGPT accounts reached a peak of 26,802 in May 2023.
The research found that the number of stealer logs containing compromised ChatGPT accounts has consistently increased from June 2022 to March 2023. In June 2022, Group-IB found 74 compromised credentials, reaching 22,597 in March 2023.
Info stealers are a type of malware that collects credentials saved in browsers, bank card details, crypto wallet information, cookies, browsing history, and other information from browsers installed on infected computers, and then send all this data to the malware operator.
Stealers can also collect data from instant messengers and emails, along with detailed information about the victim’s device, working non-selectively to infect as many computers as possible.
The nature of ChatGPT’s popularity has made it a popular choice for bad actors on the dark web- more and more employees are taking advantage of the Chatbot to optimise their work.
As ChatGPT automatically stores the history of user queries and AI responses, a hacked account can expose confidential or sensitive information, which can be exploited for targeted attacks against companies and their employees.
“Many enterprises are integrating ChatGPT into their operational flow. Employees enter classified correspondences or use the bot to optimize proprietary code, ” Dmitry Shestakov said, Head of Threat Intelligence at Group0IB.
He added: “Given that ChatGPT’s standard configuration retains all conversations, this could inadvertently offer a trove of sensitive intelligence to threat actors if they obtain account credentials. At Group-IB, we are continuously monitoring underground communities to promptly identify such accounts.”
According to Group-IB, the Asia-Pacific region had the most stealer-infected devices with saved ChatGPT credentials, with 40,999. The UK did not make the top ten list of countries with the most compromised accounts, but Group-IB still recommends securing accounts by changing passwords and implementing two-factor authentication.
Jadu, a web experience management software company, has partnered with global IT and business consulting services firm CGI and the City of Edinburgh Council to develop ‘Jadu Central Gateway’, a new Intranet publishing platform that provides secure access to the Council’s Intranet to frontline workers.
The platform addresses an issue faced by frontline employees who don’t have regular access to the Council’s Intranet, which limits their ability to access important internal communications, policies, guidance, and support, as well as information on pay, benefits, and wellbeing initiatives.
Cammie Day, council leader of the City of Edinburgh Council, said: “This platform will provide access to a host of support documentation and guidance to all of our previously digitally excluded frontline employees. By creating a secure gateway to the intranet, Jadu Central Gateway ensures that all colleagues have access to the same information at the same time and is a significant step in our digital and accessibility ambitions. The platform reinforces our commitments to engagement and empowerment of colleagues, and to continue transforming services.”
The No-one Left Behind initiative aims to deliver broadband coverage across all of Scotland through gigabit investment, bringing 4G coverage to rural and remote regions, future-proof all new public infrastructure, and ensure that all people in Scotland can access digital services.
Tara McGeehan, President, CGI in the UK and Australia said: “This is an important project that will allow us to provide all frontline workers with secure access to important information and services. Jadu Central Gateway will provide employees with access to information they need to do their jobs more effectively and is a great example of how Edinburgh is leading digital innovation that can support their employees.”
Suraj Kika, CEO of Jadu, expressed the company’s excitement about the partnership, adding: “We’re solving a real problem for large organisations with a distributed workforce. What happens when frontline workers, contractors and remote teams cannot access internal policies and digital services, because they do not have a corporate email address? Jadu Central Gateway solves this by enabling secure access to important content and digital services critical to supporting these roles. We’re thrilled to be partnering with CGI to deliver this important initiative for the City of Edinburgh Council.”
Lindsay McGranaghan, senior vice president and business unit leader for CGI in Scotland, said: “The Jadu Central Gateway will be a valuable tool for large organisations with a dispersed workforce like City of Edinburgh Council, and we’re excited to help them improve their inclusivity, productivity and efficiency with this innovative platform.”
Nine banking leaders, from Barclays, NatWest, and Nationwide, have reportedly signed a letter warning the Prime minister that the UK has become “a global hotspot for scams,” according to Sky News report.
According to the banks, fraudsters stole around £2,300 a day from British consumers, with the issue costing banks over a £1 billion a year to face.
“Online fraud poses a strategic threat to the prosperity of the UK and impacts the credibility of, and confidence in, the economy and financial sector,” read the letter, which was seen by Sky News and reportedly sent on 6 June.
Major signatorities include Robin Bulloch, TSB chief executive, Dame Alison Rose, CEO of NatWest; Debbie Crosbie, Nationwide chief executive; Charlie Nunn, Lloyds Banking Group chief; Ian Stuart, HSBC UK boss; Matt Hammerstein, Barclays UK; Mike Regnier, CEO of Santander UK; Mikael Sorensen, Handelsbanken; Anne Boden, CEO of Starling Bank; and Bob Wigley and David Postings, chairman and chief executive of banking lobby UK Finance.
In the letter, banking leaders urged the UK government to hold big tech companies, like Meta, responsible for some of the costs of online fraud and scams that originated on their platforms.
The letter, which was reportedly sent on 6 of June, superseded a letter sent by TSB chief Executive Robin Bulloch directly to Meta urging them to take responsibility for online fraud just last week.
TSB has claimed that scams that originated from Meta platforms — including Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram — account for 80% of the fraud it refunds within its three biggest fraud categories, which include purchase, investment, and impersonation.
Further, TSB estimated that over 70,000 purchase fraud cases – almost 200 a day – took place on Facebook Marketplace alone in 2022.
“Meta needs to face up to its responsibility: it has a duty of care to the millions of customers who use its platforms, which is all the more important when we see innocent people lose life-changing sums every day,” Paul Davis, Director of Fraud Prevention at TSB, said.
The scams that typically occur via social media platforms are authorised push payment (APP) fraud, in which customers are tricked into authorising payments through fake messages which often originate from social media.
The main issue with these is that, despite banks have security systems in place, customers authorise the payments without knowing they are paying fraudsters, meaning the payments go through despite warning signs.
Banks are legally required to refund customers who are frauded in these ways, and victims of APP are to be refunded within five days of a fraudulent payment.
As these scams are often sourced from social media platforms, banks are saying these companies are simply not doing enough to prevent fraudulent ads and profiles, or to make payments secure.
Meta has pushed back, however, saying in a response to TSB’s letter that “our platforms already have systems to block scams, financial services advertisers now have to be FCA authorised to target UK users and we run consumer awareness campaigns on how to spot fraudulent behaviour.”
Banking leaders appear to remain unconvinced by this – they are calling of major companies like Meta to prevent fraud and to help refund payments. They also want the government to keep a closer eye on the situation by creating a public register to show how tech companies are failing in stopping payment scams.
To convince Sunak, the banking leaders touched on how the fraud was making the UK look unattractive to international investors vital in the UK financial sector.
In a post on their social pages, shared on LinkedIn, Anonymous Sudan and Killnet called for a DDoS attack against the EIB, which appears to be ongoing.
The EIB‘s main site is currently down, and the bank has just released a Tweet acknowledging the issue as a ‘cyber attack.’
While the two attacks could be unrelated, the timing of Anonymous Sudan’s post suggests that a DDoS attack could be underway.
The post read:
“Anonymous Sudan | KILLNET
Start a devastating campaign against the European banking sector!
<wikipedia:
The European Investment Bank is a public financial and credit institution of the European Union to finance the development of underdeveloped European regions in the form of long-term loans. It was established in 1958 with the aim of providing loans for the construction and reconstruction of facilities of interest to the European Union countries. The authorized capital consists of contributions from participating countries and amounts to 248.8 billion euros.
The EIB interconnection infrastructure has been demolished.
Anonymous Sudan | KILLNET”
Anonymous Sudan is a self-proclaimed ‘hacktivist’ group from Sudan. However, analysis by CyberCX suggests that the current hacking group is actually a Russian-affiliated group with potentially no connection to Sudan, which would explain their connection with Killnet.
The group emerged in 2023, conducting attacks against countries that opposed Sudan. The group has claimed responsibility for attacks against large companies such as Scandinavian Airlines, Tinder, Lyft, as well as several attacks on hospitals and organisations in the United States.
Earlier this morning, Microsoft confirmed that an attack which resulted in outages across Microsoft Outlook, OneDrive, and Azure was caused by Anonymous Sudan.
According to new findings by Atlas VPN, government requests for Meta user data are on the rise.
In 2022, Meta received 476,802 user data requests by governments worldwide, with a total of 827,927 user data records requested. This marks a significant growth of 16% compared to 2021, and a whopping 971% rise since 2013.
Meta disclosed at least some data in response to 76.45% of all requests.
Atlas VPN’s numbers are derived from the Meta transparency report, which features the government requests for user data since the year 2013, including both routine legal processes and emergency disclosure requests.
The user data requests include two metrics: the number of requests a company receives from authorities and the number of accounts specified within those requests.
In the first half of 2022, governments worldwide filed 237,414 requests demanding data of 412,285 Meta users.
In the year’s second half, the number of data requests increased to 239,388 while the number of requested accounts rose to 415,642.
Since 2013, Meta received a total of 2,247,594 government requests concerning 3,629,299 user accounts.
By Country
In 2022, Meta received user data requests from government in over 130 countries, but the distribution of the requests varied.
The United States government leads the way in terms of both the number of requests and the volume of user data requested.
In 2022, Meta received data requests from the US government concerning 236,928 platform users, represented a 10% increase compared to the previous year, equating to approximately 70.04 requests per 100,000 people.
What was unclear in the data is if the US only requested data from US users, or if it could and did request data from non-US users.
Meta was recently fined for not establishing the correct legal basis for transferring EU user data to the US, which is against GDPR. The European regulator was concerned that data shared with the US without proper contractual protections could be easily monitored by US law enforcement agencies, as allowed by US law.
Meta will now have to create a contract with it’s EU users to ensure their data rights are not infringed if their data is transferred to the US.
The EU is currently in the works with the US government to create a Data Protection Framework (DPF), which would ensure certain GDPR rights are protected when EU data is transferred to the US, without the need for specific contracts for each transfer.
Recently, the UK announced a similar initiative to build a UK-US data bridge, to extend the DPF to account for UK data and UK data laws when data is transferred to the US.
Meta complied with about 88.07% of the 133,511 user data requests by the US government.
The UK made 25,233 data requests in 2022, ranking behind India (198,015), Brazil (121,097), Germany (51,783) and France (30,154). To put this in perspective, the UK made 37.38 requests per 100,000 people.
Researchers and digital rights groups are calling upon lawmakers to enshrine their ability to access social media data for independent research to monitor harmful content in the Online Safety Bill.
Currently the bill, which is being deliberated on in the House of Lords, would provide Ofcom with two years to set up regulations for how independent researchers could obtain data from regulated services.
Academics and civil charities for digital rights and child safety are calling for these frameworks to be addressed now, as to bring forward the timeline to allow for continuous independent research into the topic of online safety.
Charities, including the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH), the NSPCC, and the Molly Rose Foundation, signed an open letter urging the House of Lords to ensure social media platforms are more ‘transparent,’ as reported by The Guardian.
“We ask the government to support the data access amendments, supporting the researchers, academics and experts who work in real-time to empower and inform the British public about the online harms that affect their lives,” said the letter, as reported by The Guardian.
The organisations are calling for the adoption of Conservative Lord James Bethell’s amendement, which would call for the establishment of a code of practice for social media platforms to follow, allowing independent researchers to access data while maintaining user privacy.
The code of practice, which would be created by Ofcom, would decide what type of harms institutions could research, and have to meet privacy and independence standards set by Ofcom in order to access the data.
Charities are concerned that without this amendment, the impacts of social media will go unstudied, as would the affect of the Online Safety Bill once implemented.
The House of Lords is set to debate the new amendments this Thursday, after the bill already faced several changes under four different Prime Ministers since its introduction.
Another amendment to be debated includes more stringent age verification methods to prevent children from accessing and viewing pornographic material.
This has recently been met with pushback from Wikipedia, the free, publicly monitored online encyclopaedia, which says it will refuse to put age restrictions on any of its content.
The bill has faced further pushback from Big Tech as it may impede the encryption of messages by requiring automatic scanning before messages are fully encrypted. Messaging applications such as Signal and WhatsApp are threatening to leave the UK market if the bill proceeds with this current legislation.
During her presentation, she caught listeners up on some key definitions and developments in data protection, which can be a nightmare for organisations to navigate as they continue their digital transformation journeys.
When we think about the cloud, we have to think about data – cloud is just a mechanism for data storage that has quickly been adopted across industries in a bid to digitise and safely store their data.
But while cloud implementation has grown at pace, an understanding of how it works has not necessarily translated as well.
“I ask my clients: where is your data,” Irvine said, “and they say: the cloud. And then I ask: where is the cloud?”
This is where things start to get a little murky, and regulatory discrepancies occur.
Throughout her talk, Irvine skillfully breaks down the major data protection laws affecting firms in the UK, some of the integral definitions, and how data regulations have changed over time.
Data protection: Definitions and Regulations
Firstly, GDPR is the EU data protection legislation that was established prior to Brexit, which strictly required most online platforms to explicitly ask before collecting non-essential user data, and requires a legal basis for the collection of user data.
After Brexit, the UK set up it’s own GDPR law, which was then supplemented by the Data Protection Act 2018 – this essentially means that the UK has almost the same framework as the European GDPR, but with UK regulatory bodies, namely the Information Commissioner’s Office, keeping track of compliance and issuing fines.
The UK is currently drafting a new regulatory framework, titled the Data Protection and Digital Information Bill, which the UK government claims will be more business-friendly and less cumbersome than the current GDPR, while maintaining user’s digital rights.
Now, onto definitions.
Data protection regulations typically deal with data controllers and data processors.
Data controllers are those that collect and use personal data. Data processors are those that process and store that data, at the request and upon the instruction of the data controller.
Meta, for instance, would be a data controller – they collect data from their users for a certain purpose. A cloud service provider, like Microsoft Azure, Amazon Web Services (AWS), and Google Cloud, would be a data processor, since they store and transfer data at the whim of their data controller.
It is typically the responsibility of the data controller to create contracts keeping their data processor compliant with the relevant data laws.
Most laws have to do with data transfers, which can be defined surprisingly broadly: “It’s not just sending it physically, obviously, that’s not a thing that you can, some individual can access that data – not even just download it – but just access that data, then that counts as a transfer.”
This can even apply for employees of the same companies accessing data if they are in different places, particularly if they are across international borders.
And it is across these international channels that the regulatory nightmares begin.
International Data Regulations
According to Irvine, most UK cloud data is stored in the EU, and from a regulatory perspective, this is a very good thing.
After Brexit, the UK and EU decided upon an ‘adequacy agreement,’ meaning that the EU found the UK to have an adequate enough data protection law as to more freely transfer data between the two nations without further regulatory frameworks.
However, most cloud companies are based in the US, and data will sometimes be passed through digital borders and end up as ‘transferred’ to US parties of the same companies.
This requires firms in the UK to fill out contracts stipulating the acceptance of users to have their data transferred across the border and potentially subject to US law.
“In the US, there is no overarching data privacy, it’s not enshrined in the Constitution,” Irvine explained. Further, law enforcement agencies can access data in the US without a subpoena, as was exposed by Edward Snowden in 2013. This affected not just the data of US citizens and residents, but any global data held or transferred within the US.
This alerted digital rights activists in the EU, with Max Schrems taking the helm to push the EU to reconsider its data sharing regulations with the US.
Now, companies need to fill out extensive contracts with US-based companies to legally transfer data.
For international data transfers, companies must put in place additional safeguards: “The one that is used most regularly are standard contractual clauses – or in the UK we call them international data transfer agreements. And in addition to that, we are also obliged to carry out a transparent risk assessment.”
These legal hurdles can result in stringent fines if not done properly – data controllers need to make sure their processors, and any third party handlers, are held to GDPR standards
In one of the most high-profile GDPR cases, Meta was found to have not used a specific contract-basis to transfer EU data to the US, and the company was found in breach of GDPR, recurring a record £1 billion fine.
All of these legal requirements can make businesses with the US – home to some of the biggest names in technology – a legislative quagmire for companies large and small to reckon with.
But according to Irvine, this “goes back to the risk of us not having had rights in another country, we have not been able to do compensation in our country, and assets by law enforcement bodies.”
Still, the EU and UK have ambitions to make this entire process easier.
The EU is attempting to set up a Data Protection Framework with the US, “but this keeps being challenged,” according to Irvine.
The DPF would allow a more streamlined process for data transfer between the US and EU, which would make cloud transfer less legally challenging.
Currently, the framework has yet to be accepted as the EU is still unimpressed with the US’s general lack of privacy guarantees. However, a new executive order would make it more difficult – but not outright impossible – for US law enforcement agencies to access EU data transferred to the US. The order introduced “concepts of necessity and proportionality” to allow US intelligence agencies to access the data of EU citizens.
At London tech Week, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and US President Joe Biden met, and announced their intention to form a US-UK Data Bridge.
This would allow the US and UK to freely transfer data without specific contracts currently required by UK GDPR. While this is only and intention, and not a formal law, it does intend to “piggyback” as Irvine says, off of the EU-US DPF so the UK can retain their ‘adequacy agreement’ with the EU.
Currently, the UK is investigating US data protection laws so see if they will align with the UK’s current and future data privacy concerns.
The Data Protection and Digital Information Bill will likely fall under international scrutiny as countries and the EU decide if it offers enough protection to continue easy data transfers with the UK.
A new survey finds that UK security leaders believe human error, or even malicious intent, is behind their cyber breaches, with employees continually exposing sensitive data to the risk of a breach, yet are neglecting to take the necessary steps to control the risks.
The annual research carried out by Apricorn, a manufacturer of encrypted-USB drives, found that 70% of corporate breaches are a direct result of employee error or malicious intent.
Of the security decision makers surveyed, 22% said employees unintentionally putting data at risk had been the main cause of a data breach at their organisation, with staff being caught out by phishing emails close behind at 21%.
Remote workers specifically were said to be the catalyst of a data breach at 26% of organisations, up from 21% in 2022.
20% of companies also said employees with malicious intent had been behind a breach at their company, a rise from 10% last year.
Further, the research found that third parties have been mishandling corporate information, leading to a breach at 21% of companies, up from 12%, highlighting the increasing need for tighter security in the supply chain.
48% of respondents claimed that their company’s mobile or remote workers have knowingly exposed data to a breach over the last year, a rise from 29% in 2022, while 46% stated that their remote workers ‘don’t care’ about security, up from 17% the previous year.
This trend was echoed when the respondents were asked about the main problems they faced with implementing a cybersecurity plan for remote and mobile working.
The biggest issue – which 28% are struggling with – is lack of awareness among employees of the risks to data when working away from the office
Also high on the list is the fact that staff who are aware of security risks will still take action that results in data being exposed or lost, according to 23% of respondents.
These findings appear to be in line with projected trends: a 2023 Gartner report on cybersecurity predicted that by 2025, a lack of talent or human failure will be responsible for over half of all significant cyber events.
Further, a survey commissioned by CyberSmart and conducted by Censuswide, found that almost half of SMEs are worried that disgruntled employees are causing more cyber incidents due to the cost of living crisis.
If employers are concerned about awareness, disgruntled employees practicing negligence, or even with malicious intent, the the answers seem increasingly obvious: better, human-centric training, and higher wages to at least keep up with the rising cost of living for employees.
The recent onslaught of reports citing the increased cyber security dangers associated with remote working, however, may have to do with something else. Apricorn’s statistics are based on a survey of 201 security decision makers and what they claim, not actual trends in the route cause of cyber incidents.
If more companies purport remote working as an cyber-risk, then it might be easier to force workers back into the office.
Shifting the blame to neglectful or disgruntled employees this consistently must make companies question their cybersecurity awareness training and system implementation practices more intensely.
As Robin Bylenga argued at DIGIT’s Scot Secure 2023 Summit, cybersecurity is often a systematic issue, rather than a blame-game.
“The Information security department needs to be a part of a department of trust, not a department where people feel intimidated, or where people feel stupid, or uneducated,” she insisted at the conference in March.
Tata Consultancy Services’ latest survey of senior business leaders has revealed that cloud remains a long-time investment priority of 70% of major corporations, despite current macro economic headwinds and the recent slowing of growth among global cloud providers.
Titled Connected Future: How Cloud Drives Business Innovation, the global survey of 972 senior executives reveals that innovation is a major driver of cloud investment, with 59% reporting that cloud is “crucial” as a catalyst for innovation for their organisation’s future.
Further, 59% of respondents say that they have “faith” in cloud’s potential for innovation.
However, cloud appears to come with its own challenges: 30% of respondents say that their cloud implementations have been more “challenging or frustrating technically” than expected.
This appears to have sparked doubts in cloud investment, with 36% of businesses saying they over-invested in the infrastructure, though only 20% say they regret “hasty” investment decisions in cloud services over the past few years.
Reaching a positive Return of Investment (ROI) in cloud is also a concern, with 23% of respondents feeling increased pressure and scrutiny to justify their cloud decision-making. A further 25% are considering changing their entire cloud strategy over ROI concerns.
Despite these headwinds, confidence in cloud remains high in the long term, with 70% saying they intend to staying on course for the long-term investment.
Outside of cloud, investment in data-intensive technology remains high, especially in AI, with 78% of respondents planning on investing in the next two years.
It does appear that companies have a long way to go on their cloud journey, with only 27% of respondents saying their organisation has reached full cloud maturity.
38% have achieved most cloud-based goals for critical apps and workload, with 29% saying they have only achieved some of these goals.
Alison McIntyre, UK Ambassador, FinOps Foundation, who spoke at DIGIT’s Cloud First Summit this year, commented on how to justify a cloud decisions to a company’s C-suite.
First of all, she emphasised that “if done right, [cloud] can cost less.”
On convincing a chief financial officer, it’s not exactly only about the money, “it’s more about knowing the value of what your infrastructure is. You have to know your c-audience.
“I would recommend going from the point of view of removing legacy [technology], emphasising agility and transparency of costs.”
Vodafone and Three have struck a deal to merge their UK operations, creating the UK’s largest mobile network with a combined customer base of 27 million.
Three is a unit of CK Hutchison, a Hong Kong based company, which would own 49% of the new company, while Vodafone would take the majority stake of 51%.
The deal would leave only three mobile networks available in the UK, and mean all three would be combined networks.
Virgin Media and O2 have 24 million customers, while EE/BT has 20 million users.
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is set to investigate the merger to see if it will remove market competition and make it more harmful to consumers.
The CMA said, as reported by the BBC: “Both Vodafone and Three are key players in the UK communications market – with millions of consumers and many businesses relying on their services – so it’s right that the CMA reviews the impact this deal could have on competition.”
While Vodafone has insisted their case for the merger is strong, Three UK was blocked during talks to merge with O2 by EU regulators prior to Brexit.
Olexandr Kyrychenko, Partner at IMD Corporate, commented: “In assessing this question, the CMA will not merely look to whether there will be more pressure on rivals or whether there may be less choice of stand-alone providers available to consumers. Matters such as innovation and proposed investment into 5G infrastructure will also be relevant when assessing whether SLC has arisen. It is not uncommon for CMA to give conditional approval.”
The companies said the merger would “create a third operator with scale, levelling the competitive playing field, increasing competition to the UK’s two leading converged operators and will also provide more choice in wholesale partners for the UK’s already competitive MVNOs (Mobile Virtual Network Operator).”
Margherita Della Valle, Vodafone Group Chief Executive, described the merger of Vodafone UK and Three UK as being “great for customers, great for the country and great for competition.”
The merger may indeed improve network quality for consumers: GWS recently analysed performance among the five UK networks, with combined networks outperforming Vodafone and Three UK on their own.
Dr. Paul Carter, CEO of mobile benchmarking and intelligence provider GWS, commented: “In terms of what’s in it for consumers, our latest test results show Vodafone and Three were both lagging in terms internet performance between broadband and mobile services. Virgin Media O2 are currently leading the way in terms of the overall combined connectivity consumers experience, with EE/BT just behind.
“On paper this merger makes sense for two companies looking to close the gap on competitors who have themselves benefited from combining their connectivity offerings.
“However, it remains to be seen whether it will bring success. Three and Vodafone bring together a set of competing mobile assets to bring down costs. Yet, previous mergers in this area were more complementary in terms of filling technological gaps in wireless services, mobile and broadband.”
Canning Fok, Group Co-Managing Director of CK Hutchison, said: “Together, we will have the scale needed to deliver a best-in-class 5G network for the UK, transforming mobile services for our customers and opening up new opportunities for businesses across the length and breadth of the UK. This will unlock significant value for CK Hutchison and its shareholders, realise material synergies, reduce net financial indebtedness and further strengthen its financial profile.”
To placate regulator concerns, the companies are investing £11 billion over the next ten years to create an advanced standalone 5G network.
In a statement, the companies also promised that the merger will deliver up to £5 billion per year in economic benefit by 2023.
Ahmed Essam, Vodafone UK Chief Executive, said: “Through converged offers we will really challenge the two largest operators and, of course, we will continue to support the most vulnerable in society with our social tariffs and our commitment to help 6 million people cross the digital divide by 2025.”
Consumer groups are concerned that the move may remove competition and potentially hurt consumer interests.
Rocio Concha, Which? Director of Policy and Advocacy, said: “A good mobile connection is essential to everyday modern life and this merger between Vodafone and Three will have a significant impact on the telecoms market.
“There are currently four mobile network operators in the UK – EE, O2, Three and Vodafone – which smaller mobile providers then piggyback off. Reducing the number of network providers from four to three risks reducing the choices available to consumers, raising prices and lowering the quality of services available.
“The CMA needs to conduct a thorough assessment to determine whether this merger will be harmful to consumers.”
The European Union (EU) has taken a massive leap toward a comprehensive AI law after its main legislative body ratified a draft of the law.
Now, member countries will debate the final details before the law if fully implemented across the EU.
A hallmark piece of legislation, the law was passed with 499 votes in favour, 28 against and 93 abstentions ahead of further talks with each nation.
“All eyes are on us today,” said Brando Benifei, an Italian member of the EU.
“While Big Tech companies are sounding the alarm over their own creations, Europe has gone ahead and proposed a concrete response to the risks AI is starting to pose.
“We want AI’s positive potential for creativity and productivity to be harnessed but we will also fight to protect our position and counter dangers to our democracies and freedoms during the negotiations with Council.”
What’s in the Law?
While AI technologists warned of potential extinction as a result of the emerging technology, the EU focused on some of the tech’s more pressing issues.
In an exclusive interview with the BBC, the EU’s competition chief Margrethe Vestager said that discrimination is a more pertinent challenge governments must face when regulating AI.
Central to the legislation – and its accompanying debates – was removing certain potential avenues for discrimination and intrusion of privacy.
In Law Enforcement
The law has several bans on the uses of AI, according to the EU Parliament, including:
“Real-time” and “post” remote biometric identification systems in publicly accessible spaces.
Biometric categorisation systems using sensitive characteristics (e.g. gender, race, ethnicity, citizenship status, religion, political orientation).
Predictive policing systems (based on profiling, location or past criminal behaviour);
emotion recognition systems in law enforcement, border management, the workplace, and educational institutions.
Untargeted scraping of facial images from the internet or CCTV footage to create facial recognition databases (violating human rights and right to privacy).
These mostly have to do with law enforcement’s use of AI to identify potential criminals and monitor public spaces, which has come under fire due to the issue of bias in AI systems as well as bias in policing itself.
An audit system by Minderoo Centre for Technology and Democracy found that the UK’s police use of AI was unethical after it invaded privacy and was often guilty of racial profiling and misidentifying people with its facial recognition technology. Police in England currently use AI to monitor crowds and for facial recognition, while Scotland Police have yet to adopt the technology.
While the EU is banning AI’s use in much of policing, AccessNow, a non-profit defending digital rights, slammed the parliament for not extending this ban to immigration systems.
“Without prohibitions in the migration context, the EU is sacrificing the rights of people on the move and will deliberately put marginalized communities at risk, Caterina Rodelli, EU Policy Analyst at Access Now said in a statement.
Border control, however, will be deemed as a high-risk application of AI, and will therefore be required to be transparent and provide risk assessments.
High Risk Applications
Other high-risk applications include in employment recruitment and education, but the law is expanding the the classification for ‘high-risk’ AI applications, which will include AI systems that “pose significant harm to people’s health, safety, fundamental rights or the environment.”
Examples of these include AI algorithms means to influence voters and election outcomes, and in “recommender systems” used by social media platforms with over 45 million users.
Regulations for Developers
Developers and providers of AI foundation models – a fast-evolving field in AI – will have to assess and mitigate for risks and register their models in an EU database prior to releasing them on the EU market.
Generative AI models would have to comply with transparency requirements – like disclosing the content was AI generated, including distinguishing generated images from real ones – and ensuring safeguards against generating illegal content.
These models would also have to provide detailed summaries of the copyrighted data used for their training to the public.
Balancing Innovation with Citizens’ Rights
The EU did make some exemptions on these stipulations for research activities and AI components provided under open-source licenses.
Jonathan Boakes, Managing Director at Infinum, a digital transformation company, commented: “The potential for creativity and innovation through AI is clearly enormous. However, it is crucial to approach AI implementation thoughtfully and the AI Act will play a vital role in ensuring responsible governance, and safeguarding consumer rights and privacy while fostering trust and innovation.
“In fact, rather than stifling innovation, the Act should actually mean tech developers have to get more creative, rather than just jumping on the AI hype train and using it for the sake of it with little thought around what they want it to achieve.”
EU MEPs are promoting ‘regulatory sandboxes,’ or real-life environments, to test AI before it is deployed to the public.
To garner more public trust, MEPs want to boost citizens’ right to file complaints about AI systems and receive explanations of decisions based on high-risk AI systems that significantly impact their fundamental rights.
Providing these explanations for AI-made decisions may prove impossible, however, if Generative AI – the model behind ChatGPT – is used. Generative AI is not auditable and can produce different answers to the same question without explanations.
This is something the EU AI Office will have to reckon with, as it will be tasked with monitoring how the AI law is implemented.
Dragos Tudorache, an EU Parliament member from Romania added: “The AI Act will set the tone worldwide in the development and governance of artificial intelligence, ensuring that this technology, set to radically transform our societies through the massive benefits it can offer, evolves and is used in accordance with the European values of democracy, fundamental rights, and the rule of law”.
The law can now progress to the final stage in the EU legislative process, a ‘trilogue’ between the EU Parliament, member states, and the bloc’s executive branch.
After this stage, the law is likely to be fully ratified by 2024.
“Once the AI Act is finalised, the EU will start work on harmonised standards under the Act which will apply across the EU,” Tim Wright, tech and AI regulation partner at UK law firm Fladgate said.
“Companies should not leave their planning, preparation and implementation too late. When GDPR came in, some businesses struggled to cope with the complexity of the new rules, with Wetherspoons reported to have deleted its entire CRM database when it realised that it would be unable to meet the compliance timetable.”
Boakes added: “At the moment we have barely scratched the surface of AI’s potential and its greatest possibilities. The AI Act serves as a necessary framework to harness AI’s potential while prioritising consumer needs and creating a sustainable AI ecosystem. With great power comes great responsibility, and regulations like the AI Act will ensure businesses do not take that responsibility lightly.”
Edinburgh has scored the highest outside London in the SAS AI Cities Index 2023, which reveals the cities that are most likely to benefit from a growing commercial appetite for artificial intelligence.
The research is compiled from seven criteria, including AI-related job ads, the number of AI companies in the city, the number of tech meet-ups, and the value of InnovateUK funding granted in each area.
InnovateUK is part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), dedicated to investing and supporting cross-sector business innovation. The organisation has just announced a new £50 million development fund for ‘responsible and trustworthy’ AI innovation in the UK.
Edinburgh received about £43.7m of InnovateUK funding for projects from 2022 up till 2025, according to SAS, with multiple grants worth millions of pounds to research projects at the University of Edinburgh, Heriot-Watt and Edinburgh Napier.
The University of Edinburgh in particular has its own AI Accelerator programme which aims to nurture scale-ups focused in AI applications and commercialising research products.
Besides this funding, Edinburgh found its way to the top of the table as home to the highest number of courses that feature an AI element.
SAS combed through every course offered throughout UK universities in order to understand how AI is used in tech-based and non tech-based degrees.
Edinburgh had 57 courses with an AI component, with the next highest city being Birmingham, at 46.
The Scottish capital also has 82 AI companies in the city, but was beat out in this category b Birmingham with 83, and Manchester with 90.
Considering Edinburgh’s population sits over 553,000 and Birmingham has a population of over one million, Edinburgh’s position is quite remarkable. Manchester’s population is just under Edinburgh’s, making their AI company to population ratio the highest out of the three.
The availability of AI jobs on LinkedIn was also investigated, with Edinburgh sitting at second place with 372 jobs adverts at the time of the study. Cambridge was the highest, with 401 AI job adverts.
In the overall rankings, popular tech hubs like Cambridge and Oxford lost out to Edinburgh, coming in second and third due to their AI career opportunities, institutions based in the city and high life satisfaction, too.
The analysis also revealed which parts of the UK have seen the biggest growth in AI-readiness since the 2022 index was published last year. Newry, in Northern Ireland, came last in 2022, but has since risen from 74 to 25, a huge jump of 49 places
Leicester has also jumped from position 50 in 2022 to 13 in 2023, nearing the top 10. Inverness, Norwich and Wells all also made huge gains, a sign that the cities and their councils have implemented a number of actions to overhaul their AI-ready efforts.
However, the study has also shown which parts of the UK seem least prepared to utilise AI to its full potential – bottom of the list was Chichester, followed by Bangor and Dundee.
Glyn Townsend, Senior Director of Education Services at SAS EMEA said: “The UK has a goal to become a science and technology superpower by 2030. But as the industry grows at pace and generates thousands of jobs, who fills them when we’re in the midst of the digital skills gap? TechUK has reported that over half of UK firms identify accessing talent as their biggest challenge over the next 12 months.”
The Digital Poverty Alliance found that about ten million Brits lack basic digital skills, despite Prime Minister Rishi Sunak saying the UK has some of the highest digital literacy in the world.
“More and more careers require an element of data literacy, and so educators need to be well-versed in teaching people how to incorporate this into their subject areas along with, where necessary, data analytics and AI elements,” Townsend continued.
UK cities seem to still be catching up with the basics: a new campaign was launched just this May to boost digital skills in all primary schools, starting with simply providing students with computers.
Townsend insisted: “All cities – not just those that are the largest or most populated – need to be able to build, test and implement AI technologies. They need to create an ecosystem between institutions, research and commercial applications to develop and deploy future technology.
“While some cities have made huge gains since last year, our research still highlights large discrepancies between the most and least-prepared areas. Beyond just the digital and data literacy that some cities lack, there needs to be investment in regional AI Centres of Excellence and Incubation Hubs for new and emerging technology to fuel the future economy.”
For instance, Dundee ranked toward the bottom of SAS’s AI index, though the Tay Cities Region has continued to invest in promoting digital skills in the region. While certain cities catch up on broadband and digital adoption, they may get further behind in the AI race.
Amid the cost-of-living crisis and the energy crisis, consumers are turning to smart devices in a hope to save money.
techUK‘s new State of the Connected Home report reviewed the consumption trends of smart devices in UK households, from smart TVs to refrigerators, doorbells to thermostats.
Smart devices often come with extra features that allow appliances to connect directly to the internet and, often, other devices. This allows users to control their devices remotely, often via their smartphone.
The range of features and applications vary dramatically, from TVs that can directly connect to the internet and apps like Netflix, to smart security systems and lightbulbs that can be monitored from afar.
Awareness of smart devices is high, with about four in five Brits having at least some knowledge of smart devices, though this has stagnated since last year.
80% of UK consumers surveyed own at least one smart device, which is a three per cent rise from the 2022 research.
Younger generations tend to own more devices: 43% of 16-24 years olds and 45% of 25-34 year olds own over three devices.
However, sales appear to have dropped between April 2022 and March 2023 by about 3%.
Consumer confidence did fall to an all time low during 2022, but does appear to be rebounding, with 19% of consumers saying they were likely to spend ‘a little more’ on connected devices this coming year.
Focus: Smart Energy Devices
To reflect the cost-of-living crisis and, more specifically, the energy crisis, techUK asked pointed questions regarding smart thermostat trends.
Smart thermostats allow consumers to track their energy consumption in real-time, and can even have features to suggest the most energy efficient times to heat their homes.
While about 18% of surveyed respondents own a smart thermostat, nearly 30% are interested in buying one for their home.
A major driver of this interest is the expectation to make their money back through energy savings generated through the smart device.
Two fifths of respondents expect the cost of their energy smart device to be recovered within a year, via lower energy bills.
The cost-of-living crisis looms over making these purchases in the first place, however: 61% of consumers think smart devices would cost too much to purchase.
Matthew Evans, Director for Markets, techUK said: “For the seventh year, techUK has explored the connected home technology market and how consumer behaviour is changing.
“This year’s figures showing a rising interest in using connected home devices to improve energy efficiency are very understandable; consumers are responding to a difficult economic outlook and cost of living crisis, and are developing stronger knowledge of how connected home technology can empower them to improve their energy consumption.”
Connected Devices and Cybersecurity
One of the benefits of smart appliances is their connectivity capabilities – your fridge, TV, thermostat, speaker, and security systems can all be managed remotely through the internet and a smartphone.
Connective compatibility was one of the top features consumers sought when purchasing new devices, making sure their multitude of devices could all connect to their wifi, phone, and each other for easier management.
For cybersecurity specialists, however, this is the stuff of nightmares.
More connections from insecure devices leave more openings for bad actors to hack into devices and networks, leaving every connected appliance and their data at the mercy of cybercriminals.
A major reform to protect all devices is ensuring they are Secure-by-Design: essentially, that cybersecurity protections are built into the product.
This year, the government passed the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Act — a step in securing Internet of Things (IoT) devices.
The Act will mandate that all consumer IoT products have three key security compliance measures integrated in every device.
These include: clear information on the support and update period for the device from the manufacturer, no default passwords set by the manufacturer, and providing information on how to report any security issues.
As part of London Tech Week, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak listed ten ways the UK is “one of the best places in the world to start a tech business.”
The Prime Minister deemed the UK “an island of innovation,” before going on to evidence why startups, investors, and entrepreneurs should join the UK market.
1. In the last decade, the UK has created 134 tech unicorns.
A tech unicorn is a privately-held company with a valuation of over $1 billion — and the UK is currently leading the rest of Europe in total number of startups.
Sunak used the UK’s growing number of tech unicorns as evidence for more tech entreprenuers to get started in Britain.
According to the Prime Minister, the UK currently ranks third globally for the amount of venture capital investment.
In 2022, however, the UK saw a major dip in VC funding, with the lowest funding rounds seen in the last five years.
Economic uncertainty and the energy crisis caused a dip in VC funding, though this may be starting to stabalise.
“The Prime Minister made his big ambitions for UK tech clear in his opening keynote at London Tech Week,” said Laurent Descout, the CEO of Neo, a UK finance technology company.
“Sunak shared why the UK is a great location for tech businesses and the progress that’s been made to date such as the creation of 134 unicorns in the past decade and the UK being the best place to raise capital in Europe.”
2. Digital literacy
The Prime Minister dubbed the UK as one of the most “digitally literate societies in the world,” quoting the statistic that 97% of the population is “using the internet,” with one of the highest daily minutes of internet use per individuals on average.
According to his speech, 86% of ‘digitally active’ adults use at least one fintech service.
However, if this translates to true digital literacy is up for debate, and while UK inhabitants may use the internet, the quality of this use ranges broadly.
Alarmingly, the Digital Poverty Alliance found that one in five Brits lack digital skills, often holding them back from entering the workforce.
The Digital Poverty Alliance also found that 26% of young people do not have access to a laptop or similar device, an issue which saw one in five children unable to learn effectively at home during the pandemic.
Further, Citizens Advice estimated that around one million Brits had to forgoe internet access due to higher bills during the winter months of 2023 amid the cost of living crisis.
Additionally, rural and remote communities suffer as a result of poor broadband quality, impacting their business and education opportunities.
The current digital divide subsequently hampers advancing digital literacy, causing delays on digital transformation and increasing economic divides.
“As the need for digital-savvy employees continues to grow, it will be impossible for any one organisation or government to create a skilled workforce alone. Having said that, any changes to address the digital skills gap need to start with education, a phase of life that begins long before anyone enters the workforce,” Rajasekar Sukumar, SVP & Head, Europe at Persistent Systems said.
3. The top 25 biopharmaceutical organisations operate in the UK
According to the Prime Minister, the UK has the largest life sciences sector in Europe.
“The UK has a world-leading capacity for genomic sequencing and the biggest BioBank database of anywhere in the world – a great place if you’re in pharmatech,” Sunak said.
Biotech startups often originate as spin-offs from university research projects that grow and commercialise outside of the university ecosystem. X-Genix from the University of St. Andrews, which recently won the Converge Challenge at the Converge Award, is just one example.
4.Universities and the sciences
The UK is home to four of the top 10 global universities, according to QS rankings.
These include the University of Cambridge, the University of Oxford, Imperial College London, and University College London.
The University of Cambridge ranked third overall in engineering and technology and the natural sciences, while the University of Oxford ranked second overall in life sciences.
The accessibility of these universities, however, has come under fire as tuition costs have increased even for home students, and ‘elitism’ has been a continuous issues among the more prestigious institutions in Britain.
5. VC funding in 2022
According to the Prime Minister, UK startups received over $31 billion of VC funding in 2022. This is lower than when funding peaked in 2021, but is about 72% higher than funding in 2020, according to TechNation.
“While the UK is clearly in a strong position,” Descout commented, “it still has a bit of work to do to become a science and technology superpower. Reports today show that US business confidence in the UK has dropped and following a dearth of IPO activity, the UK’s future as a tech superpower isn’t guaranteed.
6. Low corporation tax
Sunak stressed that the 25% corporation tax rate in the UK is the lowest in the G7 and the fourth lowest in the G20, which “is designed to facilitate more for inward investment for businesses, helping them to flourish.”
Putting the socioeconomic ramifications of a low corporate tax rate aside, many international businesses are unsure about entering the UK market due to the drifting regulations and policies since leaving the single-EU market.
The UK is currently still legislating two bills with major potential consequences for tech businesses and consumers, including a new Data Protection Bill which would introduce differences to the EU’s GDPR regulations, and the Online Safety Bill, which already has major companies – like WhatsApp and Signal – suggesting that they’d abandon the UK altogether.
The Prime Minister claims the UK offers the “most generous capital allowances regimes in the OECD.”
Capital allowances include in main plan and machinery for three years, which is a tax cut worth £27 billion.
8. Increasing Research and Development (R&D) Investment
The UK government will be increasing investment in R&D by £5 billion, reaching a total of £2o billion a year by 2024/25, according to Sunak.
Further, they have created a new Advanced Research and Invention Agency, which is “focused on high-risk, high reward research.”
According to the press release of the launch of the agency, it was created with the intention of offering a more unique sense of independence for top researchers to develop technology and solutions in high-impact areas.
9. New visas
The UK has also introduced new visas in 2022 – including the Scale-Up visa and the High Potential Individual visa – to attract tech talent to the country.
This is despite one of Sunak’s main tenants as Prime Minister to “Stop the Boats,” turning away refugees and migrants from entering the UK.
Further, amid the digital skills shortage, Brexit has made it harder to EU citizens to live and work in the UK, making the pool of people needing visas to work in the UK larger and more competitive.
Yoko Spring, CEO of Ledgy, an equity management company said: “Outside stock exchanges, the ease of doing business in the UK for international businesses could definitely be improved, especially now the UK is outside the EU. We would love an easier visa process when team members need to come and spend extended periods of time in the UK, for instance.”
10. A fintech hub
According to the Prime Minister, the UK is home to half of Europe’s fintech unicorns, making it the second largest country in the world for fintech.
He also said that the fintech sector attracted more investment than the next thirteen European countries combined just last year.
Tech Reacts
Sunak’s government has made their tech ambitions clear from the start, with tech being the central focus of economic plans.
Investing in technology, particularly R&D, is a positive step, but complimenting the UK’s digital literacy may seem out of touch to some, considering the skills shortage dampening digital transformation efforts.
Further, though not mentioned in the ten points, Sunak’s focus on AI – both in accelerating its development while also regulating its use – has shown that the UK government is aware of the burgeoning potential of the technology.
“AI is an acronym on everyone’s lips at the moment and Sunak of course mentioned the potential of the technology,” Descout commented.
“It was interesting that he did so in the context of AI safety regulation. AI has huge potential but it needs to be harnessed carefully and I’m sure many in the industry will respond positively to the government’s safety-first approach.”
But outside of AI, Descout thinks the UK certainly has a longer way to go: “If the UK government is to achieve its lofty ambitions, it needs to play to its strengths, champion the sector, support startups, increase investment, make it easier to do business in the UK and boost digital skills.”
Sukumar added: “We need to create an eco-system of continually evolving educational curricula in collaboration with key industries. The government needs to support and enable maximum participation in this eco-system through early-stage education and a continued cycle of education beyond school.
“Corporations also need to push to have reskilling drives and partnerships with digital experts and academia, thus creating a learning culture for their employees where upskilling is part of the day to day.
“Ultimately, with technology constantly advancing and evolving, education needs to follow suit.”
Aiming to develop and deploy technology to accelerate an affordable net zero energy industry, the NZTC was developed as part of the Aberdeen City Region Deal, and has already co-invested over £253 million in technologies to reduce greenhouse emissions.
The NSTA regulates the oil, gas, and carbon storage industries in the North Sea, and aims to hold the industry to account on halving their upstream emissions by 2030.
The project will develop a comprehensive roadmap of current and future technologies, designed to provide asset operators with the solutions needed to produce accurate emission baselines, and support the implementation of emissions reduction strategies.
It will also assist the development of Emissions Reduction Action Plans (ERAPs), in which North Sea licensees outline the investments and projects they will undertake to cut operational emissions.
In the publication, the Oil and Gas Authority expects the Upstream Oil and Gas Industry to reduce their emissions from all aspects of their operations, through the development of hydrocarbon projects, abandoning and decommissioning oil fields, and integrating net zero solutions across the industry.
To help operators achieve net zero goals, the ‘supplier agonistic’ technology roadmap will include factors such as the readiness of technologies, modification requirements, and indicative implementation costs.
This aims to assist asset operators in moving away from using predictive modelling, estimations and calculations, which may not provide accurate emissions data.
“We are excited to join forces with the North Sea Transition Authority to drive the development of this transformative technology roadmap.” said Rebecca Allison, Chief Operating Officer, NZTC.
“The roadmap will be a vital resource for operators of both fixed and floating installations and onshore terminals. They will be able to identify the readiness of different technologies and understand the specific measurement and monitoring requirements unique to their operations.”
Carlo Procaccini, Chief Technical Officer, NSTA said: “We believe that collaboration and knowledge-sharing are paramount in driving sustainable change. Since different operators have different emissions profiles, it is essential for each asset operator to accurately measure and monitor emissions such as carbon dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide and methane.
“Leveraging technology will significantly help to reduce emissions and promote sustainable practices across both onshore and offshore operations.”
The roadmap is expected to be publicly available in September 2023.
Scotland has one of the most ambitious net zero targets in the world, with a roadmap leading to net zero emissions of all greenhouse gases by 2045. The UK, in contrast, as this goal set to 2050.
Key to this ambition is tracking current emissions across Scotland’s businesses and industry.
The S5GC’s first ‘pop-up’ network service is delivering access to advanced connectivity technology in towns and communities in the Highlands and Islands.
This is the sixth innovation hub opened by organisation to support the overall growth of the digital economy across the country.
Based at #hellodigital, a digital demonstration centre, the hub is hosted by the Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) at An Lòchran, Inverness.
Businesses have been testing products, services, and solutions via the 5G enabled ‘pop up’ portable service provided by technical partner Celona.
By transporting the new, custom 5G network across the Highlands and Islands, S5GC is taking the technology to the community, accelerating the deployment and adoption of 5G-enabled solutions to deliver economic benefit.
Surveys from Highlands and Islands Enterprise show that although engagement with digital technology is growing in the region overall, it is still below Scotland’s average.
Covering over 15,000 miles, the Highlands and Islands region is home to more than 480,000 people and over 20,000 businesses.
Ian Sharp, head of strategy and delivery at The Scotland 5G Centre, said: “With towns so remote and widely dispersed, the Highland and Islands region is an area of Scotland that can significantly benefit from 5G connectivity. As well as being our first innovation hub based here, the 5G ‘pop up’ network allows us to bring 5G technology to geographically dispersed areas, from Thurso to Fort William, making it accessible for small to medium sized businesses and showing them the benefits this could bring. We have loved this opportunity to collaborate with local businesses on their doorstep and showcase the potential of 5G.
“Our experience working with rural communities at our S5GConnect hub in Dumfries gives us the tools to usher a new age of connectivity into this region. We’ve already been working with businesses all over the Highlands and Islands, collaborating to solve their unique connection challenges.”
Theresa Swayne, senior development manager at HIE, added: “Expanding the hub network to the Highlands and Islands will provide businesses across the region with an opportunity to demonstrate, develop and apply 5G connectivity in new applications.
“It will ensure that key sectors continue to be at the forefront of digital technology developments and will help them to grow their businesses and create jobs. We’re really pleased to welcome The Scotland 5G Centre hub to An Lòchran in Inverness and it’s great to see our region’s businesses already using it.”
This hub is part of the S5GConnect programme to deliver a network of innovation centres to drive economic growth across Scotland, as part of the Scottish Government 2020/21 Programme for Government.
As the sixth hub of its kind in Scotland, the Highlands and Islands mobile hubs working with regional businesses and providing access to a 5G development platform, driving even more investment and interest to the area.
The innovation hub team works with SMEs, communities, industry and agencies all across the Highlands and Islands.
Some of the first businesses to use the network include:
Project Laxford, by the Atlantic Salmon Trust: This charity tracks the decline in wild salmon around Scotland. The team is collaborating with The Scotland 5G Centre and HIE to look at solutions for poor mobile connectivity in some remote regions, potentially allowing for better data analysis and real-time monitoring.
The Port of Nigg: Based in Easter Ross, Nigg is one of Scotland’s most important energy industry locations and acts as a hub for the renewables industry, with storage, lay down and yard logistics for wind turbines. The Scotland 5G Centre has installed semi-permanent equipment to improve connectivity, including testing push to talk equipment and a mobile app for workers on the site.
The Digital Health & Care Innovation Centre (DHI): The Alexander Graham Bell Centre for Digital Health, situated in Elgin, brings together the expertise in Digital Healthcare and Life Sciences within the region and across Scotland. The Scotland 5G Centre has worked with DHI and Scottish Ambulance to demonstrate the capabilities of 5G in the healthcare environment, including high speeds and network capabilities.
More information about the Highlands & Islands hub and the S5GC’s services can be found here: https://scotland5gcentre.org/
Speaking at the launch of the tenth London Tech Week, the Prime Minister is set to argue that the UK must harness AI innovation in order to become the best location for tech investment.
According to the UK government, the PM is expected to tell tech leaders: “We must act – and act quickly – if we want not only to retain our position as one of the world’s tech capitals […] but to go even further, and make this the best country in the world to start, grow and invest in tech businesses.
“That is my goal. And I feel a sense of urgency and responsibility to make sure we seize it.”
Following his announcement that the UK will host a global summit on AI safety this autumn, the PM is also set to stress the UK’s leadership as a democratic AI power.
During his speech, the PM will outline the opportunities AI presents as well as the need to ensure its development remains safe and responsible. This includes bringing together academia, leading tech companies, and Government to deliver the benefits that will improve people’s lives.
Sunak is expected to say: “Already we’ve seen AI help the paralysed to walk; and discover superbug-killing antibiotics – and that’s just the beginning.
“[…] The possibilities are extraordinary. But we must – and we will – do it safely.
“[…] I want to make the UK not just the intellectual home, but the geographical home of global AI safety regulation.”
The European Union is already debating new AI legislation to regulate the emerging technology, focusing on putting protections in place for data collection and biometric monitoring and identification.
Sunak is set to focus on the UK’s more business-friendly tax regime to attract tech investment, which is his main focus to grow the economy.
Part of this effort is represented by the UK Government’s decision to introduce High Potential Individual, Global Talent, and Scale-up Worker visas, which are intended to attract more tech workers amid a dwindling tech workforce and a drastic skills shortage.
The Prime Minister will continue to host key tech businesses and entrepreneurs at Downing Street throughout London Tech Week, while Government Ministers will promote and discuss how we are supporting the UK’s tech sector with stakeholders at events including panel sessions and speeches.
Demis Hassabis, CEO & CO-Founder, Google DeepMind, said: “AI will play a critical role in shaping the future of our economy and society. I’m looking forward to talking about this with the Prime Minister at London Tech Week.”
Subsections – called subreddits – of the popular social forum Reddit have staged a blackout to protest the company’s new policy to charge third-party developers for access to the site’s Application Programming Interface (API).
Reddit – the self-proclaimed front page of the internet – has been a free-to-use website with thousands of subreddits focused on various themes and topics, ranging from general news to special interests and even explicit content.
While the site has some paid moderators, it mainly relies on community moderators to audit site content of the subreddits to keep them to theme and prevent spam and abuse.
The site was first developed in 2005, but an official mobile app was not released until 2016. Before this, third-party developers created apps which could access Reddit content by using the free API. Apps like Apollo, RedditisFun, and Narwhal popped up with thousands of Reddit users – called Redditors – downloading the app to access site content on their mobile devices.
Many moderators rely on these third-party apps to better manage their subreddits, which they do on a volunteer basis.
Recently, however, Reddit CEO Steve Huffman has said the site aims to ‘break even’ this year by charging for the use of its API by third parties – the company has also laid off about 5% of their workforce in a bid to ‘restructure’.
The policy has now come into affect, with some of the most popular subreddits taking a stand by going private – around 3,500 will be inaccessible for the 48-hour blackout, according to the BBC.
Some of the top pages going private will include R/pics, R/aww, and R/todayilearned.
So far, Reddit would charge only third-party apps that have over 100 queries per minute – this would mean only about 10% of apps would face charges.
Third-party developers that would be affected, however, have said the rates for API usage – at $0.24 for every 1,000 queries – are ‘extortionate’ and they would have to close down their apps as a result.
Christian Selig, the developer behind the Apollo app, a third-party application moderators often turn to for its extra features, said the new charges would cost his company $20 million a year based on their average traffic.
The shutdown of third-party apps may be a casualty of the new policy rather than a purposeful outcome – the announcement came just as multiple major tech companies announced their intentions to invest heavily in Artificial Intelligence (AI) capabilities, particularly large language models like ChatGPT.
These models use data scraped from the internet, including freely available APIs. Reddit said that “as a platform with one of the largest corpus of human-to-human conversations online, spanning the past 18 years, we have an obligation to our communities to be stewards of this content.”
Forums on the site hold millions of conversations which AI models could use to train on, and Reddit is saying the move to charge developers would be a way of protecting this data.
In a statement posted on Reddit the Friday before the blackout, Steve Hoffman addressed the moderators: “We respect when you and your communities take action to highlight the things you need, including, at times, going private.”
“We are all responsible for ensuring Reddit provides an open accessible place for people to find community and belonging.”
A UK-US data bridge could be well on the way as the Prime Minister and US President Joe Biden announced a commitment in principle.
The agreement could lead to the establishment of a UK Extension to the Data Privacy Framework, which would see the creation of a new ‘data bridge’ between the two countries.
US companies who are approved to join the framework would be able to receive UK personal data under the new data bridge.
The United States is one of the UK’s leading trading partners in data-enabled exports. In 2021, 93% of the UK’s services exports were data-enabled, and the UK exported more than £79 billion of these services (about 30%) of the UK’s total data-enabled services exports) to the US.
Despite this relationship, the government has claimed that redtape, in the form of explicit clauses businesses must make with consumers to share their data oversees, has made this a cumbersome process.
Most UK businesses who want to send personal data to a service provider or company in the US must have contract clauses in place to ensure protection and privacy standards are maintained.
The ‘data bridge’ would remove the necessity for this process by making it easier for British businesses to operate and trade internationally without these specific clauses.
Importantly the deal in not yet finalised, as the UK continues to investigate the data laws and boundaries in the US to make sure UK citizens maintain their data sovereignty.
In a joint statement released by both governments, the UK-US data bridge would essentially be an extension to the EU-US Data Privacy Framework (DPF) “subject to finalising the UK’s assessment of US data protection laws and practices.”
The DPF is currently still underworks as the EU attempts to make data sharing capabilities easier with US companies while maintaining EU citizens’ rights under GDPR.
Recently, the EU set a record fine at Meta for their transfer of EU data to the US under the basis of “standard contractual clauses.”
The main concerns of other governments with data sharing in the US is the starkly different data regulations – the US has far less protections for data privacy than the EU and UK, and data in the US can be subject to government investigation and monitoring, which is against GDPR.
As many Cloud companies are based in the US, the EU’s recent ruling against Meta could put these other companies at risk of fines if they do not meet GDPR compliance.
Currently, the EU has noted progress in the recent draft of the EU-US DPF, as the new Executive Order introduced in the legislation would require “necessity and proportionality with regard to U.S. intelligence-gathering of data (signals intelligence).”
The UK hopes for an extension of this potential partnership, saying they will formally consult the Information Commissioner per the requirements of the Data Protection Act 2018, to account for the protection of personal data.
This is not the first data-bridge the UK has attempted, as it currently has a similar arrangement in place with other countries including the Republic of Korea, with which UK businesses are now able to share personal data securely without restrictions.
If the UK-US data-bridge goes ahead, UK organisations of any size may not have to go through any contractual basis to share personal data with the US.
Secretary of State for Science, Innovation, and Technology, Chloe Smith, said: “This commitment in principle is the result of 2 years of positive and productive discussions with the United States. Data bridges not only offer simpler avenues for the safe transfer of personal data between countries, but also remove red tape for businesses of all sizes and allow them to access new markets.
“International collaboration is key to our science and technology superpower ambitions, and working with global partners like the United States ensures we can open new opportunities to grow our innovation economy.”
Those marketing crypto to UK consumers will need to introduce a cooling-off period for first time investors from 8 October 2023, under new advertising rules announced by the FCA.
As part of a package of measures designed to ensure those who buy crypto understand the risk, ‘refer a friend’ bonuses will also be banned.
The new rules are to ensure that crypto firms provide people with the appropriate knowledge and experience needed to invest responsibly in it.
Those promoting crypto must also put in place clear risk warnings and ensure adverts are clear, fair, and not misleading.
Following government legislation, the FCA’s new rules aim to bring crypto promotions under the regulator’s remit.
Sheldon Mills, executive director, consumers and competition said: “It is up to people to decide whether they buy crypto. But research shows many regret making a hasty decision. Our rules give people the time and the right risk warnings to make an informed choice.
“Consumers should still be aware that crypto remains largely unregulated and high risk. Those who invest should be prepared to lose all their money.
“The crypto industry needs to prepare now for this significant change. We are working on additional guidance to help them meet our expectations.”
Research from the FCA shows that the estimated crypto ownership has more than doubled from 2021 to 2022, with 10% of the 2,000 people surveyed stating that they own crypto, prompting the regulator to introduce the limitations on marketing.
The FCA assures that their approach to the promotion of crypto is consistent with the rules introduced by them last year to tackle misleading financial advertisements of high-risk investments.
Further, it supports their three core commitments laid out in the 2023/24 business plan to reduce and prevent serious harm, set and test higher standards and promote competition and positive change.
However, the FCA is not stopping there: it is also consulting on additional guidance setting out expectations of firms advertising crypto to UK consumers. Those wishing to have their say have until 10 August to respond.
Recently, the Treasury Committee has said that unregulated crypto should be held under the same regulatory framework as gambling rather than a financial service. If this taken up by government, then marketing regulations may become more stringent.
The Climate Innovation Hub at Glensaugh in Aberdeen has been set up by independent research organisation The James Hutton Institute to prove and reduce the risk of new climate friendly technologies and ideas.
Through the hub, technology developers will have access to the institute’s 1,000 hectare research farm, including offices, conference facilities and laboratories, to help them develop and test novel concepts and tools, from new smart sensors to recycling farm waste.
The hub, funded by the Macaulay Development Trust, a charity which supports research into sustainable use of land and natural resources, has already welcomed its first tenant, carbon capture start-up UNDO.
The firm is trialling a technology that aims to both enrich soil and help sequester large volumes of carbon dioxide, by spreading crushed basalt rock onto agricultural land.
In partnership with CENSIS, Scotland’s Innovation Centre for sensing, imaging and Internet of Things (IoT), the hub will also be home to another new initiative, the Centre for Smart Natural Capital.
This will provide a new platform for the development of smart sensing, monitoring, and advanced computing and analytics needed to inform the growing field of natural capital.
Antonia Boyce, Climate Innovation Hub Manager, says, “Reducing emissions in the farming and wider land management sector is a real challenge across Scotland, where agriculture is responsible for about 19% of our emissions and it’s essential that we enable innovation to tackle the problem. But it’s not easy for innovators to test their ideas or collaborate with others working in the same space, so we’re inviting companies or individuals with great ideas they want to test out to get in touch.
“With the Centre for Smart Natural Capital also being hosted here, it will possibly also be the smartest hill farm in the UK. We aim to deploy a growing variety of both mainstream and emerging intelligent wireless communications technologies to support farm and estate-wide remote sensor deployments.”
Jez Wardman, agronomist at UNDO, says, “To demonstrate the agronomic co-benefits of enhanced rock weathering, UNDO’s permanent carbon removal technology, we need to collect and process vast amounts of data on soil and crop health. Having the facilities and trial site at the Climate Innovation Hub at Glensaugh gives us the capability to scale our climate technology globally, underpinned by fundamental science and with the support of the Hutton’s experts.”
Franceska van Dijk, Chair, of the MDT says, “Land and nature-based climate stewardship is fundamentally important in the transition to a more sustainable economy. The Macaulay Development Trust is delighted that our investment is already supporting pioneering, practical research at Glensaugh to showcase rural innovation that tackles the climate challenge.”
The Climate Innovation Hub is the latest project to come out of the Hutton’s Climate-Positive Farming Initiative at the Glensaugh research farm. Other projects include HydroGlen, which will see this farming community become energy self-sufficient using renewable energy and green hydrogen.
The initiative also includes woodland planting, peatland restoration, natural flood management, managing farmland for multiple benefits and more.
Professor Alison Hester, who leads the Hutton’s Climate-Positive Farming Initiative, says, “The Climate Innovation Hub is an exciting new addition to our growing portfolio of activities within the Climate-Positive Farming Initiative. It will facilitate ground-breaking innovations and we are looking forward to hosting and supporting these new ventures.”
CENSIS’ chief executive Paul Winstanley says, “We are delighted to be working with The James Hutton Institute and the Macaulay Development Trust to support the Centre for Smart Natural Capital in this world class partnership. The natural environment, both wild and managed, has many unmet needs in terms of sensing and data frameworks, and we have in Scotland a serious ecosystem of innovators and developers focused on creating the next generation of sensing and internet-of-things (IoT) technologies. We hope to help nurture some great collaborations.”
Data shows that UK tech investment fell by 57% year-over-year, while France decreased by 55% and Germany by 44%, according to analysis from investment firm Atomico.
In the State of European Tech – 2023 First Look report, investment overall has taken a dramatic hit from record highs in 2021, though it appears to show signs of stabilising.
Across Europe, total investment is set to reach about $50bn (£40.8bn) for 2023 as a whole, based on its current trajectory. That’s a massive 50% drop compared to the record highs of 2021, which saw $106bn (£85bn) of investment, and a 38% drop from 2022.
While this represents a changing market, 2023’s trajectory is still roughly 35-40% higher than 2020 and 2019 – with Europe on track to have its third largest funding year on record.
According to Atomico’s report, the trend is global, with decreases across the world – a 49% drop in both China and the US, and a 46% drop in the rest of the world when compared to the records of 2021.
In the UK, tech companies raised the most across Europe in 2022, securing $17.3bn (£13.87bn) in the first half of the year – which means the UK also had the most ground to lose.
Rising interest rates, surging inflation, and macroeconomic uncertainty stemming from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine have significantly slowed down investment levels from record levels in 2021.
Not to mention, since the start of 2021, the UK has seen three different Prime Ministers, and Scotland has just entered a new phase with First Minister Nicola Sturgeon stepping down. This only heightens uncertainty and unpredictability in the UK to foreign investors.
New regulatory measures that separate the UK from the EU have also confounded tech companies – an Activision spokesperson went so far as to say the UK was “closed for business” after the Competition and Markets Authority blocked the company’s deal with Microsoft.
While the UK is aiming to make itself a tech superpower, businesses are apprehensive about upcoming date regulation laws, and the Online Safety Bill which may threaten encryption.
Tech founders were already reacting to this downturn earlier this year, with major layoffs affecting the largest tech companies in the world.
Valuations have also taken a hit -the median enterprise value to revenue multiples for the largest SaaS companies have come down to 5x, well below the previous average of 7.8x.
Meanwhile, one in five global venture rounds during the first quarter of 2023 were downrounds – meaning companies sold equity at a lower price than in previous rounds – the Atomico report found. This was nearly four times higher than the same period in 2022.
Responding to the report, Steven Mooney, Founder and CEO of FundMyPitch said: “Getting access to funding is critical to enable ambitious businesses to hire fresh talent, expand, develop their product offering and grow. Entrepreneurs are already feeling the heat from stubborn interest rates and the cost-of-living crisis, all of which ultimately hits UK GDP. With forecasts suggesting a decrease in technology investment, the time has come to look again at how we support the next generation of business owners to achieve their full potential.
“Far too many new companies aren’t being taken seriously by the big investment houses and we need to create a level playing field where those with bright ideas get the support they need to thrive,” said Mooney.
According to Atomico’s report, the early stage pipeline for funding in Europe has remained relatively resilient. Early stage of sub $15m (£12m) funding rounds is down 21% in the first half of 2023 – which the report credits to later stage rounds taking precedent.
Despite this, fewer start-ups are forming, with about 15-20% fewer companies created year-on-year.
James Campanini, CEO, VeUP said: “Falling investment will put huge pressure on the next generation of technology entrepreneurs, forcing many businesses to cut costs and do more with less. Against the backdrop of sluggish economic growth, getting a grip on IT spending and infrastructure efficiency should be a top priority for companies looking to grow. Far too many businesses have moved to the cloud but have failed to optimise costs and get the most out of the benefits on offer, which ultimately hits the bottom line.
“Having a clear strategy in place to drive growth through the strategic IT investment should be a top priority for companies looking to move forward,” concluded Campanini.
“We should think about this period as a return to first principles,” said Tom Wehmeier, partner and head of insights at Atomico. “2021 was a clear outlier, with investment volumes and valuations now returning to long-term averages.” The report added that the “new market reality” first identified in the second half of 2022 is “here to stay”.
Further, exit values have remained stagnant this year. According to the report, Europe has seen $21bn (£17bn)of exit value in 2023 so far, mostly via M&A. Atomica has said that this decrease will create liquidity challenges down the line, playing stress on the ‘flywheel’ of capital and talent.
The report did track which technologies were flourishing in 2023 funding rounds, with generative artificial intelligence (AI) seeing a major uptick.
A European tech staple, AI and Machine Learning (ML) typically captured around 12-17% of funding in the last five years.
In the past year, generative AI companies have garnered 35% of all funding going to European AI and ML – increasing from 1% in 2019 and 5% in 2022.
However, Fintech and Financial services are still coming out on top in the European market, claiming 20% of all funding in 2023, though this has fallen from 29% the previous year. This points to the diversification of the European market.
Next, climate and purpose driven technology remains the third largest theme after software as a whole, and saw an increase in 2023 funding, at 18% from 15% in the first half of 2022. This is it’s highest recorded share of funding ever, showing how ESG technology has become a central focus to Europe.
Research by PR and marketing consultancy CCgroup revealed the impact of the current economic climate on the cybersecurity buying landscape and what now influences vendor selection.
Conducted by Coleman Parkes Research among 360 cybersecurity decision makers in the UK and US, the study found that 78% of enterprises in the US and 58% in the UK have increased cybersecurity investment in the last year, while 81% of enterprises are looking to work with new vendors in the next 12 months.
The top three solutions for investment are endpoint security, application security and fraud prevention.
However, despite searching for new suppliers, 37% of US and 24% of UK enterprises expect to see a cut in the next year.
Against this backdrop, CCgroup identified ways cybersecurity vendors could adapt their approach to generating new business.
Generating Awareness
According to the research, generating vendor awareness requires a mix of channels – Cybersecurity technology buyers confirm that the most influential channels in building their awareness of suppliers are industry analysts, followed by broader business events, business technology media, and trade media.
In the US, industry analysts (78%), business technology media (77%) and trade and business media (both 76%) are regarded as highly impactful.
In the UK, broader business events (70%), industry analysts (69%), industry-specific events (67%), and trade media (66%) are the strongest channels for generating awareness.
When it comes to content for generating awareness, social media took the top spot.
Long-form Content
Long-form content is crucial to cybersecurity vendors’ content strategies, the survey found. Long-form copy – written either by vendors or industry analysts – proved to be the most popular, with blogs emerging as the winner in both markets (92% in the US and 93% in the UK), followed by industry analyst reports (88% overall) and case studies (87% overall).
Cybersecurity technology buyers tend to seek out content that demonstrates vendors can solve their problems, understand their business, prove the value of their solutions, and be a trusted source of industry knowledge.
Value for Money
The study found that value for money is the biggest factor influencing cybersecurity investments, but a strong track record is also key.
In both the US (61%) and the UK (48%), value for money is the most important attribute driving vendor selection.
Yet economic constraints are not the only factor: values and ethics follow closely behind (60% in the US and 47% in the UK).
In the current climate, buyers are demonstrating caution when it comes to spending but are demanding more for their money rather than going for the cheaper option.
Meanwhile, they are seeking partners that share their principles and ethics.
“The cybersecurity landscape has weathered many storms in the last three years. As global economic uncertainty deepens, companies are being more cautious in their approach to budget allocation,” said Florie Lhuillier, Head of Cybersecurity at CCgroup. “Naturally, this will have implications for how businesses address their cybersecurity investments now and in the future. They will be more careful in scrutinising the available options and proactively seek evidence that a vendor can solve their specific problem.”
“An integrated marketing strategy must be designed entirely around a potential customer’s needs, experiences, and expectations: cybersecurity vendors must therefore have a 360-degree view of their buyers’ behaviour and tailor their strategy accordingly. Understanding the dynamics that drive vendor and solution awareness, combined with selection and purchasing patterns, empowers cybersecurity vendors to succeed in a highly competitive market.”
New research released by KPMG UK suggests that while some Scots would use AI to support everyday tasks, 82% have concerns or challenges that prevent them from using it.
Ian West, head of technology and alliances at KPMG UK, said: “AI is incredible technology with huge potential but there is much for businesses to think about when it comes to consumers’ views of AI. There are several barriers to adoption that need to be addressed by tech companies and by businesses who are rolling out the technology.
“Businesses need to be clear about the benefits of the technology and how it is transforming the proposition available to consumers for it to become accepted.”
The survey of 250 Scottish consumers and 3000 consumers across the UK found that one of the biggest barriers to AI adoption is that respondents prefer interacting with another human (47%).
However, this stat dramatically shifted among age groups: more than half of the 55 to 64 and the over 65 age groups said they wouldn’t use AI because they prefer human interaction, while this dropped to less than a third for the 18 to 24 age group.
“There are issues that you can’t really get around like preferring to interact with a human, however the integration of smarter AI that adapts to a consumer’s conversation style and preferences may help the interaction seem more natural,” West commented.
“Businesses should look at why consumers prefer to interact with a human – is it because they can have a broader conversation? Is it because they think there is less chance of error? Is it because they want to negotiate? Once they consider these possibilities, then it could become easier for them to shape the narrative around why they have chosen to use AI and the benefits compared to if it was a human.”
Scots had concerns as well as preferences, the survey found. Over a third of Sots (36%) surveyed reported that they have data privacy concerns which stopped them from using AI.
18 to 24 year olds were the age group most concerned with data privacy, with 37% expressing fears.
“Data privacy concerns also seem to be very prevalent amongst consumers,” West said. “Tech companies and regulators need to look at what can be done to protect data and ease concerns if these technologies are to become widely adopted. This is becoming increasingly important as AI integrates more and more into our everyday lives, whether that be talking to a customer service chatbot or using a voice assistant in your home.”
The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) recently released a risk toolkit surrounding AI and data protection, which has caused concerns since the launch of large language models like ChatGPT. Consumers are unsure on how their data is protected from use for AI to train itself on, how their data is stored, and how they can secure their data from AI’s use.
Italy even banned ChatGPT temporarily while it grappled with how the tool’s data usage would fall under GDPR.
“As is often the case, regulation has fallen behind the development of the technology and it is important that this catches up if AI is to become mainstream. The recently published AI regulation whitepaper is a promising step in the right direction to address privacy concerns with AI,” West added.
While 18-24 year olds were more likely to be open to using AI, almost half (45%) reported cost as the biggest barrier to adoption, citing that AI-enabled technologies were too expensive.
Voice assistances was the most popular answer (47%) when Scots were asked which tasks and activities they’d be open to using AI for, with self-driving vehicles the least popular answer (23%).
Across the UK, 18-24 year old, are most likely to use AI for tasks and activities such as facial recognitions as a security key, chatbots for customer service and shopping, with only 7% saying they wouldn’t use AI for any tasks.
This is in contrast to over 65s, who are more hesitant, with over a third saying they would not use AI for any tasks.
Saving time was the most popular primary motivation chosen by Scots for why they would use AI, which 37% of respondents choosing the answer.
Only 14% of Scottish consumers surveyed said they thought that the development of AI and its applications will support jobs, with 38% believing it threatens them and 36% believing it will equally support and threaten jobs – 12% remained unsure.
Reddit, the social media forum, has announced a period of restructuring, according to an email sent out by CEOSteve Huffman, as seen by The Wall Street Journal (WSJ).
Of this restructuring, the company plans to lay off 90 employees, equal to about 5% of their current 2,000-strong workforce.
Further, the CEO announced they are slowing down their hiring efforts this year, decreasing their new hires from 300 to 100.
These plans are apparently in line with the company’s ambition to break even this year, according to the email seen by WSJ.
The restructuring comes just months after the company declared it would charge developers for access to its API. This came in just as other companies declared their interest in pursuing generative AI, which relies on APIs for data to derive answers and human-like interaction models.
Reddit justified this move “as a platform with one of the largest corpus of human-to-human conversations online, spanning the past 18 years, we have an obligation to our communities to be stewards of this content.”
Moderators and independent developers, however, are already pushing back on this move – third party apps which use Reddit content have said they cannot afford to run the premium, and subreddit communities are planning to go dark in protest.
Reddit may be making these moves to ride the wave of generative AI development and bolster their earnings. Their round of layoffs, after all, comes after a dramatic tide of layoffs across tech’s biggest players, including Google, Meta, Microsoft, and Amazon.
The UK Space Agency has announced £6.6 million funding for a range of international space partnerships and STEM education projects at the opening of this year’s Space Comm-Expo in Farnborough.
The new Science and Exploration Bilateral Programme is designed to support science collaborations with international institutions that will progress space research and problem-solving around the world.
Further, the new Space to Learn scheme will boost initiatives dedicated to inspiring young people about space and improve access to STEM careers and learning opportunities all over the country.
Dr Paul Bate, chief executive of the UK Space Agency, said: “Successful international partnerships not only support the immediate mission or research area; they help us develop long-term research relationships address the critical challenges we face on Earth and in space.
“This new bilateral funding multiplies up our agency’s impact by bringing in international investment. This helps to galvanise global innovation, drive up investment in the UK, deliver new missions and capabilities, and to champion the power of space to improve lives and understand the Universe.
“As the UK’s space ambitions increase, investing in STEM programmes is equally critical. We want to make sure that every young person across all communities can be inspired through space, imagining new possibilities and innovations to which they can contribute, drawing on their growing STEM knowledge, and having fun learning along the way.”
To start, the first nine projects selected for funding from the bilateral programme will link UK organisations with the US, Japan, Canada, and Europe, using £2.3m UK Space Agency funding to develop collaborative proposals for new space science and exploration missions.
One project will see Imperial College London team with the University of New Hampshire, in the US, to design magnetometers for NASA’s HelioSwarm mission, which will improve our understanding of space by using a ‘swarm’ of nine small spacecraft to measure solar winds.
There is also work from the University of Cambridge on CosmoCube, a NASA-led radio-cosmology mission that will explore the so-called Dark Ages of the Universe, and a collaboration between Royal Holloway and Indian Space Research to develop crucial radars for the Shukrayaan mission to Venus, due in 2026.
Meanwhile, the Space to Learn programme will channel £4.3 million UK Space Agency funding into four major educational projects.
These include the National Space Academy’s series of 1,000 specialised masterclasses, engaging more than 40,000 students with science career opportunities; the Jon Egging Trust’s Blue Skies initiative delivering 28,000 hours of space-related education resources to students, and the Association for Science and Discovery Centre’s Our World From Space programme, exploring the relevance of UK space science for the future health and sustainability of our home planet.
Further, the funding will also help the European Space Education and Resource Office run its Space Inspirations scheme, which sees regional volunteers from the space sector work with more than one million children across the UK, creating learning experiences that help young people to engage with the space sector in a more meaningful way.
Scotland’s cyber security community is preparing to recognise the contributions of companies, individuals, and academics as the Scottish Cyber Awards open for their seventh round.
The awards – run by the Cyber and Fraud Centre – Scotland – highlight the Scottish cyber security calendar, providing an opportunity for networking as well as a celebration of achievements in the industry.
Hosted by comedian Fred MacAulay on 30 November, the awards will for the first time be taking place at the Assembly Rooms in Edinburgh.
This year’s awards will also see the introduction of the Financial Fraud Team of the Year award, which will recognise a team that has demonstrated exceptional innovation, dedication, and expertise in the fight against financial fraud, a rapidly growing crime in Scotland.
Experts from across the industry will be awarded for going above and beyond in their contributions to cyber and fraud in Scotland in a range of categories including Leader of the Year, which will acknowledge an individual at the forefront of the field, and Young Person of the Year, which will reward an exceptional young person who shows great promise in improving the nation’s cyber and fraud landscape.
The awards will also serve to encourage diversity in the field, with the Most Inspiring Woman award recognising a trailblazing woman studying or working in the cyber security and fraud industry despite the recruitment and retention obstacles often faced by women.
Several categories will recognise collective efforts, including the Cyber Team of the Year award and the Community award, which will honour those fostering development of cyber and fraud security knowledge within communities.
Jude McCorry, CEO of the Cyber and Fraud Centre – Scotland, said: “With the landscape of cyber security and fraud in Scotland constantly evolving, the expertise, capabilities and skills of our community are crucial to helping us to protect the nation’s digital integrity and wellbeing.
“This year’s awards will allow us to acknowledge the importance of these contributions, as well as creating an opportunity to unite professionals and students of cyber and fraud to connect, share ideas and celebrate one another, on a greater scale than ever thanks to our new venue at the Assembly Rooms”.
Applications for the awards are now open, and tickets will be on sale from 2 October. More information about the awards can be found at https://scottishcyberawards.co.uk/home.
Communities and businesses in the most remote areas of the UK are set to benefit from better access to wireless broadband networks, as new plans today were announced in part of the UK government’s wider effort to grow the rural economy.
A new £7 million fund will test out new ways to bring together satellite, wireless, and fixed line internet connectivity, helping support farmers and tourism businesses to access lightning fast, reliable connectivity in remote areas for the first time.
Further, the new approaches laid out in the plans aim to help rural businesses make the most of new agricultural technologies by improving connectivity on their land – for example, by using drone technology to monitor livestock and crops.
The fund comes alongside the UK government’s commitment earlier this year to deliver improved, high-speed broadband via satellite connectivity for up to 35,000 homes in the most remote parts of the UK through an £8m grant scheme, giving them a broadband connection that will be up to ten times faster than what is currently available to them.
UK government environment secretary Thérèse Coffey said: “The countryside makes up over 90% of the UK’s land mass, it is home to millions of people, and contributes over £250 billion to our economy in England alone. Rural areas are rich in human and natural potential with strong communities and entrepreneurial businesses.
“This government is committed to making sure that the needs of people and businesses in rural areas are at the heart of policymaking. We want to go further in unleashing that potential and support people in rural areas to build the sustainable future they want to see. Unleashing Rural Opportunity sets out what we have already delivered for rural communities and new initiatives to build on that record.”
Improved broadband is just a part of the document, which is set to be officially unveiled at the Future Countryside Conference.
It also aims to improve transportation and electricity infrastructure in rural communities, especially in the electrification of heating and EV (electric vehicle) charging.
Broadband is a major focus for rural communities, which struggle to keep up with the wider economy due to a lack of consistent and good internet connectivity. Without proper broadband, rural areas are left behind in work, education, and can struggle to maintain a population if people cannot sustain remote work.
New research found that rural Scotland is currently beset by the slowest broadband speeds in the UK – particularly in Orkney Islands, Shetland Islands, Argyll and Bute, Na h-Eileanan Siar, and Highland local authorities.
Despite government efforts – including in Project Gigabit and the Shared Rural Network – rural communities are still falling behind in their broadband.
While Ofcom has said that the UK was set to hit the halfway mark for broadband in March, meaning that half of all UK homes would receive full-fibre broadband, it did not specify its progress in rural areas, as urban and suburban cities and towns across the UK are still getting upgraded to full-fibre.
However, the Federation of Small Businesses found that businesses still struggled in rural areas mainly due to a lack of adequate broadband.
Further, while broadband is essential to most households to maintain access to work and education, the cost-of-living crisis has made many families opt out of broadband to pay for other expenses over the winter this year, with Citizens Advice estimating about one million Brits having to cut their broadband due to rising bills.
While the government aims to make rural broadband available, these already struggling communities may find accessing it a challenge all on its own.
iomart Group plc, a cloud computing company based in Glasgow, has agreed to acquire the whole of Extrinsica Global Holdings limited, a Microsoft Azure cloud solutions provider.
Extrinsica’s offerings include managed Azure Cloud, Azure solution design and implementation services, support and optimisation services and licensing.
The acquisition is in align with iomart’s “secure hybrid cloud strategy,” and will provide existing iomart customers with enriched skills to support their Microsoft needs, the company said.
Extrinsica was incorporated in 2010 as a cloud services provider, and in 2017 the Oxford-based company was invited by Microsoft to become one of the first 25 Microsoft Azure CSP partners worldwide.
The acquisition provides iomart with Microsoft Azure expertise, a team of 33 based in the UK, solid customer references, and a shared value and vision for how the Microsoft Practice in iomart should be shaped to support growth.
Simon Smith, CEO and Co-Founder of Extrinsica, will continue to lead the business as CEO supported by his team, while the company will be part of the iomart Group from a legal, financial, and governance perspective.
The initial consideration for the acquisition is £4m, with a potential further £0.3m available if key targets are hit during the year.
Of the initial consideration, £2m will be satisfied in shares in iomart, and the other £2m will be paid in cash.
The acquisition also includes a further £4m to £7m of contingent earn-out payments which are calculated based on Extrinsica’s profitability for the 12 months ending 31 March 2024.
Reece Donovan, CEO of iomart Group plc, commented: “We are delighted to welcome the Extrinsica team to iomart, providing a large step forward in iomart’s capabilities to support existing and new customers in their use of Microsoft’s Azure cloud platform.
“Simon and the team have been at the forefront of the market developments of Azure since 2017 and have deep skills and expertise in this in-demand area of cloud computing, which will accelerate the initial investments we have made in our own Microsoft resources and capabilities.
“This is a meaningful step in our strategy as we position the Group for its next phase of growth as a leading secure hybrid cloud business.”
Simon Smith, CEO of Extrinsica, commented: “Joining iomart marks an exciting phase for our highly skilled, experienced and ambitious team, providing us with a strengthened platform for growth. It allows us to leverage joint capabilities, capitalise on our understanding of the markets we operate in and build upon our significant achievements to date.
“iomart has a long pedigree in cloud infrastructure, an impressive customer base and a growth strategy which I believe positions iomart well for future success. The team and I are all incredibly excited to be working as part of the wider group and look forward to being a key part of driving iomart’s ongoing success.”
Despite challenging economic headwinds, the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) found that three fifths of small businesses in Scotland intend to grow in the next year.
While many small businesses had positive outlooks, struggles such as the cost-of-living crisis, high energy bills, confounding regulations, and the skills shortage have caused them to lose business this year.
The Big Small Business Surveyreceived 602 responses from small businesses across Scotland between 30 January and 10 March 2023, attempting to gain a cross-sector perspective on small business outlooks.
FSB’s Scotland Policy Chair Andrew McRae said: “This is the most comprehensive study we’ve ever undertaken into the state of Scotland’s small businesses, the challenges they face and the opportunities they see ahead. We heard from firms in every part of Scotland, representing every industry sector.
“Too often, decision makers fall into the trap of treating business as a monolith, making decisions that assume our smallest firms are operating on the same playing field as multinational corporations. What this study demonstrates is that, not only is there a distinction to be drawn between small businesses and their larger counterparts, but indeed there is a huge degree of diversity within the small business community itself.”
The findings show how distinct and diverse the struggles small businesses face are.
The Findings
Almost an equal number of small businesses saw either an increase (45. 3%) or a decrease (41.4%) in their turnover last year.
Of those responding with increase, almost half saw an increase between 0-10%, whereas nearly half (47.9%) of those responding decrease saw turnover fall between 11-30%.
Over three fifths of businesses which reported a turnover decrease in the last year attributed this to the cost-of-living crisis or overall economic uncertainty. Other reasons included a decline in customer/footfall (46.5%).
Businesses also specifically listed Brexit as a reason for turnover decrease, with others still reeling from the effects of Covid-19 lockdowns.
Outside of overall trade, small businesses found they were struggling to keep up with tax and regulatory frameworks, and felt unsupported or unclear on how to implement net zero targets.
Interestingly, the respondents were split on on the issue of staffing, with 50.8% saying they had enough staff to meet their needs, with 49.2% saying they did not.
Almost a third (27.5%) of businesses who feel a lack of staff has impacted their business have had to reduce the range of services they offer, with others having to reduce opening ours.
42.1% of businesses do no feel confident they can employ enough “appropriately skilled staff” this year.
The most cited reason for this is the absence of available local workers (54.5%), followed by a lack of confidence in demand to rationalise increasing staff numbers (46.3%).
In order to maintain their business and keep up with energy costs, two thirds of SMEs intent to increase their prices by 5-10% in 2023.
Despite all these struggles, more than three fifths of Scottish SMEs still plan to grow their business in the next two years.
25.6% of businesses plan to do this by employing more staff, with around 25.3% saying they will grow without employing more staff.
10.7% claim they will grow by exporting to new markets – which could prove difficult as the UK has left the EU market.
About a fifth (19.9%) of businesses plan to stay at the same size, with only 5.7% planning to shrink, and 5.2% planning to close.
Mr. McRae commented on the findings: “It’s clear that smaller operators have had a tough few years, with a similar proportion of respondents reporting that 2022 posed as great a challenge yet as the worst of the pandemic in 2020. What we can infer, though, is that things are looking up and the much-anticipated economic recovery could be on the horizon, with three in five businesses telling us they plan to grow over the next year.”
A somewhat tepid response, the CMA did say that it overall, supported the government in its AI ambitions, and at this stage, agrees with their non-statutory approach to regulations.
However, the CMA made several nods to further conversations down the line surrounding specific regulations and where AI currently fits in their remit.
The CMA listed their intentions for regulations regarding the different sections provided in the initial whitepaper.
For consumer safety, they plan to use their current role to protect competition in the AI market to empower consumers. For instances where consumers are not able to access the technical function or security of an AI product, the CMA may need to intervene to make these clear.
The CMA also gave special notice to ensure an appropriate level of transparency and explainability.
This involves making sure AI products are clear about their database and if they are producing ‘objective’ results or results based on payment.
However, the explainability element of the CMA’s work could run into problems when faced with generative AI systems, which are not directly auditable and can produce different results to the same question without any specific reason.
For principles of fairness, the CMA believes in a context-specific definition, as fairness should consider “the context surrounding the AI system and not just the algorithm itself: for example, data collection, testing and evaluation practices.”
Essentially, the CMA may have to take into consideration fairness in AI surrounding more than purely market fairness, as it could enhance discrimination and bias rather than mitigate it.
In situations of accountability and governance, the CMA says it “holds legal persons responsible for the effects of AI systems that they deploy in relation to our remit.”
However, there may be some changes to regarding accountability for certain systems, particularly tacit algorithmic collusion – the CMA welcomes further discussion on this.
In contestability and redress, the CMA notes that “the opacity of algorithmic systems and the lack of operational transparency make it hard for consumers and customers effectively to discipline firms.”
To account for this, regulators must be well equipped to act where necessary, the CMA says.
AI Regulations
The UK is taking its starting steps to regulate AI, with other countries and organisations attempting to do the same.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is set to meet with US President Joe Biden, and is set to discuss the need for AI regulations.
PM Rishi Sunak commented: “AI clearly can bring massive benefits to the economy and society, but we need to make sure this is done in a way that is safe and secure.”
“I think the UK can play a leadership role, because ultimately, we’re only going to grapple with this problem and solve it if we work together not just with the companies, but with countries around the world.”
Following the UK’s AI Whitepaper, scientists and notable names in tech issued a letter of concern, urging developers to put the breaks on AI until regulation had time to catch up.
The EU and US are working together currently to establish a voluntary code of AI ethics they can publish soon as a guide to developers and regulatory bodies.
While the CMA is making headway on educating their regulators on AI technology, the ever evolving tech requires ongoing review.
The CMA recognised in the response that adding specific layers to AI regulation, such as new discriminatory boards, may delay regulations further, potentially causing them to fall behind as the tech continues to develop.
Recognising the vital importance of cybersecurity in fostering digital trust, ISACA is pledging with the European Commission to grow and empower the cybersecurity workforce in Europe.
The pledge aims to ensure a secure digital environment while advancing the success and innovation of European organisations.
Dedicated to creating a holistic cybersecurity workforce in Europe and closing the skills gap, the ISACA welcomes the establishment of the EU Cybersecurity Skills Academy as a key initiative launched in 2023, as part of the “European Year of Skills,” to bolster the amount of skilled cybersecurity professionals in the EU.
As revealed by the ISACA’s recent State of Digital Trust research, a lack of skills and training remains a significant barrier to achieving digital trust, according to 49% of respondents in Europe.
By eliminating this barrier through guidance and certifications which map to the European Cybersecurity Skills Framework, ISACA aims to equip cybersecurity professionals with well-rounded skills to effectively address evolving cyber threats.
ISACA pledges to reduce the cybersecurity skills gap by offering:
1. Digital skills in education: ISACA will collaborate with over 60 training organisations and academic institutions to ensure teachers and trainers possess the necessary knowledge and credentials to deliver comprehensive cybersecurity training based on ISACA’s guidance.
2. Digital skills for the labour force: ISACA will provide 20,000 free memberships to students in Europe, enabling them to access ISACA’s network in the region. These student members will have the opportunity to enhance their knowledge through access to ISACA’s resources, credentials, training, and events. ISACA will support the identification of qualified candidates for organisations by facilitating contacts between student members and executives/senior professionals through events held by over 40 ISACA chapters in Europe.
Further, ISACA is committed to expanding the reach and impact of its training and credentialing programmes throughout Europe, surpassing the milestone for 46,000 certified individuals in alignment with the European Cybersecurity Skills Framework.
3. Digital skills for all citizens: ISACA will disseminate knowledge to citizens across each European country though a series of events and publications facilitated by its chapters in the region. This effort aims to raise awareness and understanding of cybersecurity among the general public, fostering a cybersecurity-conscious society.
Tracey Dedrick, CEO at ISACA, said: “I am excited to announce our pledge to the European Union, emphasizing our commitment to strengthening the cybersecurity workforce in Europe through enhanced education and resources.”
Chris Dimitriadis, chief global strategy officer at ISACA, explained: “This pledge underscores our dedication to supporting the cybersecurity agenda of the European Union by equipping professionals with the knowledge and resources they need to thrive in a secure digital environment.”
Through this pledge, ISACA reinforces its commitment to collaborate with the European Commission in closing the cybersecurity workforce gap and promoting diversity within the field.
In this pursuit of advancing digital trust, fortifying the cybersecurity workforce, and paving the way for a prosperous digital future in the European Union, ISACA will share updates, ensuring continuous improvement and alignment with the evolving cybersecurity landscape.
More information about ISACA credentials is available here, and ISACA cybersecurity resources can be found here.
Salaries in the tech industry rose in 2023, according to a new survey.
In the context of the skills shortage and growing necessity of digital transformation across the sectors, the a rise in the competitive salaries is still a shock considering the major tech layoffs which sent shockwaves through a once stable, prosperous industry.
Tech companies and workers are left in a flurry of juxtapositions as they each grapple with a growing demand for skills, an increasing call for better working conditions, and an influx of workers newly available from major tech labels.
According to a survey from recruitment company Aspire, the UK has seen a general rise in most tech jobs.
While junior software engineers opening salaries have stayed consistent since last year, those with more experience, at the mid, senior, and lead levels, have seen a rise in their top potential earnings.
Junior software engineers are still in one of the most comfortable positions across the board, with one of the highest minimum salaries for an entry-level position at £30k.
Mid-level software engineers can stand to make from £40K to £70k, an increase from last year’s reported salaries.
Seniors can stand to make from £70k to £100K, with leads earing up to £110k a year.
For Quality Assurance (QA) engineers, salaries increased around 30% for mid-senior engineers, and junior and mid level engineers saw a rise in their minimum earning to £35k, which was 2022’s maximum pay.
UX/UI designers saw a bit of change from last year’s data, with junior designers seeing an increase in the minimum and maximum wages.
Mid Level UX/UI designers saw a relative increase in the minimum earnings at £40k, but a decrease in their maximum earnings, which is down to £50k a year.
Who’s Keeping Up with Inflation?
Amid the cost-of-living crisis, workers are concerned their salaries are not representative of a living wage, let alone keeping up with inflation.
Though energy prices are set to decrease come June, inflation is still projected to ramp up prices for groceries – eviction and rent moratoriums have also been abandoned, leaving many people in the lurch.
A stagnation from last year in any salary means that companies are not keeping up with the 10% inflation recorded in March 2023 from last year.
While junior software engineers saw no increase in wages and therefore their salary bracket did not keep up with inflation, most other tech jobs did keep up, and even exceed inflation.
Are Higher Wages Enough?
According to BCS, the Chartered Institute for IT, 2022 saw a record number of students signing up for a computer science A-level course in England, the equivalent of Scottish Highers. It’s the fastest growing A-level subject, which is good news for the digital skills shortage.
However, with starting salaries stagnating, companies may have to do more to entice students to the tech field earlier on – though it is still one of the largest starting salaries recorded in Aspire’s survey.
In previous coverage, Gen Z have said their main concerns when looking for a job tend to be social responsibility as well as flexible working.
Currently, there is a growing movement to unionise tech workers, radicalised by the recent tech layoffs. Workers are looking for better hours, more transparent pay grades, and the ‘right to switch off.’
Higher salaries tend to be a given in the tech industry – according to Aspire’s data, tech jobs have the some of the highest minimum and maximum salaries throughout career levels.
According to Aspire’s analysis, the tech industry is “experiencing a fairly client-driven market,” with companies looking for engineers and developers that have “displayed longevity and loyalty in their previous roles.”
However, they also point out that the number of candidates available on the market in the tech industry is certainly “not enormous.”
Scotland’s GDP grew by 0.4% in the first three months of 2023, outperforming the UK’s first quarter growth of 0.1%.
The higher growth is despite challenging economic circumstances faced by the entire country.
According to the Scottish government’s quarterly statistical publication and data for Q1 2023, the construction sector grew by 0.7%, the production sector increased by 0.8%, and output in the services sector grew by 0.2%.
The largest contribution to the change seen this quarter in Scotland is credited to growth in transport, storage, and communications services.
For comparison, the first quarter of 2022 saw Scotland’s GDP grow by 0.3%, while the UK and a whole saw growth of 0.2% during the same period.
Responding to the statistics, Scottish Secretary Alister Jack said: “Our economic outlook is looking encouraging with the first quarter of this year showing strength due to the swift action of this Government to avoid recession.
“The UK Government is creating jobs, boosting trade and encouraging investment with more than £2.2bn invested across Scotland to encourage prosperity. Our priority is to halve inflation, reduce debt and grow the economy for the benefit of the whole of the UK.”
However, the Scottish Fiscal Commission found earlier this month that despite GDP growth and falling unemployment, living standards are likely to fall in 2023-2024, largely due to inflation.
Indeed, Wellbeing Economy Secretary Neil Gray, as quoted by Insider, said that while the GDP statistics “demonstrates the resilience of the Scottish economy,” it is not necessarily a fully representative outlook.
“Enormous pressures remain across both the private and public sectors,” he said, according to Insider. “The cost-of-living crisis is impacting household and businesses’ ability to spend, which in turn affects the wider economy.”
Kaspersky‘s new report into the success of APT groups’ cyber attacks reveals the growing trend in cybersecurity coverage: the human factor can lead to the greatest vulnerabilities.
In a phenomenon Kaspersky deemed ‘Schrodinger’s virus’, many security systems appear to be mere phantoms – there in theory, but not effective in practice.
This is down to several key factors, chiefly because the people in charge of security rarely access the security systems at all.
The vital systems put in place to mitigate cyber incidents lack essential maintenance, such as updates and licensing keys. Further, users simply disable the security solution, or that solution does not scan or protect the total system.
APT attacks are a growing threat because actors are invested in evading detection; if security systems are outdated and leave certain services – like cloud, files, and URLs – out of their scanning, malware can run rampant.
Kaspersky has also seen improper configurations of security solutions, where users do not enable certain features, like requiring administrator details to disable protections, allowing cybercriminals do it themselves with little roadblocks.
Of equal importance, protection is not always installed on all endpoints of an Operational Technology (OT) network. This can be for several reasons, such as vendors requiring only their software is installed on an Industrial Control System (ICS) network, which can cancel the warranty of other systems.
The main issue stems from engineers thinking their ICS are completely isolated from the other network branches, but even when this is true, attackers have ways of getting around this.
OT Network Issues
The report delved into issues surrounding OT network isolation, such as the improper isolation of these systems. They can be connected to Information Technology (IT) and ICS networks or computers connected to different networks at different times.
Essentially, endpoints of different IoT devices are not secured, and the internal systems – be they OT, IT, or ICS – are therefore left vulnerable due to their connection.
Further, intermixing the uses of these networks can leave them vulnerable – Kaspersky noted an incident where an engineer used the same device for social networking as well as editing a PLC project. This machine, once infected, allows attackers to access devices on the OT network.
As well, vital security measures are often not taken when granting access to OT networks for employees or vendors. Often, this access is provided by remote administration utilities – while designed to be allowed on a temporary basis, these access portals were permanently operational, leaving easy access for attackers.
Even disgruntled employees could take advantage of these remote access provided years ago if these are not taken down.
The design of the networking equipment can also leave it in jeopardy, as many engineers opt for simplistic, ‘flat networks’ which have no firewalls or demilitarised zones to protect data, allowing attackers to easily move along the network after one successful penetration.
While outside of the general human error, many cyber incidents Kaspersky investigated were routed in outdated operating systems, firmware, and software.
These are often caused by an inability to install updates due to the need to upgrade equipment to access the latest software, and the careful testing these updates require.
Though not directly related to the concept of human error, it does bring into question how the selection process of software and hardware can hold security systems back.
Tech debt is a concept often used to refer to the backlog of old hardware and software that is incompatible with other systems, or becomes obsolete quickly due to new innovations. Selecting software plans that are incompatible with other vendors, including other security vendors, can leave certain networks vulnerable to attack. Opting for security systems that cannot be applied to all devices or systems in a network can also leave the overall operation in jeopardy.
Not fully understanding the limitations of inner-workings of a system can make mitigation techniques useless as well – a simple update of a system cannot fix a major design flaw.
Concerningly, Kaspersky says that third party technologies in ICS have vulnerabilities in their components that can remain under the radar of OT manufacturers, and vendors, who shirk responsibility onto buyers.
Understanding all the risk factors, from human error to inherent software issues, is vital in mitigating risks, according to Kaspersky.
The Centre for AI Safety has issued a short statement surrounding the risks of AI – and it’s potential for extinction – which has already been signed by many AI scientists and other notable figures.
Simply reading: “Mitigating the risk of extinction from AI should be a global priority alongside other societal-scale risks such as pandemics and nuclear war,” the statement delves right into the potential catastrophic consequences of generative AI.
Signed by Sam Altman and Mira Murati, the CEO and CTO of OpenAI respectively, Lila Ibrahim, COO of Google DeepMind, Kevin Scott, CTO of Microsoft, and several academics and AI scientists, the short statement shows how seriously those at the forefront of the emerging technology are taking its potential risks.
While if the ‘extinction’ level threat is an over-exaggeration remains to be seen, the statement comes just months after an open letter signed by many notable tech figures to put the brakes on the rapidly evolving technology so regulators could catch up.
Governments are still reckoning with how AI will change not just the technology industry, but society as a whole.
Italy banned ChatGPT temporarily as it attempted to regulate how the interface gathered data and if this was in line with European data regulations.
The Trade Unions Congress (TUC), the UK’s largest trade union, has pressured the UK government to put in more laws to protect workers from AI’s involvement in major company decisions, from the hiring process to layoffs and automation.
Generative AI has also trouble academics as students have turned to large language models for essay writing and homework help – the platforms’ answers are confident, but not always based in fact.
While extinction is on the horizon for thousands of species due to climate change, the threat of AI to human survival seems slightly trivial, when governments, companies, and individuals are still only grappling with the legal risks posed by the emerging tech.
Aiming to bridge the gap between academia and industry, the partnership provides students with real-world scenarios and experience in a safe and controlled environment.
Through their collaboration with Abertay University, the Cyber and Fraud Centre allows students to actively contribute to the Centre’s professional cyber services.
Key skills harnessed in the exercise include conducting vulnerability scans on organisations’ IT infrastructure and engaging in phishing resilience exercised, utilising advanced facilities and tools.
The ethical hacking students at the Centre also engage with the Exercise in a Box programme, which offers organisations a hands-on opportunity to navigate realistic cyber threat scenarios, enabling them to assess their response capabilities, and identify areas for improvement.
By applying the theoretical knowledge acquired in the classroom to actual situations, ethical hacking students can emerge with more experience, preparing them to counter threats in the real world.
Located at Abertay University’s cyberQuarter, a hub for cyber security research, development, and economic growth, the Cyber and Fraud Centre’s team of 25+ ethical hackers, are well positioned to harness their skills.
So far, the Centre’s ethical hacking team have developed a range of online resources, including An Introduction to Cyber Security Guide which was published last August.
As well, the ethical hacking team has provided regular cyber threat updates for the Cyber and Fraud Centre’s Threat Intelligence Portal and the CyberScotland Technical Bulletin to keep organisations informed on the latest threats and mitigation strategies.
Heidi Domagala, a first-year ethical hacking student working at the Centre, said: “My experience at the Cyber and Fraud Centre has been invaluable in enhancing my understanding of the pervasive cyber threats we encounter daily, often without even realising it. As a first-year student, I actively contribute to the Centre’s Exercise in a Box sessions alongside my fellow hackers.
“Studying at Abertay University provides me with a solid foundation for acquiring the necessary skills to navigate the cyber world. However, working at the Centre allows me to apply those skills in ways that extend beyond the academic setting. By the time I graduate, I will be equipped with the confidence and capabilities to make valuable contributions to the field.”
Scientists from Heriot-Watt University, alongside partners at the University of Edinburgh and a European consortium led by FTK (Forschungsinstitut für Telekommunikation und Kooperation), Germany, have launched a comprehensive study into how digitisation impacts young people’s health.
Focusing on adolescents aged 10-24 years, the research will examine how our rapidly transforming society has introduced additional digital stressors to the every day lives of young people.
As the digitalisation of information expands exponentially, accelerated by the pandemic, the study brings into question if this ’24/7 information overload’ has adversely impacted young members of society.
The international £5.2m (€6m) project is funded by Horizon Europe with just under £8.7k of the total funding supporting the UK research partners.
Similar pilot studies will take place in Germany, Italy, Spain, Slovenia, Cyprus, and Poland using the same approach.
Researchers anticipate the new study will help practitioners and individuals better monitor and manage emotional well-being in young people.
“Digital transformation has been heralded as one of the greatest achievements of recent times but as psychologists, clinicians, parents and individuals, we’re still exploring its impact,” Dr Mel McKendrick, from Heriot-Watt University explained.
Indeed, digital transformation is a trending topic in the tech sphere to level up businesses and keep organisations at the forefront of – or at least not behind in – emerging technological advancements. At DIGIT, we have covered the topic extensively.
The psychological impacts of an ever-digitising world, however, has been given less coverage.
“This study will examine stress from digitalisation, looking at it from the user’s perspective to better understand changes in mental state, treatment and self-management,” Dr McKendrick went on.
“It is difficult for clinicians to monitor fluctuations in mental health and therefore accurately diagnose conditions in some cases. Meanwhile, services are at breaking point. We want to create innovative methods using gamification to better inform ways to support young people living in Scotland initially before helping to shape wider work across the UK.”
By using technology such as gaming and Artificial Intelligence (AI), researchers hope to better study the impacts of these emerging and ever-present digital entities.
Dr Theodore Lim from Heriot-Watt University explained the essentials of the study: “This collaboration between psychology and engineering will use gamification such as a mobile app game to capture neurological sequences in young people.
“How they play the game will inform us about their mental well-being and can track their response over time to deliver trends and patterns. The data will be fed into a hub with an AI to analyse it. Clinical and user input will be essential throughout the study to improve the game and identify the correct classifiers.”
Ensuring young people are engaged in the game and that participation is positive will be essential requirements of the study’s success so the team will build it using focus groups and discussions with young people and social networks.
The clinical team will work with schools and universities to help involve participants on a voluntary basis.
To make the research more widely accessible, the results will be released as an open knowledge database for clinicians and researchers to feedback on and analyse.
The Heriot-Watt team will work with gaming company, Neuromedia and clinicians from the University of Edinburgh with the findings initially informing approaches in Scotland before widening out the study’s impact to the rest of the UK.
A new investigation by The Observer has revealed that several NHS Trusts have shared patient data with Facebook parent company, Meta.
The report, issued by The Guardian, uncovered a tracking tool in 20 NHS Trust websites that allows the to share confidential patient information with Meta, despite having no consent and claiming to never do so.
Any data that is found on Meta Pixel can be accessed by Meta and used in their targeted advertising.
The data can be matched to user’s IP address and even their Facebook account, essentially identifying them to Meta.
The tracker collected data from patients who accessed hundreds of NHS websites about a range of topics, including HIV treatment, gender identity services, resources on self-harm, cancer, and even children’s services.
According to The Guardian, millions of patients could have been affected.
Currently, 17 of the 20 NHS Trusts have said they removed Meta Pixel from their sites, with eight issuing apologies to their patients.
While many trusts claimed they had no knowledge they were sending patient data to Facebook when they used the tracking tool to analyse their campaigns, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) is investigating further.
Privacy experts are understandably alarmed at the prospect of patient data being shared with the major tech conglomerate.
According to the Guardian, the data sent to Facebook potentially includes ‘special category health data,’ which is protected under law and is illegal to share without consent or another lawful basis.
While Facebook says it does not allow organisations to send it sensitive health information and has mechanisms to sort through this data, it is impossible to track how such information is used once it reaches Meta’s servers.
In their investigation, The Observer performed ‘tests’ to determined how data was transferred to Facebook from the NHS webpages – in most cases, the information was sent automatically when the website was loaded, even before the user could select their cookies preferences.
Further, only three Trusts had privacy policies mentioning Facebook and Meta.
Wolfie Chrisl, a data privacy campaigner, told The Guardian: “This should have been stopped by regulators a long time ago. It is irresponsible, even negligent, and it must stop.”
He went on to say that Meta was not doing enough to monitor the data pages shared with them: “Meta says we don’t permit certain types of data being sent to us but they haven’t spent enough on resources to audit this.”
Meta stipulated that they had informed the Trusts of the tool’s privacy and data policies, and that the burden was on the Trusts to make sure they complied with relevant data laws.
NHS England has also pushed the issue onto individual Trusts, though a spokesperson did say “The NHS is looking into the issue and will take further action in necessary,” as reported by The Guardian.
Most Trusts say they adopted the Meta Pixel tool in order to track the success of recruitment campaigns – but if these tracking tools were necessary for all the websites regarding specialist medical advice and treatments should be brought to question.
Led by Professor Hadi Larijani, Director of GCU’s SMART Technology Research Centre, the researchers created software that could save clinical specialists valuable time in diagnosing patients who are believed to suffer from epilepsy, and give clinicians an all-important warning ahead of an epileptic seizure.
Professor Larijani said: “Epilepsy diagnosis is a very time-consuming task. Currently, a specialist clinician sits in front of a monitor with live or saved feeds of video footage, with synchronised electroencephalography (EEG) and electrocardiogram (ECG) signals and must manually identify any potential epileptic seizures from the data feeds.
“We have developed a decision-support tool that could help concurrently monitor all of the patients in the centre, thereby improving both the quality and efficiency of diagnosis, triggering an alarm or alert for seizure cases. If successful, this approach could transform the diagnosis and treatment of patients in Scotland and beyond.”
The first phase of the project ‘trained’ the artificial intelligence software to identify a seizure for the clinician to review.
Professor Larijani added: “This approach could be applied to stroke patients and those with other neurological diseases, as the vast majority of clinical decisions are made through the manual review of patient data.”
The AI project can learn from historical data and make the process of identifying a seizure timelier.
Anas Sarwar, Scottish Labour leader and MSP for Glasgow, said: “This is an exciting example of how technology can transform healthcare.
“I pay tribute to the team at William Quarriers Scottish Epilepsy Centre, the researchers at Glasgow Caledonian University, and the innovators at The Data Lab who have made this solution a reality.
“AI will never replace person-centred healthcare, but new tools like this can revolutionise the experience for patients.
“Scotland can be at the forefront of the technological revolution, which is why I am so passionate about ensuring that our skills sector is fit for the future, and we have an economy that fosters enterprise and innovation.”
Brian Hills, CEO of The Data Lab, said: “We have already seen giant steps taken to use data and AI to drive improvements in healthcare, diagnosis and treatment of disease and patient outcomes.
“Providing organisations with the opportunity to collaborate with universities is an incredibly effective way of developing and transferring cutting-edge technology between academia and industry.
“The research, co-funded by The Data Lab in partnership with the William Quarrier Epilepsy Centre through our Collaborative Innovation programme, reinforces the importance of funding research within health and social care, which has benefits for not only patients in William Quarrier Epilepsy Centre but could revolutionise epilepsy diagnoses across the NHS.”
The research team included PhD student Syed Yaseen Shah, MSc student and Quarriers IT Infrastructure Manager John McMaster, and consultants from William Quarries Epilepsy Centre.
The UK and agencies in the US, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand have issued new advice to help organisations detect China state-sponsored activity being carried out against critical national infrastructure (CNI) networks.
In the new joint advisory, the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) – a part of GCHQ – alongside international partners highlight how recent activity has targeted networks across critical infrastructure sectors in the US and how the same techniques could be applied worldwide.
The actor – known as Volt Typhoon – has been observed taking advantage of built-in network administration tools on targets’ systems to evade detection after an initial compromise.
The advisory provides technical indicators of compromise and examples of techniques deployed by the actor to help network defenders identify the malicious activity.
Paul Chichester, NCSC Director of Operations, said: “It is vital that operators of critical national infrastructure take action to prevent attackers hiding on their systems, as described in this joint advisory with our international partners.
“We strongly encourage providers of UK essential services to follow our guidance to help detect this malicious activity and prevent persistent compromise.”
The advisory has been jointly issued by the NCSC, the US National Security Agency (NSA), the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Australian Signals Directorate’s Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC), the Communications Security Establishment’s Canadian Centre for Cyber Security (CCCS), and the New Zealand National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC-NZ).
In addition to the new advisory, the NCSC has published a range of guidance to help critical national infrastructure organisations protect themselves online.
This includes the Cyber Assessment Framework (CAF) which is designed to help organisations effectively manage cyber risk.
The first AUKUS (Australia, UK, and US) artificial intelligence (AI) and autonomy trial was held in the UK, with the aim of rapidly driving these technologies into military use.
The work saw the initial joint deployment of Australian, UK, and US AI-enabled assets in a collaborative swarm to detect and track military targets in a representative environment in real time.
Accelerating the development of these technologies “will have a massive impact on coalition military,” the UK government said in a press release.
The trial was organised by the UK’s Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl), and included several demonstrations including the live retraining of models in flight and the interchange of AI models between AUKUS nations.
Despite broader concerns about the rapid development of AI from high profile tech figures including Steve Wozniak, Tristian Harris of the Centre for Humane Technology, and Elon Musk, the military is keen to “rapidly drive these technologies into military capabilities.”
The AUKUS Advanced Capabilities Pillar, known as Pillar 2, is pursuing a trilateral programme of work on a range of cutting-edge technologies and capabilities to promote their security and stability interests in the Indo-Pacific region, an important trade region whose borders are outside any of the participating country’s jurisdiction.
“Through Pillar 2,” the UK government stated, “Australia, the UK, and the US have collaborated to accelerate collective understanding of AI and autonomy technologies, and how to rapidly field robust, trustworthy AI and autonomy in complex operations, while adhering to the shared values of safe and responsible AI.”
How these shared values will be defined is still under much scrutiny as countries across the globe deliberate AI regulations and legislation.
While the UK government has already published a whitepaper on their approach to AI regulation, parliament is still debating AI’s place in the everyday world. The US government has called for public comments on AI in an effort to begin deliberations on the topic.
The Australian government published an AI Ethics Framework in 2019, but has yet to update the framework to keep up with the accelerating technology, though The Human Technology Institute is working with government to do so.
The UK government published a Defence Artificial Intelligence Strategy in June 2022, which states military use of AI will be “ambitious, safe, and responsible,” but with the rapidly evolving technology, it brings into question if the government will listen to calls from technologists to perhaps put on the breaks in some of the most impactful industries like the military.
On the other hand, the UK government has said that while AI is accelerating, strategies are ‘rapidly evolving’ and technologies must match this pace to maintain an ‘operational advantage.’
By working together, the government argued, the UK, US, and Australia will be better suited to share and access better AI technology, reduce duplication of effort, and ensure interoperability between their systems.
UK Deputy Chief of Defence Staff, Military Capability, Lieutenant General Rob Magowan said: “Accelerating technological advances will deliver the operational advantages necessary to defeat current and future threats across the battlespace.
“We are committed to collaborating with partners to ensure that we achieve this while also promoting the responsible development and deployment of AI.”
US Senior Advisor to the Secretary of Defense for AUKUS, Abe Denmark said: “This capability demonstration is truly a shared effort and is thus a critical step in our collective initiative to stay ahead of emerging threats.
“By pooling our expertise and resources through our AUKUS partnerships, we can ensure that our militaries are equipped with the latest and most effective tools to defend our nations and uphold the principles of freedom and democracy around the world.”
Australian Deputy Secretary, Strategy, Policy and Industry, Hugh Jeffrey said: “This cooperation under AUKUS Pillar II will deliver a capability greater than any one country could achieve alone, and this really is the rationale for the AUKUS partnership at work.”
More than 70 military and civilian defence personnel and industry contractors were involved in the exercise in April 2023. The trial utilised a variety of air and ground vehicles to test target identification capability, including: Blue Bear Ghost (UK) and Boeing/Insitu CT220 (AUS) uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs), Challenger 2 tank, Warrior armoured vehicle and Viking uncrewed ground vehicle (UGV), along with a commercially hired FV433 Abbot self-propelled gun and former Eastern Bloc BMP OT-90.
The trilateral teams collaborated to develop joint machine-learning (ML) models, apply test and evaluation processes, and fly on different national UAVs. The ML models were quickly updated to include new targets and shared among the coalition and AI models retrained to meet changing mission requirements.
Startups and scaleups across the Glasgow City Region are continuing to attract venture capital investment growth at a pace that, according to a new report, is outperforming many of Europe’s leading and emerging ecosystems.
According to the new Glasgow City Region Ecosystem Report, the enterprise value of the region’s tech ecosystem currently stands at £3.4 billion – having risen by 89% since 2018.
In the vanguard of this emerging ecosystem are regional cluster strengths in healthtech, precision medicine, net zero/climate technologies, space, fintech, advanced manufacturing, and the digital and creative economy.
The Glasgow Tech Ecosystem has entered a virtuous cycle. Catalysts such as the Innovation Districts, Tech Scaler, and an increased focus from our universities on entrepreneurship are combining to create more, and stronger startups,” Mark Logan, chief entrepreneurial advisor at the Scottish Government, stated in the report.
“These, in turn, create more belief, and strengthen the ecosystemʼs experience base, leading to further start-up creation. Itʼs the most exciting entrepreneurial environment weʼve seen in Glasgow in living memory.”
According to the report, the Glasgow City Region’s startup ecosystem is benefiting from Scottish Government support, such as in IT and smart devices. Organisations such as STAC and CENSIS have enabled advances in carbon emission reductions and productivity.
Further, the city’s collaborations with local universities, innovation hubs and accelerators have placed it well positioned in competitive sectors such as tech and manufacturing.
Glasgow’s three distinct university-anchored Innovation Districts underline the region’s unrivalled appeal as an attractive high-quality, low-cost living environment for entrepreneurs and start-ups, supported by the city’s high graduate retention rate.
This landscape is encouraged by the increasing commercialisation of research associated with cutting-edge technologies like IoT, quantum tech and nano fabrication, photonics & optronics and 5G to 6G.
Councillor Susan Aitken, leader of Glasgow City Council said: “Glasgow’s reputation for innovation, invention and ambition continues to define the city and this report by Dealroom shows that across the region we are attracting new businesses and new entrepreneurs. This confidence in our city as a place to do businesses is creating hundreds of specialised, high-value jobs across the city.”
Dealroom.co, the global data platform that tracks the performance of regional tech businesses, announced their collaboration with Glasgow City Council six months ago at the State of the City Conference, where they unveiled the Glasgow City Region Tech Ecosystem Platform.
It’s the UK’s first standalone regional Dealroom platform, designed to support local government, academia, and other public-private agencies.
The platform will provide entrepreneurs and potential investors, as well as start-ups and scaleups with a valuable and free, open-source business platform and profile.
Meanwhile, their data contributes to and helps inform the overall picture of growth across Glasgow’s tech ecosystem.
For instance, startups in the Glasgow metropolitan area have seen an 8% investment growth over the past 12 months, reflecting the ability to attract increasingly levels of investment.
Of these, start ups in health, energy, real estate, fintech, and semiconductors industries have raised nearly two thirds of the total investment rounds over the past 5 years in Glasgow.
And the growth and carried on into this year: the first quarter of 2023 has been Glasgow City Region’s third highest on record for venture capital investment with notable investments since the start of the year in companies like Phlo Technologies, Causeway Therapeutics, DxCover, and IbisVision.
Anne McLister, head of Digital Economy said: “As Scotland’s biggest city, Glasgow has huge business appeal offering an abundance of talent and collaborative networks across our flourishing tech and creative communities.
“Our emerging tech ecosystem benefits from the resources that our renowned higher and further education institutions offer including a highly educated pool of talented people who possess strong research and innovation capabilities.”
Glasgow’s three distinct university-anchored Innovation Districts underline the region’s unrivalled appeal as an attractive high-quality, low-cost living environment for entrepreneurs and start-ups, supported by the city’s high graduate retention rate.
Ofcom, the telecoms regulator, has approved Openreach‘s new Equinox 2 scheme pricing after months of deliberation.
The approval of the FTTP deal, entitled Equinox 2, has gone through a rather undulating process as Ofcom grappled with the concerns of other networks.
While the new pricing presented by Equinox 2 will offer cheaper broadband options to consumers on the BT-owned broadband provider’s wide network, alternative networks – which have recently been able to compete with Openreach and Virgin media – may struggle to keep up.
Initially, Ofcom gave the deal it’s approval, but alternative networks – ‘altnets’ – rose several complaints that the deals would remove competition across the broadband market by introducing lower prices that altnets would struggle to match.
Ofcom had to essentially decide if the lower prices – which would benefit consumers now – were too low, as to snuff out competition from smaller networks which more recently entered the market.
This caused Ofcom to delay their decision past Equinox 2’s official release date.
Now, Ofcom has come to their final conclusion, allowing the deals to move forward.
Ofcom has detailed the many reasons why it eventually came to this decision.
For one, they found that Equinox 2 is ‘consistent with promoting investment in gigabit-capable networks’ which is a government priority, and they said that Equinox was ‘promoting network-based competition’ rather than hindering it.
Ofcom did recognise that altnets were likely to face stronger competition from Openreach as a result, but that the ‘conditional terms’ in Equinox 2 would not create a barrier to using altnets.
In line with this, Ofcom claimed that internet service providers (ISPs) would benefit from the competition and would still be free to use altnets if they so choose.
Overall, Ofcom believes that “not preventing Openreach from introducing Equinox 2 allows it to engage in network-based competition, without compromising our objective of promoting investment in gigabit-capable networks.”
An Ofcom spokesperson said: “Our overriding objective is to bring better broadband to people across the UK, by promoting competitive investment in high-speed networks and making sure there’s a level playing field for all companies.
“With this in mind, and based on the evidence available to us, we don’t consider Openreach’s new pricing discounts to be anti-competitive.”
The regulator also said that they considered the level of prices available in the deal, as well as the concerns from altnets, but “do not have concerns that warrant further investigation at this time.”
Further, Openreach has told Ofcom that it plans to make certain commitments in its future conduct, including not having any current plans to change its Equinox 2 rental prices and no intention to initiate further changes until 31 March 2026.
The report surveyed over 3,000 respondents from the UK, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, and Italy across various sectors at owner, c-suite, and senior management levels.
The technology decision-makers surveyed revealed that despite improvements in connectivity, their businesses still often suffer due to a poor internet access.
A third (33%) of businesses across Europe claimed to have lost work due to poor connectivity, with nearly half (46%) of all respondents having higher operational costs as a result of poor connectivity.
A staggering majority (90%) of business leaders think that better connectivity will improve their economic resiliency, with 25% saying it could add £10-20 million into the economy.
Still, 46% business leaders do not think their governments are being proactive enough in improving connectivity.
This is especially true for rural areas, where 74% of those surveyed felt like they were being left behind due to poor connectivity.
Across Europe, 74% reported an average downtime of up to two hours every week, at minimum, for their internet connectivity, costing potential thousands in lost revenue.
Interestingly, as the UK continues its fibre rollout, a majority of business leaders across Europe (67%) believe that cellular connectivity is a more sustainable alternative than fibre.
A problem perhaps setting the UK apart from the rest of Europe in this ordeal is Brexit. Business leaders sited the ‘tortuous’ process of recruiting workers following Brexit as a potential roadblock slowing broadband rollout.
Further, the perception of the digital divide in the UK is stark, as over three quarters (79%) of business leaders believing rural areas are left behind, giving them no choice but to set up their business efforts in well-connected cities (84%).
This only leads to an increase in skills shortages – rural students are help back by a lack of connectivity, 82% of respondents said.
While the UK has announced their Wireless Infrastructure Strategy since the survey was conducted, this can only be measured on its delivery, not its promises, Cradelpoint SVP EMEA James Bristow warned.
While this plan is a step in the right direction, the deadline of 2030 is still several years away, and the objectives leave lots room for improvement. For example, only getting 5G to populated areas means rural areas will continue to be left behind, often the places that need the most attention,” Bristow said.
“Meaning existing digital and productivity gaps will persist in the future as well. If the government is truly determined to establish the UK as a leading nation in the world of wireless infrastructure, and unlock the benefits this can bring to businesses, much more support is needed.”
In the rapidly evolving digital landscape, the role of technology in driving innovation, productivity, and economic growth is more pronounced than ever. But the rising demand for tech skills, especially within the United Kingdom, is revealing a widening skills gap that threatens to undermine these advancements. The tech skills crisis, if left unaddressed, could hamper not only individual businesses but also the broader UK economy.
Unravelling the Tech Skills Crisis
A study conducted by the British Chambers of Commerce in 2019 found that approximately 75% of businesses in the UK were grappling with a shortage of digital skills. Additionally, a 2020 Talent Shortage survey by ManpowerGroup revealed that IT roles were among the hardest for employers to fill, including crucial roles for digital transformation such as data analysts, software developers, and cybersecurity experts. In May this year, Hays reported that almost 95% of employers looking for tech talent have encountered a skills shortage over the past year, up from 89% the previous year.
The geographical disparity of tech skills is also a significant issue. London and the South East of England often hold a higher concentration of digital skills, compared to other regions, resulting in a regional imbalance of talent availability. This disparity becomes even more stark against the backdrop of Brexit, which, according to a joint report from LinkedIn and Capital Economics, could lead to a 20% reduction in the inflow of professional workers from the EU into the UK.
These elements create a perfect storm that, according to a Korn Ferry report, could escalate the global tech talent shortage to reach 4.3 million workers by 2030, costing the industry over $449.7 billion (£361.67 billion) globally. This alarming projection lays bare the urgent need to address the tech skills gap.
The Economic Impact of the Tech Skills Shortage
The shortage of skilled tech workers in the UK has far-reaching economic implications and is well documented. The digital sector contributes significantly to the UK economy, with tech firms bringing in over £200 billion a year. However, the persistent tech skills crisis could potentially impede this growth trajectory. The inability to find adequately skilled workers could stall innovation, limit productivity, and ultimately affect the UK’s global competitiveness in the technology sector.
Moreover, the potential £361.67 billion global economic cost by 2030 due to the tech talent shortage highlights the pressing need for effective, immediate solutions.
Navigating the Tech Skills Crisis: A Three-Pronged Approach
Addressing the tech skills crisis in the UK calls for an innovative, multifaceted approach. In December 2022, Gartner released the Future of Work Trends for 2023. The number one trend was the concept of “quiet hiring”.
Quiet hiring in its purest form, utilises the following three methods to acquire skills quickly: internal mobility, upskilling or reskilling, and utilising contingent workers. Companies that are struggling to hire due to the UK tech skills shortage should seriously consider implementing them in 2023:
Internal Mobility: Encouraging internal mobility can ensure that existing employees can explore different roles within the organisation, thereby fostering a more flexible and adaptive workforce. This approach not only helps cover skills gaps but also boosts employee engagement and retention.
Upskilling and Reskilling: Upskilling or reskilling employees to equip them with the necessary tech skills is a proactive approach that organisations should consider. With the right training programs, companies can create a robust talent pipeline that’s equipped to tackle digital transformation challenges.
Contingent Workers: Engaging contingent workers – freelancers, contractors, or consultants – provides a flexible approach to address the immediate skills shortage. Platforms are emerging as instrumental tools in connecting enterprises with the right contingent tech talent swiftly and efficiently.
The tech skills crisis in the UK, while concerning, also presents an opportunity – an opportunity for businesses, educators, and policymakers to collaborate and create an ecosystem that fosters tech talent development and retention. By combining internal mobility, upskilling, and reskilling initiatives with strategic engagement of contingent workers, we can solve the skill shortage in the short and long term.
GDPR was introduced five years ago in 2018, and since then, fines have stacked up against individuals and big tech companies alike for non-compliance issues.
The five-year anniversary edition of CMS’s Enforcement Tracker Report is based on around 1,672 entries surrounding fines and non-compliance of GDPR across the EU.
Though the UK is no longer under GDPR, the tracker provides an interesting plateau of context for the UK’s neighbouring market’s data protection legislation.
GDPR is once again in the news as Meta received a record £1 billion fine this week for transferring EU data to the US.
While GDPR has been enforced for five years, even large tech companies are continually under fire for breaches and non-compliance.
In many court cases, much of GDPR’s language can be left up to too much interpretation – the European Court of Justice is soon to decide a case on how strict liability will work for companies over data protection violations.
The Past Five Years
Since 2018, the new enforcement authorities quickly made use of their power – the first GDPR fine was issued just two months after GDPR was put in place.
2019 and 2020 saw continuous growth, and then the previously highest fine was imposed in 2021, from the DPA in Luxembourg for £649 million.
By 2022, there was 1,000 publicly known GDPR cases, and the total amount of two billion euros in fines was exceeded in the autumn due to several fines against major tech corporations by the Irish DPC.
But while this proves the fines are no vacant threats, to small and big tech alike, the past five years has revealed troubling differences between national regulators.
Each member state has their own national data protection board which is then supervised by the higher EU-wide authority, the European Data Protection Board (EUDPB) but these vary in their enforcement. The Irish DPC, for instance, has come under continuous fire for being too ‘soft’ on large tech companies based in their country.
Since the start of GDPR, the most common fine triggers, as found by the CMS tracker, have been either an insufficient legal basis for data processing or non-compliance with general data processing principles. Insufficient technical and organisational measures are leading causes of fines.
Further, violating the rights of data subjects can lead to fines, as well as further personal lawsuits. These rank fourth and fifth in the most common types of violations resulting in fines.
While fines are a continuous trend, emerging technologies have changed certain consequences. A recent AI charge in Italy imposed a limitation on processing data which could interrupt a company’s operations, perhaps more significantly impacting these organisations than a fine.
In line with the new 10-minute motion rule, Labour MP Mick Whitley has introduced a novel bill surrounding AI regulation in the workplace.
“As Sir Patrick Vallance warned when he appeared before the Science, Innovation, and Technology Committee on 3 May, we are now living through an AI revolution that will be every bit as far reaching as the first industrial revolution,” the Labour backbencher said to Parliament.
MP Whitely was able to introduce the bill due to the 10 minute motion rule which allows backbench MPs to propose new legislation – the motion was adopted earlier this month.
The bill, Whitely explains, is not a catch-all AI regulation law, but rather is set to stipulate protections for workers amid the increasing adoption of AI.
Rooted in three key principles, the bill is to ensure that everyone is free from discrimination in the workplace, that workers have a right in the decision making process, and that workers have a right to understand how their data is being used by their employer.
This includes mandates that ‘high risk’ uses of AI be targeted for further regulation than currently allotted, and a statutory duty for companies to consult with their workers and associated trade unions before adopting AI into the workplace is mandated.
Further, the bill wants to strengthen current laws, including the Data Protection Action 2018 to “explicitly state that discriminatory data processing is always unlawful.”
In addition to this, the bill proposed an amendment to the Employment Rights Act 1996 so that “workers should not be subjected to detrimental treatment as a result of the processing of inaccurate data” and to reverse the burden of proof showing that AI systems are discriminatory.
Part of this work would be making equality audits of AI systems mandatory.
As well, the Bill aims to “establish a universal and comprehensive right to human review of high-risk decisions that have been made by AI, as well as a right to human contact when high-risk decisions are being made.”
Essentially, this would allow workers to advocate for a human to be involved in decision-making even with AI could be used.
The bill did pass this first round in parliament after receiving no objections, and will be read again on 24 November this year.
Following from the UK Government’s AI whitepaper outline proposed regulation of the burgeoning technology, this Bill provides more specifications on making AI fair and non-discriminatory.
The whitepaper initially was in aim to responsibly enable AI to flourish in the UK, making it a hub for technological innovation.
Since then, the TUC claimed that workers were left without a guardrail against AI which threatened their job security and data protection.
The Blackwood Design Awards is celebrating a decade of excellence and innovation by welcoming entrants to participate in the 2023/24 competition.
An international awards programme that seeks to find innovative and life-changing inventions and concepts that enhance independent living for people with disabilities, this year marks the 10th anniversary of the competition.
The Blackwood Design Awards are open to anyone who has produced a great idea that supports people with disabilities, regardless of their background or level of experience.
Entrants can range from professional designers to just enthusiastic novices with an innovative idea — and the deadline for submissions in Thursday 31 August.
The judging panel consists of a mixture of industry experts and disabled people, who will run the rule over the practicalities of the design’s use in everyday life.
Past winners have included top universities as well as gifted amateurs, who have an insight into the challenges of living with a disability.
The competition is looking for inventions, designs, and concepts that can enable people with disabilities to live their life to the full.
Categories open to the public include:
Best New Concept, with prize money of £2,000
Best New Aids, Equipment or Accessible Technology, which is already accessible on the market
Best Collaborative Project, by a university or institute of higher learning
The deadline for the best collaborative project category has been extended to Friday 29 September to provide university students the necessary term time to complete their design work.
Full details on each category, including eligibility and submission requirements can be found on Blackwood’s website, www.blackwoodgroup.org.uk.
The winners will be announced in January 2024 at a showcase event scheduled to take place in Edinburgh.
Last year’s winners included Edinburgh-based Nick Fitzpatrick, who won the Best New Concept category with a special kettle which had dual horizontal handles, specially created for older people, who have reduced strength and dexterity.
Julie McDowell, Chair at Blackwood Homes and Care, said: “We are excited to launch the Blackwood Design Awards 2023 and discover more life-changing inventions and concepts while celebrating a decade of innovation.
“Over the past 10 years, the competition has made a positive impact on the lives of people with disabilities, and we are confident that the entrants in 2023 will continue that fine tradition.”
Colin Foskett, Head of Innovation at Blackwood Homes and Care said: “The ongoing success of the Blackwood Design Awards is something we’re extremely proud of and reaching the 10-year anniversary is a significant milestone.
“Our format is well-established, but we’re always on the look-out for the next fresh and innovative idea, so we strongly believe the 2023 awards will prove to be the best one to date.
“Over the years, our winners have always put the user at the heart of their designs, using lived experience is fundamental in creating products that enable independent living.
“We’re looking forward to seeing another broad range of quality entrants participate this year and what life-changing inventions will end up winning the prizes.”
Simon Fitzpatrick, CEO at Blackwood Homes and Care, said: “This is a special competition that brings positive change to people’s lives and we see it first-hand with our customers, who are at the heart of everything we do at Blackwood.
“During the past decade, we’ve seen impactful inventions that have enhanced independent living, which is something we’re extremely passionate about.
“We welcome more talented entrants this time around and we also look forward to the next 10 years of impressive innovation created through the Blackwood Design Awards.”
Independent Scottish Broadband provider, GoFibre, has confirmed plans for a further 82,000 premises to be connected to its transformative full fibre broadband network in Scotland and the North of England by the start of next year.
As the construction of GoFibre’s full network continues to grow at pace, the new plans will see the network reaching an additional 32 harder-to-reach towns and villages including in Angus and Midlothian for the first time, plus further expansion across Northumberland.
With the aim of closing the digital divide across rural areas, this next rollout announcement comes on the back of GoFibre’s gigabit capable broadband network reaching over 35,000 “ready-for-service” premises across Aberdeenshire, East Lothian, the Scottish Borders and Fife.
GoFibre’s footprint has also accelerated in the past year as a result of two UK Government contracts awarded under Project Gigabit for Teesdale and North Northumberland.
Once this next phase of expansion is complete in early 2024, it will mean GoFibre’s network reaches almost 12,000 premises.
More than 74% of the UK can access gigabit connections – such as full fibre – but these are most common in urban areas.
Bridging the rural digital divide is essential in bolstering rural and remote economies, allowing these areas to participate in technological advances.
Once in place, the expanded network will enable local residents and businesses to access up to 10Gbps speeds, significantly enhancing their ability to work from home efficiently, utilise multiple devices without lag, and quickly download entire box sets and large files in mere seconds.
What Premises are Being Added?
Added to GoFibre’s roll out plans include:
15,500 premises in Angus and Aberdeenshire including: Montrose, Kirriemuir, Forfar, Brechin, and Laurencekirk.
29,000 Premises in the Scottish Boarders and Midlothian including: Glashiels, Hawick, Jedburth, Duns, Eyemouth, Selkirk, and Gorebridge.
23,500 additional premises in Fife, in and around the following areas: Crossford, Cairneyhill, Torryburn, Valleyfield and Culross, Carnock, Oakley, Comrie and Blairhall, Baldridgeburn and Wellwood in West Fife, and Aberdour and Kindhonr, Ballingry, Falkland, Elie, and St. Andrews in East Fife.
Planning and construction of the expanded network is already underway in many of these areas and the first residents and businesses in this next rollout phase will be connected as early as Autumn 2023.
The next phase of expansion supports 50 jobs across internal and supplier teams.
Neil Conaghan, chief executive officer at GoFibre, said: “We are excited to announce the next phase of our network build after significant progress on our home turf in the Scottish Borders, Aberdeenshire, Fife and East Lothian.
“This investment not only benefits the homes and businesses who will be connected to game-changing broadband, it also means we will create and support 50 more jobs in the local areas we will serve.
“It is fantastic to be leading the delivery of broadband to rural and under-served communities in these areas, which is crucial for our rural economies now and into the future.”
About 15,000 workers for the South Lanarkshire Council had their personal details published online due to a human error.
The leak occurred last month in April when personal data was accidentally revealed when an application was put forth for staff pay grade details.
The Freedom of Information (FOI) request was submitted on the popular site What Do They Know, with the leaked data available on the site for about a month.
The document was supposed to only include anonymised employee data, but instead posted information including job titles and salaries of employees, as well as their national insurance numbers.
The local council has said the leak was a case of ‘human error.’
A second page which was part of the FOI response was not anonymised, leading to the leak.
As the FOI requested data on employee salaries prior to 2021, some ex-employee information was also likely shared.
Personal details like addresses, birth dates, and bank details were not shared in the leak, however.
A South Lanarkshire Council spokesperson told the BBC: “To the best of our knowledge the information was not accessed, and we believe the data could not be used in a way that would be harmful to those involved.”
Employees affected by the breach will be contacted by the council, which has also submitted a report on the leak to the information commissioner.
The GMB trade union represents many South Lanarkshire council employees, and has said they are happy to aid any members looking for legal retribution.
GMB organiser Ude Adigwe said in a statement, as reported by the BBC: “This is a very concerning incident and poses serious questions about the council’s data management processes.
“Staff deserve more than a simply assurance from the council that policies and procedures have been tightened.
“They deserve an investigation, the fullest possible explanation of how this happened and to be told exactly what measures are being taken to stop it happening again.”
Dufrain, a data consultancy, has released new research from its State of Data report, exposing more statistics on the stark ‘talent shortage’ in the data and analytics sector the could result in substantial losses for firms worldwide.
60% of data and analytics leaders said the biggest challenge to their business was recruiting individuals with the necessary skills and talents.
The State of Data Analytics 2023 report, which surveyed senior data leaders in the UK and US across multiple sectors including banking, retail, insurance, manufacturing, healthcare, and financial marketing, give further credence to the general outlook that attracting and retaining top talent will pose a significant challenge to growth and development in multiple industries over the next 12 months.
At the same time, over three quarters (79%) of respondents believed competition from other organisations is the biggest challenge to attracting and retaining talent, making it even more difficult for firms to source the right people for the job at hand.
As demand for digital skills increases, the shortage of workers puts the power back into their hands to barter for better wages and more benefits.
If firms lack the talent to maximise data, then it is likely unavoidable financial losses will occur, making it even more difficult to attract the right talent.
Recruitment difficulties amidst the labour shortage is leaving many firms struggling to find the right tech talent to handle crucial daily activity, such as managing data governance and de-siloing data and assisting with cloud migrations.
If these gaps are left unaddressed, the tech talent shortage is projected to reach 4.3 million workers and cost the industry over $449.7 billion (£36.1.67bn) globally by 2030.
“Our industry depends on the successful recruitment and retention of world-beating talent, and yet so many leaders are struggling to attract the right people to deliver upon growth targets and innovation initiatives. We are on the precipice of a major talent shortage and something must be done,” Joseph Geoege, CEO at Dufrain, commented.
“That said, recruiting new talent in a highly competitive field can be a challenge for firms. Attracting the right level of expertise is about more than salary. Company culture, employee benefits, and a unified sense of purpose also matter.
“In the interim, before making that crucial hire, firms should reach out to external advice from recruitment agencies that specialise in this or specialist data consultancies that can really share their learnings and experience to drive the best outcome.
“An outsider’s perspective combined with decades of sector-specific knowledge can help steer the way while the recruitment process takes its course.”
More than 14 million UK households can now take advantage of faster, more reliable internet connections as the rollout of full-fibre technology steams ahead.
Ofcom‘s Connection Nations Spring update shows that, as of January 2023, almost half of households (48%) can access full-fibre broadband, which delivers internet using fibre-optic cables.
This is an increase of around 5.5 million homes since last year’s Spring update.
Later this year, Ofcom projects their next update will show that the 50% full fibre landmark has been past, with their latest analysis indicating this milestone was hit in March.
Full-fibre connections – along with upgraded cable networks – can deliver download speeds of one gigabit per second or higher. In total, gigabit-capable broadband through a range of technologies is now available to 73% of the UK (nearly 22 million homes), up from 66% the same time last year.
Today’s report also shows that the number of premises unable to get ‘decent’ broadband, defined by the Government as offering download speeds of 10 Mbit/s and upload speeds of 1 Mbit/s, stands at 68,000 premises, which has fallen from 99,500 year on year.
For mobile, 5G coverage continues to grow steadily, with 82% of premises in the UK now able to get a 5G signal outdoors – up from around half in the space of a year.
Available, but Not Accessible?
While full-fibre broadband is increasingly available across the UK, this may not always be fully accessible for households to use.
Citizens Advice recently published statistics that an estimated one million Brits went without broadband due to the cost-of-living crisis.
Rising energy prices caused many Brits to forgo certain utilities during the colder months of the year, with broadband taking a hit.
Citizens Advice has stated that many households are not taking advantage of cheaper tariffs as they are not often informed of more affordable options.
The NCSC is calling for accessibility to be a central tenant of cybersecurity strategies and defences.
“Accessibility is about ensuring that nobody is excluded from using something due to a disability or impairment,” according to Lee C, of the NCSC Sociotechnical and Risk Group.
In the UK, around 22% of working age adults are disabled, with and estimated 4.9 million people with disabilities in the workforce.
The NCSC commission report, Thinks Insights and Strategy, is part expanding effort to discover and understand accessibility challenges in cybersecurity.
The UK government announced in the Spring Budget that they will re-examine their disability welfare system by allowing those on disability benefits to work without losing their welfare benefits, as part of their wider efforts to get more Brits into the workforce.
But if certain work proves inaccessible, these efforts could prove as an impractical way to support people with disabilities into work and fill in the skills shortage.
According to the NCSC, there are many reasons to address accessibility, besides the obvious humane implications: legal compliance regulations, better operational outcomes, and attracting and retaining a more diverse set of talent to name a few.
Making systems more accessible would also mitigate human errors and make these systems easier to use for everyone. Human error is cited as one of the top reasons leading to cyber incidents, according to a Gartner report.
Failing to consider accessibility can increase these risks, Lee C writes.
How Security can be Inaccessible
Every aspect of cybersecurity can have some element in inaccessibility, and this can make the system harder for everyone to use.
Barriers around language, complicated interfaces, and audio or visual-only platforms can make even the most basic of security procedures inaccessible.
For instance, the well known red and green scale of security alters can be inaccessible to people for colour-blindness, but is still widely used.
Further, security procedures and technology that limits accessibility functions or are incompatible with accessibility tech can force workers to create un-secure workarounds or forgo systems entirely.
In addition, if accessible ways to recover from errors or access support are not present, this can exacerbate issues around reporting incidents.
“We don’t intentionally end up with security that is hard to use,” Lee C writes . “We often end up with it because we don’t factor it in to our security decision making, or because it’s seen as someone else’s responsibility.”
While human errors are thought to be one of the highest contributing factors to cyber incidents, considering accessibility is a great way of ensuring companies are actively considering human risk factors
Security that Works Better for Everyone
“In all cases, designing for people with disabilities makes things more usable for everyone,” Lee C writes.
While the workplace environment can introduce its own limitations, designing with accessibility in mind will create a more resilient working ecosystem that is better equip to face security incidences.
Further, training can only go so far is accessibility is not taken into account. While training can be valuable to introduce security procedures, if these are not accessible to everyone, no amount of training will change that.
Recommendations
The NCSC has provided several recommendations to improve accessibility in cybersecurity.
1. Collaboration
Collaborative working, with both security experts and those with accessibility needs, is vital in addressing both concerns.
Encouraging open and honest feedback continuously can help make the system better for everyone involved, and avoid making inaccessible procedures for future and current employees.
“Working collaboratively to make sensible exemptions and managing any associated risk is better than forcing people to avoid security, or suffering through not being comfortable enough to raise a concern,” Lee C insists.
There is no need to dilute security systems to meet accessibility requirements.
The key to this is flexibility, by offering users different ways to implement the same secure functions.
“Providing this flexibility has a secondary benefit in that it improves the resilience of your systems,” Lee C adds. “For instance, if one method of authentication were to fail, an alternative metho can provide a backup to minimise business loss.”
3. ‘Accessibility’ and ‘usability’ as requirements
Making accessibility and usability priorities when setting up security procedures or purchasing secure technology is a good first step to ensuring accessibility down the line.
Companies can work with suppliers and vendors to discover what accessibility functions are available, and where certain products may be inaccessibility.
They can also build their own framework by using and building upon the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) or other standards for accessibility.
Striving for more inclusive and effective cyber security
New research into the implications of disabilities in the workforce has allowed for more useful innovations across the board.
While there is still more work to be done, the NCSC is beginning to trial new approaches to build more accessible methods to cybersecurity.
Legal and compliance leaders should address their organisation’s exposure to six specific ChatGPT risks, according to Gartner, Inc.
The technology research firm has called for leaders to determine what guardrails to establish, to ensure responsible enterprise use of generative AI tools as they quickly ramp up.
“The output generated by ChatGPT and other large language model (LLM) tools are prone to several risks,” said Ron Friedmann, senior director analyst in in the Gartner Legal & Compliance Practice.
“Legal and compliance leaders should assess if these issues present a material risk to their enterprise and what controls are needed, both within the enterprise and its extended enterprise of third and nth parties. Failure to do so could expose enterprises to legal, reputational and financial consequences.”
The six ChatGPT risks that legal and compliance leaders should evaluate include:
Risk 1. Fabricated and Inaccurate Answers
Perhaps the most common issue with ChatGPT and other LLM tools is a tendency to provide incorrect – although superficially plausible – information.
The chatbot has been known to write papers using fabricated sources, and has no sense of inherent truth.
“ChatGPT is also prone to ‘hallucinations,’ including fabricated answers that are wrong, and nonexistent legal or scientific citations,” said Friedmann. “Legal and compliance leaders should issue guidance that requires employees to review any output generated by ChatGPT for accuracy, appropriateness and actual usefulness before being accepted.”
Risk 2. Data Privacy and Confidentiality
Legal and compliance leaders should be aware that any information entered into ChatGPT, if chat history is not disabled, may become a part of its training dataset.
“Sensitive, proprietary or confidential information used in prompts may be incorporated into responses for users outside the enterprise,” said Friedmann.
“Legal and compliance need to establish a compliance framework for ChatGPT use, and clearly prohibit entering sensitive organizational or personal data into public LLM tools.”
Risk 3. Model and Output Bias
Despite OpenAI’s efforts to minimise bias and discrimination in ChatGPT, known cases of these issues have already occurred, and are likely to persist despite ongoing, active efforts to mitigate against them.
“Complete elimination of bias is likely impossible, but legal and compliance need to stay on top of laws governing AI bias, and make sure their guidance is compliant,” said Friedmann. “This may involve working with subject matter experts to ensure output is reliable and with audit and technology functions to set data quality controls.”
Risk 4. Intellectual Property (IP) and Copyright risks
ChatGPT in particular is trained on a large amount of internet data that likely includes copyrighted material.
Therefore, its outputs have the potential to violate copyright or IP protection.
“ChatGPT does not offer source references or explanations as to how its output is generated,” said Friedmann. “Legal and compliance leaders should keep a keen eye on any changes to copyright law that apply to ChatGPT output and require users to scrutinise any output they generate to ensure it doesn’t infringe on copyright or IP rights.”
Bad actors are already using ChatGPT to generate false information at scale, like fake reviews, for instance.
Moreover, applications that use LLM models, including ChatGPT, are also susceptible to prompt injection, a hacking technique in which malicious adversarial prompts are used to trick the model into performing tasks that it wasn’t intended for such as writing malware codes or developing phishing sites that resemble well-known sites.
“Legal and compliance leaders should coordinate with owners of cyber risks to explore whether or when to issue memos to company cybersecurity personnel on this issue,” said Friedmann. “They should also conduct an audit of due diligence sources to verify the quality of their information.”
Risk 6. Consumer Protection Risks
Businesses that fail to disclose ChatGPT usage to consumers (e.g., in the form of a customer support chatbot) run the risk of losing their customers’ trust and being charged with unfair practices under various laws.
For instance, the California chatbot law mandates that in certain consumer interactions, organisations must disclose clearly and conspicuously that a consumer is communicating with a bot.
“Legal and compliance leaders need to ensure their organisation’s ChatGPT use complies with all relevant regulations and laws, and appropriate disclosures have been made to customers,” said Friedmann.
Edinburgh headquartered digital deliver partner, xDesign, has launched a new cloud computing division which will be overseen by Tina Howell, who joins the company as its Chief Cloud Officer.
The company’s new cloud offering will support existing and new clients to unlock the full benefits of solutions offered by Amazon Web Services (AWS).
As part of her team, Howell is joined by Lead Cloud Architect, Jamie Shields – both joining xDesign from previous employer, AND Digital.
With over 20 years of cloud experience between them, the pair have developed xDesign’s new cloud offering which consists of a number of specific services that will cater for all businesses no matter where they are on their cloud computing journey.
For those organisations taking their initial steps into the cloud, xDesign is offering its ‘Consult and Architect’ services – meaning businesses start off on the right foot when it comes to having the right foundations in place and the necessary cloud architecture to support their present and future needs.
Its ‘Build and Migrate’ services will support and guide organisations in the migration, refactoring, and setting up of new cloud platforms – providing businesses with the agility and automation they need to move at pace. To ensure businesses are building cloud platforms that are ‘secure by design’, xDesign’s cloud team will be offering its ‘Security and Compliance’ services.
Finally, its ‘Operate and Optimise’ services are designed to help businesses better manage cloud platforms whilst unlocking greater cost and time savings as a result.
Talking about xDesign’s new cloud offering, Tina Howell, xDesign’s new Chief Cloud Officer, said: “Put simply, cloud computing has fuelled the exponential digital transformation we’ve seen over the last few years – and are going to see at an increasing rate in the coming years. If harnessed correctly right from the beginning, cloud technology can provide all ambitious businesses with the scalability, speed to market and cost savings demanded in highly competitive and often uncertain global markets. Given this, we’ve developed an initial suite of services that are designed to support all businesses in unleashing their true potential no matter where they are in their journey – from starting out to fine-tuning and optimising their current infrastructure.
“It’s a real honour to join xDesign – a company with a fine reputation for high-quality products and delivery, on-point service and strong collaboration. All of these qualities have been at the forefront of our minds in developing the company’s new cloud services. By partnering with AWS, we want to provide clients with the knowledge, expertise and consultancy they need to make the very most of a technology which will only grow in importance in the coming years.”
Malcolm Seagrave, Chief Growth Officer at xDesign, said: “xDesign’s new cloud proposition has been born out of the monitoring of major themes playing out in the market at present, whilst having listened carefully and responded to the needs of our clients. Throughout her career, Tina has always applied the vast amount of knowledge and experience she’s acquired over the years in building cloud platforms for some of the household names we know and love. What’s more, at a personal level she embodies the very values that xDesign was built on – particularly when it comes to building strong relationships with team members and clients and challenging ‘conventional’ ways of doing things.
“With Tina and her team on board, we now have the capability in place to drive our clients’ businesses even further forward – after all cloud capabilities are the vital underpinning to new technologies like AI and machine learning, whilst allowing organisations the scalable agility they need in fast-paced markets.”
To coincide with the launch of its new cloud offering – xDesign will be holding a number of joint meet-up events with AWS to highlight the cloud solutions available via the partnership and to educate developers and commercial teams on how they can access them.
Spinouts are companies ‘spun’ from products and services developed through university research which is then commercialised via enterprise funding.
Edinburgh is home to 78 spinouts since 2011, with a majority of the companies spun from local universities, including the University of Edinburgh and Heriot-Watt University.
However, companies from other universities also chose to set up headquarters in the Scottish capital, including those spun from the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow and the University of St. Andrews.
The report, titles Spotlight on Spinouts said that Edinburgh’s strong research institutions, funding ties, and access to top talent made it attractive to spin outs across the nation.
According to the report, this is especially true for Edinburgh’s life science sector. Life science spin-outs actually made up the most companies in the UK, with pharmaceuticals spin outs totalling 309, followed by research tools/reagents (279).
Other life science areas making the list included clinical diagnostics (147), medical devices (127), and materials technology (106).
While Edinburgh city listed in the top three, the University of Edinburgh ranked a bit lower, at number eight with 60 spin outs since 2011.
Top universities for spinouts included the University of Oxford, Cambridge, and London universities, with the University of Edinburgh being the only Scottish university in the top ten.
“University spinouts play a crucial role in our economy and it is essential that we recognise both their successes as well as the trends within the sector,” Maria Dramalioti-Taylor, Enterprise committee member at the royal academy said.
“The government has recognised the key role that spinouts play in the economy, with the publication of the Science and Technology Framework committing to strengthening the spinout pipeline and the review of the UK spinout landscape seeking to identify best practice in turning university research into commercial success.
“The data presented in our annual report is a valuable part of the evidence needed to address these priorities.”
New research commissioned by UST, a digital transformation solutions company, has revealed the most prevalent challenges delaying digital transformation across UK industries.
The survey has found that a third of large UK companies cite a lack of in house technical skills (33%), and too many legacy IT systems in place (33%) as key factors in halting digital transformation efforts.
Another key factor raised by nearly a third of respondents was concern amongst their workforce about automation taking away jobs (31%).
While UK digital spending is projected to increase 5.2% year-over-year in 2023, the findings show UK businesses are unable to fully take advantage of technology advancements.
200 senior decision makers in large UK companies with an average turnover of over £9 billion were surveyed, so the research may not represent issues affecting SMEs.
For these larger companies, the survey found that adopting the right technologies can help organisations build resiliency, reduce operating costs and improve sustainability.
In terms of immediate benefits of investing in digital transformation, respondents rated building resilience to cope with future disruption highest (41%), followed by lowering costs and increasing profitability (40%) and improving sustainability (39%).
According to respondents, cloud computing is the most important technology for successful digital transformation, with 75% ranking it highest.
Artificial intelligence and machine learning, however, were close behind at 67%, followed by augmented reality and Web 3.0 (58%) and robotics (54%) as crucial or very important technologies driving their digital transformation strategies.
Respondents are insisting that the government step up their efforts in supporting digital transformation.
Nearly half of respondents said the government should provide more incentives for businesses to invest in R&D (45%), support more STEM programmes in schools (44%), and suppose innovation hubs outside of current hotspots (40%).
Further, respondents (40%) also said greater collaboration between public, private, and educational sectors could help foster innovation.
The respondents claim to be making their own strides in these ventures, with over half (53%) saying they partner with schools and higher education to show what types of careers are available in their company.
Further, nearly half are advertising job vacancies in a wider range of places (49%), offering internships or summer placements (48%) and running apprenticeship programs (42%).
Praveen Prabhakaran, Chief Delivery Officer and UK Managing Director, UST, said: “Our research highlights the need for companies to continue investing in digital transformation efforts; this will help build resilience and reduce costs over the long term. Investing in technology capabilities is also vital for improving sustainability which is particularly important given the pressure many companies are under to meet net zero targets.
“In order to overcome the technical skills gap, the private sector must increase collaboration with the government and educational institutions to increase uptake in STEM subjects and digital upskilling. At UST, we are proud to work closely with schools and universities not just in the UK but across the world to develop and upskill the next generation of tech talent.”
Sheila Flavell CBE, Chief Operating Officer for FDM Group, commented: “Talent shortage is currently being cited as one of the leading barriers to the adoption of new and emerging technologies, holding back both business and economic growth. It is positive to see that organisations are taking the initiative and attempting to train talent from diverse pools of individuals, such as women, returners and ex-forces, as these groups, as well as other marginalised groups, who hold untapped and relevant skills that all too often get overlooked.”
“Technology and innovation act as huge growth drivers and for the UK to achieve its goal of technological and economic growth, investment in skills must be made, which also means guiding young people who will be looking to start their careers. Without the right level of expertise, new technologies will be left redundant and undeveloped which, for businesses, will mean losing out on increased productivity.”
“The government must continue supporting businesses who are attempting to bridge the skills gap, allowing them to offer opportunities in educating and training to individuals who can either be taught or retrained in skills that organisations are crying out for.”
Research from XpertHR and Executive Networks suggests that barriers to accessing data for HR professionals could be to blame for many organisations’ unsuccessful bids to address pay equity in the workplace.
Of those surveyed, more than a third (35%) of senior HR leaders do not have enough data on pay, half (50%) lack employee self-identification data, and nearly three in five (59%) are without data on employee demographics.
Alongside significant data gaps, there is a reliance on legacy technology and out-dated, manual internal processes, which makes pay equity analysis much more challenging and – ultimately – less effective.
Most organisations outsource pay equity analysis to external consultants, XpertHR says, but for those that manage it in-house, the most common tool reported by senior HR leaders is spreadsheets (59%).
Not only are organisations using ineffective methods to carry out pay equity audits, but the research found even organisations that are conducting pay audits are not completing them very often, with just one in 10 (9%) senior HR leaders reviewing their data monthly.
Concerningly, nearly a third (30%) of senior HR leaders only carry out audits once a year.
Regular audits are key to ensuring pay fairness across an organisation, XpertHR says, as leadership will be better informed about inequities and provide essential insights to act proactively in correcting gaps.
Nearly half of senior HR leaders (45%) struggle with accessing the relevant data needed for correcting pay equity gaps, but they are not alone.
The survey of more than 1,000 HR leaders, business leaders, and employees across the US and UK, found an equal amount (47%) of senior business leaders cited the same challenges related to data access and analysis.
Zara Nanu, CEO of Gapsquare, part of XpertHR commented: “An effective data collection method is key. Without one, leaders have no way of tracking where they stand when it comes to pay equity and other measurables. The first step is to get the basics right: getting set up with the best tools and work processes and ensuring they are being done correctly and regularly.
“Leaders know the importance of pay equity, but data gaps mean uncertainties persist and progress is slow. Establishing fair pay practices relies on a detailed analysis of data, which many either don’t have access to or have the skills to interpret, causing a lot of businesses to fall at the first hurdle.
“What’s needed are more robust employee workforce data and pay analytics that support leadership teams with actionable insights about how to close equity gaps across the entire workforce.”
Jeanne Meister, EVP, Executive Networks and author, added: “It’s clear that, within many organisations, there is limited technical capability to use tools and meaningfully interpret data on pay equity.
“Not only is poor data a barrier for organisations tackling the issue, but there is also a lack of sophistication in how pay equity analysis is done. We need to take advantage of the capabilities that technology can provide to better understand and correct pay equity issues if we are to see undisputed progress.”
As many as one million people cut off their broadband in the last year as the cost-of-living crisis left them unable to afford internet access, according to new research from Citizens Advice.
Citizens Advice conducted an online survey over 6,000 UK adults, with 1,215 respondents in receipt of Universal Credit. Further, fieldwork was conducted by Walnut Unlimited on behalf of Citizens Advice between 9 January and 8 February, some of the coldest days of the year.
The survey investigated the different ways Brits were cutting costs to survive the crisis, asking which services they cancelled or changed.
Based on the findings, Citizens Advice estimate that nearly a million Brits have had to forgo broadband as a result of strapped budgets.
People receiving Universal Credit were hit the hardest, according to the study. The research found them six times more likely to have stopped spending on broadband in the last 12 months amidst rising bills, compared to non-claimants.
The charity fears this problem could get worse. Where people claiming Universal Credit are still paying for broadband, they are more than four times more likely to be behind on broadband bills than those who aren’t.
Citizens Advice says these are ‘worrying signs’ as households are forces to cut broadband, which is increasingly essential for education, work, and day-to-day life.
People on Universal Credit are eligible for discounted social tariffs to help them stay connected, however uptake on these tariffs is currently just 5%.
The latest figures from Ofcom show 95% of the 4.3 million eligible households are missing out on saving £200 on broadband costs each year. That is £824 million of support going unclaimed.
Dame Clare Moriarty, chief executive of Citizens Advice, said: “People are being priced out of internet access at a worrying rate. Social tariffs should be the industry’s safety net, but firms’ current approach to providing and promoting them clearly isn’t working. The people losing out as a result are the most likely to disconnect.
New analysis shows that the UK is leading investment in space, offering insight into the varied opportunities found within the £17.5bn UK space sector.
The Expanding frontiers – The down to earth guide to investing in spacereport, produced by PwC in association with the UK Space Agency, highlights the expected global space sector growth of up to 11% per year over the next decade and a near doubling of venture capital investments in revenue-generating space companies in the UK between 2015 and 2022, with 63% of investors new to the sector in 2021.
The report details trends of new and established investors who are interested in growing their space portfolio, including opportunities with companies seeking to improve access to healthcare and tackle global climate change challenges, from decarbonising economies to increasing food security.
Craig Brown, Director of Investment at the UK Space Agency, said: “This report shines a light on the breadth and depth of space investment opportunities. From today’s satellite communications to the future of orbital assembly, space has taken on an increased significance as a deeply embedded part of the global economy that is poised to grow at up to 11% per annum to 2030.
“As the number of satellites above us increases dramatically, there are even greater opportunities to capitalise on the wealth of data they collect and on the international efforts spearheaded by the UK to keep the space environment safe and sustainable for generations to come.”
According to the report, the UK has been the leading destination for space investment in Europe – the second internationally behind the US – since 2015, receiving 17% of global investment.
This capital was deployed into over 600 companies operating across three stages of the ‘space value chain,’ including the upstream, midstream, and downstream sections:
Upstream: This includes spacecraft manufacturing and launch vehicles, which received $22.6bn (£18.06bn) across 210 companies.
Midstream: This is made up of spacecraft operations and in-orbit management, amounting $5.6bn (£4.48bn) over 152 companies.
Downstream: This includes space-derived data, application and services, amounting $19.6bn (£15.66) across 267 companies.
Matt Alabaster, Partner at PwC Strategy&, said: “This report shines a light on the substantial contribution that the space industry can make to solving some of our biggest global challenges, from decarbonising our economies to increasing food security and improving access to healthcare.
“Our analysis shows that there are opportunities for investors of all stripes; the industry contains asset-light and technology-driven businesses, as well as infrastructure assets and supporting services businesses, all of which stand to benefit from the significant growth of the global space industry.”
The Expanding frontiers report calculates a median 400% increase in deal size for early-stage investments and highlights a number of fast-growing UK space organisations, from satellite communications firm, OneWeb, to Wales-based aerospace manufacturer, Space Forge, which raised Europe’s largest ever seed round for a space tech company in December 2021.
Joshua Western, CEO and Co-founder of Space Forge, said: “We’ve spear-headed new investment into the UK space sector from homegrown and valued international partners. The growth in our company and this sector is testament to the untapped potential of the UK space ecosystem.
“We are excited to be part of a dynamic and rapidly expanding industry that makes a significant contribution to the UK economy.”
UK space organisations have received investments from at least seven of the most active global investors, and nine of the largest UK-based venture capital firms, including University of Cambridge Enterprise, Octopus Ventures and Molten.
Taking into account government, non-commercial (universities and research institutes) and commercial organisations, it describes the UK space sector as a “hidden utility” that underpins our daily lives and supports an estimated £370 billion of the country’s economy, mostly through satellite-based services.
The data follows figures in the recent Size and Health of the UK Space Sector Report showing that £635 million was invested in UK-headquartered space companies through 34 identified deals last year, with acquisitions accounting for three quarters of the total investment value.
Space sector income increased by more than 5% into 2021, outpacing both the growth of the global space industry in the same period (1.6%) and the general UK economy, which contracted by 7.6%.
CodeClan, the not-for-profit software training programme, has partnered with The Young Women’s Movement, Scotland’s national organisation for young women leadership and gender equality, and Scotland Women in Technology (SWIT), in a bid to get more women into tech careers.
Research commissioned by CodeClan and conducted by The Young Women’s Movement with funding from the Workplace Equality Fund, identified a number of barriers and challenges facing women entering and progressing within the digital technology sector when CodeClan students, alumni, and staff members were interviewed by Young Women’s Movement between November 2022 and February 2023.
Jenni Snell, CEO of the The Young Women’s Movement, said: “We hope the recommendations can help other organisations, in and out of the tech industry, to prioritise promoting an inclusive workplace culture for young women.
Diversity and a skilled workforce go hand in hand, we cannot address one without the other. Closing the digital skills gap is dependent on empowering women and girls of all backgrounds to enter into, and progress in, digital technology careers.”
CodeClan CEO Loral Quinn said: “We wanted to do a deep dive into our offering to shine a light on how we can better evolve to meet the needs of women, including young women, on both our training programmes and our staff team.”
In direct response to the survey findings, CodeClan is set to launch on demand digital skills courses in September to better meet the flexibility sought out by women across Scotland, with Loral Quinn commenting: “On demand means we can offer immersive courses, whether or not you live near one of our campuses or have difficulty committing to set timetables because of other life commitments.
“It means women can access life-changing courses, laying the path for a career in tech, and we help them get jobs.”
CodeClan is partnering with SWIT to support the launch of the first cohort of women into its on demand Data Science course starting in the autumn, with fully funded places for over 60 women returners and career changers.
Silka Patel, Founder and Chair of Scotland Women in Technology, who are partnering with CodeClan on the launch of the Women in Data Science programme, said: “CodeClan’s push in Scotland maps with our own mission to help more women break into and excel within the tech industry, while eliminating the gender diversity gap.”
Commenting on the research and the new on demand course being offered by CodeClan, Ana Stewart, chair and co-author of the Scottish Government-commissioned Pathways: A New Approach for Women in Entrepreneurship review, said: “The collaborative approach embraced by CodeClan, Young Women’s Movement, and SWIT provides a blueprint for other organisations to have a bigger impact when making their workplaces more inclusive and supportive of women.
“Less than one in ten tech businesses are led by women, so this sort of initiative is needed to shift the dial and will contribute to achieving much wider female participation in tech and startups.”
Genesis Market, the darknet hacking marketplace, is still in operation despite police claiming they had taken it down in an international sting.
An international cohort of police claimed to have shutdown the site in Operation Cookie Monster on 5 April, lead by the FBI and Dutch authorities.
In the initial sting, carried out in part by the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA), 120 people were arrested, 24 of which were in the UK.
As reported by the BBC, an ‘identical’ market remains online on the darknet.
Genesis Market served as a ‘go to service’ for cybercriminals looking for bots and hacking services.
At the time of the take down operation, Genesis had about 80 million sets of credentials and digital fingerprints up for sale. 1.5 million bots were found on the website, as well as about 2 million identities.
The site was one of the most ‘significant marketplaces’ for cybercriminals to source services, according to Rob Jones, NCA Director General at the time of the take down.
The sting was considered a major step in halting the rise of cybercrime, but now the marketplace appears to be functional once again.
Netacea, a cyber-security company, which monitored the darknet marketplace, say that the website is back up and running after being down for about two weeks, as reported by the BBC.
“Taking down cybercrime operations is a lot like dealing with weeds,” Cyril Noel Tagoe, Principal Security Researcher at Netacea told DIGIT.
“If you leave any roots, they will resurface. Law enforcement was able to seize the Genesis Market’s clearnet domains but the roots of Genesis Market’s operation, namely the administrators, darknet domain and malware infrastructure, have survived.”
The marketplace has now been updated by its administrators, who claim to have released a newer version of their site. They also claim to have continued collecting data from compromised devices and increased their victim list.
It appears that the previous shutdown by police was more of a disruption as the site is currently active.
“To fully takedown a cyber crime operation such as the Genesis Market, you need to seize and dismantle all its infrastructure and prosecute the administrators. However, there are many complicating factors,” Tagoe explained.
“To start with, it is very difficult to locate the servers behind hidden darknet services, and law enforcement can’t shut down a server they can’t find. Secondly, jurisdiction can play a major role even if the location of the servers is known. Certain jurisdictions, for example Russia, offer a haven from western law enforcement.”
As the story develops, the Dutch Police have created a portal where concerned people can check if their digital identity was found at the marketplace at the time of the sting.
Hospital at Home, a programme which delivers virtual hospital care direct to people’s homes, has been allocated a further £3.6m to support more than 150 extra virtual beds.
The programme aims to provide a safe, patient-centered alternative to hospital admission, providing better outcomes for the patient who can receive treatment in the safety and comfort of their own home, as well as reducing pressure on hospital sites.
The investment for 2023-24, which will take the total funding in the service to more than £10.7m since 2020, will increase patients managed through the programme by 50% – an additional 156 beds.
Funding will be available to existing services and areas yet to develop the initiative, with improvement support provided by Healthcare Improvement Scotland.
Health Secretary Michael Matheson said: “Hospital at Home has already proved to be very successful and most importantly, beneficial to patients and the wider system.
“That’s why we have allocated a further £3.6 million so more people can be managed at home rather than in hospital.
“Patients have spoken very positively about the service and it also reduces pressure on A&E and the Scottish Ambulance Service by avoiding admissions and accelerating discharge. Hospital beds will always be available to people who need them, but this is a better alternative for many.”
Since 2020, the Scottish Government has made more than £8m available to support the development.
This enabled the spread of the programme from seven to 21 Health and Social Care Partnerships, providing 312 beds to date.
A recently published progress report by Healthcare Improvement Scotland showed a 68% increase in patients managed by its services – 7,369 patients managed between April and November 2022, compared to 4,374 the same period the previous year.
Belinda Robertson, Associate Director of Improvement, Healthcare Improvement Scotland said:“We’re delighted the Scottish Government will continue to fund the development of Hospital At Home services. An increasing number of patients are experiencing the benefits of receiving acute hospital care at home.
“More and more NHS boards and Health and Social Care Partnerships are embracing it by establishing and developing services. We will continue to support NHS boards and Partnerships to further develop the services they provide, and share learning across all Hospital At Home services.”
Research by data consultancy Profusion has revealed that the vast majority of UK business leaders are struggling to use data ethically within their organisations.
The research follows the launch of Profusion’s Good Data Guide in partnership with Pinsent Masons LLP, which provides a practical framework for how organisations can use data ethically.
Profusion surveyed 200 business leaders at medium-large British companies to find a lack of training and education is hindering an ethical use of their data.
Despite 79% of surveyed businesses declaring that they wanted to address data ethics challenges, only 31% stated it was among their top three governance priorities.
When asked what the biggest barriers to addressing data ethics were, 36% said lack of internal knowledge and expertise, 31% cited a lack of training and 30% a lack of perceived relevance.
One in four said they were concerned that innovation was being held back by a lack of ethical and regulatory understanding.
Of the 83% of businesses that said they felt formally uncomfortable with how their organisation used data, 9% said it was a daily occurrence, 25% weekly and 16% monthly.
33% said they feared their algorithms were not being scrutinised for issues such as bias.
Natalie Cramp, CEO of data consultancy Profusion, said: “It is shocking, but also unsurprising, that so many businesses feel morally uncomfortable about how they use data.
“There is little practical guidance available with data ethics often presented as a complex philosophy rather than a set of practical policies, KPIs and guardrails businesses can adopt. We hope to take a step forward in solving this problem with the Good Data Guide.
“We’ve been lucky to collaborate with experts from a range of specialties and industries to address a number of issues and give organisations, big and small, the tools they need to make ethical decisions around how they use their data now and in the future.
“Our hope is this becomes a ‘living document’ with organisations contributing to it and sharing best practice as they encounter new ethical challenges.”
Sue Chadwick, Strategic and Digital Advisor, Pinsent Masons, said: “The Good Data Guide is distinguished by the range of contributors, the simplicity of its approach, and the commitment to remain agile and open to changes in law, guidance, or society.
“The Guide recognises that technology develops quickly, while the law moves comparatively slowly, so we need to go beyond compliance to achieve ethical data use.”
The survey revealed more in-depth findings regarding business’s positions on ethics.
Only 16% of businesses said that data ethics was the responsibility of their CEO/MD – this increased to 29% for companies with more than 1,000 employees.
Still, this slim percentage begs the question on who is responsible for data ethics within an organisation if not the leaders?
The survey also touched on diversity, with only 36% of business leaders saying that diversity within their data team was ‘very good’ with a further 51% stating it was ‘somewhat good.’
As these percentages only reflect perceptions rather than actual numbers, it is difficult to ascertain the actual amount of diversity on data teams.
Diverse teams can help alleviate inherent bias in data analysis which can often be exacerbated by algorithms.
Diversity and inclusion (41%) was one of the top three priorities cited by businesses, as well as cybersecurity (42%) and risk management (41%).
Last month saw International Girls in ICT (Information and Communications Technology) Day, sponsored by the UN, focusing on the 2023 theme of Digital Skills for Life. Yet in the UK, research by Lloyds Banking Group has shown that women are less likely to have the Essential Digital Skills for Life that they need to complete basic digital tasks independently – with over 11 million in the UK getting by without these skills.
So how can we level the playing field, whilst also supporting the UK to become the tech superpower touted by government?
The STEM workforce is being joined by more women – 24% of those working in STEM careers are now female, and it is important to celebrate the progress that has been made to get more women into tech and spur more interest into the STEM sector.
But of this, whilst women engineers now account for 13.6%, up from 12.5% last December, and the proportion of Science Professionals (51.5%) has also grown, the number of women IT Professionals and those in IT Technician roles has dipped – from 21.0% to 19.9%, and 26.3% to 25.9% respectively.
With over 82% of jobs advertised last year explicitly requiring digital skills, and a growing number of technical roles, its vital to ensure that women have the same opportunities to harness the power of digital, whilst also ensuring that business doesn’t miss out on top talent on the basis of gender.
Lack of representation and educational role models
Ascribed to former tennis champion Billie Jean King, the saying “You have to see it to be it,” is as true in the tech world as any other. With fewer top tech leaders being women, young girls may not have the self-belief to even consider a career in ICT.
By identifying with role models from a young age, and having access to technology, young girls could work on their skills and feel comfortable accepting support to bolster what is necessary to operate in the tech industry, as well as numerous other spheres.
Research reveals a gender bias in the teaching of STEM subjects, and more attention is given to the males of the class, with one study finding that girls with the same attainment levels as boys in mathematics are less likely to be recognised as “high achieving” than male students or to receive encouragement.
Encouragement from an early age is key to motivation in the next stages of life, so having encouragement and support from teachers across all stages of education can purge any confidence-knockers, and help them develop further confidence in their skills.
However, this issue is not limited to only young girls. Underrepresented groups in the tech industry, such as women of all ages, ex-forces and returners, should also be encouraged to work on upskilling and re-skilling, therefore further expanding the talent pool for other businesses who may be seeking digitally-able candidates.
The impact of lack of access and skills
The new digital age is often labelled as democratised and open to all; however, it is not accessible by all. To fully realise the potential of the digital world to empower, it is important to address the barriers to entry, and ensure that everyone has equal access and opportunities within it.
Whilst the tech sphere has traditionally been dominated by men, access to the internet has afforded more women the ability to upskill through online training courses and in turn, enter more tech roles.
Opportunities such as virtual work experience can also help girls build their networks and raise their aspirations – especially for those living in rural and coastal communities, where the tech role models found in cities across the UK may be shorter supply.
The online landscape can empower individuals and groups by providing access to further information, resources, and opportunities, which can in turn enhance their employability and enrichen their day-to-day lives.
However, if there are barriers to accessing tech, and a lack of skills, females, and countless others, run the risk of digital exclusion. 11 million people in the UK currently lack basic digital skills, acting as a hazardous barrier to education, job applications, digital healthcare, online banking and countless other essential capabilities. One in five young people (8-24) across the UK do not have access to a laptop or desktop with expense being the most cited reason, according to Nominet research.
The digital world cannot empower whilst so many are cut off from it.
The importance of diversity
Diversity is crucial in STEM professions as it allows for a wide range of perspectives and approaches, which can lead to more innovation and success in the industry. Only about 30% of STEM professionals are female.
The inequality of STEM professions by gender represents the need for investing in more empowerment and opportunities for women in the ICT world, businesses need a highly skilled and diverse workforce in the evolving digital landscape to maximise new technologies to drive business efficiencies.
Encouragement, opportunities and motivation
Creating opportunities to inspire girls to pursue tech education and jobs is crucial as it helps to bridge the gender gap in the tech industry, which can be a driving force for innovation and growth.
The greater visibility of options available to girls can increase their chances of involvement in tech, leading to a more diverse and inclusive workforce. The importance of inspiring girls to pursue tech education and jobs by promoting the benefits and opportunities available, celebrating women and digital skills, and recognising the achievements in digital progress so far.
Creating opportunities for girls in tech is key to achieving greater gender equality and increased representation of women in leadership roles in the industry. In turn, these women will not just inspire more girls to enter the sector, their insight will help to ensure more technology built with a wide range of users in mind, creating experiences that are not just inclusive, but more appealing in the marketplace.
The need to promote digital skills and representation for women in tech is crucial for the future of the industry. This must be an ongoing effort that spans across education, training, access to resources, and advocacy. By promoting diversity, building on the achievements of women in the industry, and inspiring the next generation of female tech leaders, we can create a brighter future for all.
International Girls in ICT Day serves as a reminder of the importance of these efforts, and a call to action for everyone to do their part to tackle digital poverty and promote greater gender equity in the tech sector.
The National Cyber Security Council was part of the international cohort of cybersecurity organisations that discovered Snake – a Russian cyber-spying tool, in more than 50 countries across the globe.
Among the NCSC, the cooperative network included the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), Cyber National Mission Force (CNMF), Canadian Cyber Security Centre (CCCS), United Kingdom National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC-UK), Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC), and New Zealand National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC-NZ).
These intelligence agencies have now designated the Snake tool to a known unit within Centre 16 of Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB).
The espionage tool, Snake, has been used for years to gather intelligence on advisaries, according to the NSA Director of Cybersecurity, Rob Joyce.
“Snake infrastructure has spread around the world. The technical details will help many organizations find and shut down the malware globally,” he said.
Cyber threat actors have used Snake to infiltrate and access sensitive international relations documents, as well as other diplomatic communications.
According to the joint press release provided by the NSA and its partners, this was accessed via a victim in an undisclosed North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) country.
Snake malware has now been found on every populated continent, including North America, South America, Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia.
The coalition found that in the US, the FSB used Snake to target various industries including education, small businesses, media organisations, and critical infrastructure sectors such as government, manufacturing, financial, and communications facilities.
Defra, the government contracted IT system used for a range of customers, is critical to the country’s trade, disease prevention, flood protection, and air quality monitoring.
But a recent report from the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) says Defra’s legacy IT systems feel outdated and difficult to use for its customers, which range from farmers to vets to scientists to traders and beyond.
Defra and its organisations handle around 14 million transactions per year that still involve paper forms – making them inefficient and expensive in the views of Parliament.
Though it is embarking on a fundamental review and potential restructure of its organisation, Defra does not yet have a concurrent pro-active strategy for the transformation of its digital services, or for challenges like reducing reliance on paper forms and making applications widely available on mobile phones.
Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, Deputy Chair of the Committee, said: “Defra’s IT systems are so outmoded and disconnected – where they exist at all, instead of paper forms – that in some cases the professionals who keep our food, water and air safe have been forced to buy obsolete equipment just to fill in the forms to fulfil their regulatory responsibilities.
“We are facing down rapidly spreading animal diseases, maybe the next pandemic, with systems that may rely on moving paper forms around. This cannot continue.”
Defra estimates that it needs to spend £726 million on modernising legacy services between 2021 and 2025, and that fully transforming its digital systems could save £20m to £25m every year.
But the Committee has warned that a lack of overall vision means any changes made now to its digital systems may not be appropriate in the longer-term and could lead instead to wasted time and money.
The PAC report has revealed that 80% of Defra’s IT applications remain either in extended support, possibly incurring additional charges for updates, or are completely unsupported by their supplier, and it has not given enough attention to the impact of its poor digital services on its users.
Further, Defra does not measure the cost to users of its unmodernised digital services, so it is not possible to assess the total burden they place on other organisations and the wider economy.
For example, previously vets had to buy old laptops to be able to run the programmes they needed to use, rather they use new models.
The report also found that Defra is struggling to recruit the digital, data, and technology staff it needs, and so it remains over-reliant on contractors which can cost up to twice as much.
The Committee is calling on Defra to explain what new approaches it will adopt to recruit staff and reduce its reliance on contractors and temporary staff to provide digital skills.
Clinton-Brown added: “We on the PAC will also not accept a situation where Defra spends hundreds of millions of taxpayers’ money on a disjointed upgrade programme only to find that it no longer fits the structure of new systems of air quality monitoring, food and clean water supply in this country.
“It’s time for a complete overhaul at Defra, with a concurrent, pro-active digital strategy that matches every step.”
Skills Development Scotland (SDS) is on the lookout for a new chair for its Digital Economy Skills Group (DESG).
DESG is a collective of industry and public sector experts which meets regularly to shape the delivery of national activity to help plug the country’s digital skills gap.
Ross Tuffee recently stepped down after three years in the role, commenting: “It’s been a real pleasure and privilege working with SDS and my fellow DESG colleagues to help influence and drive the digital skills agenda in Scotland.
“This is a fantastic opportunity for someone to make a lasting and impactful difference to Scotland’s wider economy and not just the tech sector.”
SDS say they are keen to appoint a Chair from outside the tech industry, as digital skills are now so important and prevalent across the entire Scottish economy.
“We are keen to get applicants from a wide range of backgrounds, as having different experiences and points of view is a key strength of the DESG,” Phil Ford, head of digital economy and financial services for SDS said.
“We would welcome applications from outside the technology sector, recognising that the digital economy now encompasses all of Scotland’s businesses. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Ross for his commitment and hard work over the last three years. He has helped us and the DESG deliver so much in his time as Chair.”
DESG was founded in 2014 to help the skills needed to bolster Scotland’s digital economy employers.
Recently, DESG has worked with SDS to publish the first Digital Economy Skills Action Plan (DESAP), highlighting the pressures on Scotland’s digital skills ecosystem.
A major responsibility of the chair will be to ensure that SDS and DESG work together to implement all of the priorities outlines in DESAP.
The report provides a framework to address the challenges faced in the sector surrounding skills gaps.
Priority action areas proposed include supporting a future skills pipeline of digital economy talent as well as improving our understanding of future skills needs.
DESAP also includes priorities for small businesses by their increasing digital leadership and maturity skills, while also recognising the importance in fostering a fairer, more diverse and inclusive digital economy.
Finally, upskilling and reskilling are top priorities SDS is looking into contributing to.
The chair would be an ambassador for DESAP as well as Scotland’s overall digital skills economy.
More information about the role can be found here.
Sophos, a global cybersecurity service, has released its annual State of Ransomware 2023 report, finding that in 76% of ransomware attacks against surveyed organisations, adversaries succeeded in encrypting data.
This is the highest rate of data encryption from ransomware since Sophos started issuing the report in 2020.
Sophos surveyed 3,000 cybersecurity and IT leaders across 14 different countries, from organisations with between 100 and 5,000 employees.
The survey shows that when organisations paid a ransom to get their data decrypted, they ended up additionally doubling their recovery costs ($750,000 in recovery costs versus $375,000 for organizations that used backups to get data back).
Moreover, paying the ransom usually meant longer recovery times, with 45% of those organisations that used backups recovering within a week, compared to 39% of those that paid the ransom.
Overall, 66% of the organisations surveyed were attacked by ransomware – the same percentage as the previous year – suggesting that the rate of ransomware attacks has remained stady, despite any percieved reduction in attacks.
Further, Sophos found that the UK faces the lowest level of attacks compared to the other countries they surveyed, with only 44% of UK organisations being hit in this past year, compared to 57% previously.
“Rates of encryption have returned to very high levels after a temporary dip during the pandemic, which is certainly concerning. Ransomware crews have been refining their methodologies of attack and accelerating their attacks to reduce the time for defenders to disrupt their schemes,” said Chester Wisniewski, field CTO, Sophos.
“Incident costs rise significantly when ransoms are paid. Most victims will not be able to recover all their files by simply buying the encryption keys; they must rebuild and recover from backups as well. Paying ransoms not only enriches criminals, but it also slows incident response and adds cost to an already devastatingly expensive situation,” said Wisniewski.
When analyzing the root cause of ransomware attacks, the most common was an exploited vulnerability (involved in 36% of cases), followed by compromised credentials (involved in 29% of cases).
This is in line with recent, in-the-field incident response findings from Sophos’ 2023 Active Adversary Report for Business Leaders.
Further, the data found that ‘double dipping’ is becoming a more common method, as 30% of cases where data was encrypted, the data was also stolen.
Across different industries, the education sector reported the highest level of ransomware attacks, with 79% of higher education organisations and 80% of lower education organisations surveyed reporting that they were the victims of ransomware.
Overall, 46% of organizations surveyed that had their data encrypted paid the ransom. However, larger organizations were far more likely to pay.
In fact, more than half of businesses with revenue of $500 million or more paid the ransom, with the highest rate reported by those with revenue over $5 billion.
This could partially be due to the fact that larger companies are more likely to have a standalone cyber insurance policy that covers ransom payments
“With two thirds of organizations reporting that they have been victimized by ransomware criminals for the second year in a row, we’ve likely reached a plateau. The key to lowering this number is to work to aggressively lower both time to detect and time to respond. Human-led threat hunting is very effective at stopping these criminals in their tracks, but alerts must be investigated, and criminals evicted from systems in hours and days, not weeks and months,” said Wisniewski.
“Experienced analysts can recognize the patterns of an active intrusion in minutes and spring into action. This is likely the difference between the third who stay safe and the two thirds who do not. Organizations must be on alert 24×7 to mount an effective defense these days,” he added.
Sophos provided several recommendations to combat the threat of ransomware and other cyberattacks.
These include strengthening defensive shields by investing in endpoint protection with strong anti-exploit capabilities, as well as a Zero Trust network.
Investing in adaptive technologies that respond automatically to attacks as well as 24/7 threat detection can provide companies with an extra edge and more time to respond to attacks.
Further defenses include optimising attack preparation by making regular backups, practicing recovering data from backups, and maintaining an up-to-date incident response plan.
Sophos also reminds companies to go back to basics by maintaining good security hygiene, including timely patching and regularly reviewing security tool configurations.
“Sophos’ latest report is a clarion reminder that ransomware remains a major threat, both in scope and scale. This is particularly true for ‘target-rich, resource-poor’ organizations that don’t necessarily have their own in-house resources for ransomware prevention, response and recovery,” said Megan Stifel, executive director of the Ransomware Task Force and chief strategy officer, Institute for Security and Technology.
The co-authors of Pathways: A New Approach for Women in Entrepreneurship, Ana Stewart and Mark Logan, have been lined up for a panel event at strategic design firm Nile in Edinburgh on Tuesday 16 May.
The livestream event, “Pathways – Opportunities for Progress”, will also feature Leah Hutcheon, the CEO and founder of online and scheduling booking platform Appointedd, and Norin Arshed, Professor of Entrepreneurship at the University of Dundee.
The event is the second in an ongoing series following the publication of the Scottish Government commissioned Pathways review in February. The Pathways series is supported by Startup Grind Scotland, Product Forge, and the Freer Consultancy.
Seminal in its statistics, the review of the Scottish entrepreneurial ecosystem now dubbed the Stewart Report, sent cataclysmic waves throughout the Scottish business sphere.
No longer could people shy away the reality of women’s position in business – the stark statistics came as little surprise, but the frankness of the report is what made it such a phenom.
The report pulled no punches as it deemed the sexism in society as the greatest barrier to getting women into entrepreneurship.
Ana Stewart, chair and co-author of Pathways, who is also a partner at St Andrews-based impact investment firm Eos, said: “The Pathways series is about maintaining momentum following the publication of the review, and building a community to help us drive effective change in an area where Scotland has an opportunity to take a globally leading position.”
Ana Stewart added: “In Leah, we have a female business leader who has been out at the coalface when it comes to pushing barriers in the tech scene, and with Norin’s input we are fortunate to have one the country’s top academics in the area of entrepreneurship. Of course, we want all stakeholders in the ecosystem fully engaged and we are really pleased to have Mark share his own insights and perspective on the recommendations and its wider impact.”
Former Skyscanner COO Mark Logan, Scotland’s Chief Entrepreneur, also authored the Scottish tech ecosystem review (STER) in 2020, and leads efforts to support and grow Scotland’s startup ecosystem.
Ana Stewart previously founded and exited AIM listed fintech business i-design, and is a Non-executive Director at the Scottish FA, Bella & Duke, and high growth tech firm Condatis.
Former BBC presenter and Freer Consultancy associate Vanessa Collingridge is hosting the Pathways – Opportunities for Progress event.
Further information and tickets for the event can be found here.
The World Economic Forum (WEF) has released their Future of Jobs Report 2023, revealing relatively unsurprising statistics on the upcoming impact of geopolitical events and emerging technologies on the transforming labour market.
According to the report, the job market is still reeling from the lasting effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, which brought a major labour shortage as well as supply chain interruptions which disrupted global markets.
The cost-of-living crisis continues to excacerbate local economies, challenging consumers and companies alike as the energy crisis in Europe was worsened by the invasion of Ukraine.
Further, the impending impacts of climate change have ushered in a flurry of hasty sustainability initiatives pushing companies for cleaner energy usage, causing a host of job market transitions.
Emerging technologies have caused a cataclysm in the once stable tech industry — which faced major layoffs this year among its largest companies — as CEOs recenter their strategies on artificial intelligence (AI).
The WEF’s report has shown the emerging technologies are expected to drive the biggest changes in the global job market.
By surveying employers in different industries across the globe, the report shows that AI and machine learning (ML) will hold the fastest growing roles in the next five years.
Macrotrends
86.2% of organisations surveyed have found that increased adoption of new and frontier technologies will be the biggest trend driving business transformation in the next five years.
Broadening digital access (86.1%) follows closely behind in importance, as lessening the digital divide will allow the widespread adoption of technologies and widen the breadth of tech-skilled workers.
Still, factors outside of technology will continue to influence the job market into 2027.
80.6% of organisations found that broader application of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) standards will push companies to transform their businesses.
The rising cost of living (74.9%) and slower global economic growth (73%) were also viewed as major drivers to business changes.
For the job market, each implication takes a different turn.
Investments to faciliate a green transition in businesses (52.2%) as well as the push for ESG standards (51.4%) were seen as likely to create jobs in the next five years.
New emerging technologies are expected to lead to a net 36.4% increase in job creation in the next five years.
The rising cost of living and slower global economic growth were both seen to lead to net decreases in jobs, at -19.3% and -44.4% respectively. Supply chain shortages are also likely to cause jobs to be displaced (-23.7%).
Technology Adoption
Marking the unavoidable importance of technology trends to the global job market, the WEF gave technology adoption its very own section in its annual report.
As it is a global, cross-industry report, the WEF could not make specific inferences on the digital adoption strategies of technology companies, but overall the trend is upwards.
Digital platforms and apps came in as the number one technology that organisations were looking to adopt in the next five years, at 86.4%.
Education and workforce development technologies (80.9%) and big-data analytics (80%) were in the next two spots.
While these technologies may seem obvious steps to technology specialists, it does show the wide range in the current scale of digital adoption across various global industries.
Artificial intelligence (AI), which is the new coveted innovation among top tech companies, was projected to be adopted by 74.9% of companies by 2027.
Cloud computing is also set to be on the rise, with 76.6% of companies aiming to adopt this technology in the next five years.
The Internet of Things and connected devices (76.8%) is another technology organisations are looking to invest in, along with encryption and cybersecurity (75.6%) as threats mount.
E-commerce and digital trade are set to be adopted by 75.3% of organisations, showing the influence of digitalisation in these industries.
Despite ESG being identified as a major driver of business transformation, environmental technologies and climate change mitigation technologies are only set to be adopted by 64.5% and 62.8% of companies within the next five years respectively.
The impact of technology adoption on jobs in the next five years ranges depending on the technology adopted.
Big-data analytics is set to lead to a 58% net job increase, followed by climate change mitigation tech (49.5) and environmental management technologies (45.8%).
Encryption and cybersecurity will also lead to a large net increase in job creation (43.3%). In the UK, this could prove problematic as the skills shortage has taken a particular hit in the cybersecurity field.
The adoption of robots — of humanoid and non-humanoid nature — were the only technologies set to cause a net decrease in jobs, at -2.6% and -8.8% respectively.
While AI is feared to replace many jobs, the WEF report projects it will actually lead to a 25.6% net job creation increase, though it will also lead to a near 25% job displacement as well.
Indeed, AI is set to be a job interrupter as industries across the board reckon which how and where the emerging technology is best used.
“Organisations today estimate that 34% of all business-related tasks are performed by machines, with the remaining 66% performed by humans,” the authors of the report wrote.
This is actually a decreases projection from the WEF’s 2020 report, “possibly reflecting a view that machines and algorithms have augmented human performance rather than automating tasks in this period,” the report read.
In fact, most projections for the amount of tasks that will be automated match predictions made in 2020 for the current landscape.
Technology Skills
Skills surrounding technology are projected to increase across different industries.
71.9% of care, personal services, and wellbeing organisations rank technology skills as a top priority of their five year strategies.
Information and technology service organisations also plan on improving their technology skills, with 67.4% ranking this is a priority.
In terms of reskilling initiatives, AI and big data are up 12 points compared to the 2020 data on their importance to companies. However, it ranks 15th as a core skill for mass employment in today’s market.
Skills in AI tools now exceeds computer programming, network and cybersecurity skills, technology literacy, and design and user experience in importance.
While a small number of companies think AI may be a passive fad and is currently overemphasised, a net 59% of companies predict AI will only continue to grow in importance.
“Though generative AI has the potential to displace jobs, the focus placed on training workforces to exploit AI and big data indicates the opportunities for new roles which harness its potential to help achieve business goals,” wrote the report’s authors.
Barriers
The skills gap and the inability to attract talent are listed as the top two barriers preventing industry transformation, according to the report.
59.7% of businesses blame the skill gap for a delay in their transformation, where as 53.4% recognise their inability to attract talent as a major fault line in their ambitions.
The size of a business does play into these perceptions, however, as SMEs were 20% less likely to say a lack of skilled talent was a barrier to their transformation than larger companies.
To combat these barriers, workforce strategies include investment in training on the job (reported by 81.2% of companies) and accelerating the automation of processes (80%) to lessen reliance on the workforce.
Conclusions
“Global macrotrends and disruptions create an ever-more complex environment for policy-makers, employers and workers to navigate, and uncertainty and volatility remain high,” the report concluded.
Sociopolitical changes have certainly impacted predictions on the next five years — and emerging technologies are set to make a big impact on business strategies looking forward.
Scottish scientists at the James Hutton Institute have won £360,000 in funding to commercialise a technology that unlocks how plants and animals modify their genes when faced with disease or environmental change.
Use of the technology offers major advances in medical diagnosis, such as identifying cancers and the development of new crops, by allowing scientists to identify changes in gene activity related to diseases like cancer or reactions too high temperatures or drought.
The technology aims to be commercialised through a new company, SHARP Genomic Analytics, which will be spun out of The James Hutton Institute in Dundee.
It is based on advances software developed by a team at the Hutton, together with Professor John Brown from the University of Dundee, which automates the otherwise highly complex gene sequencing analysis involved in this work.
“Animals and plants have tens of thousands of genes which are turned on or off or up or down in different cells or conditions,” says Prof. Brown. “The challenge that we have addressed is to detect these changes in gene activity, quickly and accurately, using our advanced software.
“Although the technology was developed while working on plant data, it could have far reaching impacts. Studies using this platform have already included research on diabetes, prostate cancer and fat deposition in human, how climate change impacts tropical coral fish, bacterial disease in honey bees and climate stress and disease in crops.”
Dr. Runxuan Zhang, a computational biologist at The James Hutton Institute, added: “Transcriptomics is still a relatively new and highly specialised field, requiring knowledge of bioinformatics and computational analysis.
“Doing this work can take non-specialists months, holding back their vital work. While they get can it done commercially, the costs can be prohibitive. Instead, we can now do it all online and in days if not hours for much less cost.”
The technology will build on analytical software developed by Dr. Wenbin Guo, a bioinformatician at The James Hutton Institute and released in 2019. Since then, it has already been used by over 10,000 people globally.
With additional and novel functions, the new software platform aims to be more powerful and easier to use.
“The SHARP Genomic Analytics platform will hugely improve access to transcriptomics and alternative splicing analysis to biologists,” says Dr Runxuan Zhang. “As part of Scottish Enterprise’s High-Growth programme, we’re now mapping out our commercial needs, including staffing, such as software engineers.”
Commsworld, the UK’s largest privately-owned network operator, has unveiled its first official charity partner, Right There.
The year-long partnership was announced by Commsworld chief executive Steve Langmead and Right There chief executive Janet Haugh at a ‘company day’ at Commsworld’s Edinburgh headquarters.
Working across Scotland, Right There supports around 4,000 children, families, and individuals each year, helping to prevent homelessness and the separation of loved ones.
It offers a range of tailored practical, emotional, and therapeutic support based on individual needs – including everything from mentoring, supported accommodation, counselling, and family relationship support.
For the partnership, Commsworld is encouraging its employees to fundraise or volunteer over the next 12 months with Right There, with Commsworld matching pound for pound all money raised.
Current activities include staff taking part in the Edinburgh Kiltwalk on 17 September, while employees are being offered the option to take paid leave to get involved with the charity.
Commsworld Chief Executive Steve Langmead said: “Right There is a fantastic charity and everyone at Commsworld is delighted that we have officially partnered up.
“Our employees have helped many different good causes over the near 30 years that Commsworld has been in existence. As a company we have backed many local clubs, including long-standing sponsorship and support of Boroughmuir Rugby for more than a decade, provided branded kits for Crusaders Rugby, and supported Glasgow City FC’s role model programme.
“Now through our partnership with Right There, we will continue this long tradition of charitable fundraising and activity through many different events, activities and volunteering opportunities so staff can raise as much money as possible – matched pound for pound by Commsworld – over the next 12 months.”
Janet Haugh, chief executive Right There, said: “We want to say a heartfelt thank you to all the colleagues who voted for us to win this charity partnership. At Right There, we rely on the kindness and generosity of our supporters to help us deliver our vision for creating a world where everyone has an equal chance to create a safe and supportive place to call home.
“We can’t wait to get started and look forward to working with Commsworld so we can continue to be there for people going through tough times in our local communities.”
Label Sessions, the recently-launched platform that connects business leaders with advisors, has announced that Helen Page is joining as chair of the new business’ board.
Page’s 25-year careers spans marketing, innovation, consultancy, and customer experience.
She currently serves on a portfolio of boards in the UK including the Artisanal Spirits Company, which had its IPO in 2021.
Further, Page previously served as chief brand officer of Virgin Money UK, having joined what was at the time Clydesdale and Yorkshire Bank Group in December 2021, and was part of the Executive Team to complete the IPO of the bank in 2016.
As well, Page had previously spent eight years at the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) in a number of roles, including managing director for marketing and innovation, and held responsibility for all UK brands across retail, commercial, and corporate divisions.
Page also served as a brand and marketing leader at Argos, and Abbey (now Santander).
Helen Page commented on the announcement: “Label Sessions has a big mission and a lot of potential to grow into a company with huge impact. Everyone and every business needs advice, and the best advice comes from people who have walked the walk in leadership, not just read about best practice.
“I’m excited to formally take on this role, having worked with the founding team since the early days of the concept, and to put the structures in place to build Label Sessions into the global company it has the potential to be.”
“Label Sessions is a company built around a belief in the power of great advice,” says Label Sessions co-founder and MD, Nick Sherrard, “so we’ve always known that we would need that at the board table too.”
“We’re hugely excited that Helen is joining us as Chair,” he added. “She brings the experience and challenge we will need as we seek to grow our brand globally, and to ensure that our mission-led business can have the impact we want it to have over the coming year too.”
Label Session is currently attempting to expand a global roster of leaders from the worlds of business, design, and technology who sign to their Label.
The platform aims to connect these leaders to people who need advice, mentoring, or ideas, through providing online 1:1 conversations that they call Sessions.
Clients are already using the platform to get advice on new product ideas, and to reimagine their future strategies, as well as to get their team global perspectives on their careers and professional development.
All Sessions are recorded and transcribed meaning that users can go back to the advice afterwards. The Sessions team will even turn the output into podcasts, magazines, or more traditional presentations if the user wants to share what they discovered with their team.
With their team spread between Toronto and Edinburgh, Label Sessions is working with clients across the UK, US, Canada, and Europe.
Linguists and AI specialists at the Universities of Edinburgh and Glasgow have been awarded £225,000 by the Scottish Government to produce a Gaelic subtitling system suitable for the BBC.
Funding will also enable the team to start working towards the production of a large language model – similar to ChatGPT – for Scottish Gaelic speakers.
Efforts to create the system are part of a wider initiative to counter the threat of digital extinction faced by Scottish Gaelic and other minority languages.
Gaelic was oppressed across Scotland during the Highland clearances after the failed Jacobite Rebellion in the 18th Century, with lasting impacts on the language and culture today.
Despite this, Gaelic is still spoken by around 60,000 people in Scotland today, according to Visit Scotland.
This relatively small number of speakers, however, puts Gaelic at risk of digital extinction, a phenomenon which occurs when speakers of a language are unable to participate in digital communication because of inadequate language technology.
The research team at the two Scottish universities is also helping to develop a speech recognition system for Ojibwe, one of the indigenous languages of Canada that was also oppressed due to colonialist rule.
Obstacles
Gaelic faces significant obstacles in developing and maintaining its language technology, like many supressed languages, because of a scarcity of data.
AI programmes typically are trained on large data sets, which are often scoured from the internet and then fine-tuned by human feedback.
Researchers will assemble a large body of Gaelic language data and use it to generate a high-quality automatic speech recognition (ASR) system for media, education, and research.
Deep Learning
The project will provide desperately needed Gaelic subtitling technology and jump start the development of state-of-the-art Gaelic language models.
Researchers say this will help to safeguard the language in digital domains and contribute substantially to national revitalisation efforts.
So-called deep learning approaches are ravenous for training data, and for minority languages like Gaelic, lack of data at scale is a significant obstacle.
The project aims to tackle this obstacle head-on, by generating a substantial body of colloquial Gaelic training data.
The team has already achieved a significant milestone in 2021 by developing the first publicly-available speech recognition system for Gaelic.
“This is about compiling large amounts of knowledge – gleaned from Gaelic speakers in the past – and returning it to Gaelic speakers, in various forms, in the present.” Profession William Lamb said, the lead researcher from the University of Edinburgh‘s School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures.
Source Material
Although it requires additional development to improve its accuracy, the technology has already helped to create subtitles for teaching videos.
A number of existing digital projects will lay the foundation for the knowledge base needed to support the scaling-up effort proposed here.
Among them are 15,000 pages of transcribed Gaelic narrative sourced from the School of Scottish Studies Archives, based at the University of Edinburgh.
The team will also access material from the Digital Archive of Scottish Gaelic (DASG). This will include some 30 million words of text from the University of Glasgow’s Corpas na Gàidhlig and vernacular recordings from the DASG’s Cluas ri Claisneachd audio archive
“This will add substantially to the development of language technology for Gaelic. It is gratifying that DASG’s resources are being deployed in this way and being further developed,” Professor Roibeard Ó Maolalaigh said, a fellow researcher from the University of Glasgow and DASG Director.
Also taking part are two other University of Edinburgh researchers – Dr. Beatrice Alex, a senior lecturer in text mining, and Dr. Peter Bell, a reader in speech technology.
The project is being carried out in tandem with BBC Alba. It involves DASG, the historical dictionary Faclair na Gàidhlig, Gaelic media service MG ALBA and Tobar an Dualchais/Kist o Riches – a unique online record of Scotland’s rich oral heritage.
“The Scottish Government is proud to support this cutting-edge project, which will help Gaelic to thrive in the digital age and safeguard our country’s rich linguistic and cultural heritage,” said Jenny Gilruth, Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills.
In a notice to users, Twitter has revealed that a ‘security incident’ made private tweets shared on Twitter Circles public to other users.
Twitter Circles was released in August 2022 as a feature similar to Close Friends Instagram stories, where users could post tweets only to be shared within a selected group of followers.
Users would select their own circle, where they could share more private tweets that they didn’t want to be publicly published.
According to the company, “only the individuals you’ve added can reply to and interact with the Tweets you share in the circle,” but users have reported otherwise.
Users have claimed that other users outside of their circles have been able to view their private tweets and interact with them. Despite flagging this to Twitter, they’ve only received automated responses from a depleted team – until now.
On 7 May, a notification was sent to affected users claiming a security incident caused the privacy breach, reading as follows, as reported by Bleeping Computer:
“We’re contacting you because your Twitter account may have been potentially impacted by a security incident that occurred earlier this year (April 2023)”, reads a security incident notification sent by Twitter yesterday.
“In April 2023, a security incident may have allowed users outside of your Twitter Circle to see tweets that should have otherwise been limited to the Circle to which you were posting. This issue was identified by our security team and immediately fixed so that these tweets were no longer visible outside of your Circle.”
“We’ve conducted a thorough investigation to understand how this occurred and have addressed this issue. Twitter is committed to protecting the privacy of the people who use our service, and we understand the risks that an incident like this can introduce and we deeply regret this happened.”
Twitter has not revealed why they think this incident occurred, nor have they addresses similar complaints surrounding the tweets of private accounts being shared to a wider audience.
Since Elon Musk bought the company, Twitter has laid off around 60% of its staff, and the site has faced major outages since.
Over 10 million Brits lack basic digital skills to get online, preventing them from accessing education, digital healthcare, online banking, and other essential services and activities.
Digital Wellness Day, celebrated globally on 5 May 2023 and running for the fourth year in a row, aims to increase awareness of technology access and provide an opportunity to optimise individuals’ relationship with technology by prompting people to rethink when, where, why, and how they interact with tech.
However, not everyone has equal access to technology and digital skills as 10 million people in the UK still lack the most basic digital skills needed for everyday modern life.
We live in a technology-fuelled era as research from the British Academy highlights that on average, UK adults currently spend four hours each day online, while 92% of businesses state they require at least a basic level of digital skills from their employees.
As the cost of living rises, research shows that pricing can act as a key barrier to access, as 3.3 million of the poorest households in the UK spend roughly four times more of their disposable income than the average income household.
Additionally, 36% of those with no formal educational qualifications reported using the internet, compared to 95% of people with higher educational qualifications.
The Digital Poverty Alliance, a charity initiative aiming to end digital poverty in the UK by 2030, has tried to mitigate the digital poverty gap by allowing access for all through landmark papers such as their Evidence Review, as well as initiatives such as Tech4Teachers, which saw laptops provided to teachers to enable them to better prepare students for the online world.
“It is great to see a day dedicated to increasing awareness around the relationship between individuals and technology, however, it is important to remember that every person’s experience is different and not everyone has access to technology in the same way as others. For those who have access, technology can provide fascinating benefits, from connecting with loved ones, to providing online services, to enhancing educational experiences, but for those who lack access, they miss out on these everyday essentials.
“For many, the use of technology comes as second nature which makes it even more important to remember and support those who struggle to use it for various reasons, such as affordability or lack of skill. Millions of people across the UK miss out on the basic services access to technology can provide and this can have further negative implications on areas such as education, job searching and access to public services, to name a few.
“While it is positive to celebrate and acknowledge our relationship with technology, it is vital for us to collectively do our bit to support those who are digitally excluded in order to create and more fair and just society and achieve the goal of ending digital poverty for all by 2030.”
TSB is warning consumers to remain wary of fraud that is taking place through Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram, as the bank reveals scams that come through these Meta-owned companies account for 80% of all fraud cases within the three biggest fraud categories at TSB.
According to the bank, WhatsApp Friends and Family fraud rocketed by 300% in just a year.
Further, fraud on Facebook Marketplace has nearly doubled.
Purchase Fraud
TSB found that 80% of purchase fraud cases at their bank involved scams that took place through Meta’s platforms, with three fifths (60%) of the cases coming from Facebook Marketplace, followed by Instagram (18%).
Fraud from scam activity on Facebook Marketplace doubled (97%) in one year – TSB refunded 2,100 cases from this platform alone under its Fraud Refund Guarantee.
The doubling of cases that came from Facebook Marketplace within TSB’s data is cause for concern across the banking sector – as TSB fraud experts point to the lack of a payment platform,
which prevents consumers completing transactions securely.
TSB is pushing for minimal obligations on platforms to vet adverts and profiles. An apparent lack of these has made it easier for fraudsters to place scam adverts with ease.
Impersonation Fraud
TSB data shows scam activity on Meta platforms led to 86% of impersonation fraud cases over the year – driven by a sharp increase in WhatsApp-based friends and family fraud.
WhatsApp alone accounts from two-thirds (65%) of TSB cases within this category, followed by Facebook (13%) and traditional text messages (13%).
The increase in WhatsApp fraud cases by 300% in just a year lead to over 550 refunded cases by TSB.
TSB fraud experts are urging vigilance to any unsuspected messages claiming to be members of your family, or close friends. They advise contacting the individual directly, if possible, before ever sending a payment.
Investment Fraud
Scams taking place through Meta account for almost nine in ten (87%) of all investment fraud cases at TSB.
Six in ten cases (59%) originated from Instagram scam activity, followed by Facebook (22%). Snapchat, which is not owned by Meta, made up almost one in ten (9%) of cases.
TSB fraud experts urge potential investors to stick to recognised investment platforms and to steer clear of social media ‘get rich quick’ schemes and too-good-to-be-true offers.
TSB’s Campaign for Fraud Refunds
The bank is calling for an increase of refunds across the board, calling on other banks to match their fraud refund scheme.
With the high levels of fraud generated by other sectors, TSB believes that consumers cannot wait another 12 months for vital refund protections to be brought in by the Payment Systems
Regulator.
Following the publication of the Government’s fraud strategy, TSB beleives more should be done to hold social media companies to account.
Part of the strategy is making fraud refunds more common and easy to attain across the board.
Further, the government is calling on tech companies to increase consumer protections – tough penalties may result for companies who do not.
Myles Fitt, Spokesperson, Citizens Advice Scotland, said: “We support TSB and all other agencies who are in the fight against fraudsters. Sadly the growth in online activity over the years has meant means that scams are very prevalent. The key to fighting them is vigilance and also talking about them. If you think something might be too good to be true or seems at all suspicious, check it out before you make any kind of payment.
“And if you do get hit by a scam or spot one, tell the authorities like your bank or the police, and also tell your friends and family. Scammers want us to stay quiet so they can con others. So don’t help them out! There is nothing to be ashamed of if you’ve been hit by a scam. They are the ones who should be ashamed, not you.”
Paul Davis, Director of Fraud Prevention, TSB, said: “Social media companies must urgently clean up their platforms to protect the countless innocent people who use their services every day. In the meantime, we are urging the public to remain
cautious to potential scam content – and to spread the word to help protect those around you.
“It’s high time that social media and telephone companies took financial liability for the rising levels of fraud taking place on their platforms.”
Almost half (47%) of young people are put off pursuing a career in tech because they believe they are not qualified enough or lack the skills they need, according to research released by digital development partner xDesign.
Just under three-quarters (73%) of respondents also reported finding it hard to get into tech due to a lack of experience or contacts to support them.
In a nod to the ongoing lack of diversity in the industry, half of respondents (50%) said they have been put off joining the sector as they don’t see anyone like them in it.
The survey of over 2,000 young people aged between 16-30 from across England, Scotland, and Northern Ireland was commissioned as part of ‘Leeds Unleashed,’ an initiative led by xDesign and Leeds City Council in partnership with Sky, Burberry and Glean that’s taking place on 5 May.
Leeds Unleashed will see the partners open their doors to local school, college, and university students as well as career changers, offering them access to their people and technology, in a bid to bust the myths that surround the sector and tackle the ongoing digital skills gap.
As well as providing an opportunity to learn about the latest tech being used by each partner, it will also enable young people and career changers to engage face-to-face with technologists and other specialists.
The research also revealed that almost four-in-ten respondents (39%) bemoaned a lack of information available to expand their knowledge of the sector.
Further, over half (56%) believed they would need to move away from their current location to pursue a tech career, due to a perception that there are limited local opportunities.
Alarmingly, about one-in-five also said that they would not consider a career in tech as the sector ‘seems boring to work in.’ When asked what tech organisations could do to encourage more people into the sector, the most popular response (chosen by 30%) was to ‘provide more support for schools, colleges, and universities to create a pathway into the sector.’
Matt Ward, Head of xDesign’s Leeds office said: “The results of this research underline the importance of organisations stepping up to support young people into the tech sector. With the help of our partners, we’re already taking action in Leeds today, but we plan to roll this initiative out to other parts of the UK to address what we can see from our stats is a national issue.
“We also, as a sector, need to urgently tackle the ongoing misconceptions surrounding working in tech if we are to have any hope at all of closing the digital skills gap.
“For instance, half of young people feel under-qualified or under-skilled for a career in tech – but formal qualifications aren’t a must-have. Equally, working in tech doesn’t just mean being a developer or engineer – there are a whole host of other roles available in the sector and it takes much more than just technologists to drive a tech-enabled company forward.
“There are many routes into a career in tech, and it’s our job as a sector to make this clearer to our young people, so we’re not missing out on half the potential talent pool.”
The University of Edinburgh Senate has called the migration to a new Oracle finance system a ‘scandalous failure of management,’ following the botched transition which left staff, research students, and suppliers unpaid.
The representative body for the Russell Group university provided a statement of no confidence after administration failed to provide answers regarding the backlogs of payments to staff and others.
Oracle had first announced that the Scottish university was transitioning to Oracle ERP Cloud and Oracle HCM Cloud in 2019, with Inoapps joining as a project support.
The university moved its financial management to the new “People and Money” system in August 2022. The migration required a shutdown of this system for about a month, but the go-live date was delayed.
The downtime and transition period resulted in a backlog of payment processing, resulting in staff and others not being paid for their work. Further, the system itself was flawed, according to the Senate, which only increased the delays in payments.
In a document viewed by The Register, the Senate wrote: “The structure and terminology in People and Money are geared towards those with financial training and is exceptionally difficult for most people to use. It is not intuitive, and staff are regularly dedicating several working hours to tasks which should take a few minutes.”
Researchers have even been put off applying for grants because the university seemed incapable of processing financial applications, said the Senate.
According to the Edinburgh Evening News, invoices dating all the way back to 2018 had yet to be paid to contractors, causing suppliers to forgo working with the university.
The Senate is seeking answers to “elementary questions” according to documents viewed by The Register. “If the answer is not known, that is a scandalous failure of management; if the answer is known and is being withheld, that is a scandal of a different sort.”
Apple is attempting to thwart a lawsuit stipulating it throttled the batteries of its mobile phones about five years ago.
The London lawsuit, brought to court by consumer rights campaigner Justin Gutmann, says that Apple throttled iPhones with updates to deliberately hide that its batteries were defective.
iPhone models included in the case are: iPhone 6, 6 Plus, 6S, 6S Plus, SE, 7, 7 Plus, 8, 8 Plus, and X models.
In the court proceedings, Gutmann’s prosecutors argued that in order to hide the malfunction of batteries, Apple throttled older models with software updates and installed a power manager which limited capabilities.
These measures would not only hide that the battery was defective, but encourage users to buy new phones as the entire system would appear unable to cope.
Apple denies this, saying the claims were infactual. They did, however, concede that the batters of certain iPhone 6 modles were defective, and replacement batteries were offered to customers.
Further, they did admit that the 2017 power management update decreased the battery of iPhone 6s, but only by 10%.
Now, Gutmann has asked the Competition Appeal Tribunal for certification of the case so it can proceed to trial.
If certified, the case will proceed to a London court and Apple could owe £1.6 billion to affected consumers.
The 2017 update has seen Apple under fire before – they were previously sued in California and Arizona in the US, paying out $500m (£398m) and $113m (£89.9m) respectively.
Allegedly, Apple intended to mask defective batteries in their iPhone models with a power management tool update, which would stop iPhones from using battery power when low on charge. This would cause iPhone performance to falter or even cut out altogether when the iPhone battery was low.
The throttling attempt via update did not improve battery performance, and critics have cried that the update would only force users to exchange their batteries or buy new phones, increasing overall profits fro the company.
“Instead of doing the honourable and legal thing by their customers and offering a free replacement, repair service or compensation, Apple instead misled people by concealing a tool in software updates that slowed their devices by up to 58%,” Gutmann said in his case filings.
Apple did eventually address the issue, reconfiguring the update and offering a battery replacement service, but Gutmann says service was not publicised enough to make up for the issue.
Amid heightened security threats, and the National Cyber Security Centre’s (NCSC) formal alert against cyber-attacks against UK critical national infrastructure, the government has unveiled GovAssure, a series of new cybersecurity measures to strengthen resiliency and bolster core IT systems.
With the volume and complexity of cyber-attacks ever-growing, businesses are looking to regulators and the government to lead the cybersecurity charge.
The Current Threat Landscape
The cybersecurity challenge has become increasingly difficult following the new work-from-anywhere regime, as highlighted by research from Absolute’s 2023 Resilience Index.
In the UK, enterprise devices are logging on from over four different locations, up 15% year-on-year with increased device mobility opening up new vulnerabilities from potentially unsecured networks. This is compounded by the average device having 67 applications, with 10% having over 100 apps.
The threat surface for government organisations and businesses is higher than ever, presenting a challenge for IT teams looking to secure devices, networks, and applications from increasing volumes and sophistication of cyber threats.
Research also highlights that one in six Windows devices run on outdated operating systems. In fact, the government vertical is the highest risk as the highest patch age is 214 days.
Security systems that are out of date — or worse, not even installed — pose a great challenge for IT staff building and maintaining a resilient cybersecurity posture.
Unpacking GovAssure
The crux of GovAssure is a regular, stringent review of IT systems from all government departments in order to increase the UK’s cyber resilience and protect the government’s essential IT functions.
The review will include a review of cyber health to ensure systems are up to date and functioning as expected, following the NCSC’s Cyber Assessment Framework.
Regular assessments of security systems are essential in protecting against malicious threats. As research shows, 25 to 30% of enterprise devices have unhealthy security applications.
When an attack occurs, unhealthy and out of date applications can severely restrict the prevention of cyber-attacks, leaving devices, networks, and ultimately the organisation susceptible to a costly breach.
The government’s initiative to constantly monitor device health and assess its risk provides a valuable lesson for businesses to follow that can help stop breaches at source. At its core, the essence of GovAssure should be followed by all businesses.
Developing Resilient Cybersecurity
Constant monitoring and keeping device fleets up-to-patch is a core aspect of a resilient cybersecurity posture, fitting into prevention strategies for organisations alongside staff training and detection solutions.
Having visibility over endpoints — especially with increasingly distributed workforces — is a key factor for IT teams to prevent inbounds threats, helping to identify suspicious activity and compromised devices or applications. This can be achieved through resilient Zero Trust.
Resilient Zero Trust monitors endpoint devices and their applications for suspicious activity, alerting centralised IT teams to potential security breaches based on atypical behaviour, providing them with the ability to remotely freeze or shut off devices to prevent threat actors moving laterally across a network and compromising more devices.
But prevention is only part of the solution. Major attacks against organisations such as NHS Digital have shown us that recovery must also form part of cyber strategies, with system issues lasting for months after the initial attack, not to mention the reputational, legal, and financial damage that organisations can potentially face.
Reacting through measures such as self-healing technologies can help organisations keep critical IT systems operational, repairing and recover devices and networks, restoring security systems to reduce downtime, and mitigate the risk of re-infection.
The ‘resilient’ aspect of Zero Trust is important to help keep staff online and staying productive, regardless of where they are working from.
Where typical Zero Trust systems shut off devices and applications at the first sign of compromise, resilient Zero Trust monitors on a case-by-case basis. If a member of staff is logging in from another country while on a business trip, for example, the already notified IT team can allow the member of staff to stay online as while this is suspicious activity to security systems, it is expected by the organisation.
The latest work-from-anywhere workforce requires constant protection and constant visibility, and organisations should work to ensure their cyber strategies align with this working model, which has been and will continue to be a staple.
GovAssure highlights the importance of constantly re-evaluating and testing security systems to make sure that they are up to date and working as expected. Beyond that, businesses must add staff training and security controls as well as preventative and reactive measures to construct a truly resilient cyber posture.
People living and working in the Lockerbie area of Scotland are to benefit from improved 4G mobile phone connectivity as the first UK government-funded rural mast upgrade is completed.
The mast will deliver strong and reliable 4G covereage to residents in the east of Dumfries and Galloway, benefitting people living in Boreland, Eskbalemuir, Lochmaben and other neighbouring villages.
This is just the first of more than 120 planned mast upgrades across Scotland, with more to follow over the next year.
A £75 million UK government investment from the Shared Rural Network — a £1 billion project with the UK’s four mobile network operators (MNOs); EE, VMO2, Three, and Vodafone — will deliver the projects to improve 4G coverage and level-up connectivity across the UK.
Through both public and private investment, the Shared Rural Network is seeing new and existing phone masts built or upgraded across the UK to close down rural mobile ‘not spots’.
These are areas of poor or patchy coverage that cannot receive a 4G signal from all four MNOs, or any signal at all, which holds back rural communities from experiencing the full benefits of digital technology.
Chloe Smith, UK Science and Technology Secretary, said: “We are investing in the things that matter to the people of the UK, and this includes funding strong, reliable 4G signal for rural communities struggling with poor coverage.
“Our £75 million investment means people across Scotland will benefit from upgraded infrastructure that is fit for the future, starting with the first mast upgrade in Dumfries and Galloway.
“Growing our economy is one of the Prime Minister’s top priorities and this includes bringing fast, reliable mobile signal to wherever people are, giving them all the connectivity they need to work, shop and keep in touch online.”
The mast, located in the Boreland area to the north of Lockerbie, is part of the Home Office’s Emergency Services Network (ESN), which will give first responders faster, safer and more secure voice, video, and data on the 4G network, for better access to life-saving information in emergencies.
But upgrading the mast also makes it usable by the four MNOs, meaning they can host and share equipment on it for the first time, offering improved signal and greater choice of provider for residents and businesses.
This will enable people in the area to better seize the benefits of the internet at home and on the go in order to stay connected with friends and family, work remotely, shop and bank online and stream entertainment.
UK Government minister for Scotland John Lamont said: “A reliable phone signal is one of the biggest issues faced by our rural communities around Scotland and I am pleased the UK Government has committed £75 million to upgrade 120 masts across the country. The public and private sector are coming together to make sure people are better connected.
“The upgrade in Lockerbie is just the start and I look forward to other rural communities benefiting as part of our £1 billion Shared Rural Network programme in the UK.”
Silico, the business process simulation platform, has launched a new report titled ‘Forewarned is Forearmed,’ exposing the need for intelligent planning to navigate challenging global economic headwinds.
Research conducted by 3Gem on behalf of Silico found that almost all UK businesses (94%) are comfortable with technology taking charge of decision-making and autonomous planning with little or no human involvement, indicating that UK business leaders no longer appear to trust ‘gut instinct’ or ‘intuition,’ according to the report.
Technologies which can augment or make decisions autonomously, such as artificial intelligence (AI) and digital twins, are now seen as integral to decision-making and business planning efforts.
A majority (93%) of UK businesses surveyed feel AI will be ‘very important’ for making strategic business decisions over the next 12 months, whilst over two thirds (69%) claim to already use digital twin technology to inform their business planning.
One in five (22%) are planning to introduce digital twin tech to their business over the coming years to guide their planning.
Increased trust in technology to make decisions and support planning efforts appears to follow a similar rise in anxieties around business performance and survival within a deeply turbulent global economic landscape.
When asked about how current market conditions may impact
business performance, just under three quarters (74%) of UK businesses stated they are extremely concerned by how well their business will deal with pressures stemming from the current global economy.
This is particularly resonant in the IT and Communications sector, where three in four (73%) businesses said that current planning is extremely challenging. Almost nine in 10 (89%) say that current UK inflation rates make strategic planning extremely or very challenging.
John Hill, CEO at Silico, said: “In the face of an increasingly difficult macro environment, it’s little wonder that businesses are becoming more risk-averse, leading to a reluctance to innovate and improve. But this hesitance stifles growth and leads to stagnation. Business Process Simulation offers a solution to this challenge.
“By allowing companies to test and analyse various scenarios in a controlled environment, process simulation can help businesses overcome their fears and embrace change. This powerful tool encourages continuous improvement and innovation, ensuring that businesses not only survive but thrive, even in the most uncertain times.”
The survey interviewed 525 technology decision makers in the UK from companies of over 251 employees, with 11% of those surveyed from companies with over 5,000 employees, across all sectors.
More than half of small business leaders (58%) are expecting revenues to increase this quarter when compared to the first three months of 2023 – with an average revenue increase of 10% this quarter year-on-year, according to the latest quarterly Barclays SME Barometer.
As business owners look forward to the upcoming celebrations, SMEs across the hospitality and leisure sector expect the approaching bank holiday weekend to bring in an additional £180 million of revenue.
This follows a successful first quarter of the year (January 2023 – March 2023) for UK SMEs with more than half (56%) reporting a rise in revenue from Q4 2022, and 60% reporting a year-on-year rise in revenue from Q1 2022.
Similarly, small business optimism is at the highest level in a year, with 43% of SME leaders feeling positive about their future. Tech and science sectors are especially positive about growth, according to the Federation of Small Businesses.
These figures are supported by data from Barclaycard Payments, which processes one in three debit and credit card payments in the UK, which shows a rise of 1.4% in the value of payments to SMEs in Q1 compared to the same period last year.
Investing in Growth
Despite the increased optimism, wider concerns remain, as almost three quarters of SMEs (73%) say they are worried about the impact that the cost of energy will have on their business.
Furthermore, just over two-fifths (41%) say they will need to increase their prices to cover the costs, which will impact their competitiveness.
Yet, many SMEs plan to plough investment back into their businesses, following the expected rise in revenues. Almost four in ten (39%) businesses plan to increase their number of employees over the next quarter, resulting in an average of eight new recruits per business.
This is the largest expected increase in new hires for SMEs since Q1 2022.
Colin O’Flaherty, Head of SME at Barclaycard, said: “It’s great to see that businesses plan to make the most of the Coronation weekend and are hoping to see increases in revenue – as consumers take advantage of the long weekend and enjoy eating and drinking out.
“It’s unsurprising that in the immediate term, there are still wider concerns for businesses, whether that’s energy prices or underlying cost of living issues. SMEs are the lifeblood of the UK economy and with a series of bank holidays coming up in May – it’s more important than ever to make sure we support local businesses at every opportunity.”
The Federation of Small Businesses’ (FSB) quarterly survey has revealed that the UK tech and science sectors are confident in their outlooks – more so than other sectors. The report noted that confidence is being restored after a decline at the end of last year, but ‘dark clouds’ are on the horizon as costs remain high.
The study found that sentiment improved among small business owners and sole traders over the first three months of the year. However, FSB’s confidence measure scored minus 2.8 points in the first quarter of the year, which means more firms felt pessimistic than optimistic.
Interestingly, there was an improvement from the confidence drop in the final quarter of 2022, which had a negative reading of minus 45.8 points as retailers and hospitality firms were struck by higher costs and reduced consumer spending.
Tech and science sectors were found to be leading the way with a positive confidence reading of 14.9 points. The research also found a major rise in confidence among sectors including retail, accommodation, food, and manufacturing in the latest survey, although they all remained in negative territory.
Representing over 150,000 business owners and self-employed workers, the FSB surveyed nearly 700 people in the latest iteration.
Commenting on the findings, James Campanini, CEO of AWS specialist VeUP said: “British businesses have shown remarkable resilience in the face of soaring inflation and interest rates, so it’s encouraging to see confidence returning to smaller firms. However, with lingering uncertainty, the time is right for companies to think again about key resources such as IT investment and optimising cloud environments to better equip them for potential challenges in the future.”
“By building a leaner, more effective infrastructure, organisations will be much better placed to survive and thrive, whatever the economic circumstances,” added Campanini.
Falling sales were an issue for many small firms over the first quarter. Two in five small businesses said their revenues fell during the period, compared to a third who said sales had risen.
At the same time, around 90% of businesses said their costs were higher than in the same period last year, largely thanks to soaring utilities costs, as well as a record number of firms saying staff wages had shot up.
Dyneval, an Edinburgh-based agritech firm has secured a further £500,000 in funding for their semen analysis tool.
The portable tool is “easy-to-use” and requires no specific training to use – according to the company it produces the most accurate results on the market.
Semen analysis is vital in understanding the health of cattle herds and the potential for future numbers. The tool can produce sex-sorted semen concentrations to better predict the ratios of future herds and sort out the fertility of bulls.
Dyneveal is currently supported by Alistair Lang and Ollie Hoffort, from Thorton’s ventures and innovation team, with new funding from Kelvin Capital, Par Equity, Scottish Enterprise, and Gabriel Investments.
Tiffany Wood, co-founder of Dyneval, said: “We are very proud to secure this additional round of funding which will help to rapidly increase our production meaning we can help even more farmers across Scotland, the UK and beyond. Improving the efficiency of food production is more important than ever right now since the cost of living is rising, and it’s becoming more challenging for farmers to access grant funding.”
Lang added: “Agritech may not be the first sector you think of when looking at Scotland’s top exporting industries but it has an outstanding global reputation which is why many investors are now looking into the sector. We are very much looking forward to seeing this business flourish and continue on its incredible growth journey.”
Police Scotland has been served with an information notice from the Scottish Biometrics commissioner, requiring them to prove their cloud-based digital evidence system is compliant with data protection rules for law enforcement.
Currently, the Digital Evidence Sharing Capability service is being piloted in Scotland, under contract to Axion, the body-worn camera and video provider, and hosted by Microsoft Azure for their cloud system.
Watchdogs, however, have voiced their concerns regarding the use of cloud in policing, saying the new service is not capable of complying with current data laws.
The Data Protection Impact Assessment by the Scottish Police Authority did identify several risks with the use of Microsoft Azure which may put its use by the police force in jeopardy of being illegal.
Firstly, Microsoft is using standard rather than specific contracts with the police, without any specific stipulations on data protection or accessing of certain data. Further, Axon cannot comply with the data sovereignty clauses found in legislation.
Concerningly, under the Cloud Act, all cloud data stored by Microsoft is accessible by the US government as Microsoft is a US corporation. Adding onto this is the notably softer data protections found in the US that UK citizens may have their data subject to if requested by the US government.
The information request was sent on 22 April, and Police Scotland will have until June to reply.
Br. Brian Plastow of the Scottish Biometrics Commissioner wrote the letter, with the main concerns surrounding the processing of biometric data by cloud providers.
The letter asked for clarification on if any biometric data had been exchanged by Police Scotland, if this exchange was compliant with data protection laws, and what country this data was hosted by.
Further, the letter asked if any discussions had occurred with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) regarding international transfers and data sovereignty and if these were at all resolved.
Plastow details recommendations to ensure data sovereignty, mainly by hosting a cloud platform entirely in the UK so the data is not subject to any other governments.
Previously, the ICO had been working with the SPA to configure how the cloud system would work under data laws – they found that any technical support from the US via the Cloud Act would indeed constitute an international data transfer that would not be compliant under current regulations.
They previously had concerns with similar uses of cloud infrastructure in Police forces across England and Wales to process citizens’ data.
Sparking reactions ranging from fear to excitement, the oft anxiety-inducing technology is here to stay, according to Marshall, and it’s time to get — responsibly — used to it.
To start the discussion on one of the major evolving technologies of today, Marshall began his talk on AI at Dynamic Earth with a quick history lesson.
The Great Horse Manure Crisis of 1894 — where major cities across the world were overrun by horse manure from carriages — required an international conference to attempt to solve this major sanitation and infrastructure problem.
But the conference ended in just three days with no solution – there just wasn’t the technology to solve the issue.
The solution came “completely out of the blue,” Marshall said: the motor car.
When the motor car first arrived though, this solution was met with fear.
“Immediately when there’s new technology, even when it solves a lot of problems, people react badly to it,” Marshall explained.
He went on to mention the first patent for a tube of paint – this tiny technological invention enabled a revolution in art, sparking the impressionist movement. The ability for artists to paint outside and on the go made art more accessible, and transformed the art world completely. But even this movement was met with derision.
AI may seem revolutionary, and indeed, it is. But we’ve seen these revolutions, at multiple scales, before.
“Does generative AI change things? Yes it does,” Marshall conceded. “Have we seen changes like this before? Yes we have.”
Tracking AI
But are these changes to stay, or is AI just a fad?
To analyse this, Marshall looked at the Gartner Hype Cycle, calling upon his previous work at the company.
The Gartner Hype Cycle tracks different technologies’ journeys as they grow in popularity and use.
Importantly, the complete Gartner Hype Cycle tracks successful innovations as it slopes up and down – eventually plateauing.
Starting with the ‘Innovation Trigger’, technologies then rapidly increase in popularity to reach the ‘Peak of Inflated Expectations.’
For AI, a lot of these expectations could also be fear. For example, as AI developed from its early stages, the public was terrified of major job loss across industries, and a dystopian armageddon of machines taking over humans.
While these expectations – or fear – dissipate, technologies, even the eventually successful ones, plummet to the ‘Trough of Disillusionment.’ This is where the nay-sayers, pessimists, and sceptics grow in number as applications get more complicated.
In AI, discussions on plagiarism, the lack of a universal truth, and bias had many people feeling wary of the exponential growth of the tech.
Even now, the proliferation in development and use of AI has seen a number of notable tech leaders sign an open letter, imploring a pause in AI development until regulation can catch up.
The ‘Trough’ is also where less impactful technologies are most vulnerable to being thrown away to the ‘Skip of Insignificance’. But for the innovations that make it, this is where the real popularity and lasting growth occurs.
Innovations – once they overcome these early issues – begin their ascent on the ‘Slope of Enlightenment’ where more developments occur. This is where the ‘hype’ levels out to the mainstream, and real development makes the tech fundamental.
According to Marshall, AI is now at the ‘Plateau of Productivity’. While it continues to expand its reach, the technology’s place in certain areas has stabilised, and major tech companies are making AI projects a central pillar in their growth plans after massive layoffs.
But despite its rapid expansion, it still seems to be early days. How do we know how to understand the significance of new technology?
Marshall advises to be wary of listening to people with stakes in the game.
“Loud mouths with vested interests” are to be avoided, according to Marshall, showing a photograph of a Bitcoin investor.
Equally important is understanding what the technology is for. “Half-baked technology pitches trying to control the future,” he urges the audience to steer away from, giving the Metaverse as an example of a technology likely heading straight for the skip.
Listening to analysis is important. AI is resoundingly popular – ChatGPT, just one of many AI chatbots – is the fastest-growing new technology, ever, reaching 100m users in less time than phones, computers, and the internet.
“That tells us that it’s triggering the belief that it is useful,” Marshall said. “These are tools that will help people do their jobs.”
What to Worry About
“AI is an accelerator; it may not be refined but it is powerful and very fast,” Marshall explained about generative AI.
While some may like to focus on the ‘powerful’ and ‘fast’ aspects of AI, Marshall delved further into its issues.
“These things do not understand what they are doing, there is no ‘intelligence.’ There is no world model, and there is no concept of truth behind it.”
These are some of the overarching concerns about generative AI as a whole. While ‘intelligence’ may be in the name, Marshall assures us there is no intelligence in the model.
Marshall detailed some of the other overarching issues regarding generative AI, including bias, which can be introduced by the historic data used to train an AI model.
“Incomplete training will let bias get in there,” Marshall said. AI models have been known to introduce bias based on the data it was trained on – Marshall gave the example of women’s CVs being thrown out by an Amazon AI recruitment bot.
Marshall urges users to be careful with the data they feed AI models as this can perpetuate biases in the data. These biases are not generated by the AI, but existing biases can be exacerbated from a system continually regurgitating the same information.
Another central issue in the AI expansion is plagiarism, which has entered mainstream debate especially in the case of intellectual property. Artists and writers have dealt with conundrums of how AI uses intellectual property to create ‘new’ pieces of work.
Ultimately, it is up to the user, not the AI platform, to be careful of plagiarism, according to Marshall. But defining what plagiarism truly means in these cases only fosters further conundrums.
“The problem is that as an artist, or a writer, or anything, we are all relying on hundreds of years of history – so how much plagiarism is going on in our own head, and is that any different than AI?”
The concept of truly original thought generation makes the debate much less clear cut – AI ethics and AI philosophy is causing the public, and technologists, to ask much bigger questions than expected.
This includes the very concept of truth. As mentioned by Marshall, generative AI has no concept of truth.
Ask ChatGPT a question, and depending on the phrasing, it could generate completely fake, but completely real-sounding, scientific papers and references to back up a false claim. Tell ChatGPT that 2 + 2 = 5, and it might just believe you.
The data inputted and derived from generative AI therefore cannot yet be fully trusted.
Further, generative AI, in its current form, is not auditable. As it does not understand itself how it comes to its own conclusions, it is impossible to check, or repeat, these results.
“The problem with generative AI is that it’s almost impossible to explain why it did what it did – the lack of auditability is a really big issue for generative AI,” Marshall said.
“No matter how big the model it” – no matter how much data the model uses to generate results – “it still doesn’t know what it’s doing.”
Fundamentally, Marshall explains, it is a powerful probabilistic approach. And the probability may change. And this probability can be unpredictable if it cannot be explained.
Play Time is Just Beginning
But while generative AI is plagued by all of these technological challenges and philosophical issues, Marshall was certainly not trying to scare us.
He provided the audience with basic advice, such as how to protect data by not sharing it for no reason in public AI models, and on using secure models.
Most importantly, he stressed the importance of education.
“Education is always the best policy: explain to people why they shouldn’t do something rather than just telling them not to do it,” he urged.
By educating people on the dangers of poorly monitored AI, or what AI can and cannot do for you and your business, we can better use the technology for good. By understanding how biases are introduced, how to secure and use data, and how to avoid plagiarism, we can responsibly use AI before we get to some of the more ethical concerns regarding its use.
And the best way to learn is by doing, Marshall exclaimed. “Experiment, don’t ignore it. Use it, understand it; it’s really important,” he said.
Setting clear targets, so that AI is being used in a fundamental manner for a defined purpose, is also essential.
Most importantly, Marshall declared that AI is certainly not a fad.
“This is not going away, this is fundamental: generative AI is fundamental,” he said.
Wikipedia – the online, volunteer-supported encyclopedia– has said it would not comply with age verifications required by the new Online Safety Bill.
Currently, the Online Safety Bill has several requirements around age gating and verification. The Wikimedia Foundation have stated that these measures are incompatible with the open source nature of the Wikipedia platform and that they will not be age gating their content.
Of the Wikimedia Foundation, Rebecca MacKinnon also said the bill would “violate our commitment to collect minimal data about readers and contributors.” Currently, users of Wikipedia do not need to provide any information to access content, and do not have to create profiles or verify any information surrounding their identity.
The Online Safety Bill may change this, as users would potentially have to provide age verification to access some of the portal’s contents.
This would also confound regulators, as Wikipedia content often appears on Google Search results without users directly clicking on a link to the website – begging the question on if Google users would have to verify their age to search certain topics.
While the government has assured that only high risk services will require age verification, Wikimedia figures are concerned the website could be blocked as a result of non-compliance.
Websites that do not comply with the new bill will be dealt with by Ofcom, and could risk hefty fines for breaking the new rules.
To combat this, Wikipedia is fighting for an ‘encyclopedia exemption’ – whereby services created for the public good and for public knowledge would not be subject to the same laws and content platforms with centralised moderation and user bases.
This would follow the current EU Digital Services Act which gives special consideration to community and volunteer run information websites like Wikipedia.
Government continues to assure that only the highest-risk content will be moderated and may require age verification to access, which only brings up further concern. As Wikipedia is community run and all content is accessible, it is not as readily at the whims of large corporations or government regulation of information.
As the UK continues to grapple with different laws surrounding gender identity, migration, and the right to strike, it brings up further concerns about ‘who’ or ‘what’ would be deciding on what information is high risk.
Online Safety Bill: The Latest
Wikipedia is the latest major platform to come after the Online Safety Bill – WhatsApp, Signal, and other messaging services have threatened to leave the UK market altogether if the new bill infringes on encrypted messaging services.
Recently, campaigners for the protection of women and girls have said the bill does not go far enough to make the internet a safer place.
In a letter signed by many survivors of abuse, read:
“Technology companies have failed to recognise the risks posed by their platforms, designed systems exposing us to significant harm, and made it unsafe for us to report our abuse.
“They have never seen our perspective or experiences as something to learn from, listen to, and act on, but instead operate independently of the women and girls who face violence on their platforms.”
Specifically, the letter is calling for government to add a violence against women and girls (VAWG) code to the Bill to give this issue specific consideration.
Continuing, the letter said: “A Code of Practice will guide online services in how to tackle VAWG online, ensuring the prevention of harm is built into platforms.
“If companies are not required to do this, the specific risks women and girls face will continue to go unaddressed. We must be able to assess the steps companies are taking and hold them accountable for implementing meaningful changes that offer their users better protection.”
76% of technology teams experience burnout due to cybersecurity risk management, according to research from Expel, the managed detection and response (MDR) vendor.
Burnout is a growing concern amongst all workers in the UK – though remote working often offers more flexible lifestyles, finding the work-life-balance can be difficult as tech workers struggle for the right to switch off.
For cybersecurity experts, the burnout is intense, as cybersecurity concerns increase in sophistication and complexity, and new threats rise.
Research also found in the CyberEdge 2022 Cyberthreat Defense Report found that 81.4% of UK organisations experienced at least one attack in the year before the study.
50% of ITDMs rated cyberattack as the third most serious challenge facing their organisations, behind energy prices (61%) and the current economy climate (54%).
The most concerning cyber-threats to decision makers are malware threats, followed by ransomware, and phishing scams.
Business email compromise (BEC) came in fourth, at 25% – the report also notes that these cases are on the rise, and BEC accounted for more than half of all incidents Expel say in their 2022 customer base.
While decision makers understand that cybersecurity is a major concern, the allocation of their resources may not be effective.
Expel found that the median annual security budget among surveyed companies was £200,000. Despite strain on teams, an average of about 26.7% of allocated security budget went unspent.
The expenditure of research may not be effective, as cybersecurity teams feel the pressure of emerging threats.
52% of those surveyed said their groups spend too much time dealing with unnecessary notifications, with those with IT or security titles said the problem is even worse.
An oversaturation of alters can fatigue respondents – a 2021 data report found that companies with 500-1499 employees leave 27% of all alters without investigation.
It’s not just fatigue – 61% of ITDMs said they and their teams suffer from burnout due to cybersecurity risk management.
Further, 70% of IT and security staffers report burnout, with over a third of them saying burnout happens regularly.
The issue has gotten to the degree that 52% of ITDMs say they are likely or very likely to leave to cybersecurity industry in the next 12 months due to burnout.
Ultimately concerning in this is that the question specifically asked about leaving the industry, not just a singular company.
Cybersecurity is already facing one of the worst skills gap in the tech sector, and is one of the most important aspects of digital skills.
Yvonne Eskenzi, Co-Founder of wellbeing and productivity app The Zensory, and Founder of global Cybersecurity PR agency, Eskenzi PR, which has been running for nearly 30 years, provided some insight to the study: “The results of this survey are worrying, but not necessarily surprising.
“We know that security teams are overstretched, understaffed, and lack sufficient budgets. What’s needed is open-minded businesses who are willing to lead the change towards healthier work practises and a more mindful work environment.
“Having been in the industry for nearly 30 years, this is not a new issue. In fact, it’s pretty evident that this is a huge problem that isn’t getting better.
“We need leaders who see the reality of stressed staff – and its catastrophic impacts – and vow to make a difference. But this won’t be a quick change. Workplaces must adopt a ‘cyber mindful’ mindset. This includes arming employees with a mindfulness toolkit that helps them feel empowered to prioritise themselves and their wellbeing.
“This could include making meetings 10 minutes shorter, so staff have time to decompress before moving onto their next task, or simply teaching employees how to use their senses optimally for relax and focus (sensehacking). There really is no step too small.”
A new campaign has been launched in the US – with billboards across Silicon Valley – to encourage tech experts to invest in the UK and help deliver the UK government’s priority to grow the economy.
In 2022, the UK became only the third country in the world to have its tech sector valued at one trillion dollars, making it a tech superpower alongside the US and China.
To date, 162 tech unicorns – private start-ups which are valued at more than $1bn — have been started in the UK, more than the total number in Germany, France, and Sweden combined.
Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, said: “The UK has all the right ingredients for tech companies to thrive. But we’ll keep working hard to foster the right conditions for the tech sector, so that it can continue to deliver on my priority to grow the economy and create jobs right across the UK.”
Yet, the government says that their research suggests many Silicon Valley’s top tech entrepreneurs and investors are still not aware of the UK’s world-leading strengths in areas such as artificial intelligence (AI), fintech, and medical technology.
GREAT, the government flagship marketing programme, has taken steps to address this by launching its ‘Unicorn Kingdom’ campaign, which promotes the UK as a favourable place for tech investment in a bid to grow the economy and create jobs.
Deputy Prime Minister, Oliver Dowden, said: “The UK tech sector is a wonderful success story. Only three countries in the world are in the trillion-dollar tech club – and we’re one of them. We’re home to some of the brightest minds and best universities, and our doors are open to any tech entrepreneur who wants to start the next Deepmind or Deliveroo.”
The campaign launched with billboards in San Francisco promoting the UK sector’s scale ($1 trillion), its business regulations, and talent pools.
It also includes targeted LinkedIn and digital display ads, and a content partnership with TechCrunch with promotional videos narrated by Stephen Fry.
Multiple tech unicorns are supporting the campaign, including Darktrace, Deepmind, Revolut, and Matillion – and is the latest in a number of recent actions from the government in support of the UK tech industry.
This includes the establishment of the new Department of Science, Innovation, and Technology (DSIT), the launch of the International Tech Strategy, the upcoming AI Whitepaper and the government’s commitment to provide £20 billion of funding to research and development by 2024-25 – the highest ever level of public support for UK researchers and innovators.
Further, the government launched a new AI taskforce to increase investment in AI and regulate the expanding technology.
While the government has a positive perspective on the UK tech industry, the new data protection bill could have worrying knock-on effects for the UK’s ability to work with the European Union due to a shift in regulations.
The next stage of the campaign will see leaders from the US tech sector invited to the UK for London Tech week, to see the benefits of working in the UK first-hand.
Technology Secretary Michelle Donelan said: “The UK has one of the top tech sectors in the world with a valuation of more than a trillion dollars. It’s diverse, resilient, and continues to grow at a rapid pace with the most venture capital investment in Europe. The goal of this campaign is to attract as much collaboration and investment as we can from Silicon Valley.
“The formation of the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, shows Investors and entrepreneurs that the UK is more dedicated than ever to forming a tech sector that is pro-innovation, pro-talent and pro-growth. Our commitment for R&D spending to be £20 billion a year by 2024 drives forward the government’s ambitions for the UK to be a science and tech superpower.”
As well as the promotional campaign, business leaders from across Silicon Valley were invited to a special reception to promote the UK tech sector in San Francisco.
At the event, they met the leaders of tech companies from across the UK as well as senior government officials, who explained to them the UK’s place in the tech world and the benefits of investing in the country.
Matthew Scullion, CEO and founder of Manchester-based tech company, Matillion, said: “In the UK, we really have all the ingredients required for building consequential companies. We have brilliant grassroots engineering skills from our very strong university ecosystem. We have skills, we have capital, and we have a great environment for starting and building businesses.
“Further activities will also be carried out in the UK during London Tech Week in June, when leaders from the tech sector in America will be invited to the country to see the benefits of working in the UK.”
Kaspersky has revealed trends in attitudes around cybercrime, finding that most adults (16-55+) believe they are knowledgeable about online security (60%).
However, they have become so complacent towards the subject that over a fifth (22%) have still fallen victim to phishing attacks and more concerningly, only 21% have actually taken action, even after they have suffered a breach.
In the UK, only one in ten adults admit to having taken preventative action after falling victim to a phishing attack by posting about it on social media to alert others, comparing to a quarter (25%) in Greece who said the same, despite being aware of its dangers and what could happen.
With the majority of people now working at least partly from home, lax attitudes are putting businesses at risk as people are now using company computers and devices for personal use.
This trend exposes corporate networks to threats such as phishing scams, Trojans, spyware, and adware.
If malware ends up on a business computer, attackers could penetrate the corporate network and steal sensitive information, including both business development secrets and confidential personal data.
Human error is a major cause of cyber incidents – the 2023 Gartner report found that by 2025, almost half of all cyber incidents will be due to a lack of talent or human error.
Commenting on the survey, David Emm, principle security researcher at Kaspersky said: “It’s clear that despite being aware of the risks of cybercrime, many adults are still choosing a laidback attitude towards online safety in both their personal and professional lives.
“Compromising the security of your own data is one thing, however, careless attitudes towards corporate security not only put data at risk, but potentially your job too.
“Whilst there is an onus on individuals to act responsibly and apply common sense and knowledge to personal and corporate cyber security, there is also a responsibility on businesses to educate.
“Businesses need to prepare their cyber security policies and plans around the worst-case scenario and have measures in place to prevent attacks, but they also have to take the time to teach employees about the types of threats they could face.”
Despite knowing the risks, the majority of adults are also still happy to share personal information online, according to the survey.
Nearly three-quarters (74%) of respondents, who admit to being a victim of a phishing scam, admit to including personal information such as their name and location of social media channels.
Further, the 69% of victims are still using personal information, such as their favourite football team and first pet’s name, to hep them remember their passwords.
Emm concluded, “Most cyber-attacks on corporate systems start by tricking individual members of staff into doing something that ultimately compromises security processes. We all need to be aware of how our individual actions have consequences both for ourselves and the company we work for.”
Greater awareness and education around online security is necessary to combat the increasing prevalence of fraud and phishing scams and to educate the next generation on the dangers of cybercrime.
Kaspersky recommends that all adults no matter their age take online safety seriously and take the necessary steps to protect themselves from cybercrime.
Businesses can also help by increasing awareness of the risk of using corporate devices for personal use and the need to be more aware that individual actions have major consequences not just on them personally, but to entire organisations.
This includes using strong and unique passwords for each online account, not sharing personal information online, and being cautious when clicking on links or opening attachments in emails.
The agreement, which was implemented just over a year ago and is supported by the Home Office, has seen an increase in the number of takedowns, as the NCA worked with Twitter, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube to increase their understanding of how organised crime used their platforms to advertise illegal services.
It comes as representatives from the social media companies met with senior NCA officers and Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick at the Home Office to discuss the progress being made, and to look at new ways forward.
The meeting heard how, since the action plan was agreed, there has been positive engagement with social media channels — who have acted quickly on intelligence supplied by the NCA and removed related content.
More than 3,300 posts, pages, and accounts have been removed or suspended as a result, increasing disruption of organised crime groups’ activity.
The NCA assess that this has led the criminals to adapt their tactics to avoid detection.
Speaking after the meeting, NCA Director of Threat Leadership Chris Farrimond said: “The last year has seen a strong partnership develop between ourselves and the main social media companies, with the aim of preventing organised crime groups utilising their platforms.
“Our understanding is growing all the time, and we now have a solid foundation which we can build on by working together.
“Tragically this last year has also seen a number of fatalities both in the English Channel and further afield in the Mediterranean.
“This hammers home to us all the need to do more to stop these crime groups who treat their fellow humans as a commodity to be profited from with no regard for their safety or security.”
The NCA currently has more than 90 ongoing investigations into networks or individuals in the top tier of people smuggling or human trafficking – the highest number since the agency became operational nearly ten years ago.
Tackling organised immigration crime is therefore one of the NCA’s key priorities, and they continue to seek to disrupt the business models of these crime groups, through targeting their social media offerings.
The social media action plan was implemented to bring greater collaboration against those crime groups using social media to recruit, communicate, and advertise a range of services to migrants.
It sees a greater shared understanding of the threat from organised immigration crime between social media companies and the NCA, such as through the issuing of intelligence-based alerts by the NCA, as well as a more streamlined, two-way system of communication.
Tech Nation, the previously government backed startup support ecosystem, have been acquired by Founders Forum, a global community and group of businesses supporting entrepreneurs.
The transfer will see FF Group continue to execute against Tech Nation’s mission to empower tech entrepreneurs, scale innovation startups, and provide a united platform for UK tech founders.
FF Group plans to relaunch a number of Tech Nation programmes and reports on the UK tech sector as part of its existing portfolio of events and services tailored to entrepreneurs, continuing to build on the organisation’s activities to date.
Having invited expressions of interest from organisations across the UK, and completed a process of due diligence, Tech Nation chose FF Group to usher the growth platform into a new chapter, given its existing UK tech portfolio, and focus on supporting entrepreneurial growth both in the UK and globally.
Commenting on the acquisition, UK Minister for Tech and the Digital Economy, Paul Scully, said: “Startups are at the heart of what makes the UK’s tech sector a success – creating opportunities, innovation, and growth across the UK. We have invested millions over the years to help early-stage and scaling tech businesses go from strength to strength. Founders Forum Group will build on this by continuing the work of Tech Nation, which will complement our ongoing support for the sector.”
Tech Nation, under the FF Group umbrella, will continue to process the Global Talent Visa for the Home Office and applicants can continue to apply as normal with applications in process unaffected, while the Home Office identifies a new endorsing body to take over from Tech Nation.
Tech Nation, under the FF Group umbrella, will continue to process the Global Talent Visa for the Home Office and applicants can continue to apply as normal with applications in process unaffected, while the Home Office identifies a new endorsing body to take over from Tech Nation.
Tech Nation’s outgoing founding CEO, Gerard Grech and Board Director Sarah Wood will help steer the transition as part of FF Group’s Tech Nation Advisory Board.
Grech commented: “Founders Forum Group is the ideal custodian to lead Tech Nation into its next chapter. I am confident FF Group will continue the vital work of Tech Nation, leveraging its influential network to evolve Tech Nation’s existing programmes, foster entrepreneurship nationwide, and supercharge scaleups and high-growth businesses across the UK.
“Its been a privilege to have worked with so many fantastic people during Tech Nation’s journey to date, and I want to thank the Tech Nation team for all their hard work in making it happen with the ecosystem.”
In the last decade, Tech Nation has helped shape the trajectory and success of UK tech to be the number one digital economy in Europe and number three globally, valued at $1tn (16x growth in 10 years) with over 20 places in the UK home to one tech unicorn or more. Additionally, a third of tech unicorns ever created in UK history have passed through one of its growth programmes.
Carolyn Dawson OBE, FF Group CEO, said: “We’re delighted to be carrying the Tech Nation brand forward and building on the remarkable decade of growth which has resulted in the UK now being third in the world for tech investment. Programmes like Future Fifty, Net Zero, and Rising Stars align succinctly with many of our existing initiatives at Founders Forum Group, as well as our overarching mission to bolster entrepreneurial innovation and support founders at every stage.”
Stephen Kelly, Tech Nation Chair, commented: “Since I returned from building global market leaders in Silicon Valley in 2006, we have witnessed an incredible transformation in UK Tech. In the last decade alone, UK tech jobs have grown from 2 million to 5 million with tech sector growth of 5% compound annual growth rate contributing half of the overall UK economic growth.”
He further expanded: “Tech Nation has been a foundation for Britain’s 6000 tech scale-ups which powered more than 90% of the job creation in this golden decade. I am thrilled with FF taking ownership of Tech Nation to extend the golden era of UK Tech. Carolyn and Brent have created the vital platform for growth and the cornerstone of the Government’s ambition for the UK to become a ‘Science & Technology superpower’.”
Skilled volunteering is on the rise, but how can companies large and small contribute to the third sector, and how can they rationalise – from a purely business perspective – taking the time and effort to work with charities?
A panel featuring Ed Mayo, the CEO of Pilotlight, Ann Campbell, People Lead, Wealth Technology at Barclays, Michael von Euw, head of infrastructure at Scottish Tech Army, and Fiona Burton, Managing Director at AND Digital, at the Tech for Good Summit 2023 at the Barclays Campus in Glasgow discussed the three-fold importance of skilled volunteering from the tech sector.
Skilled volunteering is impact-centric, focused volunteering using professional skills to fill essential gaps in public services and the third sector. Much like solicitors doing pro-bono work for charities, tech workers can also use their essential skills to help in this space.
But, how can these tech workers actually help? What’s in it for them? And what would be the benefit for a company to encourage and enable tech workers to volunteer their talents.
How can the Tech Sector Contribute?
The panel consistently referred to the ‘blank wall’ cliche in volunteering – keeping a blank wall somewhere that companies can come in and paint in order to appear like they are contributing to the community.
In an attempt to combat virtue signalling while meaningfully giving back to the community, skilled volunteering among tech companies is starting to pick up.
Many companies in the tech sector can struggle to find their place in the world of volunteering – most ‘social media friendly’ initiatives don’t have a lot to do with the tech industry.
Speaking at the morning keynote at the summit, Rhodri Davies, Founder and Director of Why Philanthropy Matters, said that tech can have a major impact on the third sector, but often in the most unsung places.
The backbone work of certain charities – dealing with data, automating processes, increasing cybersecurity – are perhaps the most important places tech talent is desperately needed.
“Even though it’s less glamorous,” Davies admitted, “it’s more likely to have a direct impact.”
Despite the acknowledged importance of technological developments in the charity sector, 43% of charities say they are at best starting out when it comes to their technical skills and digital transformation.
This can hamper their digital adoption capabilities, but also, as Davies pointed out, make them ‘soft targets’ for cyber attacks.
The need for capable, talented tech workers to volunteer their skills and time in the charity sector is clear, but how can a company rationalise making this a priority?
“When I think about why these programmes are important I see skilled volunteerism as a win win win,” Madeline Hutchinson, the newly appointed head of tech philanthropy at Morgan Stanley, said.
A win for the Third Sector
A win for non-profits? Certainly the more obvious benefit, but perhaps in more ways than is immediately apparent.
Increasing automation for certain tasks, using data to better target areas most in need, and providing new technological solutions could not only help charities survive, but could potentially transform the charity sector as a whole.
Charities are being ‘squeezed’ according to Davies, the pandemic and cost of living services only increased the demand on charities, while rising inflation, energy costs, and interest rates has depleted their resources and steepened their funding requirements.
Increasing automation for certain tasks, using data to better target areas most in need, and providing new technological solutions could not only help charities survive, but could potentially transform the charity sector as a whole.
There’s currently about six million people using their occupational or professional skills to support charities, with a further three million wishing to do so, according to Ed May, CEO of Pilotlight, a charity which matches professionals with volunteering opportunities which suit their needs.
Ann Campbell, a people Lead at Wealth technology – Barclays, says that her teams “moved from more general opportunities to much more skill-focused ways of contributing.”
For example, at Code Playground, tech professionals volunteer at local schools within their community to teach children how to code and programme as part of a growing effort to create a more inclusive tech sphere.
“It’s definitely something we want to tap into as we continue to support the local community,” she said.
Further, partnerships with tech companies may be the only way charities can gain access to certain technology, enabling the emergence of novel solutions.
The collaboration between charity focused workers with tech experts can transform the way charity services are delivered, sparking innovation.
But why would people want to spend their time doing unpaid work? And are there any benefits for the volunteers?
A Win for Tech Workers
According to the panel, this is another major win of skilled volunteering.
When recruiting her team at Club Grace with AND Digital, Fiona Burton sat with her team to see what they wanted to do with their volunteer time.
“We want to give back,” was the most common answer, she said.
Club Grace focuses on providing long and short term support to charities and third sector organisations through technology-based programmes similar to AND digital’s professional services.
For Burton, she found that people were keen to use their skills and apply it to causes they cared about.
“We know how hard it is to retain technical talent,” Burton said, “So let’s do something we’re passionate about.”
And the ability to use their skills for good can have massive benefits for tech workers.
Michael von Euw, head of applications at the Scottish Tech Army, urged listeners to appreciate all the good doing good can do for their workers.
“Don’t underestimate the boost in self-esteem and confidence,” he said. “Depending on the organisation, depending on the volunteer, when we get to see their passions, we get to see them grow.”
Further, volunteering can push tech workers out of their comfort zone, teaching them new skills along the way.
Developers may work as project managers, and taking a project all the way from ideation to delivery and outreach can be uncommon in early career stages for programmers and IT specialists.
Real-world experience in problem solving, communication, team work, and leadership can build vital human skills, and a more client-facing role can help build the soft skills that can set a technologist apart from their peers.
“We’ve had people pass straight through their probation,” van Euw said, in large thanks to the opportunities offered through volunteering. “It helps them grow their skills and grow their passions.”
So, you know it will benefit society. You know it will benefit employees.
But what about the company overall?
A Win for the Company
As GenZ and even younger generations enter the workforce, recruitment priorities have transformed. Buzzwords like ESG and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) have quickly become must-haves for recruitment and retention of talented workers, who often have their pick of a swath of competing companies amidst a skills shortage.
According to Hutchinson – who gave a crash course on how to present skilled volunteering to a sceptical board – said it’s not just a recruitment point for people already looking to get into tech, but volunteering itself can help promote a career in STEM.
“We can use it as an opportunity to get in front of university students and kids and build [tech] as a career of choice,” she explained.
Apart from easing recruitment challenges, volunteering can help with training and development.
Building a business case needs to not just surround these buzzwords to really convince a board to take on skilled volunteering as a priority.
A focus on learning and development can be key in convincing a board on the benefits of giving back.
“The learning and development field is a really exciting area to build the business case,” Mayo said.
The cross-training that comes with skilled volunteering permeates an entire company, strengthening soft skills and fostering innovation from the bottom up, rather than just the top down.
“These types of initiatives make our employees stronger,” Hutchinson insisted, “and our businesses stronger.”
Still, giving back does not always come naturally to every company. From large corporations to small start-ups, the argument for volunteering can be tricky to make amid an economic recession.
Burton, however, says this mindset is holding companies back.
“It’s a fundamental mindset, because either you are a visionary business who is thinking in the long term about growth and progression and attracting the right talent, or you are a short term business focused on numbers – and at the end of the day, I know what company I’d rather be in,” she said.
“If you’re starting with your values, not everything needs to be turned into pounds, shilling, and pence,” Mayo said. “If you’re leading with your values you can be doing the right thing and focus on giving back.”
Globally, workers are focused on developing their human skills, even as they see a future dominated by technology-driven work and increasing automation, according to the new study from Pearson, a global learning company.
For the latest edition of the Pearson Skills Outlook series, Pearson partnered with Google to examine how and why people in the UK, US, India, and Brazil are looking to upskill as they face a rapidly changing economy.
Pearson Skills Outlook: Employee View, the survey of 4,000 workers across those four labour markets, revealed that people are most interested in careers in the tech and business-related fields such as e-commerce, software services, data science, and financial services.
However, they believe that they will need to focus on human and soft skills to land these jobs in advance in their current role. Human skills such as problem solving, leadership, and teamwork are believed to be the most attractive to employers now and in the future.
In the UK, the top two human skills workers in each market are actively prioritising developing and maintaining for career advancement are problem solving and team work.
US workers are also looking add developing problem solving skills, but looked to develop more decision making talents over teamwork.
Indian and Brazilian respondents also sought out teamwork skills, but Indian respondents opted for data processing skills while Brazilians selected leadership as a top priority.
Looking to the future, the top two skills workers want to train to remain focused on human skills in markets in the UK include leadership and problem solving.
In the US, leadership was also a priority, as well as entrepreneurial and project management skills.
Brazilians surveyed selected language skills and leadership as their main skill priorities for the future.
Indian respondents were more varied in their responses, and selected more technical skills including coding/programming, data processing, artificial intelligence and machine learning, as well as problem solving as key focus areas for the future.
The report also signals that in non-English speaking countries, learning English is emerging as a key skill for employees to advance their careers, according to 85% of Indians and 77% of Brazilians surveyed.
“This valuable new research shows that job seekers are prioritising human skills at a time when machine learning and artificial intelligence are having an increasing influence on work,” said Mike Howells, president of Pearson Workforce Skills. “Human skills are proving critical to personal and organisational success, and workers are motivated to sharpen and develop those skills to stay competitive and advance their careers.”
Further, the study also found that most workers (73% of Americans, 68% of British, 89% of Indians and 70% of Brazilians) also say they prefer to learn via their employer, with an even higher number expecting their employer will increase or maintain learning and development opportunities.
Pearson’s previous report, from the eye of the employer, provided further evidence to the trend toward interpersonal and human skills needed in the labour market.
The report found that communication, customer service, leadership, attention to detail, and collaboration were the top five skills employers were seeking in 2022.
