Comments on: Information security for the UK: making everyone happy? http://hadleybeeman.net/2007/02/19/information-security-for-the-uk-making-everyone-happy/ Contributions to the conversation from Hadley Beeman Thu, 28 Apr 2011 21:51:03 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.4 By: Hadley http://hadleybeeman.net/2007/02/19/information-security-for-the-uk-making-everyone-happy/comment-page-1/#comment-62 Hadley Tue, 20 Feb 2007 06:45:34 +0000 http://collaborator.wordpress.com/2007/02/19/information-security-for-the-uk-making-everyone-happy/#comment-62 This seems to be a universal issue then, doesn't it. I do remember hearing a few years ago, when the Mayor of London was holding a contest to affordably air condition the Underground network, that they guard the exact map of where the tube tunnels are (for the same infrastructure reasons). Thanks for sharing the US legal perspective, counselor! This seems to be a universal issue then, doesn’t it. I do remember hearing a few years ago, when the Mayor of London was holding a contest to affordably air condition the Underground network, that they guard the exact map of where the tube tunnels are (for the same infrastructure reasons).

Thanks for sharing the US legal perspective, counselor!

]]> By: Kate http://hadleybeeman.net/2007/02/19/information-security-for-the-uk-making-everyone-happy/comment-page-1/#comment-63 Kate Mon, 19 Feb 2007 19:24:07 +0000 http://collaborator.wordpress.com/2007/02/19/information-security-for-the-uk-making-everyone-happy/#comment-63 The U.S. already has a "Freedom of Information Act" affectionately called FOIA ("Foi-ya") for accessing federal records, and many states have enacted similar laws for state and local records. Pennsylvania's is called the "Open Records Law" and is also informally called the "Right to Know" law. I'm not as familiar with FOIA, but under Pa's Right To Know, the government unit that recieves a request for records can only refuse to provide them to the requester if they are deemed to be "non-public" documents, and there are guidelines for determining what kinds of documents are non-public, things like reports of certain types of investigations, etc. There are also short turn-around periods in the statute so that the government can't sit on your request. I believe they have 10 days to either turn over the documents or state the reason for thier denial of your request. If the request is denied, it can be appealed up through the state courts and the parties can argue about whether the documents are really non-public. Interestingly, the law does not require the requestor to state why they are requesting the document or to provide any background information about themselves beyond that they are a resident of the state. Non-residents of the state cannot utilize the Open Records Law, but can get around this problem by hiring an in-state attorney to make the request for the desired documents. FOIA has a list of exceptions listing the things that agencies are not required to turn over. Again, a denial can be appealed, first within the agency and then through the federal courts. There are also laws in the U.S. restricting public access to certain records held by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and some state and federal transportation agencies. Basically, the general public does not have open access to specs or maps of the country's infrastructure, like bridges, tunnels, gas pipelines, electric or nuclear facilities. The U.S. already has a “Freedom of Information Act” affectionately called FOIA (“Foi-ya”) for accessing federal records, and many states have enacted similar laws for state and local records. Pennsylvania’s is called the “Open Records Law” and is also informally called the “Right to Know” law. I’m not as familiar with FOIA, but under Pa’s Right To Know, the government unit that recieves a request for records can only refuse to provide them to the requester if they are deemed to be “non-public” documents, and there are guidelines for determining what kinds of documents are non-public, things like reports of certain types of investigations, etc. There are also short turn-around periods in the statute so that the government can’t sit on your request. I believe they have 10 days to either turn over the documents or state the reason for thier denial of your request. If the request is denied, it can be appealed up through the state courts and the parties can argue about whether the documents are really non-public. Interestingly, the law does not require the requestor to state why they are requesting the document or to provide any background information about themselves beyond that they are a resident of the state. Non-residents of the state cannot utilize the Open Records Law, but can get around this problem by hiring an in-state attorney to make the request for the desired documents. FOIA has a list of exceptions listing the things that agencies are not required to turn over. Again, a denial can be appealed, first within the agency and then through the federal courts. There are also laws in the U.S. restricting public access to certain records held by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and some state and federal transportation agencies. Basically, the general public does not have open access to specs or maps of the country’s infrastructure, like bridges, tunnels, gas pipelines, electric or nuclear facilities.

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