FOI request (FOIR-609875000)

Cyberattacks detected

Requested Mon 29 April 2024
Responded  Fri 10 May 2024

I am writing to submit a formal request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 for information regarding cyberattacks/cyber breaches experienced by your local council over the past five years.

Specifically, I am requesting the following information for each year from 2019 to 2024:

1. The total number of cyberattacks detected or reported to you for each year (and month if possible) between and including 2019 and 2024.

2. A breakdown of the types of cyberattacks experienced, including but not limited to:

a. Phishing attacks

b. Distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks

c. Malware infections

d. Ransomware attacks

e. Insider threats

f. Other types of cyber threats

If possible, please provide the data in a tabulated format, clearly indicating the number of cyberattacks for each year and the type of attack. If providing a breakdown of the types of cyberattacks is not possible, please provide any available information on the most common or significant types of cyberattacks experienced by the local authority during the specified period.

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.