Written question asked by Norman Baker (Liberal Democrat) on Tuesday, 17 July 2007, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 19 July 2007. It was answered by Baroness Merron (Labour) on Monday, 29 October 2007 on behalf of the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.

Departments: Security

Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster on how many occasions since 2002 attempts were made to gain unauthorised access to (a) computers and (b) buildings in his Department; and of those how many were successful.

Answer: Since 2002, there have been four recorded attempts to gain unauthorised access to computers in my Department, all of which were successful external hacking. There have been seven recorded attempts to gain unauthorised access to buildings, five of which resulted in unauthorised access.The Cabinet Office regularly reviews its security processes and procedures to minimise risks to its staff and assets. All breaches are investigated fully and any additional measures required as a consequence are swiftly implemented.

Secondary information