Freedom of Information Request Regarding Cyber and Information Security Spending in Schools
Dear Denbighshire County Council,
I am writing to request information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 regarding the expenditure of your Authority on cyber and information security controls for the schools it manages or oversees.
Specifically, I would like to request the following information for the academic year 2023-2024:
1. Total spending on cyber and information security for schools within the local authority’s jurisdiction, including but not limited to:
Network security solutions (e.g., firewalls, intrusion detection systems, etc.)
Endpoint security (e.g., antivirus, anti-malware software)
Email security (e.g. spam filtering)
Patch and vulnerability management (e.g. vulnerability scanners, patch management tooling etc)
User access control systems (e.g., two-factor authentication, user account management)
Data protection measures (e.g., encryption, data loss prevention systems)
Cybersecurity training and awareness programs for staff and students
Cyber security consultancy services or dedicated personnel
2. Breakdown of spending per school or group of schools (if available), detailing individual expenditures for each of the above categories.
3. Details of any funding allocated for cybersecurity that was not spent or remained unused during the requested financial years.
4. Any internal or external assessments or reviews of the adequacy of the cyber and information security controls in place for the schools, particularly in relation to:
Compliance with data protection laws (e.g., GDPR)
ISO 27001 and/or Cyber Essentials compliance
Cybersecurity threats and risks identified in risk assessments
Recommendations made and actions taken in response to security reviews.
5. Information on any cybersecurity incidents or breaches reported by schools within the local authority’s jurisdiction, including the number of incidents and a summary of the nature of these incidents (e.g., ransomware, data breaches).
I would be grateful if you could provide the information in a digital format, ideally as a spreadsheet.
Yours faithfully,
Brett Marcus
Dear Brett Marcus
Thank you for your recent request for information held by Denbighshire
County Council received 01/10/2024 regarding cyber and information
security controls for the schools DCC manages or oversees.
As set out by the Freedom of Information Act 2000 it will be our aim to
respond to your request by 29/10/2024.
In some cases, however, we may be unable to achieve this deadline. If this
occurs, we will advise you of the likely timescale within which the
response will be provided.
Under the Freedom of Information Act the Council may charge for
disbursement costs (e.g. photocopies, postage). However, should there be
any such costs, you will be notified of this prior to the commencement of
any work.
Please do not hesitate to contact me for further advice or guidance
relating to the above.
Yours sincerely
Kerry Standen BA (Joint Hons) DipEcon
Swyddog Mynediad i Wybodaeth / Access to Information Officer
Gwasanaeth Cymorth Corfforaethol: Pobl / Corporate Support Service: People
Cyngor Sir Ddinbych / Denbighshire County Council
Ffon / Tel: 01824 708242
E-bost:[email address]
E-mail:[email address]
Gwefan [1]http://www.sirddinbych.gov.uk
Website [2]http://www.denbighshire.gov.uk
Hi’ neu ‘hi’ ydy’r rhagenwau i / My pronouns are ‘she’ and ‘her’
Dysgwr
Rydym yn croesawu gohebiaeth yn Gymraeg. Byddwn yn ymateb i unrhyw
ohebiaeth yn Gymraeg ac ni fydd hyn yn arwain at unrhyw oedi.
We welcome correspondence in Welsh. We will respond to any correspondence
in Welsh which will not lead to a delay.
Privacy Notice - what we will do with your details.
Your details, as given by you in your request, will be processed by
Denbighshire County Council for the specific purposes of processing your
Freedom of Information Request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000,
or the Environmental Information Regulations 2004. The Council will not
share the data with any other organisation. Denbighshire County Council
will retain the details for three years from the date that the request is
closed.
If you feel that Denbighshire County Council have mishandled your personal
data at any time you can make a complaint to the Information Commissioners
Office by visiting their website, or by calling their helpline on 0303 123
1113.
For further information about how Denbighshire County Council processes
personal data and your rights please see our privacy notice on our website
–
[3]www.denbighshire.gov.uk/privacy
Dilyn ni ar Twitter: http://twitter.com/cyngorsDd - Follow us on Twitter:
http://twitter.com/DenbighshireCC
Ymwelwch a ni ar-lein ar http://www.sirddinbych.gov.uk - Visit us online
at http://www.denbighshire.gov.uk
Mae'r wybodaeth a gynhwysir yn yr e-bost hwn ac unrhyw ffeiliau a
drosglwyddir gydag o wedi eu bwriadu yn unig ar gyfer pwy bynnag y
cyfeirir ef ato neu atynt. Os ydych wedi derbyn yr e-bost hwn drwy
gamgymeriad, hysbyswch yr anfonwr ar unwaith os gwelwch yn dda. Mae
cynnwys yr e-bost yn cynrychioli barn yr unigolyn(ion) a enwir uchod ac
nid yw o angenrheidrwydd yn cynrychioli barn Cyngor Sir Ddinbych. Serch
hynny, fel Corff Cyhoeddus, efallai y bydd angen i Gyngor Sir Ddinbych
ddatgelu'r e-bost hwn [neu unrhyw ymateb iddo] dan ddarpariaethau
deddfwriaethol.
The information contained in this e-mail message and any files transmitted
with it is intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom
they are addressed. If you have received this e-mail in error please
notify the sender immediately. The contents of this e-mail represents the
views of the individual(s) named above and do not necessarily represent
the views of Denbighshire County Council. However, as a Public Body,
Denbighshire County Council may be required to disclose this e-mail [or
any response to it] under legislative provisions.
References
Visible links
1. http://www.sirddinbych.gov.uk/
2. http://www.denbighshire.gov.uk/
3. http://www.denbighshire.gov.uk/privacy
Dear Brett Marcus
Thank you for your request for information received
01/10/2024 concerning cyber and information security controls for the
schools DCC manages or oversees. I apologise for the delay in sending a
response to your request. This is because officers are on leave for half
term. I anticipate obtaining the final response by the end of next week.
If I can be of any further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact
me.
If you have any queries regarding this response, please do not hesitate to
contact me at the following address: Access to Information Officer, PO BOX
62, Wynnstay Road, Ruthin, LL15 9AZ or email [1][Denbighshire County
Council request email]. Alternatively, if you are unhappy with the way the
council has handled your request and wish to ask for internal review,
please contact the Legal Services Manager at the same address. If you are
subsequently not content with the outcome of the review, you have the
right to apply to the Information Commissioner whose address is Wycliffe
House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9
5AF. [2]www.ico.org.uk/foicomplaints
The contents of this communication and the enclosed documents are subject
to copyright protection. It has been sent to you for your information and
you may use it for any private study and non-commercial research. The
information may also be used for the purposes of news reporting. Re-use
for commercial publication requires the permission of this Council.
Please do not hesitate to contact me for further advice or guidance
relating to the above.
Yours sincerely
Kerry Standen BA (Joint Hons) DipEcon
Swyddog Mynediad i Wybodaeth / Access to Information Officer
Gwasanaeth Cymorth Corfforaethol: Pobl / Corporate Support Service: People
Cyngor Sir Ddinbych / Denbighshire County Council
Ffon / Tel: 01824 708242
E-bost:[email address]
E-mail:[email address]
Gwefan [3]http://www.sirddinbych.gov.uk
Website [4]http://www.denbighshire.gov.uk
Hi’ neu ‘hi’ ydy’r rhagenwau i / My pronouns are ‘she’ and ‘her’
Dysgwr
Rydym yn croesawu gohebiaeth yn Gymraeg. Byddwn yn ymateb i unrhyw
ohebiaeth yn Gymraeg ac ni fydd hyn yn arwain at unrhyw oedi.
We welcome correspondence in Welsh. We will respond to any correspondence
in Welsh which will not lead to a delay.
Privacy Notice - what we will do with your details.
Your details, as given by you in your request, will be processed by
Denbighshire County Council for the specific purposes of processing your
Freedom of Information Request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000,
or the Environmental Information Regulations 2004. The Council will not
share the data with any other organisation. Denbighshire County Council
will retain the details for three years from the date that the request is
closed.
If you feel that Denbighshire County Council have mishandled your personal
data at any time you can make a complaint to the Information Commissioners
Office by visiting their website, or by calling their helpline on 0303 123
1113.
For further information about how Denbighshire County Council processes
personal data and your rights please see our privacy notice on our website
–
[5]www.denbighshire.gov.uk/privacy
Dilyn ni ar Twitter: http://twitter.com/cyngorsDd - Follow us on Twitter:
http://twitter.com/DenbighshireCC
Ymwelwch a ni ar-lein ar http://www.sirddinbych.gov.uk - Visit us online
at http://www.denbighshire.gov.uk
Mae'r wybodaeth a gynhwysir yn yr e-bost hwn ac unrhyw ffeiliau a
drosglwyddir gydag o wedi eu bwriadu yn unig ar gyfer pwy bynnag y
cyfeirir ef ato neu atynt. Os ydych wedi derbyn yr e-bost hwn drwy
gamgymeriad, hysbyswch yr anfonwr ar unwaith os gwelwch yn dda. Mae
cynnwys yr e-bost yn cynrychioli barn yr unigolyn(ion) a enwir uchod ac
nid yw o angenrheidrwydd yn cynrychioli barn Cyngor Sir Ddinbych. Serch
hynny, fel Corff Cyhoeddus, efallai y bydd angen i Gyngor Sir Ddinbych
ddatgelu'r e-bost hwn [neu unrhyw ymateb iddo] dan ddarpariaethau
deddfwriaethol.
The information contained in this e-mail message and any files transmitted
with it is intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom
they are addressed. If you have received this e-mail in error please
notify the sender immediately. The contents of this e-mail represents the
views of the individual(s) named above and do not necessarily represent
the views of Denbighshire County Council. However, as a Public Body,
Denbighshire County Council may be required to disclose this e-mail [or
any response to it] under legislative provisions.
References
Visible links
1. mailto:[denbighshire%20county%20council%20request%20email]
2. https://newsletter.ico.org.uk/c/1bedZlVe...
3. http://www.sirddinbych.gov.uk/
4. http://www.denbighshire.gov.uk/
5. http://www.denbighshire.gov.uk/privacy
Dear Brett Marcus
Thank you for your request for information received
01/10/2024 concerning cyber and information security controls for the
schools DCC manages or oversees.. Please see the attached response.
If I can be of any further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact
me.
If you have any queries regarding this response, please do not hesitate to
contact me at the following address: Access to Information Officer, PO BOX
62, Wynnstay Road, Ruthin, LL15 9AZ or email [1][Denbighshire County
Council request email]. Alternatively, if you are unhappy with the way the
council has handled your request and wish to ask for internal review,
please contact the Legal Services Manager at the same address. If you are
subsequently not content with the outcome of the review, you have the
right to apply to the Information Commissioner whose address is Wycliffe
House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9
5AF. [2]www.ico.org.uk/foicomplaints
The contents of this communication and the enclosed documents are subject
to copyright protection. It has been sent to you for your information and
you may use it for any private study and non-commercial research. The
information may also be used for the purposes of news reporting. Re-use
for commercial publication requires the permission of this Council.
Please do not hesitate to contact me for further advice or guidance
relating to the above.
Yours sincerely
Kerry Standen BA (Joint Hons) DipEcon
Swyddog Mynediad i Wybodaeth / Access to Information Officer
Gwasanaeth Cymorth Corfforaethol: Pobl / Corporate Support Service: People
Cyngor Sir Ddinbych / Denbighshire County Council
Ffon / Tel: 01824 708242
E-bost:[email address]
E-mail:[email address]
Gwefan [3]http://www.sirddinbych.gov.uk
Website [4]http://www.denbighshire.gov.uk
Hi’ neu ‘hi’ ydy’r rhagenwau i / My pronouns are ‘she’ and ‘her’
Dysgwr
Rydym yn croesawu gohebiaeth yn Gymraeg. Byddwn yn ymateb i unrhyw
ohebiaeth yn Gymraeg ac ni fydd hyn yn arwain at unrhyw oedi.
We welcome correspondence in Welsh. We will respond to any correspondence
in Welsh which will not lead to a delay.
Privacy Notice - what we will do with your details.
Your details, as given by you in your request, will be processed by
Denbighshire County Council for the specific purposes of processing your
Freedom of Information Request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000,
or the Environmental Information Regulations 2004. The Council will not
share the data with any other organisation. Denbighshire County Council
will retain the details for three years from the date that the request is
closed.
If you feel that Denbighshire County Council have mishandled your personal
data at any time you can make a complaint to the Information Commissioners
Office by visiting their website, or by calling their helpline on 0303 123
1113.
For further information about how Denbighshire County Council processes
personal data and your rights please see our privacy notice on our website
–
[5]www.denbighshire.gov.uk/privacy
Dilyn ni ar Twitter: http://twitter.com/cyngorsDd - Follow us on Twitter:
http://twitter.com/DenbighshireCC
Ymwelwch a ni ar-lein ar http://www.sirddinbych.gov.uk - Visit us online
at http://www.denbighshire.gov.uk
Mae'r wybodaeth a gynhwysir yn yr e-bost hwn ac unrhyw ffeiliau a
drosglwyddir gydag o wedi eu bwriadu yn unig ar gyfer pwy bynnag y
cyfeirir ef ato neu atynt. Os ydych wedi derbyn yr e-bost hwn drwy
gamgymeriad, hysbyswch yr anfonwr ar unwaith os gwelwch yn dda. Mae
cynnwys yr e-bost yn cynrychioli barn yr unigolyn(ion) a enwir uchod ac
nid yw o angenrheidrwydd yn cynrychioli barn Cyngor Sir Ddinbych. Serch
hynny, fel Corff Cyhoeddus, efallai y bydd angen i Gyngor Sir Ddinbych
ddatgelu'r e-bost hwn [neu unrhyw ymateb iddo] dan ddarpariaethau
deddfwriaethol.
The information contained in this e-mail message and any files transmitted
with it is intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom
they are addressed. If you have received this e-mail in error please
notify the sender immediately. The contents of this e-mail represents the
views of the individual(s) named above and do not necessarily represent
the views of Denbighshire County Council. However, as a Public Body,
Denbighshire County Council may be required to disclose this e-mail [or
any response to it] under legislative provisions.
References
Visible links
1. mailto:[denbighshire%20county%20council%20request%20email]
2. https://newsletter.ico.org.uk/c/1bedZlVe...
3. http://www.sirddinbych.gov.uk/
4. http://www.denbighshire.gov.uk/
5. http://www.denbighshire.gov.uk/privacy
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