The data breach at Talk Talk two days ago where it is possible that the personal information of millions of customers was stolen, highlights the constant threat facing all organisations. In this article Deborah Galea explains what is going on.

Read more on TEN FACTS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT DATA BREACHES…

It’s finally here – the day that Marty McFly and Doc Brown will arrive in their time travelling DeLorean. Wearable technology, multi-channel television and the odd 1980’s Apple Macintosh in an antique shop will all come as no surprise.

Read more on IF YOU SEE MARTY MCFLY, CAN YOU TELL HIM…..

IPPR has called for the introduction of a troubled lives programme to improve the service that is given to people with multiple problems and to cut the cost of service provision. The programme would mirror the successful troubled families initiative.

Read more on THINK TANK CALLS FOR TROUBLED LIVES PROGRAMME…

Theft of data is becoming more prevalent and sophisticated. A worrying development is taking over the user account rather than creating a new account with stolen data. Data verification checks have no value, because all data is correct. In this article Ryan Wilk argues that the most effective defence is detailed observation of user behaviour.

Read more on COMBATING ACCOUNT TAKEOVER…

David Cameron has pledged to address the UK’s housing crisis by selling off expensive council properties and using the money to build 400,000 new homes.

Speaking at the Conservative Party Conference in Manchester, the Prime Minister said the government is committed to building a “property-owning democracy”.

Read more on PRIME MINISTER PLEDGES TO SELL OFF PRICEY VACANT COUNCIL PROPERTIES…

Research by the King’s Fund shows that life expectancy between the richest 10 per cent and the poorest 10 per cent shrank by 2.5 years between 1999 and 2010.

The King’s Fund report, which builds on Professor Sir Michael Marmot’s ground-breaking research into health inequalities, is the first time that the relationship between life expectancy and income has been analysed over time at this level of detail.

Populations in poorer areas tend to have worse health than populations in richer ones, but the research suggests that the gap in life expectancy narrowed from 6.9 years in 1999–2003 to 4.4 years in 2006–10. Average life expectancy across the whole of England increased during this period, but the fastest improvement was in areas with the highest levels of income deprivation.

The reasons behind this are complex. From the late 1990s to 2010, the Department of Health focused on reducing inequalities in health by targeting areas with particularly low life expectancy, providing additional support to their local NHS and encouraging greater uptake of treatments for conditions like diabetes and high cholesterol. However, wider factors impacting life expectancy also changed during this period: poverty in older people improved; unemployment remained low during most of this period; and, there were improvements in housing quality, particularly in the social rented sector.

The research also showed that life expectancy in some areas was unexpectedly high or low, even when accounting for other factors. For example, average life expectancy is higher in West London and lower in urban areas of the North West than the levels of deprivation and lifestyles in those parts of the country would predict.

Commenting on the findings, David Buck, Senior Fellow at The King’s Fund, said: “It is welcome news that differences in life expectancy between rich and poor areas improved in the period up to 2010. The relationship between poverty and poor life expectancy has been known for some time. But how this relationship changes over time, and the role of other factors are less well understood. This period saw significant improvements in inequalities in general with low unemployment and improved housing, which are likely to have been factors in this improvement.

“While the changes in the relationship between income and life expectancy is good news, it remains to be seen how the gap in life expectancy between the richest and the poorest will have been affected by the economic downturn, and the policy reaction to it, following the 2008 financial crisis. We believe our findings support and reinforce the case for a true cross-government approach to reducing inequalities in health, with NHS, local authority and central government policy more aligned than they currently are.”

Read more on LIFE EXPECTANCY GAP BETWEEN RICH AND POR NARROWING…

The digital by default agenda is picking up pace and making inroads on all aspects of public service delivery, and the trend is set to continue. In this feature Tim Swift explains how his local authority is taking great strides towards successful paperless public service delivery.

Read more on ONE COUNCIL’S JOURNEY TOWARDS DIGITAL BY DEFAULT…