POL00002159 - Email from Peter Laycock to Rebecca Barker, Ian Trundell, Willie Hughes & Caroline Hilton re Horizon terminal time offsets.

Evidence on official site

POL00002159
POL00002159

From: Peter R Laycock
To:
Ce:
Subject: FW: Horizon terminal time off
Date: 24 January 2013 10:09:00
Attachments: imaae005.onq
image007.pna
Rebecca

Whilst we’re raising the dialogue with Fujitsu on the peaks and troughs, will you get an update
‘on this too please.

ve heard nothing since Steve Bansai said on the 28'" November “should have an update for by
the end of the week”

Thanks

Peter

Peter R Laycock I information Secu

Consultant

postoffice.co.uk
@postofficenews

From: Peter R Laycock

Sent: 14 December 2012 14:51
‘ebecca Barker

Ce: Ian Trundell
Subject: RE: Horizon terminal time offsets

Rebecca

Fujitsu were to respond “by the end of the week” on 28/11
I've received nothing back yet, have you?

Regards

Peter

Peter R Laycock I information Secu

postoffice.co.uk
@postofficenews

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From: Rebecca Barker

Sent: 28 November 2012 12:57

To: Peter R Laycock

Subject: FW: Horizon terminal time offsets

Hi Peter
Im in and out of meetings today, please see response from fujitsu re the timing offsets

Kind regards,

Rebecca Barker I Post Office Service Desk

2nd Floor, South Wing, Dearne House,
Cortonwood Drive, Brampton,
BARNSLEY, S73 OUF

1S)
©
So

All incidents or requests for information relating to incidents should be rung into the Post

Office Service Desk oni GRO

From: Bansal Steve (BRAQ1) [mailto’”
Sent: 28 November 2012 11:20

To: Rebecca Barker

Ce: Scott Somerside; Calum S Ellison; Willie Hughes
Subject: RE: Horizon terminal time offsets

Hi Rebecca

1am currently looking into the details below as requested and should have an update for by
the end of the week.

Regards

Steve Bansal
Problem Manager
End User Services
FUJITSU

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ment - do you

ed to print this email?

I

From: Rebecca Barker [mailto:
Sent: 21 November 2012 16:00"
To: Bansal Steve (BRAO1)

Ce: Scott Somerside; Calum S Ellison; Willie Hughes
Subject: FW: Horizon terminal time offsets

Hi steve

Please see email below, I really don’t understand what the issue is? If there is an
issue?? Can you advise or shed any light

Kind regards,

Rebecca Barker I Post Office Service Desk

2nd Floor, South Wing, Dearne House,
Cortonwoed Drive; Brampton,
UI

BOO ®

From: Peter R Laycock

Sent: 07 November 2012 10:11

To: Ian Trundell

Cec: Duty Manager; Mark R Pearce; Willie Hughes; Rebecca Barker
Subject: Horizon terminal time offsets

lan

Although we have been discussing the EBT transaction drop-off and bursts with Fujitsu, I have
just remembered that the original email I sent detailed also the issue of counter position
Horizon terminal clock times.

I'm mindful that JPM have a service level to perform transactions at 95% within 2 seconds and
100% within 10 seconds so terminal time offset can impact this.

My original email is below and JPM’s analysis by FAD Code attached. I think there is an
understanding that JPM’s EBT and Horizon at the Data Centre hold slightly different clock times,
but I’m not sure just how counter terminals are clocked and why there should be some
discrepancies of up to 5 minutes and in one case, 21 minutes.

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How should we take this forward with Fujitsu?
Regards
Peter

1. Transaction time offsets - see attached document for JP Morgan analysis

Summary: JP Morgan are reporting that out of a sample of 865,731 transactions from
10,643 FAD codes, 1,640 FAD codes had at least one terminal with ‘its time out by more
than 1 minute (+1.0 second). And of those, 36 FAD codes had at least one terminal with its
time out by more than 5 minutes, with the worst one being out by nearly 21 minutes.

This indicates that clock synchronisation at the counter is not always what it should be. Of
course for banking transactions, the time stamp on the receipt is important in relation to
disputes, but if this is offset considerably to the time of the transaction recorded by the
bank this could further complicate any dispute.

Peter R Laycock
Information Security Consultant

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