Dear T. Scott,

Thank you for your request for information dated 11 July 2014, received by
us on 14 July 2014, which is copied below.

We will endeavour to respond to your request promptly but in any case
within 20 working days i.e. on or before 11 August 2014.

If you have any queries about your request, please use the request number
quoted in the subject line of this email.

Yours sincerely,

IRIS Officer
Information Rights and Information Security (IRIS) Service | House of
Commons

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Dear T Scott,

Freedom of Information Request F14-362

Thank you for your request for information as copied below. You asked
whether the IP addresses provided are still the only IP addresses that
will appear in logs if someone within Parliament visits a web site. You
also asked that if these are not the only IP addresses you be provided
with the new IP addresses, or ranges of IP addresses.

Please be aware that the House of Commons and the House of Lords are
separate public authorities for the purposes of Freedom of Information. On
this occasion you request covers information affecting both Houses and we
have sought to provide you with a response covering the entire
Parliamentary Network as this cannot be separated out between the Houses.

This information is held by the House of Commons, however we have
concluded that is exempt from disclosure under the following sections of
the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA):

Section 31 (Law Enforcement)

The House considers that releasing the information would be likely to
prejudice the prevention or detection of crime and the information is
therefore exempt by virtue of s.31(1)(a) Freedom of Information Act 2000.
This is a qualified or non-absolute exemption and the public interest test
applies.

There may be a public interest in knowing how many IP addresses are
associated with Parliament or what those addresses might be, however, this
is outweighed by the risks associated with disclosing the information.
Although details of IP addresses have previously been provided,
confirmation of whether or not these addresses are still associated with
Parliament, along with provision of any new addresses or ranges would
leave the parliamentary network open to targeted attacks known as denial
of service (DoS). Such attacks would render our internet service unusable
to those connected to the Parliamentary Network, affecting the ability of
the Houses to conduct their daily business. Providing such information
would also reveal the existence and identity of our proxy servers enabling
attackers to obtain valuable information about the configuration of the
proxy ports and software.

In providing details of our IP addresses, we would fail in our duty to
prevent weaknesses coming to the attention of parties intending criminal
attacks against our systems and in turn we would fail in our duty to
assist those services providing us with law enforcement. In these
circumstances we consider the public interest in maintaining the exemption
outweighs the interest in disclosure.

Section 24 (National Security)

The House also considers the information exempt for the purposes of
safeguarding national security. This is a qualified or non-absolute
exemption and the public interest test applies.

The public interest in transparency in the spending of public money on
effective systems has been considered. However, whilst there may be a
public interest in access to this information, the countervailing argument
is that the disclosure of the requested information would allow targeted
attacks (in the ways detailed above) by parties considering possible
hostile attacks against our systems. It is considered that in this case it
is not in the wider public interest to disclose as the failure of the
Parliamentary Network would risk national security being compromised.

You also asked who can access the internet through those IPs, for example:
MPs and their offices, the speaker and his office, Peers, Hansard writers,
clerks and other officials, civil servants, and/or the general public
(through public wifi, etc).

Internet access on the Parliamentary Estate is available to the staff of
both Houses, Members and their staff, contractors and anyone with a
Parliamentary Network account on a need basis.

You may, if dissatisfied with the handling of your request, complain to
the House of Commons. Alternatively, if you are dissatisfied with the
outcome of your request you may ask the House of Commons to conduct an
internal review of any decision regarding your request. Complaints or
requests for internal review should be addressed to: Information Rights
and Information Security Service, Department of HR and Change, House of
Commons, London SW1A 0AA or [1][House of Commons request email]. Please ensure
that you specify the full reasons for your complaint or internal review
along with any arguments or points that you wish to make.

If you remain dissatisfied, you may appeal to the Information Commissioner
at Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF,
[2]www.ico.gov.uk.

Yours sincerely,

IRIS Officer
Information Rights and Information Security (IRIS) Service | House of
Commons

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