Decision details

The Cabinet considered a confidential report of the Director of Digital that sought authorisation of investment in a three-year contract of Microsoft Defender for the Cloud and associated professional services and internal resources for targeted implementation works This would ensure timely, expert-led rollout, maximise the value of prior investments, and align with NCSC recommendations for robust cyber defences. It would deliver immediate benefits like enhanced threat response and optimised performance, supports vendor consolidation, and positions the Council for sustainable, cost-effective operations, mirroring successful approaches in peers like Manchester City Council.

Resolved:

That the Cabinet

1.    Authorise a commitment to a 36-month term contract for the platform costs of Microsoft Defender for the Cloud at £100,000 pa.

2.    Authorise the approval of the additional revenue implications at £100,000 pa from Year two. 

3.    Approve the associated deployment and integration costs of £125,000 covering professional specialist services and internal resource costs. This will also cover targeted implementation work to provide the appropriate level of cyber security for the Cloud, to complete server and database migrations, to provide cloud optimisation of storage and data costs in Azure and to integrate all new cyber systems and security alert and reporting services effectively.

4.    Authorise the allocation of £225,000 IT capital funding for the product and the resource to make all servers secure, utilising a combination of professional services to supplement internal skillsets and internal resources.

5.    Note that over three years the total cost will be £425K.

6.    Direct the Council’s IT team to deploy the funded resources in a phased manner, prioritising high-impact areas like threat detection and cloud integration, while ensuring alignment with NCSC best practices and minimal disruption to operations.

7.    Note that the Council’s Commercial Procurement Unit will ensure compliance with the Council’s Contract Procedure Rules.