£60m on secure Airwave system
By Steve Ranger
Published: 13 February 2008 11:36 GMT
The taxman is spending £60m on a secure communications system to help in its crackdown on fraudsters and smugglers.
Her Majesty's Revenue & Customs (HMRC) has signed a 15-year deal to provide its criminal investigation and detection teams with the Airwave digital radio system. A control room will be established and the contract will allow 4,000 handsets to connect to the Airwave network.
HMRC's law enforcement arm investigates and detects crimes involving tax fraud, smuggling and related issues, providing the intelligence needed for the prosecution of individuals in breach of UK law with regards to tax and duties.
Airwave said HMRC officers using the network will be able to communicate securely with other users such as police and port authorities, because voice and data traffic carried over it can be encrypted to prevent eavesdropping.
HMRC's project manager, Stephen Walton, said security was always going to be a "major factor" when it came to choosing the radio network, although a network that provides coverage across a wide area was also important.
Airwave's network covers 99 per cent of Great Britain's land mass including all major and minor roads, the company said.
Ensure effective incident reporting, management and investigation process are in place. Government Connect Mail and Exchange Ensure the operations ...
If you can demonstrate your suitability with regards to the above criteria and possess the problem solving nature and confidence to succeed in this ...
I am interested in speaking to all Mid/Senior Ruby on Rails Developers in regards to this position. Permanent NOT Contract opening- Must be prepared ...
Agenda Setters 2008
Welcome to the ninth annual Agenda Setters poll – silicon.com's list of the top 50 most influential individuals in the technology and IT industries, from techies and CIOs to entrepreneurs and business leaders. Find out more in our latest special report.
Stories from the web...
Copyright © 2008 CBS Interactive Limited. All rights reserved. Top of page
Nick Heath
Next stop HMRC: How TfL CIO will shake up the taxman
Interview: Phil Pavitt, CIO Transport for London, on making IT boring
Gary Bettis
Public sector CIOs: It's your time to shine
Comment: Efficiency programme offers big challenges and opportunities
Gary Lynch
How e-coding can prevent NHS slip-ups
Barcodes to run in their blood
silicon.com
Inbox: Chip and PIN latest big IDea - and still no readers
"PIN numbers do not present much of a challenge to a determined crook"
Jo Best
From army officer to IT chief - CPS CIO David Jones
Profile: What IT and the military have in common
silicon.com
Inbox: Government IT ignoring red lights?
"The civil servants who specify these projects are not competent technically"