Council in border checks warning
24/09/2024 Kent CC has warned the risks of ‘extremely serious delays' due to new EU border checks have not abated. |
Martyn's Law: Bill to protect public from terrorism introduced
13/09/2024 Plans to require venues to introduce measures to protect visitors and staff from terror attacks – known as Martyn's Law – have been introduced to Parliament. |
Mayors asked to take lead in drive against extremism
05/09/2024 Local political leaders have been asked to spearhead efforts to tackle extremism and foster greater community cohesion following a summer of disorder. |
360 Vision Technology ‘Hybrid’ cameras enable an economical analogue-to-IP transition for Plymouth City Council
04/09/2024 360 Vision Technology has enabled a flexible, CCTV town centre network extension and replacement programme for Plymouth City Council. |
New Vemotion Polecam takes rapid deployment surveillance to the next level
04/09/2024 Vemotion Interactive, the leading UK manufacturer of video streaming solutions, has launched a new version of their popular Polecam rapid deployment camera. |
Newcastle City Council successfully implements Azul Platform Core
02/09/2024 Newcastle City Council has successfully implemented Azul Platform Core to address critical security vulnerabilities in its Java-based applications. |
Three councils fall victim to cyber-attack
19/08/2024 Three council housing websites have been taken down after falling victim to a cyber-attack. |
Council hires security after meeting disruption
11/06/2024 A town council in Norfolk has brought in a security firm to maintain order at its meetings. |
Ending the ostrich approach to data regulation
03/06/2024 Mark Roebuck, founder of ProvePrivacy, explains how councils struggling to keep up with data regulation adherence demands should look to Data Champions. |
Business as Usual: Leicester council’s ‘streetlight’ cyber-attack
17/05/2024 Leicester CC’s response to a recent cyber-attack was an example of an effective business continuity plan, says Billy Ruston, Protection Group International. |
New centre to protect Welsh councils from cyber attacks
13/05/2024 The Welsh Government has established a security operations centre (SOC) dedicated to protecting local authorities from cyber attacks. |
LocalGov elections: Being vigilant ahead of the local elections
24/04/2024 Ahead of the local elections next month, Owen Prendeville, Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), offers tips for protecting against cyber attacks. |
Confidential info published by hackers
05/04/2024 Confidential documents stolen during a cyber attack last month have been published online, a Leicester City Council spokesperson has confirmed. |
Council chiefs receive cyber espionage warnings
04/04/2024 Council chiefs have been warned their email accounts, phones and computers will ‘almost certainly’ be targets for ‘cyber espionage’ before elections. |
LGA calls for powers to withhold members’ address
03/04/2024 Council leaders have repeated their call for legislation enabling councils to withhold councillors' home addresses amid fears of abuse and intimidation. |
City council hit by Cyber attack
11/03/2024 IT and phone systems at Leicester City Council remain shut down this week following a cyber incident |
LGA welcomes new police support for councillors
29/02/2024 The Local Government Association (LGA) has welcomed news that councillors will for the first time have a named police contact to help with security issues. |
Lack of AI policies could have 'catastrophic consequences'
28/02/2024 More than three out of four UK councils do not have usage policies for artificial intelligence (AI) in the workplace, according to FOI data. |
Kent councils hit by cyber incidents
19/01/2024 Canterbury City Council and Dover and Thanet district councils have all issued reports of cyber incidents. |
Tackling cyber vulnerabilities
08/01/2024 James Young, CTO at Cantium Business Solutions, discusses how vulnerability management can play an important part in managing cyber security risk. |
Alarm sounded on cyber threat to local elections
21/12/2023 Ministers have written to councils to warn of attempted foreign interference in next year’s elections. |
LGA responds to councillor’s ceasefire email
21/11/2023 The LGA has spoken out after a councillor threatened to name locally elected members who did not sign up to support a ceasefire in Israel and Gaza. |
Warning of polling day disruption to services
17/11/2023 Frontline council services could be disrupted during elections as staff are drafted in to run polling stations and conduct counts, chief executives warn. |
Protestors remove Israeli flag from Sheffield town hall
11/10/2023 Sheffield City Council has said it will carry out a full review after protesters removed the Israeli flag and hoisted a Palestinian flag in its place. |
Council hit by suspected ransomware attack
25/08/2023 St Helens Borough Council has put in place extra security measures after a suspected ransomware attack on its IT systems and networks. |
Local authorities and the AI revolution
24/08/2023 Stephen Almond, Information Commissioner’s Office, discusses what councils have to consider when it comes to artificial intelligence (AI). |
Cyber-attack hit Electoral Commission
08/08/2023 Information held by the Electoral Commission was accessed by 'hostile actors,' the watchdog has revealed. |
How social housing professionals can combat cyber-attacks
07/08/2023 How can the sector’s IT professionals safeguard their tech stacks? John Blackburn, Central Networks, outlines some crucial steps to implement. |
Russian hackers accessed private data, council says
08/06/2023 Gloucester City Council has warned residents that some personal information may have been stolen by Russian hackers. |
Councils wait for Capita reassurance
02/06/2023 Unhappy councils are seeking assurances from revenues and benefits software supplier Capita there will be no more data breaches after a number of incidents. |
Abuse victims ‘exposed to risk’ due to funding issues
24/05/2023 Funding to tackle violence against women and girls in London is fragmented, complex and difficult to understand, according to a new report. |
List of councils impacted by Capita data breach grows
19/05/2023 The number of local authorities impacted by Capita’s most recent data breach has risen to five. |
Councils to take ‘swift’ action after data breach
17/05/2023 Local authorities say they are taking action to deal with a data breach by the revenues and benefits software supplier, Capita. |
Why adverse media checks are vital to prevent fraud
16/05/2023 When councils consider sanctions screening, it’s important for them to carry out automated adverse media checks, argues Barley Laing, UK MD, Melissa. |
Guide to protect ‘smart cities’ from hackers published
16/05/2023 The Department for Science, Innovation, and Technology (DSIT) has published a new guide to help councils keep ‘smart cities’ safe from cyber threats. |
Majority of senior managers admit outdated cybersecurity
04/05/2023 Almost two thirds of senior managers in councils across the UK admit that their cybersecurity approach is outdated. |
Councils disclose 1,500 data breaches
19/04/2023 UK councils have disclosed almost 1,500 data breaches in a year, according to a survey. |
New North Yorkshire Council bans TikTok
13/04/2023 North Yorkshire Council has banned the use of TikTok on council devices due to digital security concerns. |
Plan to improve care sector’s cyber resilience unveiled
22/03/2023 The Government has unveiled plans to protect the NHS and the social care sector against cyberattacks. |
Planning for safer Coronation celebrations
27/02/2023 Iain Moran, MD of Crowdguard, discusses the importance of considering safety when planning local events and street parties for the Coronation Weekend. |
Kent councils drop CCTV company over genocide accusation
21/02/2023 A number of local authorities in Kent have decided to stop using CCTV made by a company whose technology is allegedly linked to the Uyghur genocide in China. |
How local councils can bolster cyber resiliency
16/02/2023 Rick Jones, CEO and co-founder of DigitalXRAID, discusses how councils can go beyond IT Health Checks to proactively strengthen their security posture. |
Combatting data theft
10/02/2023 Government has issued ‘Data Retention’ advice following an increase in ransomware attacks. AJ Thompson, Northdoor plc, explains how councils can protect data. |
Councils still vulnerable to online attacks, MPs told
06/02/2023 Councils must get together with insurers to work out how to protect themselves against the risk of cyber attacks, a leading security expert has warned. |
Anti-terror duty must be funded, council chiefs say
20/12/2022 Government must ensure enough funding is made available to councils to respond to the ‘significant resource’ requirements of new anti-terrorism legislation. |
Three metrics councils should be measuring to improve website reliability
12/12/2022 Gav Winter, CEO of RapidSpike, believes everyone has the right to a reliable online experience, and outlines how councils can provide a great user experience. |
Councils among top five offenders for data breaches
23/11/2022 Local authorities are one of the top offenders for data breaches across the UK, a new analysis has revealed. |
Protecting councils from phishing attacks
13/09/2022 With 10,000 cyberattacks hitting UK councils every day, AJ Thompson, CCO at Northdoor plc, argues more needs to be done to protect public data. |
Making local councils more cyber-secure
09/09/2022 Rick Goud, CIO and co-founder of Zivver, discusses how local authorities can improve their cyber security. |
Ransomware attacks against councils quadruples
24/08/2022 Ransomware attacks on local authorities have quadrupled over the last year, new research reveals. |
Luton council victim of £1.1m cyber crime
16/08/2022 Luton council was the victim of a ‘highly sophisticated and organised crime group’ that stole £1.1m that had been earmarked for a school, investigation finds. |
Council set to install £1.75m anti-terror bollards
15/08/2022 The City of York Council’s Executive will this week decide whether to approve plans to install permanent anti-terrorism protection measures in the city centre. |
Councils rethink £30m of Gazprom spending
03/03/2022 Councils are reconsidering the multi-million pound contracts they have with the state-owned Russian gas company Gazprom in light of Russia’s Ukraine invasion. |
Council forced to close down buildings following threat to staff
15/12/2021 Middlesbrough Council was forced to lock down its buildings and facilities for three hours yesterday in response to a 'specific threat' made against staff. |
Council installs security to protect suspected Banksy
20/08/2021 A district council has installed extra security around some graffiti that is thought to be a Banksy. |
New measures to protect public spaces from terror attacks
24/02/2020 Councils could be required to protect public spaces from terror attacks under new proposals announced by the Government. |
Manchester to implement Martyn’s Law
08/01/2020 Manchester City Council is set to Martyn’s Law to improve security at all public venues. |
Nearly £300,000 paid to member of public due to typing error
15/10/2019 A council has added a new checking procedure to its finance system after an error led to a member of the public being paid hundreds of thousands of pounds. |
Councils hit by 800 cyber-attacks an hour
04/10/2019 Councils have been hit by at least 263 million cyber-attacks in the first half of this year - the equivalent of 800 every hour - new research has revealed. |
Yorkshire council targeted by pro-Assange hackers
17/04/2019 Barnsley Council’s website has been attacked as part of a campaign to free Julian Assange. |
Handling telephone payments – is your council compliant?
13/03/2019 Geoff Forsyth outlines his top five tips to help councils take incoming payments securely. |
Council officer fined nearly £700 for data breach
28/02/2019 A former council officer has been fined hundreds of pounds after he emailed confidential information to his partner to help her in a job interview. |
Birmingham to build crime prevention into social housing developments
30/11/2018 Birmingham City Council has become the first council to join a national police-run scheme which will see crime prevention techniques built into all its new social housing developments. |
Nearly half of English councils using unsupported server software
24/08/2018 Nearly half of councils in England are still using unsupported server software, according to new research. |
Council warns financial details of 6,000 people have been hacked
09/08/2018 The financial details of up to 6,000 people have been illegally accessed, a London council has warned. |
‘Whole-society' approach to tackle extremism, Burnham says
31/07/2018 Manchester mayor Andy Burnham has called for a 'whole-society' approach to tackle rising levels of extremism. |
Councils take key Prevent strategy role
30/05/2018 Councils have been handed administrative control of the controversial Prevent counter-terror strategy, The MJ has learned. |
Heading off danger
09/04/2018 The MJ turned to BT’s top cyber security experts, Mike Pannell and Neil Mellor, for comments on the findings on the latest reader survey. Their insight comes from decades of personal experience and BT’s expertise as a global network provider. |
Meeting the cyber security threat: are you ready?
09/04/2018 With local authorities increasingly concerned about cyber security, The MJ and BT undertook a survey to gauge the level of preparation. Michael Burton reports on the key findings. |
Keeping the public safe in 2018
16/03/2018 What can councils learn from last year to help improve public security? Gavin Hepburn reports. |
Watch the highlights of a recent roundtable event
23/02/2018 A panel of experts from BT, DCMS and local government had plenty to discuss at our recent roundtable event. Watch the highlights – and find out how our own security initiatives have real impact on the organisations we work with. |
Councils face 19 million cyber-attacks a year
20/02/2018 Councils have been subject to over 98 million cyber-attacks in the past five years, a new investigation has revealed today. |
Councils recognised for ‘best’ cyber security
06/02/2018 Northumberland, Cardiff and Denbighshire councils have been named as three of the organisations best defending themselves from online scams. |
IT managers view data security as ‘biggest priority’
21/12/2017 The majority of senior IT managers working in the public sector view data and system security as their ‘biggest priority’, new research reveals. |
Safeguarding the public at Christmas markets
14/11/2017 Gavin Hepburn explores what measures councils can implement to safeguard the festive markets. |
Councils call for more funding to protect against cyber attacks
18/10/2017 Councils need more funding if they are to handle the rising number of cyber attacks, town hall chiefs have warned today. |
Councils face ‘crisis in confidence’ over cyber-attacks
20/09/2017 Three-quarters of council departments have experienced a cyber-attack in the last year, with half falling victim to ransomware, new research has revealed. |
Voter ID pilot launched in local elections
18/09/2017 Voters in five local authorities will have to prove who they are before they can cast their vote in council elections next May, the Government has announced. |
Anti-radicalisation programme accused of Islamophobia
30/08/2017 The Government has criticised a report into its controversial anti-radicalisation programme for spreading what it describes as ‘falsehoods’ and ‘myths’. |
Council fined due to security risk of ‘flawed’ parking ticket system
18/08/2017 Islington Council has received a £70,000 fine after an investigation found it failed to secure the personal details of up to 89,000 people on its parking ticket system. |
Council installs security measures to stop ‘unauthorised incursions’ on land
15/08/2017 Reading Council has announced it will be undertaking work to install security measures to prevent ‘unauthorised incursions’ on public land. |
Cyber security must be managed and understood at all levels
26/05/2017 For councils it is not a question of if they are threatened by a cyber attack, but when that attack will happen. Doncaster MBC chief exec Jo Miller explains. |
Hackers promise end to parking tickets on council Twitter
03/05/2017 A council has apologised after local hackers took control of their Twitter account and promised to end council tax and parking tickets. |
Councils vulnerable to cyber attacks due to low IT security spend, finds research
26/10/2016 Councils spend eight times more on health and safety training than on IT security and data protection courses combined, new research reveals. |
Socitm announces Cyber Guide partnership
19/10/2016 The public sector is a key target for cyber criminals and ‘cannot rest on its laurels’, Socitm warns. |
Pen testing: cyber security strategies for local authorities
19/09/2016 Penetration testing and why more local authorities see it as a key part of their cyber security strategy. |
Councils report 14% more security breaches in past year
01/09/2016 The local government sector reported 202 security breaches to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) in the past 12 months, an increase of 14% from the year before. |
Improving the safety of mobile technology
24/08/2016 Has BYOD and mobile technology become secure enough for local government use? Peter Merkulov reports. |
'Hardcore' protestors force council to review security
09/08/2016 A London council has been forced to review its security and access arrangements after council staff and councillors were subject to aggression and abuse from protestors. |
Hackers: Fake or real?
02/08/2016 Could you spot a fake hacker? Adrian Crawley explains why it’s time that those in local councils did. |
Cyber-attacks force councils to review security finds survey
12/07/2016 The majority (85%) of IT professionals in local government are reviewing their security considerations following recent high-profile cyber attacks, a new survey has revealed. |
Shell is helping power the journey towards a circular paving industry with Shell Bitumen LT R, a new product for roads that uses plastics destined for landfill as part of the additives to make the bitumen.
Effective Energy Group is now offering its support to the 40 Local Authorities who have received a share of the £430m to deliver their projects on the ground by surveying properties and installing measures.
Dougie Belmore explains how one of the main interfaces between you and Bacs is about to change.