FOI request (FOIR-544324939)

Email Encryption

Requested Mon 04 September 2023
Responded  Mon 11 September 2023

Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, please can you provide the following information in relation to your past, present and future suppliers of the following services:

1. Email encryption

a. Do you have a product or supplier for email encryption?

b. If so, please can you supply details of the contractual arrangements in place including date of award, details of any Framework used or link to the advertisement, contract value and duration.

c. If so, please can you indicate the plans for future procurement of this product?

d. If not, please can you indicate what evaluation of the requirement for email encryption has been undertaken?

e. Please can you confirm the individual responsible for managing your email encryption contract or wider cyber security contracts and provide their contact details and role title?

2. E-signatures

a. Do you use a specific product or solution for electronic signatures?

b. If so, please can you confirm the name of the supplier from which this solution is purchased?

c. If so, please can you supply details of the contractual arrangements in place including date of award, details of any Framework used or link to the advertisement, contract value and duration?

d. If so, please can you indicate the plans for future procurement of this product?

e. If not, please can you indicate what evaluation of the requirement for email encryption has been undertaken?

f. Please can you confirm the individual responsible for managing your e-signature solution contract or wider cyber security and provide their contact details and role title?

Response

1. Email Encryption

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.

2. E-Signatures - We do not use a specific product or solution for electronic signatures.