Cloud Computing

1. How many investigations has your organisation carried out in a Cloud Computing environment?
2. Does your organisation have a standard operating procedure to obtain digital evidence in a Cloud Computing Environment? If so please supply a copy of this standard operating procedure.
3. Does your organisation use Cloud Computing facilities, on-line storage or Software as a Service?

In accordance with section 1(1) (a) of the Act our response is provided below;

The Cheshire Constabulary can neither confirm nor deny that it holds any information relevant to cloud computing used by the Police Service as the duty in s1 (1) (a) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 does not apply, by virtue of the following exemption:
Section 31(3) Law Enforcement

Section 31 is a prejudice based qualified exemption and there is a requirement to articulate the harm that would be caused in confirming or not that the information is held as well as carrying out a public interest test.

Harm and Public Interest Considerations with regard to Confirming or Denying that the Information is held

Section 31
The Police Service is charged with enforcing the law, preventing and detecting crime and protecting the communities we serve. Information Technology is used to assist our day-to-day business in an endeavour to ensure effective law enforcement is undertaken. Irrespective of whether information is or isn't held, by citing exemptions or stating 'no information held' could enable an individual to geographically map which forces use cloud computing. Such awareness could assist a potential hacker in their endeavours to infiltrate the Information Security of a particular force.

Balancing Test
Effective Law Enforcement is the core function of the Police Service and we will never place information into the public domain which could undermine the Information Security of a force. Therefore, at this moment in time, it is our opinion that for these issues the balancing test for disclosure is not made out.
No inference can be taken from this refusal that the information you have requested does or does not exist.