Blocked websites on States servers (FOI)

Request

A

Please kindly provide a list of sites blocked by States servers over the past five years.

B

Please provide a list of the numbers of attempts (both successful and unsuccessful) to access each of these sites over the past five years, broken down by year.

C

If one exists, please provide a copy of the States user / acceptable use policy and / or policies regarding the States network.

Please note; when referring to ‘The States’ above, I mean government, rather than States schools.

Response

A and B

The list of sites blocked by the States of Jersey servers changes every day as new sites are continuously added to the list. These lists are usually managed automatically by global cyber-security companies and suppliers.

Due to the sensitivity of the information requested it is considered to be exempt under Article 42 of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011. This exemption has been applied because the information requested could be prejudicial to the prevention of crime. The public interest test has been considered and in this instance it is outweighed by the potential risk of e-crime resulting from disclosure.

C

The acceptable use policy is available on the States of Jersey website at the following link:

Information governance policies (FOI)

The policy explains the acceptable uses of States of Jersey information systems and data. This policy applies to all employees, temporary staff, contractors and third parties who access the States of Jersey’s electronic and manual information systems.

Exemption applied

42 Law enforcement

Information is qualified exempt information if its disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice –

(a) the prevention, detection or investigation of crime, whether in Jersey or elsewhere;

(b) the apprehension or prosecution of offenders, whether in respect of offences committed in Jersey or elsewhere;

(c) the administration of justice, whether in Jersey or elsewhere;

(d) the assessment or collection of a tax or duty or of an imposition of a similar nature;

(e) the operation of immigration controls, whether in Jersey or elsewhere;

(f) the maintenance of security and good order in prisons or in other institutions where persons are lawfully detained;

(g) the proper supervision or regulation of financial services; or

(h) the exercise, by the Jersey Financial Services Commission, of any function imposed on it by any enactment.