§ Mr. KeetchTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what contribution his Department has made since July 1998 to the development of national security policies and technical measures to protect against potential vulnerabilities arising from information warfare; and if he will make a statement. [51492]
§ Mr. IngramThe Ministry of Defence participates in all relevant Government activities relating to the protection of information systems from electronic attack, including contributing to the National Infrastructure Security Co-ordination Centre (NISCC).
It is longstanding Government policy not to make detailed comment on the protection measures applied to communications and information systems, or on techniques such as computer hacking, as these could assist potential enemies to penetrate these elements of national security. I am therefore withholding this information in accordance with exemption 1 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.