Network Breaches and Cyber Attacks Records - Ossining Union Free School District (2018-Present)

MuckRock News
DEPT MR 146407
263 Huntington Ave
Boston, MA 02115

Date: June 6, 2023

Ossining Union Free School District
400 Executive Blvd
Ossining, NY 10562

Attn: FOIA Officer

Subject: Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Request – Network Breaches and Cyber Attacks Records

Dear FOIA Officer,

Under the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act, 5 U.S.C. § 552, I hereby request access to and copies of all records held by Ossining Union Free School District pertaining to:

1) Any network breaches or cyber-attacks that have occurred within your organization, including any records of unauthorized access, data theft, or system compromise from January 1, 2018, to the present.

2) Any internal investigations or reviews conducted in response to a suspected or confirmed network breach, including any reports, findings, or recommendations.

3) Any incident response plans or policies in place to address network breaches, including any procedures for mitigating and remediating the effects of such incidents.

4) Any communications between your organization and affected individuals, students, staff, or partners regarding network breaches or incidents.

Should any portion of the requested records be deemed exempt from disclosure, I request the release of any reasonably segregable non-exempt portions in accordance with 5 U.S.C. § 552(b). If an entire document is exempt, I request a justification, citing specific FOIA exemptions, and provision of an exemption log as per Vaughn v. Rosen, 484 F.2d 820 (D.C. Cir. 1973).

Please note your obligation under the law not to destroy any records potentially responsive to this request. Any withholding, redaction, or destruction of responsive records without proper justification constitutes a violation of the FOIA and is subject to litigation, as confirmed in Kissinger v. Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, 445 U.S. 136, 150 (1980).

Enclosed is a letter requesting a fee waiver for the processing of this request. As an independent investigative journalist associated with TransparencyReport.pw, I believe that the information I seek is in the public interest and its disclosure contributes significantly to public understanding of the operations or activities of the government.

If the enclosed waiver is not accepted and there are any potential charges in excess of $200 associated with fulfilling my request, please inform me in advance.

As stipulated by the FOIA, I look forward to your response within twenty business days (5 U.S.C. § 552(a)(6)(A)(i)).

Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter.

Sincerely,
Jordan Lassiter
Independent Investigative Journalist
TransparencyReport.pw
Email: Jordan@Lassiter.eu
Phone: 1-845-748-0329

Enclosure: Fee Waiver Request Letter

Please be aware: All communications related to this request, including incoming and outgoing communications, will be publicly available on MuckRock.com. Additionally, any correspondence in relation to this request will be instantly published on the platform.

MuckRock News
DEPT MR 146407
263 Huntington Ave
Boston, MA 02115

Date: June 6, 2023

Ossining Union Free School District
400 Executive Blvd
Ossining, NY 10562

Attn: FOIA Officer

Subject: Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Request – Network Breaches and Cyber Attacks Records

Dear FOIA Officer,

Under the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act, 5 U.S.C. § 552, I hereby request access to and copies of all records held by Ossining Union Free School District pertaining to:

1) Any network breaches or cyber-attacks that have occurred within your organization, including any records of unauthorized access, data theft, or system compromise from January 1, 2018, to the present.

2) Any internal investigations or reviews conducted in response to a suspected or confirmed network breach, including any reports, findings, or recommendations.

3) Any incident response plans or policies in place to address network breaches, including any procedures for mitigating and remediating the effects of such incidents.

4) Any communications between your organization and affected individuals, students, staff, or partners regarding network breaches or incidents.

Should any portion of the requested records be deemed exempt from disclosure, I request the release of any reasonably segregable non-exempt portions in accordance with 5 U.S.C. § 552(b). If an entire document is exempt, I request a justification, citing specific FOIA exemptions, and provision of an exemption log as per Vaughn v. Rosen, 484 F.2d 820 (D.C. Cir. 1973).

Please note your obligation under the law not to destroy any records potentially responsive to this request. Any withholding, redaction, or destruction of responsive records without proper justification constitutes a violation of the FOIA and is subject to litigation, as confirmed in Kissinger v. Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, 445 U.S. 136, 150 (1980).

Enclosed is a letter requesting a fee waiver for the processing of this request. As an independent investigative journalist associated with TransparencyReport.pw, I believe that the information I seek is in the public interest and its disclosure contributes significantly to public understanding of the operations or activities of the government.

If the enclosed waiver is not accepted and there are any potential charges in excess of $200 associated with fulfilling my request, please inform me in advance.

As stipulated by the FOIA, I look forward to your response within twenty business days (5 U.S.C. § 552(a)(6)(A)(i)).

Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter.

Sincerely,
Jordan Lassiter
Independent Investigative Journalist
TransparencyReport.pw
Email: Jordan@Lassiter.eu
Phone: 1-845-748-0329

Enclosure: Fee Waiver Request Letter

Please be aware: All communications related to this request, including incoming and outgoing communications, will be publicly available on MuckRock.com. Additionally, any correspondence in relation to this request will be instantly published on the platform

MuckRock News
DEPT MR 146407
263 Huntington Ave
Boston, MA 02115

Date: June 6, 2023

Ossining Union Free School District
400 Executive Blvd
Ossining, NY 10562

Attn: FOIA Officer

Subject: Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Appeal – Denial of Request for Network Breaches and Cyber Attacks Records

Dear FOIA Officer,

I am writing to appeal the denial of my Freedom of Information Act request dated July 25, 2023, wherein I requested access to and copies of all records held by Ossining Union Free School District pertaining to network breaches, cyber-attacks, internal investigations, incident response plans, and related communications.

I would like to reference the following relevant legal precedents:

Gould v. New York City Police Department, 89 N.Y.2d 267 (1996)
M. Farbman & Sons v. New York City Health & Hosps. Corp., 62 N.Y.2d 75 (1984)
Data Tree, LLC v. Romaine, 9 NY3d 454 (2007)
Capital Newspapers Div. of Hearst Corp. v. Burns, 67 N.Y.2d 562 (1986)
Given these New York legal precedents, I contend that the denial of my request may be inconsistent with established FOIL practice. I kindly request your thorough reconsideration of my FOIL request, adhering to the case laws cited above. I look forward to receiving your decision within seven (7) business days following receipt of this written appeal, as stipulated in the original denial letter.

Enclosed is a copy of the denial letter dated July 25, 2023. If there are any potential charges associated with fulfilling my request, please inform me in advance.

Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter.

Sincerely,
Jordan Lassiter
Independent Investigative Journalist
TransparencyReport.pw
Email: Jordan@Lassiter.eu
Phone: 1-845-748-0329

Enclosure: Denial letter dated July 25, 2023

Please be aware: All communications related to this request, including incoming and outgoing communications, will be publicly available on MuckRock.com. Additionally, any correspondence in relation to this request will be instantly published on the platform.