20 February 2026

Kashif Nazir, Technical Manager, Cloudhouse

On 28 October 2023, staff arriving at the British Library discovered a catastrophe unfolding. Key systems were encrypted, servers were offline, and digital catalogues had vanished. By mid-morning, the crisis management plan was invoked and the National Cyber Security Centre was engaged. One of the world's most prestigious cultural institutions – custodian of over 170 million items spanning three millennia – had fallen victim to a sophisticated ransomware attack.

More than two years after the attack, full restoration continues with some services still scheduled for recovery. This isn't just another cybersecurity cautionary tale. It's a story about what happens when decades of technical debt collide with modern threats and when structural vulnerabilities endemic across the sector finally come home to roost. Most importantly, it's a roadmap that every library, archive, museum, and university needs to study before facing their own reckoning.

18 February 2026

Kao Data, a specialist developer and operator of data centres tailored for AI and advanced computing, has released a new report detailing how Slough has transformed into Europe’s largest data centre cluster and the UK’s de facto AI Growth Zone (AIGZ).

The report, titled “The Quiet Revolution: How Data Centres Remade Slough and Secured the UK’s Digital Future,” underscores Slough’s hosting of over 675 MW of hyperscale data centre capacity, supporting more than 14,000 jobs and generating over £30 million annually in business rates, significantly boosting the local economy.