I am wondering how much confidential data can be accessed from Councillors computers.
After complaining about a number of comments of a vile and homophobic nature were posted on my blog.
An investigation was carried out my RCC.
The result was pretty poor.
And reveals how antiquated RCC is when it comes to IT and Computer security. I hope the hackers don't park outside the council chamber.
If someone was behaving like this in a ordinary work place, they would be found.
Letter from G Pook.
Hello Mr Brookes.
I refer to e-mail communications and discussions about the apparent postings to and accessing of your blog site through County Council internet routers. In particular we have investigated a posting made in the morning of 28 October which your tracing information identified as being sent via the Oakham Library public access router and accessing via the public access connection which is set up to serve the public meeting room areas in the Council office building in the evenings of 28 October and 18 November and in the early afternoon of Sunday 21 November. As far as the accessing from the Council offices is concerned, you have provided some tracing information which suggests that the same computer has been used to make in excess of 230 visits to your blog since August, although many of those occasions have involved different IP addresses. The information contains some details of the configuration of the computer.
I have explained previously that whilst we do hold some information about individuals who requested a session on the Library public access computers on 28 October, it is impossible to identify who might have made the posting on that occasion.
My IT colleagues have examined the records of Council-owned and supplied computers against the configuration details you provided. None matches all of the details. I have explained before also that it cannot be said with certainty that any episode of accessing from the IP address for the public access area must have arisen from a computer being used inside the building. Depending on the type and quality of the device, it is possible that the connection could be used within significant areas of the car park and grounds of Catmose and even in the immediate vicinity of Stamford Road. Furthermore, public meetings were held in the building in the evenings of 28 October and 18 November. There is no record of anyone entering the building on Sunday 21 November. Normal entry arrangements are disabled at the weekends. CCTV images have been checked for the period around the time of the accessing which you provided.
I appreciate it will be frustrating that this path of possible investigation has not produced positive results, but we have looked at the information available as fully as possible. In the unfortunate event that a posting which you find objectionable, especially if you consider it to be homophobic, is made via a Council IP address on another occasion, please supply the details and we will do what we can to investigate. Please let us know also if you change your mind about wishing access to your blog to be blocked on the Library computers.
Regards
Geoff Pook
Rutland County Council
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