Outdated computers are costing the Government £2.3billion a year to keep running while some of its obsolete systems are failing to meet minimum cyber-security measures, new report finds
- Report revealed half the money goes on ‘keeping the lights on’ outdated system
- Some of the obsolete systems are more than three decades old and are insecure
- Cabinet Office spokesman said Government accepted report recommendations
Outdated computers cost the Government £2.3billion a year to keep running, a report has revealed.
Of the £4.3billion spent on IT across all government departments, the report revealed half of this goes on ‘keeping the lights on’ outdated legacy systems.
Some of the obsolete systems are more than three decades old and fail to meet even the minimum cybersecurity measures.
Shadow cabinet office minister Fleur Anderson told the BBC: ‘It is unacceptable that taxpayers’ money is being pumped into failing and outdated infrastructure.’
A Cabinet Office spokesman said the Government had accepted the report’s recommendations in full.
Of the £4.3billion spent on IT across all government departments, the report revealed half of this goes on ‘keeping the lights on’ outdated legacy systems. Stock picture
Ministers commissioned the report after setting an ambition to make the UK Government’s digital services the ‘best in the world’.
But the findings – presented to the Cabinet Office in October 2020 but only published late last month – suggested there was still some way to go.
The problem with old IT systems was just one of seven ‘challenges’ facing the government’s overhaul of its digital services.
Among the other criticisms, it said ‘significant sums’ had been invested in collecting and storing often very large datasets – but made little use of them.
Some of the obsolete systems are more than three decades old and fail to meet even the minimum cybersecurity measures
There were ‘numerous examples’ of projects meanwhile that had failed to deliver or had come in ‘significantly behind time and over budget’.
There was also a lack of checks over whether the IT systems were up to scratch, despite this being ‘fairly standard practice in most leading private or public sector organisations’.
In 2012, a performance management system had been put in place – but had since fallen into disuse.
Even the technology behind it that was now obsolete and ‘vulnerable to cyber attack’, it said.
Underpinning many of the issues was a lack of digital expertise among civil service bosses, the Organising for Digital Delivery report found.