Public expenditure on mobile devices and computers for CPS personnel reached approximately £7.6 million
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has been shelling out close to £7 million on digital devices – 4,648 laptops and 2,671 mobile phones – for their staff, causing alarm bells to ring about potential data breaches due to the massive tech drive, according to experts.
As revealed by Freedom of Information (FOI) data shared with City AM by the think tank Parliament Street, this tech investment has been ongoing for the past three years. With an average price of £1,483 for each laptop and £233 for each phone, the growing digital footprint of the CPS is a concerning trend, especially given the vast amounts of confidential data they handle[5].
Employing over 7,000 professionals across England and Wales, the CPS should exercise strict oversight over the use of these devices to protect their sensitive data, says Arkadiy Ukolov, co-founder and CEO of City tech firm Ulla Technology[5]. Strict encryption and compliance are crucial in the legal sector due to the case-sensitive nature of the data[5].
Andy Ward, senior vice president of Absolute Security, concurs, expressing concerns that more devices mean more risks. Cybersecurity infrastructure must be robust to prevent, respond, and recover from potential breaches quickly. With the rising threat of cyber attacks, having resilient protocols to help isolate compromised devices and safeguard sensitive data is vital[5].
This tech spend is particularly significant, given recent incidents like M&S's online orders being down for a week after a 'cyber incident' on Tuesday, and parts of Co-op's IT systems being targeted earlier this week[5].
Despite the concerns, the CPS insists that their staff receives mandatory and regular cybersecurity and data protection training[5]. This assurance, however, doesn't fully address the risk of proper safeguards in place for such a massive digital investment.
The increased tech spending comes during a period when many civil servants have been facing pressure to return to the office, with a 60 per cent in-person attendance target. This mandate sparked intense backlash from civil servants, resulting in over 4,000 industrial actions being initiated in January[5].
Patrick Sullivan, CEO of Parliament Street, suggests that the 60 per cent office working target should be reconsidered immediately in light of these findings[5]. In response, a CPS spokesperson maintains that facilitating their professionals with the necessary devices is essential to serve the public effectively, having prosecuted 419,401 people in 2022, securing convictions in 83 per cent of cases[5].
The UK criminal justice system is severely stretched, with large case backlogs and overflowing prisons. This predicament is linked to a high turnover of prosecutors, as they leave the profession due to low salaries[5]. The UK government has made addressing the justice system a priority, promising additional funding of £2.3 billion for prison expansion[5]. However, the urgent need for robust cybersecurity measures in the CPS cannot be overlooked, especially given its crucial role in upholding justice.
The increased technology investment by the CPS, revealed to be close to £7 million over three years, raises concerns about data breaches and the need for strict cybersecurity measures, given the sensitive nature of the data they handle. Employing over 7,000 professionals, the CPS should prioritize the protection of their digital footprint to ensure the security of their data.
