FOI request (FOIR-479219686)

Applications

Requested Tue 17 January 2023
Responded Wed 01 February 2023

A. Please may I have the following information broken down by year from 2018 to 2022?

1. Applications, requests, report it, book it, and contact us received via digital means.

2. Applications, requests, report it, book it, and contact us received via non digital means (telephone and face to face).

3. Further breakdown of information in percentage for Benefits, Planning, Council Tax, and Complaints.

4. Number of data breaches and how many have been reported to the ICO.

B. As a council please can you also supply:

1. Digital and transformation strategy for the next 5 years, if you have one.

2. If you are proactively working on transformation, are you working with another council?

3. If you working with another council, are you the lead council?

Response

A1. Self Service

2018 - 26,586

2019 - 28,643

2020 - 31,689

2021 - 34,523

2022 - 33,350

A2. Telephone and face to face combined

2018 - 110,312

2019 - 105,257

2020 - 90,518

2021 - 95,446

2022 - 97,846

A3. Breakdown Benefits, Planning, Council Tax, Complaints, Other

2018 - 25%, 15%, 45%, 5%, 10%

2019 - 20%, 15%, 45%, 5%, 15%

2020 - 18%, 12%, 50%, 4%, 16%

2021 - 15%, 14%, 48%, 6%, 17%

2022 - 12%, 10%, 60%, 5%, 13%

A4. Data Breaches

Request Refused

Notice of Refusal

Disclosure of information relating to ICT security constitutes a security risk as it would leave the Council's computer assets more vulnerable to a malicious hacking attack. This means that disclosure would:

• Make the Council more vulnerable to crime (Section 31)

• Risk harming the systems on which the day-to-day business of the Council relies (Section 43)

Section 31 (Law Enforcement)

Section 31(1)(a) states that information is exempt if its disclosure is likely to prejudice the prevention or detection of crime. ICO guidance states that this can be used to protect information on a public authority's systems which would make it more vulnerable to crime. This exemption can be used by a public authority that has no law enforcement function:

• To protect the work of one that does

• To withhold information that would make anyone, including the public authority itself, more vulnerable to crime

The crime in question would be a malicious attack on the Council's computer systems. Since the disclosure of the withheld information would make the Council's systems more vulnerable to such crime, the exemption is engaged.

The exemption is subject to the public interest test. There is an overwhelming public interest in keeping the Council's computer systems secure which would be served by non-disclosure. This outweighs the public interest in accountability and transparency that would be served by disclosure.

Section 43 (Commercial Interests)

Section 43(2) states that information is exempt if its disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice the commercial interests of any person (including the public authority holding it).

Disclosure of information relating to ICT security puts the council at risk of a malicious hacking attack.

This would compromise the Council's ability to provide its services and carry out 'business-as-usual' should our systems be compromised. Were our systems to be compromise, the cost of a system recovery would be detrimental to the Council's commercial interests.

The exemption is subject to the public interest test. There is an overwhelming public interest in keeping the Council's computer systems secure which would be served by non-disclosure. This outweighs the public interest in accountability and transparency that would be served by disclosure.

B1. Hastings Borough Council works to a corporate plan that can be viewed at:

https://www.hastings.gov.uk/my-council/corp-plan/

B2. No.

B3. Not Applicable.