Information Technology Request
Dear Plant Varieties and Seeds Tribunal,
I am writing to make an open government request for all the information to which I am entitled under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
Please forward responses to the attached questions below.
I would like the above information to be provided to me as an electronic document.
If this request is too wide or unclear, I would be grateful if you could contact me as I understand that under the Act, you are required to advise and assist requesters. If any of this information is already in the public domain, please can you direct me to it, with page references and URLs if necessary.
If the release of any of this information is prohibited on the grounds of breach of confidence, I ask that you supply me with copies of the confidentiality agreement and remind you that information should not be treated as confidential if such an agreement has not been signed.
I understand that you are required to respond to my request within the 20 working days after you receive this letter. I would be grateful if you could confirm in writing that you have received this request.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Yours faithfully,
Gloria Zimba.
1. Do you have a formal IT security strategy? (Please provide a link to the strategy)
A) Yes
B) No
2. Does this strategy specifically address the monitoring of network attached device configurations to identify any malicious or non-malicious change to the device configuration?
A) Yes
B) No
C) Don’t know
3. If yes to Question 2, how do you manage this identification process – is it:
A) Totally automated – all configuration changes are identified and flagged without manual intervention.
B) Semi-automated – it’s a mixture of manual processes and tools that help track and identify configuration changes.
C) Mainly manual – most elements of the identification of configuration changes are manual.
4. Have you ever encountered a situation where user services have been disrupted due to an accidental/non malicious change that had been made to a device configuration?
A) Yes
B) No
C) Don’t know
5. If a piece of malware was maliciously uploaded to a device on your network, how quickly do you think it would be identified and isolated?
A) Immediately
B) Within days
C) Within weeks
D) Not sure
6. How many devices do you have attached to your network that require monitoring?
A) Physical Servers: record number
B) PC’s & Notebooks: record number
7. Have you ever discovered devices attached to the network that you weren’t previously aware of?
A) Yes
B) No
If yes, how do you manage this identification process – is it:
A) Totally automated – all device configuration changes are identified and flagged without manual intervention.
B) Semi-automated – it’s a mixture of manual processes and tools that help track and identify unplanned device configuration changes.
C) Mainly manual – most elements of the identification of unexpected device configuration changes are manual.
8. How many physical devices (IP’s) do you have attached to your network that require monitoring for configuration vulnerabilities?
Record Number:
9. Have you suffered any external security attacks that have used malware on a network attached device to help breach your security measures?
A) Never
B) Not in the last 1-12 months
C) Not in the last 12-36 months
10. Have you ever experienced service disruption to users due to an accidental, non-malicious change being made to device configurations?
A) Never
B) Not in the last 1-12 months
C) Not in the last 12-36 months
11. When a scheduled audit takes place for the likes of PSN or Cyber Essentials, how likely are you to get significant numbers of audit fails relating to the status of the IT infrastructure?
A) Never
B) Occasionally
C) Frequently
D) Always
Thank you for your email to the Department for Environment, Food & Rural
Affairs.
Please read through the guidance below which may be relevant to your
enquiry.
General enquiries
We have a target of replying to emails within 20 working days where a
response is required, and 20 working days where a case is handled under
the Freedom of Information Act 2000 or the Environmental Information
Regulations 2004.
Please be aware that we received a high volume of correspondence during
the Covid- 19 outbreak and are working through the backlog of cases. This
may mean a significant delay in response times.
You may find the information you need is available on GOV.UK:
[1]https://www.gov.uk/government/organisati...
If your enquiry is related to COVID- 19, you may also find the information
you need on GOV.UK
[2]https://www.gov.uk/search/guidance-and-r...
Campaigns
We receive thousands of identical emails each month from organised
campaigns. Ministers and officials are made aware of these campaigns but
unfortunately, we cannot reply to each email individually.
Postal enquiries
As most of our staff are currently working from home, there may be
significant delays in responding to postal requests. Where possible,
please send your correspondence electronically and include the email
address you wish us to respond to.
Reporting dead birds
If you find dead wild waterfowl (swans, geese or ducks) or other dead wild
birds, such as gulls or birds of prey, you should report them to the Defra
helpline on 03459 33 55 77. Helpline opening hours are Monday to Friday
8:30am to 5pm.
Further information can be found via the link:
[3]https://www.gov.uk/guidance/avian-influe...
Please note, we do not pass on the details of dead bird reports to the
relevant authority, and will not respond to reports sent to this mailbox.
Notifiable animal diseases
If you suspect a notifiable animal disease or have animal welfare
concerns, please report these to the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA)
immediately. Failure to report a notifiable animal disease is an offence.
APHA can be contacted using the following details:
England: 03000 200301 or [4][email address]
Wales: 03003 038268 or [5][email address]
Scotland: [6][email address]
Interviews, university work and work experience
The Department receives many requests for interviews, participation in
university work and work experience. Unfortunately, given resource
constraints and time pressures, we are unable to fulfil such requests and
will not respond to these emails.
We recommend you visit the GOV.UK website and examine the material
available there. If after having examined this you still have specific,
targeted questions, please let us know and we shall endeavour to answer
them.
Defra no longer runs a central placement scheme. We now advise all
applicants to write to their local offices requesting a placement as they
are arranged locally between student and prospective line manager:
[7]https://www.gov.uk/browse/working/findin...
Additionally, work experience for 18 to 24 year old’s will be advertised
on the Job Centre Plus website
[8]https://www.gov.uk/contact-jobcentre-plus
Emergencies
If you or someone you are contacting us on behalf of are currently at risk
of serious harm or in a life-threatening situation, please contact the
emergency services:
999 for emergencies
101 non-emergency police line
111- NHS
Best wishes,
Ministerial Contact Unit
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) This email and
any attachments is intended for the named recipient only. If you have
received it in error you have no authority to use, disclose, store or copy
any of its contents and you should destroy it and inform the sender.
Whilst this email and associated attachments will have been checked for
known viruses whilst within Defra systems we can accept no responsibility
once it has left our systems. Communications on Defra's computer systems
may be monitored and/or recorded to secure the effective operation of the
system and for other lawful purposes.
References
Visible links
1. https://www.gov.uk/government/organisati...
2. https://www.gov.uk/search/guidance-and-r...
3. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/avian-influe...
4. mailto:[email address]
5. mailto:[email address]
6. mailto:[email address]
7. https://www.gov.uk/browse/working/findin...
8. https://www.gov.uk/contact-jobcentre-plus
Dear Gloria Zimba,
Please find attached the response to your request of 13th December for
information on Information Technology for the Plant Varieties and Seeds
Tribunal (PVST).
Yours sincerely
Information Rights Team
We work to defend the right to FOI for everyone
Help us protect your right to hold public authorities to account. Donate and support our work.
Donate Now