EU preparing recommendations on fighting cybercrime

[InfoSec News <isn () C4I ORG>]

http://www.theage.com.au/breaking/0012/13/A2894-2000Dec13.shtml

Source: AP|Published: Wednesday December 13, 10:26 AM

LONDON, Dec 12: The European Commission is preparing recommendations
for member states on how to battle Internet crime in the hopes of
countering consumer and industry reluctance to conduct business
online.

One aim of the EU's recommendations would be to establish links among
the 15 EU members to monitor and react swiftly to crimes, such as
credit card theft, committed online.

We have to raise awareness among industry and consumers on protecting
their systems against outside attacks or infiltration, EU Commission
spokesman Per Haugaard said today.

The recommendations will be released on December 21. Details are still
being discussed in committee.

The draft recommendations pertain to legislation that member countries
could enact to establish closer links among their law enforcement
agencies to better spot and stop cybercrime.

Europeans are far more cautious than Americans about conducting
business on the Internet, according to a report by
PriceWaterhouseCoopers.

European consumers are generally unwilling to disclose their credit
card details and personal information over the Internet, which is
affecting sales, especially on highvalue goods, said the report, based
on a survey of 2,405 people across Europe.

Of those surveyed, 27 per cent said that their confidence would rise
with better technology, including the use of passwords and encryption,
and 15 per cent would feel better with tighter legislation and data
protection laws.

Only 3 per cent thought that the Internet was secure, and 7 per cent
said that it would not ever be secure.

A full 42 per cent said they did not know what it would take to
improve the system.

The degree of distrust differs from country to country. In Finland and
Norway under 10 per cent distrusted the Internet. These two countries
also have some of the highest rates of Internet usage.

Internet distrust is highest, near 50 per cent, in Britain.

Despite security concerns among Europeans, Internet usage has surged
this year, rising from 18 per cent of households last March to 28 per
cent in October, according to an EU study released last week.

In three countries Denmark, Sweden and the Netherlands the rate topped
50 per cent, higher than the US level of about 40 per cent.

The PriceWaterhouseCoopers report found that tighter laws and
regulations will go only part of the way to improving Internet
confidence. The survey found that Europeans felt government action
raised, rather than diminished their concerns about private on the
Internet.

Government good intentions are not seen as such, the report said. A
majority of respondents see legal changes which may mean that
employers and governments have greater access to information on demand
as threatening their personal privacy.

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