FOI release

FOI21/22-127 - Request about IT strategy

Updated 14 July 2022

Our ref: FOI21/22-127

Date: 13 January 2021

Dear

1. Re: Freedom of Information Act 2000

Thank you for your email of 13 December in which you information requested from the Insolvency Service.

Your request has been dealt with under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA).

I can confirm the agency holds the information that you have requested and I have provided answers to your questions below.

1) Do you have a formal IT security strategy? (Please provide a link to the strategy)

Yes, please see attached.

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?

No

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.

NA

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?

Yes

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?

Immediately

6) How many devices do you have attached to your network that require monitoring?

A) Physical Servers: We have no physical Servers as they are in the cloud. In the cloud we have 211.

B) PC’s & Notebooks: 2400

7) Have you ever discovered devices attached to the network that you weren’t previously aware of?

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.

NA

8) How many physical devices (IP’s) do you have attached to your network that require monitoring for configuration vulnerabilities?

Record Number: 211

9) Have you suffered any external security attacks that have used malware on a network attached device to help breach your security measures?

Never

10) Have you ever experienced service disruption to users due to an accidental, non-malicious change being made to device configurations?

Never

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?

Never

If you are not satisfied with the response we have provided you and would like us to reconsider our decision by way of an internal review (IR), please contact our Information Rights Team at foi@insolvency.gov.uk or by post at:

Information Rights Team
The Insolvency Service
3rd Floor
Cannon House
18 Priory Queensway
Birmingham
B4 6FD
United Kingdom

You also have the right to contact the Information Commissioners Office (ICO) if you wish for them to investigate any complaint you may have regarding our handling of your request. However, please note that the ICO is likely to expect an IR to have been completed in the first instance.

Kind regards

Information Rights Team

The Insolvency Service

The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, Official receivers and the Adjudicator are Data Controllers in respect of personal data processed by the Insolvency Service. For the details about how personal data is processed by the agency, please see the full Insolvency Service Personal Information Charter here: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/insolvency-service/about/personal-information-charter

2. Digital Technology Services – IT Security Team

2.1 Our Purpose is;

To ensure that properly functioning INSS IT systems & information are available for use only by authorised users and systems when they need them.

We will do this by ensuring that we follow the Government Security Policy Framework and in particular the Minimum Cyber Security Standard, ensuring that all decisions are based on an assessment of risk.

2.2 Our primary Objectives are:

• To put in place suitable Cyber Security governance and risk assessment for the agency.
• To understand all INSS Information Assets and establish good relationships with their owners.
• To understand and protect all INSS IT systems and their service providers.
• To ensure that all users of INSS systems are trained and aware of good security practice.
• To ensure that access to systems and information is limited to authorised users and systems.
• To react appropriately to cyber security incidents and learn lessons from them.
• To ensure that processes exist to ensure continuity of services in the event of incident.
• To establish relationships with BEIS and wider government to ensure alignment.

2.3 Strategic Aims

• To move towards a full adherence with the Minimum Cyber Security Standard
• To efficiently manage the security of the SIAM ecosystem.
• To create a formal Information Security Management System (ISMS)
• To fully understand the Information Security requirement of all Information Assets
• To align with ISO 27001 where this meets the business need, but not to aim for certification
• To remain aligned with wider Government Security policies and guidelines