FOI request (FOIR-659886459)

Information Technology

Requested Tue 05 November 2024
Responded Tue 12 November 2024

Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, I would be most grateful if you could provide the following information regarding your ICT Infrastructure.

1. What is your annual IT Budget for 2024, 2025, and 2026?

2. Storage:

a. What storage vendor(s) and models do you currently use?

b. What is the capacity of the storage data in terabytes and how much of this is utilised?

c. What were the installation dates of the above storage vendor(s) and when do you estimate you will refresh them?

d. Do you have any extended warranties, and if so, with which supplier?

e. Which reseller(s) provides the above technology, what was the value of the contract, and when does the contract(s) end?

3. Server/Compute:

a. What number of physical servers do you have?

b. What server vendor(s) and models do you currently use?

c. What were the installation dates of the above server vendor(s) and when do you estimate you will refresh them?

d. Do you have any extended warranties, and if so, with which supplier?

e. Which operating systems are used?

f. Are you currently using VMWare, and if so, do you have any plan to move away from VMWare?

g. Which reseller(s) provides the above technology, what was the value of the contract, and when does the contract(s) end?

4. End User Technologies:

a. How many users within your organisation receive a laptop or desktop device?

b. What laptop and desktop device vendor(s) and models do you currently use?

c. How many mobile phones are used within your organisation?

d. What mobile vendor(s) do you currently use?

e. Which reseller(s) provides the above technology and when does the contract(s) end?

f. Have you transitioned to Windows 11, or do you have a plan in place to transition to Windows 11?

g. Is your current device estate compatible with Windows 11?

h. What deployment methods are you using (for example, SCCM or Intune/Autopilot)?

5. Managed Print Services:

a. What number of MFDs and production print devices do you have?

b. Who is the current vendor(s) and the suppliers(s) and when do these contracts end?

c. What is your annual spend on Managed Print Services?

d. Do you use any document management or scanning/storage services? If so please can you provide the details of the supplier and the end date of the contract?

6. ITSM/ESM and Business Process Automation:

a. What IT Service Management/Enterprise Service Management tool do you currently use and who supplies it?

b. When was your current system installed and when does the contract or support expire?

c. Do you utilise Business Process Automation or have a plan to implement this tooling?

7. Do you have a managed/shared service with any other organisations?

8. Do you normally purchase equipment and services as a capital investment (CapEx) or ongoing operational charges (OpEx)?

Response

Q1.

2024/25 Budget - Publicly available at:

https://hastings.moderngov.co.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=168&MId=5093

2025/26 Budget - Information not held

2026/27 Budget - Information not held

Q2. Request Refused

Q3. Request Refused

Q4. Request Refused

Q5. Request Refused

Q6. Request Refused

Q7. Request Refused

Notice of Refusal

Disclosure of information relating to ICT systems, infrastructure and 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 systems, infrastructure and 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.

Q8. Decided on a case-by-case basis