FUJ00081944
FUJ00081944
To: Kevin Lenihantkevin.lenihan’,
Pete[pete.newsomé.
Ce: Lesley J Sewell[lesley.j.sewell
Andrew[andrew.parsons >
From: Mark Underwood1[mark.underwood
Sent: Tue 4/7/2015 1:25:24 PM (UTC)
Subject: Second Sight assertions about editing data. URGENT.
Receipts-Payments Mismatch Issue Notes.pdf
Correcting Accounts for Lost Discrepancies. pdf
; Patrick Bourke[patrick. bourke’ Parsons,
ield[melanie.corfiel
Hi Kevin, James & Peter.
I tried to each of you a call but went through to voicemail. The below has come through from SS just now for which we need to reply
with 24 hours.
Back in 2010, a bug was identified in Horizon which caused a receipts and payments mismatch issue (also known as the 76 Bug).
Second Sight has been provided with POL / FJ documents about this issue and they have now highlighted a couple of paragraphs in
those documents that indicate Post Office can alter branch data. Second Sight are not interested in the bug itself but rather the
method by which Post Office could have edited branch data to resolve the bug.
An extract from a draft Second Sight report (where they make their allegations) and the two POL / FJ documents referred to therein
are attached. The key extracts from the POL / FJ documents are below:
CORRECTING ACCOUNTS FOR "LOST" DISCREPANCIES
“7. Fixing the Data for each Affected Branch
The data can be corrected by adjusting the appropriate Opening Figures and BTS Data that relates to the current TP. This will result
in the Discrepancy needing to be processed when rolling over into the next TP."
RECEIPTS/PAYMENTS MISMATCH ISSUE NOTES
"SOLUTION ONE- Alter the Horizon Branch figure at the counter to show the discrepancy. Fujitsu would have to manually write an
entry value to the local branch account.
IMPACT - When the branch comes to complete next Trading Period they would have a discrepancy, which they would have to bring
to account.
RISK- This has significant data integrity concerns and could lead to questions of "tampering" with the branch system and could
generate questions around how the discrepancy was caused. This solution could have moral implications of Post Office’
changing branch data without informing the branch."
Please could FJ explain what is meant by "The data can be corrected by adjusting the appropriate Opening Figures and BTS Data
that relates to the current TP" and "Alter the Horizon Branch figure at the counter to show the discrepancy".
Please can you also explain:
. How these alterations would be made?
. Would they leave a detectable footprint?
. The effect they would have on data integrity?
. Whether the alterations would be visible to branches?
. What course of action was taken in relation to the 76 Bug?
UPWONPR
Mark Underwood
Complaint Review and Mediation Scheme
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