All Rutland County Councillors must use secure GCSx email

All Rutland County Councillors must use secure GCSx email

It was decided at last nights council meeting all councillors must use secure email.

Councillors are no longer permitted to use private e-mail address's to communicate council business.

For a long time now independent councillors have refused to use council email services due to confidentiality concerns.

I agree with those concerns but at the same time I found as a member of the public wanting to exercise my right to freedom of information from Rutland Council I received a very fragmented response, some of those using private account refused to hand over e-mails and those who were using council servers simply deleted files and others like Tory councillor Gene Plews felt it was ok to refer to me as a idiot. Standards said it was just Political tit for tat a good use of a publicly owned system. I don't think any idiots will be sending that sort of email in the future.

It is good to see Rutland County Council is improving its computer security and procedures.

New Tory councillors who seem to have come from a professional background, were big business treat computer security and procedures very seriously, appeared surprised at the apparent slack approach Rutland County Council had towards this matter.

It was suggested if any councillor does not comply with the new requirements, they will be excluded from council business.

So public if you intend sending a email to your councillor telling him or her: for example you don't like the chief executive, remember it may be secure from the eyes of the outside world, it won't be secure from those who internally have access top the servers. I would suggest if you are communicating about a confidential matter buy a stamp, pen and ink and I am sure Cllr Baines would give his full approval.