FOI request (FOIR-768692141)

Under the Freedom of Information Act, I would like to request the following information.

Telephone System

What make is your telephone system?

How old is the telephone system you operate?

How many users do you have?

Is your telephone system cloud based or on premise?

Can your switchboard operators transfer external incoming calls to all users across your estate?

How many extensions does your telephone system have?

Telecoms Estate

How much do you spend annually on telecoms?

Do you know how this is split into Voice Telecoms / Data Networking / Mobile Communications / Maintenance?

How many analogue lines do you have?

How many ISDN2 Services do you have?

How many ISDN30 Services do you have?

How many mobiles do you have?

Have you done anything about the Analogue Switch Off / Digital Switch On?  If so, what have you done?

What are the contact details for the person who looks after telecoms and the costs associated with these?

Microsoft

How much do you spend annually with Microsoft?

How often do you review licensing costs?

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.