FOI request (FOIR-598247953)

Cyber Security

Requested Thu 21 March 2024
Responded  Wed 27 March 2024

I am writing to politely request the following data under the terms of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 on cyber attacks affecting Hastings Borough Council. Where possible please provide data broken down by calendar year, or failing that, by relevant 12-month period (for example, 2021/22, 2022/23, and so on) for which data is available.

1. How many times has your organisation experienced an attempted cyber-attack in the last two financial years?

2. Have you ever reported any cyber-related incidents to the National Cyber Security Centre, and if so, how many in the last two financial years?

3. Thinking about cyber-attacks where the criminal was able to obtain data or disable systems, how much have these cost the organisation?

4. How much of the organisation's total annual budget is spent on cyber support, protection, and computer systems?

5. How many people are employed by the organisation to oversee cyber support and programmes?

Response

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.