Articles about UK

There are expected to be more than 420 million internet connected devices in use across the UK within the next three years and if poorly secured these can leave people exposed to security issues and even large scale cyberattacks.

To address this, a new voluntary Code of Practice is being launched by the UK government to help manufacturers boost the security of internet-connected devices such as smartwatches, virtual assistants and toys.

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Almost one in four Brits (23 percent) have been victims of fraud when shopping online -- with eight percent duped more than once, according to a new study

The inaugural Fraud Tracker report from online payment service Shieldpay  shows that the average victim loses £608, yet receives only £55 back from their bank.

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UK households are home to thousands of pounds' worth of broken gadgets, according to new research from technology retailer Laptops Direct.

The survey of more than 1,000 UK adults shows that the average household is currently harboring £2,460 of broken technology and gadgets. Smartphones are the most common items in these technology graveyards with 78 percent holding onto them even though they’re broken.

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As part of London Tech Week, 1,600 new jobs and billions of pounds of investment into the UK economy have been announced at an event hosted by Prime Minister Theresa May in Downing Street.

Private sector funding comes from companies including Salesforce, which is investing £1.9bn in the UK over the next five years, this will include the opening of its second UK data center in 2019.

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When GDPR comes into force next week, organizations will have 72 hours to report security breaches to a regulator once they become aware of them.

Ahead of the new legislation, the UK's Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has released details of the latest data security trends. Reported incidents in the final quarter of 2017 showed a 17 percent increase over the previous quarter, perhaps indicating that companies are taking a more proactive approach to reporting as GDPR approaches.

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A few weeks ago we spoke to ThinkMarble about the impending arrival of GDPR and the company's virtual data protection office service.

As the May 25th deadline draws closer, the company has released some research data that shows almost three-quarters of UK businesses are unaware of the lawful basis for processing data and a quarter still don't know, or are unsure of, where the personal data they are responsible for is currently held.

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The UK can be a world leader in the development of AI says a report released today from the House of Lords Select Committee on Artificial Intelligence.

The report sets out five principles for the use of AI which have some echoes of Asimov's laws of robotics. The principles are:

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The UK government is no stranger to confused attempts to try to control the internet. After voicing a desire to "combat" end-to-end encryption -- despite not understanding it -- and unveiling an AI system to counter terrorist content online, Home Secretary Amber Rudd now has the dark web as her next target.

Rudd has pledged to spend £9 million (around $12.7 million) to "clean up the dark web" and cut down on cybercrime. It's a move that has been criticized for not only being politically motivated, but also being misguided and hugely underfunded.

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With GDPR coming into effect on 25th May, many organizations will find themselves needing to appoint a data protection officer in order to comply.

But appointing full-time compliance staff can be a difficult and costly exercise. Which is why cyber security company ThinkMarble is launching a Virtual Data Protection Officer (VDPO) service.

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If you grew up in the UK in the 1980s, you’re probably familiar with the Acorn Computers brand. The company produced a number of popular microcomputers, such as the Acorn Electron and the Acorn Archimedes. It’s best known as the maker of the BBC Micro -- the education focused computer found in many schools across the country (and which was the inspiration for the Raspberry Pi).

Brand nostalgia is a big thing right now, with modern versions of old computers -- like the ZX Spectrum and C64 -- making their way on to the market. If you were an Acorn devotee back in the day, the good news is there’s a new smartphone for you, arriving in time to commemorate the brand’s 40th anniversary. The bad news is it isn’t a great smartphone, or even a custom built one.

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Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos the UK Prime Minister Theresa May says she wants the country to lead the world in deploying artificial intelligence in a safe and ethical manner.

A new advisory body -- Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation -- will be set up to co-ordinate the UK's efforts with other countries, and the UK will join the Davos forum's own council on artificial intelligence.

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New research released today by the UK government shows that fewer than half of all businesses and charities are aware of new data protection laws with just four months to go before they come into force.

Knowledge varies by industry, businesses in the finance and insurance sectors have the highest awareness of the changes to be brought in through the EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which is to be implemented in UK law via the Data Protection Bill in May 2018.

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With GDPR implementation only a few months away, a worrying new survey shows that 55 percent of UK businesses are still unaware of the GDPR regulations.

The study by compliance solution PORT.im also reveals that only 27 percent of businesses believe GDPR applies to them, despite 73 percent saying that they collect personal data on their customers -- a strong indication that GDPR does apply.

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We're used to digital assistants controlling more and more aspects of our daily lives, but a UK police force is looking at how Amazon Echo could help in fighting crime.

Police in Lancashire, north west England, are looking at how Alexa could relay information about missing persons or updates on local crime to citizens. It could also be used in the reporting of minor offenses, freeing up police call centers to deal with more serious issues.

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The highly controversial Snooper's Charter -- also known as the Investigatory Powers Act -- is, the government has been forced to admit, illegal under European law in its current form.

The Brexit process may well be underway, but at the moment, the UK is still subject to EU law. As such, the government is making changes to the law. While the tweaks will not change the level of surveillance people are subjected to, they will restrict who has automatic access to that information.

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