Legacy IT systems, ONS

FOI reference: FOI-2025-2809

You asked

I am requesting the number of department computers or laptops running on legacy IT systems. Please provide the following:

1. The number of department computing devices, including laptops, desktops, and tablets, that are running on PC Windows versions:

• Windows 11 23H2 
  
• Windows 10 22H2 
  
• Windows 8.1
  
• Windows 7
  
• Windows XP/Vista 

2. The number of department computing devices, including laptops, desktops, and tablets, that are running on Windows Server versions:

• Windows Server 2022 
  
• Windows Server 2016 
  
• Windows Server 2012/R2 
  
• Windows Server 2008/R2 
  
• Windows Server 2003/R2 
  
• Windows Server 2000 
  
• Windows NT 4.0 Server 

3. The number of department computer devices, including laptops, desktops, and tablets, that are running on Apple macOS Server versions:

• macOS Server 5.12.2 
  
• macOS Server 5.10-5.11 
  
• macOS Server 5.0-5.5 or earlier versions

4. The number of department computer devices, including laptops, desktops, and tablets, that are running on Apple macOS versions for desktop and laptops:

• macOS 14 
  
• macOS 12 
  
• macOS 10.13 or earlier versions

We said

Thank you for your request.

Please see the associated download in response to your request.

Unfortunately, we can neither confirm or deny whether the data requested in question 2 are held, as this would prejudice the prevention or detection of crime. We believe that releasing this information would increase the likelihood of criminals conducting malicious attacks on the system, placing the Office for National Statistics (ONS) and its staff and assets in a much more vulnerable position. s.31(3) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA) is therefore engaged.

This exemption is subject to a public interest test. We recognise that releasing this information would aid transparency and accountability for the systems we use to prove they are robust enough to keep the data we hold safe. However, we see greater value in the inherent public interest in crime prevention. There is also a public interest in avoiding the costs (financial, distress, inconvenience, publicity, regulatory) associated with any criminal attack. By neither confirming nor denying this information we are also preventing any threat to the integrity and security of our sensitive data and are ensuring that we can comply with our duties to take all necessary steps to safeguard the sensitive data.