FOI request (FOIR-641309112)

Telephony

Requested Mon 26 August 2024
Responded Fri 20 September 2024

Please confirm the below information?

 1.    Unified Communications

1.    The manufacturer of the council's unified communications software.

2.    The provider (the company that you signed the contract with) for your unified communications software.

3.    Contract end date for your current unified communications software.

4.    Do you have any extensions available on your current contract for the councils unified communications software? If so, please give full details.

2.    Contact Centre

1.    Is the council's contact centre outsourced? If so, to who?

2.    How many contact centre agents does the council employ?

3.    The manufacturer of your contact centre software

4.    The provider (the company that you signed the contract with) for your contact centre software.

5.    Contract end date for your current contact centre software.

6.    Do you have any extensions available on your current contract for the council's contact centre software? If so, please give full details.

Response

1. Unified Communications

a. The manufacturer of the council's unified communications software.

Answer: Refused - please see refusal notice below

b. The provider (the company that you signed the contract with) for your unified communications software.

Answer: Refused - please see refusal notice below

c. Contract end date for your current unified communications software.

Answer: January 2025

d. Do you have any extensions available on your current contract for the councils unified communications software? If so, please give full details.

Answer: Contract is currently annual rolling

2. Contact Centre

a. Is the council's contact centre outsourced? If so, to who?

Answer: No

b. How many contact centre agents does the council employ?

Answer: 14

c. The manufacturer of your contact centre software

Answer: Refused - please see refusal notice below

d. The provider (the company that you signed the contract with) for your contact centre software.

Answer: Refused - please see refusal notice below

e. Contract end date for your current contact centre software.

Answer: January 2025

f. Do you have any extensions available on your current contract for the council's contact centre software? If so, please give full details.

Answer: Contract is currently annual rolling

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.