Action needed to combat e-crime
The government must introduce measures to protect users from internet criminals, a new report has said.
The report, from the House of Lords Science and Technology Select Committee, argued that the internet was increasingly the “playground of criminals”.
The Committee also attacked the government for adopting a “wild west” approach to policing the internet in which individual users were expected to take responsibility for their own online security.
The report said: “The internet is now increasingly the playground of criminals. Where a decade ago the public perception of the e-criminal was of a lonely hacker searching for attention, today's bad guys belong to organised crime groups, are highly skilful, specialised and focused on profit. They want to stay invisible, and so far they have largely succeeded.”
Devolving security to the individual was criticised as unrealistic and likely to expose users to criminal activity.
Lord Broers, who chaired the committee, said: “You can’t just rely on individuals to take responsibility for their own security. They will always be outfoxed by the bad guys. We feel many of the organisations profiting from internet services now need to take their share of the responsibility.”
As well as the government, the IT industry, banks, internet traders and internet service providers need to take more action to safeguard the interests of individuals.
The report referred to a Get Safe Online survey that found people felt under greater threat from online crime than they did from burglary.
Citing the absence of detailed cyber crime figures, the Committee said: “This raises the question whether the government needs to do more to help establish a true picture of the scale of the problem, the risks to individuals and the cost to the economy. We believe the answer is yes.”
The peers recommended a central e-crime reporting system and laboratories for investigating internet crime to replace the National Hi-Tech Crime Unit, which was disbanded during the creation of the Serious and Organised Crime Agency in 2006.
While conceding that the state is in a position only to achieve so much, the report urged the government to put incentives in place to encourage the private sector to “invest in better data protection and law enforcement”.
A Home Office spokesman said: “The key to tackling online crime is prevention, which is why across government we are working closely with industry and law enforcement agencies to improve safety while also seeking to raise awareness to improve people's ability to protect themselves.”
He added: “We are in discussions with the police about effectively policing the internet and looking at what measures can be taken. We are grateful for the House of Lords Science and Technology Select Committee’s contribution.”
Jeremy Beale, the CBI’s head of e-business, welcomed the call for a better funded and more joined up government approach to boosting public awareness of internet security threats.
But he warned that proposals for new rules on data security breach notification law, or increased liabilities on ISPs and software providers, need “to be treated with caution”.
Mr Beale said: “Such catch-all legislation to address personal security is not guaranteed to work in the fast-evolving landscape of the internet. It could also impose a disproportionate burden on businesses already struggling to develop effective security practices in the complex world of internet commerce.”
He added: “A central e-crime reporting system to pull together criminal investigations at a national level, as recommended by the Committee, could really speed up the process of identifying and prosecuting crimes. What would also make a real difference would be improved police capabilities and resources, which the report notes are entirely inadequate at present.”
Date:10 August 2007
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