Tech firm employee arrested after Scotland’s busiest rail stations affected by UK-wide hack of passenger Wi-Fi
Welcome to the weekly Futurescot Newsletter
Keeping you up-to-date with news and analysis across the public technology and innovation sector.
We bring you news this week of the arrest of a tech firm employee after Wi-Fi services for passengers at 19 Network Rail operated train stations - including Glasgow Central and Edinburgh Waverley - were disrupted by "cyber vandalism".
Read that piece in full and the rest of our tech stories from the week. Don't forget to get in touch with your stories at [email protected] or send a tweet or DM to @futurescot_news, and please share with your colleagues.
An employee of a technology company in London has been arrested after Scotland’s busiest rail stations were hit by a UK-wide hack of passenger Wi-Fi systems.
The unnamed man was arrested after 19 stations operated by Network Rail – including Glasgow Central and Edinburgh Waverley – were hit by a hack on Wednesday evening. MORE ?
JUSTICE
New cyber division and AI focus for cops
Police Scotland has announced the creation of a new cyber division to tackle the rise of online crime and will look to AI to improve force efficiencies.
Chief Constable Jo Farrell has signalled a greater investment focus on tech as the force responds to the growing threat of online harm MORE ?
Jo Farrell will be one of the speakers at Digital Justice & Policing 2024
BUILT ENVIRONMENT
Could 'biochar' revolutionise buildings?
Scientists in Edinburgh are investigating the use of a charcoal-like substance as a ‘carbon-eating’ building material. MORE ?
STARTUPS
Boost for Dundee as over 100 members join tech cluster
More than 100 members have now joined a tech education and mentoring programme for startups across the Dundee and Tayside region. The firms are now part of the regional delivery arm of the Scottish Government’s nationwide Techscaler scheme, delivered by CodeBase.?MORE ?
ENERGY
Scottish Government welcomes GBEnergy Aberdeen plans
The Scottish Government has welcomed confirmation from Keir Starmer that GB Energy will be headquartered in Aberdeen.
The prime minister revealed in his party conference speech this week that the nationalised energy company will be headquartered in the granite city.?MORE ?
SKILLS
领英推荐
Young software engineer of the year's personal data quest
A Strathclyde University student has been named young software engineer of the year at an annual industry conference and awards. Ben Macdonald, from Ayrshire, has been working on a way to give internet users greater privacy with personal data stores. He became scooped the prize at the annual ScotSoft conference and awards.?MORE ?
?CLEAN-TECH
Swedish heat pumps firm opens plant Stirling
A Swedish heat pump firm has opened its first Scottish hub in Stirling as it plans to become the market leader for the clean-tech home energy solution. Aira is pledging to create 30 highly-skilled clean energy jobs in the local area, chosen for its links across the central belt, and to Aberdeen. MORE ?
EDUCATION
Focus on sustainability for computer science students
Computer science undergraduates at the University of Glasgow are to be taught about the environmental impacts of their field of study in a ‘UK first’. Students at the university will be taught and assessed about sustainability in the computing industry – given the sector’s growing consumption of energy resources.?MORE ?
AI
Skin cancer app to be developed by Aberdeen scientists
Scientists in Aberdeen are working on an AI-enabled smartphone app to help skin cancer patients. Experts are working on new technology which helps people previously treated for melanoma examine their skin regularly to reduce anxiety and help catch any recurrence of the disease. MORE ?
BRIEFINGS
Verified personal information can now be saved in ScotAccount
The Scottish Government's ScotAccount service - designed to help people interact more efficiently to government digital services - has enabled a feature which allows people to save their verified personal information such as name, address, and date of birth, so they can re-use it across different government services. The service is also being extended to other agencies.?MORE ?
NHS Education for Scotland to empower housing leaders with a digital mindset
NHS Education for Scotland is to offer fully funded Digital Mindset sessions tailored specifically for senior leaders and board members in the housing and care sectors. The sessions are designed to build the confidence and knowledge required to lead and support the transformation of services.?MORE ?
Call to update exam body’s ‘ageing digital infrastructure’
If ministers don’t invest in the “ageing digital infrastructure” of Scotland’s qualifications body then the ambitions of ongoing education reform will not be realised, MSPs have been warned.
That was the stark message today from Fiona Robertson, chief executive of the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA), as she gave evidence at a meeting of the Scottish Parliament’s Education, Children and Young People Committee.?MORE ?
PUBLIC SECTOR IT CONTRACTS
Scottish Canals awards HR and payroll managed service contract
Scottish Canals has awarded a ￡203,000 contract to Manchester-based Moorepay to support and maintain its current HR/Payroll Managed Service.?MORE ?
Stirling Council awards digital alarm receiving centre contract
Stirling Council has awarded a ￡265,000 digital alarm receiving centre contract to Blackburn-based Chubb Fire & Security Limited, to replace soon to be decommissioned analogue systems.?MORE ?
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