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Minister unveils high security data centre for civil service

Tuesday, 13 May 2008

Last Tuesday, Finance Minister Peter Robinson MP, MLA officially opened the primary Data Centre for the Northern Ireland Civil Service at BT’s Telephone House in Belfast.

The Data Centres will underpin the Northern Ireland public sector reform programme by streamlining information services and strengthening data security.

Following a short tour of the facility, the Minister said: “The IT Assist Programme is amongst the first of this kind to provide shared ICT infrastructure services to more than 18,000 civil servants.

“This programme will enhance data protection and support a key objective of the Programme for Government by improving the secure delivery of front line government services to the public.

“Recent high profile examples of data security breaches make the launch of today’s project very relevant and timely. I want the people of Northern Ireland to be confident that the strongest possible protection is being afforded to all material held by government which contains necessary personal information about individual citizens.”

The Minister also unveiled two other initiatives developed in conjunction with BT, aimed at improving data handling. An eLearning package will offer staff enhanced training on data protection awareness, while a second programme, known as SecureDoxNI, will improve security around the transfer of documents between government organisations.

Notes to Editors:

  1. The ICT Shared Service Centre Programme is one of the key reform projects running within the Northern Ireland Civil Service, of which the Data Centre comprises one element.
  2. An eLearning package, SafeSecureProtect, which will offer NICS staff a new and innovative method of training on data protection awareness was also launched at the event, as was a secure document transfer solution, SecureDoxNI, which will be deployed to facilitate improved secure document transfer between government bodies and their agents.
  3. Media enquiries only, to DFP Press Office on: 028 9052 7644 or 028 9052 27375. Out of office hours please contact the Duty Press Officer via pager number 07699 715 440 and your call will be returned.