Dave Rowley

I believe only 3% of all UK companies are cyber essentials certified. However large companies, fair a little better with 21% certification. Clearly more has to be done across all sectors.

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Cybersecurity isn’t just for big corporations it’s a critical priority for businesses of all sizes. 43% of cyberattacks target small businesses, yet many SME’s still lack basic protections. Investing in cybersecurity fundamentals isn’t optional anymore it’s essential for resilience, trust, and long-term success. If you are a UK Business, getting CE is no longer “a nice to have”. Contact us to find out more: https://lnkd.in/dCHxCpH9 #cybereasentials #SME #cybersecurity

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Following our Phase II deployment with Humberside Police, we've gathered valuable feedback from control operators about the real-world impact of our AI solution. Here's Lily, an FCR Contact Officer, sharing her experience with working with us and using our platform for emergecny services - Untrite Thrive. I'm so so happy that operators like Lily embrace technology when it actually helps them do their job better. Most people don't fear AI itself - it's about yet another system that makes their work harder. Because - let's be honest - most do. They disrupt their workflows adding more steps to their already overloaded jobs (not to mention the cost of training!). That's why it was really important for us to design a system that is built in and works alongside the operators in the background, not taking away their attention from what matters the most - staying on the line, asking questions, gathering info and acting on it. And to always make sure that AI is only assistive - it's always humans who make the final decision. When technology works alongside humans instead of fighting them, the difference is MASSIVE. Humberside took calculated risks by being first to trial our technology. That willingness to challenge old ways of working is exactly what makes them one of the most innovative forces in the UK (Well done guys!). We had many chats with many other forces, but it was HP who had the guts to be the first. They're not waiting for others to prove concepts - they're leading the way. We need more decision-makers who aren't afraid to try something new. People who understand that maintaining the status quo isn't neutral - it's a choice that often has real consequences. When you give people tools that genuinely help them serve the public better, everyone wins. The technology exists. The benefits are proven. Now we need more decision makers to follow Humberside's lead and put innovation ahead of bureaucracy and ego. #ai #innovation #technology #police #publicsector #emergencyservices

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📢 NEW OPPORTUNITY: Secure Innovation Security Review Scheme for UK Tech Startups Launched 📢 Secure Innovation Security Reviews offer innovative early-stage UK technology businesses expert, tailored guidance to help protect their ideas, technologies, competitive edge and reputations. Delivered by approved security reviewers, the service helps businesses identify and manage key security risks, including those linked to state threats and helps them integrate protective security into their broader business strategies. There are only a limited number available, so act now if you want your business to benefit! 🔗 More details and how to apply: https://lnkd.in/eupDbhuT

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MPs Urge Government to Prioritise AI Upskilling for Civil Servants Amid Growing Digital Divide. MPs are calling on the UK Government to urgently invest in AI training for civil servants, warning that without targeted upskilling, public services risk falling further behind in efficiency and digital readiness. A new Public Accounts Committee report highlights widening gaps in digital capability across departments, threatening service delivery and citizen outcomes. https://lnkd.in/eiXwi7vj #ai #upskilling Gareth Oldale TLT LLP Sheila Flavell CBE FDM Group Pluralsight Elizabeth Anderson Digital Poverty Alliance #PublicAccountsCommittee #thinkai

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The UK has no defensive cyber strategy, no framework to implement or enforce cybersecuirty into the boards of public and private sector firms. Not enough skilled resources to implement and manage cybersecurity. A lack of clear leadership of cybersecurity risk management. But this is not new, its been an issue for UK PLC for many years. Cyber is a national and economic security risk, and a risk to the security of society. The UK simply does not have the structures in place to address cyber as a whole of society issue. The UK needs a defensive cyber strategy, cyber regulation, regulatory enforcement and clear visible ownership at all levels from government down. The UK treats cyber as a 'right of bang' problem, when it is an issue that has to be proactively managed. Yet it is not. Thaddeus Dziekanowski Brian D. McCarthy Faisal Khan Veritas GRC #cybersecurity #cyberriskmanagement #cyberattack

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As a voice for industry on building the UK’s digital economy, techUK members have prepared the “Vision 2030- A Roadmap for Building a Digital Assets Economy”. Drawing on perspectives from across the ecosystem, from Layer-1 chains, professional advisors, to financial houses, forensics data providers and beyond, we have identified opportunities that will help strengthen the UK’s position as a financial hub, a centre of innovation and a market where technology is used for good. 👉 Chapter 1: Distributed Ledger Technolgoy in Financial Services 👉 Chapter 2: Tokenisation 👉 Chapter 3: Payments (to include stable coins) 👉 Chapter 4: Fraud Prevention and Detection 👉 Chapter 5: Creative Industries 👉 Chapter 6: The Current Challenges in the UK 👉 Chapter 7: Practical Roadmap for Building a Digital Assets Ecomomt by 2030 Each chapter is divided into two parts, the first details the status quo and what capabilities are currently in play. The second considers what the industry expects DLT usage to look like, and what role it plays in shaping the above industries by 2030. Thanks to all the techUK members who participated and contributed including Isadora Arredondo at Hedera Robert Gaskell and the team at Appold Dr Christina Yan Zhang at the The Metaverse Institute Rajesh Sadhwani at DXC Technology Racheal Muldoon and team at Charles Russell Speechlys Jordan Wain at Chainalysis Cindy van Niekerk at Umazi and James Challinor and the team at techUK My own firm Lawrence Stephens

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Millions of people in the UK are classified as vulnerable. Every time they need help from their bank, energy provider, telco company or other essential services, they have to explain their circumstances again. Bereaved people reliving loss. People with serious illness re-explaining their condition. People in financial difficulty re-proving their situation. It's exhausting. It's undignified. And it shouldn't be necessary. Today I'm proud to announce that Smarter Contracts is partnering with the Vulnerability Registration Service to solve this by building the UK's first fully decentralised Vulnerability Passport. Register once with VRS. Service providers verify status without accessing underlying sensitive data. Vulnerable people maintain control and never have to repeatedly disclose the hardest moments of their lives. We’re able to offer this through our Pulse+ application. Built as part of the Department for Trade's Smart Data Challenge and powered by our patented zero-knowledge architecture, Pulse+ ensures the permissions underpinning how the data passport can be used across networks. Smart Data. Smart Permissions. More information can be found below 👇 Wayne Foster Ulrika Dellrud Adam Amos Tim C. Liz Brandt Daniel Weaver Dan Roselli Jamie K Leach (MAppFin - GAICD) James Bowater Atul Mehta Andrew Dowsett Emma Critchley-Lloyd Emma Garbutt Vulnerability Registration Service Helen Lord Tony Leach Simon Towers James Radley Satpal Sandhu #consumerduty #permissions #blockchain #vulnerability

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🔐 Tech founders – have you reviewed your security posture? As threats to UK innovation grow, the Secure Innovation Security Review scheme from NPSA and NCSC offers tailored support to help tech start-ups and spinouts strengthen their defences. ⚡ Government is part-funding reviews for up to 500 early-stage companies, providing access to an approved Security Reviewer to assess and improve your business approach across cyber, governance, supply chain, and more. 👉 https://lnkd.in/d278_vAb National Protective Security Authority (NPSA) Nationaal Cyber Security Centrum (NCSC-NL) Innovate UK South West Department for Business and Trade

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The doom and gloom surrounding the UK’s Digital ID private sector market place is palpable following the UK Government’s announcement that it is creating its own Digital ID app. Should it be doom and gloom though? Perhaps take heart from the following (none of which are popular): 2029! I mean really? We’re reinventing wheels here. All the tech to do this already exists - why four years to issue the first digital ID’s? Tax! One thing the private sector digital ID providers can do, which the government system will never be able to do, is pay tax! Take a look at this sneaky little provision in section 39(4) of the Data (Use & Access) Act 2025 - The [fees] regulations may provide for the amount of a fee to exceed the administrative costs of determining the application [to be on the register of digital ID providers] or the administrative costs associated with the continued registration (as the case may be). If you don’t think the government are going to bring in their own digital ID app and make the private sector digital ID providers pay for it, you’re living in a dreamland. Trust! People do trust private digital ID providers (and with good reason). Despite the current government’s attempts to scupper that with totally inadequate certification and testing processes, the vast majority of private digital ID providers have always gone way above and beyond any government frameworks absolutely recognising that user trust is core to their continued existence. The government app (oh so briefly certified under the trust framework before abandoning that and proceeding in the ‘we’re the government, we can do what we want’ path) hadn’t even carried out proper data and security checks before launching their app. So I’ll be keeping my faith in the creativity, innovation and trust of the private sector. I just hope they commercially survive long enough for the government’s plan hurtles head long into the buffers. 2.5m petition against in 3 days suggests this is to be a short lived project.

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I joined the Jem AI session where Simon Ellis was exploring how they are integrating AI into their platforms, it was refreshing to see. He explored some incredible tools, some of them are Relay.app for automation, Magic Patterns for design, the focus was clear simplify, automate and empower 💪. My biggest takeaway : The future of work isn't just about using AI, it's about putting together the right specialised tools to solve specific problems and save time. Thanks for the insights, Simon and Jem team! #AI #Fintech #TechStack #Efficiency #Jem #SAIBusiness #HR

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Some useful details here emerging on the workflows around the coming GOV.UK Wallet: 1️⃣ Government departments that provide credentials for the wallet (which will be a requirement over the next few years) need to be using OneLogin. This makes sense, and *may* serve to accelerate the latter’s adoption – or equally could lead to delays by introducing an additional dependency. There may not be a way to do this without OneLogin, but I wonder. 🏪 GOV.UK can act as a source of credentials outside the public sector (good!) and will integrate with private sector solutions on the DVS framework. I think there is massive potential, perhaps underestimated by some of the providers, for GOV.UK to be a shared platform that underpins rapid iteration and competition around user experiences and new use cases among the industry (helping Smart Data work better is just one). Certainly that would be a better outcome and a more productive relationship than telling the state it should stick to a broken status quo lest it “out-innovates” the market (as my job title suggests, I am all in favour of government innovation – as I strongly suspect are most citizens sick and tired of slow, crumbling public services). Worth keeping an eye how this develops!

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GOV.UK Wallet & One Login: Infrastructure Enabling the Paperless Shift The UK government is building the enablers: GOV.UK One Login, GOV.UK Wallet, trust frameworks for digital identity. GOV.UK Identity Week By 2027, services that issue physical or paper credentials will be required to offer digital alternatives. That means more than convenience — it means a legal and policy mandate pushing paper away. The Verge Noumi Digital is designed to play in that future: loyalty programs tied to digital identity, rewards and verification that don’t need plastic cards or paper vouchers. We’re ready for the world where your phone is your wallet. Find out more: www.noumi.digital #NoumiDigital #DigitalIdentity #PaperlessUK #GovTech #FutureReady

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Political Economy of Digital Identity works only when it is utility-driven. The UK Government is facing push-back because #digitalidentity is being politicised, not positioned as everyday utility. This is evident from a public petition opposing “digital ID cards” which has surpassed 2.6 million signatures—a clear signal of where public sentiment sits today. In a real #digitaleconomy, people already verify who they are to access opportunity: opening #fintech and #neobank accounts, selling on social media #marketplaces, booking gigs, activating eSIMs, recovering accounts, and proving age for online services. Verification happens because it enables things. That’s the lesson. Adoption follows utility. What should government do now—if the goal is a digital identity for the sake of secure digital public infrastructure and providing utility to the masses. Meet people where they already are. Use mechanisms already in motion and make them the easiest path to services. ◆ Leverage existing rails (banking, telecom, payments, trusted ID providers) and enable verify-once, reuse-often with consent. ◆ Standardise #selectivedisclosure so services ask only for what’s needed (e.g., “over 18,” not full DOB). ◆ Reward utility: faster access, instant recovery, fewer forms—keep paper/offline routes, but make digital clearly better. ◆ Start voluntary, scale by value: roll out to high-utility services first, then expand as trust grows. Trust in digital identity is built by usefulness and safeguards, not by proclamations. Use the tools already working, prove the benefits, and adoption will follow.

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As a supplier across UK public services, we maintain user names and passwords for 400+ procurement and payment avoidance portals - for three business entities. It all works OK as long as clients and us stick to always using the same emails, and they don't need SMS verification and the same portal doesn't work for multiple clients but when it goes wrong it is *such* a time suck!

This session will be insightful about how to prevent fraud at scale with senior expertise from the Public Sector Fraud Authority & Synectics Solutions

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Fraud is not rising because finance teams are careless. It is rising because trust is fragmented. The new CFIT paper on Digital Company ID makes something very clear: we are still verifying the same companies, the same directors and the same bank accounts again and again across the economy. That duplication is not just inefficient. It is dangerous. Every repeated onboarding creates: • Data re-entry risk • Impersonation surface area • Compliance cost • Drop-off friction for legitimate SMEs A reusable, permissioned company identity changes the model entirely. Verification becomes portable. Trust becomes compounding. Fraud signals become shareable rather than siloed. The prize is not just lower fraud. It is faster onboarding, better liquidity flow and less administrative drag on SMEs. This is the direction the UK needs to move in. Identity should be infrastructure, not paperwork. Strong work from Centre for Finance, Innovation and Technology (CFIT) and coalition partners pushing this forward. #DigitalIdentity #FraudPrevention #SME #Fintech #UKInnovation Charlotte Crosswell OBE Emma Jones

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I put this programme together because so many local businesses have told me they feel overwhelmed by the pace of change in AI and unsure about what’s safe or best practice. We’ve researched what really works, so this is a practical, up-to-date way to help businesses benefit from AI, safely and with confidence.

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The UK tech ecosystem continues to prove its resilience and its global relevance. The Tech Nation Report 2025 gives one of the clearest looks yet at where UK tech stands today. From record levels of VC funding to the continued rise of scaleups and unicorns, it is clear that the sector remains one of the strongest in Europe. What stands out this year is the growing focus on international expansion. Nearly half of UK founders are considering overseas growth, with the United States emerging as the most popular market. It reinforces a truth we see across our own data at shipshape.vc: access to capital and scale increasingly depends on global reach. We were delighted to collaborate with Marco De Novellis & Tech Nation and provide insights that helped shape this year’s report. Their work continues to capture both the opportunities and the structural challenges that define the next stage of UK tech growth. The ambition is there. The talent is world-class. Now it is about ensuring UK founders have the pathways and partnerships they need to grow globally. Link to Technation Report: https://lnkd.in/euZynnbP #Fundraising #Investors #Shipshape

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