§ Miss Emma NicholsonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what precautions his Department has taken to safeguard sensitive material transmitted by computer from being accessed or obtained by third parties;
(2) whether the security of computer files on Home Department issues is regularly checked for breaches by internal or external unauthorised access;
(3) what is his Department's policy on the implication for security of continued departmental computerisation.
§ Mr. Douglas HoggA large number of computer systems operate within the Department. The security counter-measures appropriate to each system are considered at the design stage in the light of the assessed risk, and are kept under continuing review. It would not be in the interests of security to disclose the nature and extent of those measures.
§ Miss Emma NicholsonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what information he has on whether computerised border control and passport control records are susceptible to electronic invasion;
(2) what measures he has taken to prevent breaches of computerised border and passport control records by electronic invasion.
§ Mr. RentonThe security of the immigration and nationality department's computerised information systems is considered at an early stage in the design of new systems, and the security measures taken are reviewed in the light of changing threats to existing systems. It would not be in the interests of security to disclose the nature and extent of those measures.
§ Miss Emma NicholsonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department following illegal extraction of files from the police computer, what steps he has taken to increase protection to ensure that no future penetration occurs.
§ Mr. Douglas HoggI am satisfied that the monitoring and auditing systems for users of the police national computer are adequate. Additional measures are, however, being considered in planning the replacement police national computer system due to be introduced next year.