Request for Information Regarding Computer Logs and Firewall Block Lists. (Montgomery Public Schools Alabama)
It is a clone of this request.
| Multi Request | Request for Information Regarding Computer Logs and Firewall Block Lists. |
| Submitted | March 4, 2023 |
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Communications
From: Jordan Lassiter
To Whom It May Concern:
Pursuant to the Alabama Open Records Law, I hereby request the following records:
I am writing to request for the following information related to computer logs and firewall block lists for the period of 2 years:
Copies of computer logs detailing internet activity during the period of this request.
A list of websites that have been blocked by the firewall system during the period of this request, including any recently blocked websites.
A list of websites that have been blocked due to intrusion detection and prevention (IDP) during the period of this request.
Any documentation related to the criteria used to determine which websites are blocked by the firewall system and IDP system.
Any logs related to attempts to bypass the firewall system during the period of this request.
The requested documents will be made available to the general public, and this request is not being made for commercial purposes.
In the event that there are fees, I would be grateful if you would inform me of the total charges in advance of fulfilling my request. I would prefer the request filled electronically, by e-mail attachment if available or CD-ROM if not.
Thank you in advance for your anticipated cooperation in this matter. I look forward to receiving your response to this request within 10 business days.
Sincerely,
André Natta, a citizen of Alabama, in coordination with Jordan.
From: Muckrock Staff
To Whom It May Concern:
I wanted to follow up on the following Alabama Open Records Law request, copied below, and originally submitted on March 5, 2023. Please let me know when I can expect to receive a response.
Thanks for your help, and let me know if further clarification is needed.
From: Montgomery Public Schools Alabama
Thank you for contacting me! Montgomery Public Schools is on Spring Break and I will be out of the office until Monday, March 27. I will follow up on your correspondence at my earliest convenience. Thank you for your patience and understanding. Have a great day!
Melvin J. Brown, Ed.D.
Superintendent
Montgomery Public Schools
--
Melvin J. Brown, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools
Montgomery Public Schools | 334.230.0657
IP: 70605
307 S. Decatur Street, Montgomery, AL 36104
www.mps.k12.al.us
Engage,
Educate, Inspire
The MPS Mission: We will
engage, educate and inspire our students to succeed in college, career and
beyond! Follow us on Facebook and Twitter by signing up
from our website www.mps.k12.al.us (http://www.mps.k12.al.us/) This message, and any files transmitted with it, may contain confidential information and is intended only for the individual addressee(s). If you are not the named addressee or if you have received this email by mistake, you should not disseminate, print, distribute or copy this e-mail. If you have received this email by mistake, please notify the sender immediately and delete this e-mail from your system.
From: Montgomery Public Schools Alabama
Good Morning-
We're not quite sure exactly what's being requested.
--
* Jade L. Jones*
Senior Communications Officer
Communications | 334.223.6873
IP: 70237
307 S. Decatur Street, Montgomery, AL 36104
Engage, Educate, Inspire
--
The MPS Mission: We will
engage, educate and inspire our students
to succeed in college, career and
beyond!
Follow us on Facebook and
Twitter by signing up
from our website www.mps.k12.al.us
<http://www.mps.k12.al.us/>
--
This message, and any files transmitted with it, may contain confidential
information and is intended only for the individual addressee(s). If you
are not the named addressee or if you have received this email by mistake,
you should not disseminate, print, distribute or copy this e-mail. If you
have received this email by mistake, please notify the sender immediately
and delete this e-mail from your system.
From: Jordan Lassiter
Thank you for your prompt response to my request for records pursuant to the Alabama Open Records Law. I apologize for any confusion my initial email may have caused.
To clarify my request, I am seeking records related to computer logs and firewall block lists for the period of two years. Specifically, I am requesting:
Copies of computer logs detailing internet activity during the period of this request.
A list of websites that have been blocked by the firewall system during the period of this request, including any recently blocked websites.
A list of websites that have been blocked due to intrusion detection and prevention (IDP) during the period of this request.
Any documentation related to the criteria used to determine which websites are blocked by the firewall system and IDP system.
Any logs related to attempts to bypass the firewall system during the period of this request.
In addition to the above, I would like to request any information related to user groups that have been established within the school district's computer system, including any access controls or permission levels that have been set for these groups.
I understand that some of the technical terminology used in my initial request may not be familiar to everyone. To help clarify, I have included links to some resources that may be helpful:
Firewall: https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/products/security/firewalls/what-is-a-firewall.html
Intrusion Detection and Prevention: https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/cyberpedia/what-is-intrusion-detection-and-prevention
Computer Logs: https://www.techopedia.com/definition/31475/computer-log
User Groups: https://www.techopedia.com/definition/22530/user-group
If there are any fees associated with fulfilling this request, please inform me in advance of the total charges. I would prefer the requested documents to be provided electronically, either via email attachment or CD-ROM.
Thank you for your cooperation in this matter. I look forward to hearing back from you within 10 business days.
Sincerely,
From: Montgomery Public Schools Alabama
Hello-
I'm away from my desk until 3/27/2023. If this is an , please call or *urgent matter*
text me at 334-239-1820.
Best,
Jade Jones
--
Jade L. Jones Senior Communications Officer Communications | 334.223.6873 IP: 70237 307 S. Decatur Street, Montgomery, AL 36104 www.mps.k12.al.us Engage, Educate, Inspire
The MPS Mission: We will
engage, educate and inspire our students to succeed in college, career and
beyond! Follow us on Facebook and Twitter by signing up
from our website www.mps.k12.al.us (http://www.mps.k12.al.us/) This message, and any files transmitted with it, may contain confidential information and is intended only for the individual addressee(s). If you are not the named addressee or if you have received this email by mistake, you should not disseminate, print, distribute or copy this e-mail. If you have received this email by mistake, please notify the sender immediately and delete this e-mail from your system.
From: Jordan Lassiter
I apologize for the inconvenience. Here are the URLs for the resources mentioned in the previous email:
Firewall: https://www.cloudflare.com/learning/network-layer/what-is-a-firewall/
Intrusion Detection and Prevention (IDP): https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/products/security/intrusion-detection-prevention-systems/what-is-an-intrusion-detection-system-ids.html
Computer logs: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Log_file
From:
Mr Natta,
I am counsel for the Montgomery Count Board of Education and the information requested in your March 4, 2023, ORA request is specifically excepted in said act and not subject to disclosure. Accordingly, no documentation will be forthcoming.
Sincerely yours,
James R Seale
James R. (Spud) Seale| Shareholder
Hill Hill Carter Franco Cole & Black P.C.
425 South Perry Street | Montgomery, AL 36104
(T)334.386.4355 | (F)334334334 | [cid:image001.jpg@01D96224.C6DB0F10] <https://www.facebook.com/pages/Hill.Hill.Carter.Franco.Cole.Black.PC/162163278625> | [http://www.hillhillcarter.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/linkedingrey.jpg] <https://www.linkedin.com/company/2238842>
jrs@hillhillcarter.com<mailto:jrs@hillhillcarter.com>
www.hillhillcarter.com<http://www.hillhillcarter.com/>
[HHC Logo (002)]
NOTICE: This e-mail is from a law firm, Hill, Hill, Carter, Franco, Cole & Black, P.C. ("HHC"), and is intended solely for the use of the individual(s) to whom it is addressed. If you believe you received this e-mail in error, please notify the sender immediately, delete the e-mail and any attachments from your computer, and do not copy or disclose this email or any attachments to anyone. If you are not an existing client of HHC, do not construe anything in this e-mail to make you a client unless it contains a specific statement to that effect and do not disclose anything to HHC in reply that you expect it to hold in confidence. If you properly received this e-mail as a client, co-counsel or retained expert of HHC, you should maintain its contents in confidence in order to preserve the attorney-client, work product and other privileges that may be available to protect confidentiality.
IRS CIRCULAR 230 DISCLOSURE: To ensure compliance with requirements imposed by the IRS in Circular 230, we inform you that, unless we expressly state otherwise in this communication (including any attachments), any tax advice contained in this communication is not intended or written to be used, and cannot be used or relied upon, for the purpose of (i) avoiding penalties under the Internal Revenue Code or (ii) promoting, marketing or recommending to another party any transaction or matter addressed in this communication.
From: Jordan Lassiter
Dear Mr. Seale,
I am writing to appeal your denial of my request for records under the Alabama Open Records Law. In your response letter dated [date], you stated that the information requested in my March 4, 2023, ORA request is specifically excepted in the act and not subject to disclosure.
However, I believe that the information I requested falls within the scope of the Alabama Open Records Law and should be made available to the public. Specifically, I am requesting information related to computer logs and firewall block lists, which are not explicitly exempted from disclosure under the act.
Furthermore, I would like to cite Section 36-12-40 of the Alabama Code, which states that "[e]very citizen has a right to inspect and take a copy of any public writing of this state, except as otherwise expressly provided by statute."
I respectfully request that you reconsider your decision and provide me with the requested records. If there are any specific legal provisions or court cases that you believe support your position, please provide them to me for review.
Thank you for your attention to this matter. I look forward to hearing from you soon.
From: Jordan Lassiter
03/29/2023
From: Montgomery Public Schools Alabama
Mr Natta,
My apologies for this tardy response. Information related to the Boards security systems are confidential and not subject to public records request. As previously advised, no records will be forthcoming.
Spud Seale
James R. (Spud) Seale| Shareholder
Hill Hill Carter Franco Cole & Black P.C.
425 South Perry Street | Montgomery, AL 36104
(T)334.386.4355 | (F)334334334 | [cid:image001.jpg@01D96BCA.2582DF80] <https://www.facebook.com/pages/Hill.Hill.Carter.Franco.Cole.Black.PC/162163278625> | [http://www.hillhillcarter.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/linkedingrey.jpg] <https://www.linkedin.com/company/2238842>
jrs@hillhillcarter.com<mailto:jrs@hillhillcarter.com>
www.hillhillcarter.com<http://www.hillhillcarter.com/>
[HHC Logo (002)]
NOTICE: This e-mail is from a law firm, Hill, Hill, Carter, Franco, Cole & Black, P.C. ("HHC"), and is intended solely for the use of the individual(s) to whom it is addressed. If you believe you received this e-mail in error, please notify the sender immediately, delete the e-mail and any attachments from your computer, and do not copy or disclose this email or any attachments to anyone. If you are not an existing client of HHC, do not construe anything in this e-mail to make you a client unless it contains a specific statement to that effect and do not disclose anything to HHC in reply that you expect it to hold in confidence. If you properly received this e-mail as a client, co-counsel or retained expert of HHC, you should maintain its contents in confidence in order to preserve the attorney-client, work product and other privileges that may be available to protect confidentiality.
IRS CIRCULAR 230 DISCLOSURE: To ensure compliance with requirements imposed by the IRS in Circular 230, we inform you that, unless we expressly state otherwise in this communication (including any attachments), any tax advice contained in this communication is not intended or written to be used, and cannot be used or relied upon, for the purpose of (i) avoiding penalties under the Internal Revenue Code or (ii) promoting, marketing or recommending to another party any transaction or matter addressed in this communication.
Spud Seale
