Request
1. Please list the number of devices deployed by your organisation.
– Desktop PCs
– Laptops
– Mobile Phones
– Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs)
– Printers
– Multi Functional Devices (MFDs)
– Tablets
– Servers (Physical)
– Storage Devices (E.g., NAS, SAN, etc.)
– Networking Infrastructure (E.g., Switches, Routers, Interfaces, Wireless Access Points, etc.)
– Security Infrastructure (E.g., Firewalls, Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS), Virus Monitoring Tools, etc.)
2. Does your organisation have any plans of refreshing or replacing any of the ICT devices from the below list.
– Desktop PCs
– Laptops
– Mobile Phones
– Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs)
– Printers
– Multi Functional Devices (MFDs)
– Tablets
– Servers
– Storage Devices (E.g., NAS, SAN, etc.)
– Networking Infrastructure (E.g., Switches, Routers, Interfaces, Wireless Access Points)
– Security Infrastructure (E.g., Firewalls, Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS), Virus Monitoring Tools)
Note: If the projected expenditure is not available, list the years when the refresh/replacement is due or planned for the above devices.
3. Does your organisation have any plans for developing, refreshing, or replacing any software applications?
Outcome
Some information provided.
Response
I can confirm that The National Archives holds information relevant to your request.
We are unable to provide you with some of the information you have requested because it is covered by the exemption at section 31(1) (a) of the FOI Act, which exempts information if disclosure would or would be likely to prejudice the prevention or detection of crime.
For further information about why this exemption has been applied, please see the explanatory Annex at the end of this letter.
We are pleased to be able to provide this information to you:
1. Please list the number of devices deployed by your organisation for the below list?
We have the following number of devices deployed:
Desktop PCs – 371
Laptops – 651
Mobile Phones – 117
Personal Digital Assistants (PDA’s) – 0
Printers – 20
Multi Functional Devices (MFD’s) – 20
Tablets – 103
Servers (Physical) – 118
Storage Devices (E.g. NAS, SAN etc.) – 15
Networking Infrastructure (E.g. Switches, Routers, Interfaces, Wireless Access Points, etc.) – 355
Security Infrastructure (E.g. Firewalls, Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS), Virus Monitoring Tools) – 2
2. Does your organisation have any plans of refreshing or replacing any of the ICT devices from the below list?
We do not hold any information for future refresh plans.
3. Does your organisation have any plans for developing, refreshing, or replacing any software applications?
Plans exist for the replacement of some software applications.
We do not hold information about any further plans.
Disclosing software brands may reveal information that would prejudice the prevention or detection of crime and is exempt under section 31 (1) (a) of the FOI Act.
Explanatory Annex
Exemptions applied
Section 31: Law Enforcement
We are unable to provide you with information regarding software brands because this information is exempt from disclosure under section 31(1) (a) of the FOI Act. Section 31(1) (a) exempts information if its disclosure would or would be likely to prejudice the prevention or detection of crime.
Section 31 is a qualified exemption and we are required to conduct a public interest test when applying any qualified exemption. This means that after it has been decided that the exemption is engaged, the public interest in releasing the information must be considered. If the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in withholding it then the exemption does not apply and the information must be released. In the FOI Act there is a presumption that information should be released unless there are compelling reasons to withhold it.
The public interest has now been concluded and the balance of the public interest has been found to fall in favour of withholding information covered by the section 31(1)(a) exemption. Considerations in favour of the release of the information included the principle that there is a public interest in transparency and accountability in disclosing information about government cyber security. However, release of this information would make The National Archives more vulnerable to crime. The crime in question here would be a malicious attack on The National Archives’ computer systems. As such release of this information would be seen to prejudice the prevention or detection of crime by making The National Archives’ computer system more vulnerable to hacking. There is an overwhelming public interest in keeping government computer systems secure which would be served by non-disclosure. This would outweigh any benefits of release. It has therefore been decided that the balance of the public interest lies clearly in favour of withholding the material on this occasion.
Further guidance on section 31 can be found here:
https://ico.org.uk/media/for-organisations/documents/1207/law-enforcement-foi-section-31.pdf