§ Miss Emma NicholsonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many instances have been detected in his Department of computer(a) hacking, (b) viruses, (c) logic bombs, (d) trojan horses or (e) other types of computer misuse, whether prepetrated by authorised or unauthorised users of computers; and how many unsuccessful attempts have been recorded;
(2) if he will make a statement on all recorded cases of unauthorised access to his Department's computer files;
(3) pursuant to his answer of 15 March, Official Report, column 228, if he can quantify the assessed risk of damage to sensitive computerised files;
(4) what measures his Department has taken to protect data in transit by electronic means;
(5) if he can quantify the risk of damage by hackers to sensitive computerised files in his Department.
§ Mr. Douglas HoggIt would not be in the interests of computer security to disclose such information.
§ Miss Emma NicholsonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will give details of his Department's policy on reviews of the security of its computer files.
§ Mr. Douglas HoggI refer my hon. Friend to my reply to her question on 15 March, at column228.
§ Miss Emma NicholsonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether staff are briefed about computer hacking and computer viruses; and whether there are contingency plans to deal with computer downtime caused by unauthorised penetration.
§ Mr. Douglas HoggAs appropriate, staff are trained in such matters. Contingency plans exist where necessary, but their effectiveness would be reduced if details were made public.
§ Miss Emma NicholsonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received about the use of the public telephone network of the United Kingdom as a means of distributing obscene and offensive material in the form of computer bulletin boards accessible to any person using a home computer with a telephone; and if he will make a statement on his proposals to bring such practice to an end.
§ Mr. RentonWe have received some such representations. Computer bulletin boards are technically non-licensable cable programme services under the Cable and Broadcasting Act 1984, and the general provisions of the Act concerning obscenity, defamation and incitement to racial hatred apply to them. We are considering, in the context of the follow up to our recent White Paper on broadcasting, whether any further regulation is required.