To ask the Minister of Finance, following the cyber-attack on the Health Service Executive in the Republic of Ireland, what assurances he can give regarding the robustness of data security in the Northern Ireland Civil Service.

Department of Finance Digital Shared Services (DSS) provide a corporate IT infrastructure service to all NICS Departments. It has implemented multi-layered technical defences to help protect NICS Departments and its network from cyber attacks.

We have complemented these technical developments with significant staff awareness materials to provide robust data security for all organisations using the NICS network.

We continue to enhance our security operations with Department of Finance services and applications regularly audited against industry standards.

Many NICS Departments manage their own specific line of business IT applications and associated governance arrangements.