Q1. How many times has your council experienced an attempted cyber-attack over each of the past five years? For this and all relevant questions below, please provide data broken down into calendar year including 2022 to date, or failing that, by relevant 12-month period (e.g. 2020/21, 2021/22 etc.)
We neither confirm or deny that this information is held in accordance with Section 31(3) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
We believe that information relating to any attempted cyber-attacks which the Council may or may not have experienced is exempt from disclosure under Section 31(3) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 – ‘Law Enforcement’. This is because disclosure places the organisation at risk of fraud and crime. Such systems hold information about individuals and, therefore, the possible chain of events resulting from releasing this information could put individuals, and authorities, at risk of criminal activity.
Confirming or denying whether information is held on cyber-attacks and what remedial measures may or may not have been taken could aid malicious parties by encouraging further attacks. Attacks on IT systems are criminal offences, so to provide information or confirmation of information being held might prejudice the prevention of crime by facilitating the possibility of an offence being carried out. There is a very strong public interest in the effectiveness of law enforcement and the prevention of crime.
Although DCC appreciates that there is a general public interest in openness (because this increases public trust and engagement), this public interest should be weighed against a very strong public interest in safeguarding the security of Council specific systems. Indeed, it can be held as not in the interests of an individual council to provide information about the number of attacks that may or may not have been made against its IT systems as this could enable individuals to deduce how successful the council is in detecting these attacks and incurring this risk can be deemed not in the public interest.
Section 31 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 states that there is a very strong public interest in protecting the law enforcement capabilities of public authorities.
Q2. Of these attacks, how many resulted in the criminal being able to obtain data or disable systems?
We neither confirm or deny that this information is held in accordance with Section 31(3) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000, please see our response to question (1) above.
Q3. Thinking about cyber-attacks where the criminal was able to obtain data or disable systems, how much have these cost your council in each of the past five years? If possible, please include the sum total of monies lost to hackers, legal costs and GDPR fines.
We neither confirm or deny that this information is held in accordance with Section 31(3) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000, please see our response to question (1) above.
Q4. What is the most common type of cyber-attack your council has experienced in 2022 so far? (e.g. phishing, DDoS, ransomware, password attack, malware, insider attacks)
We neither confirm or deny that this information is held in accordance with Section 31(3) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000, please see our response to question (1) above.
Q5. In the last 12 months have you employed an external expert to give you advice on how to mitigate the risk of cyber-attacks? If you have but not in the last 12 months please state when.
We neither confirm or deny that this information is held in accordance with Section 31(3) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000, please see our response to question (1) above.
Q6. Does your council currently hold a cyber-insurance policy to protect against the consequences of a cyber-attack?
We neither confirm or deny that this information is held in accordance with Section 31(3) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000, please see our response to question (1) above.
Q7. If so, have you claimed on this policy?
We neither confirm or deny that this information is held in accordance with Section 31(3) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000, please see our response to question (1) above.
Q8. Have you increased cyber security in the last year to mitigate the risk of cyber-attacks?
We neither confirm or deny that this information is held in accordance with Section 31(3) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000, please see our response to question (1) above.
Q9. When did your council last hold training for employees aimed at reducing the role of human error in cyber-attacks and data breaches, e.g. to prevent phishing?
We confirm this information is held, however we consider that this is exempt from disclosure on the ground that Section 31(1)(a) of the Freedom Of Information Act 2000 applies.
Q10. Where on your corporate risk register is cyber risk ranked?
· We don’t have a risk register
· It is not on our risk register
· Outside of the top 10
· Three – ten
· Top three
We confirm this information is held, however we consider that this is exempt from disclosure on the ground that Section 31(1)(a) of the Freedom Of Information Act 2000 applies.