EU decides to take the fight to cyber-criminals
We still don’t know the final decision and whether the initiative will go ahead, but I believe it’s worth underlining the importance that the fight against cyber-crime seems to finally have been given in the heart of the EU. After several years in which Internet crime figures have risen without a corresponding rise in the resources made available to combat it, it is certainly positive to hear that the EU is making a move.
And it is particularly positive that it is being done at the level of the EU. The fight against cyber-crime from a national perspective is necessary, but limited in scope: it is difficult to fight against a type of crime and criminals who are not restricted by borders from a jurisdiction limited to a national territory. That’s why this effort must be undertaken by supra-national organizations. In this respect, the National Cyber-Security Advisory Council in Spain (founded by Panda) has backed the initiative put forward by the Spanish senate in favor of creating a European Plan for Cyber-Security. This motion favors the creation of a European Plan for Cyber-Security during the Spanish presidency of the European Union in 2010.
The motion put forward by MEPs to create the European Court of Cyber Affairs is driven by the “significant increase in recent years” of online crime. The dark side of the Net. Yet we must still not forget that the Internet is a medium that offers substantial opportunities to society -and is vital for its financial/economic fabric-, as well as bringing together cultures and organizations without geographic frontiers. To defend a solid Internet, free from threats, is a collective exercise in which institutions have a key role.
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Most of what has happened in states like France, Germany and Britain in the last couple of months has been a shame regarding civil rights - whether from a general perspective, or from a specific point of view that’s focusing on internet-related things exclusively. Germany like France encountered heavy protests originated from frequently internet users, politicians and citizens.
There is a growing awareness that something of great danger is going on. Jewgeni Kasperski has made an interview in which he said he loved the idea of an internet police and the idea of everybody having to identify himself prior connecting to the internet. For this he was stoned in a metaphorical sense!
Looking at recent laws in Britain, conscientious journalists and critical internet users see restrictions of their civil liberties. The development of how governments try to regulate the internet is taken into account with big concern.
People know there is a cover-up going on.
@Camille, It is a controversial issue indeed. Pretty much in every country there is a similar debate nowadays. I believe that current cybersecurity issues need to be addressed, among other things, through stronger legislation intra-country and much more international collaboration to jointly fight cybercrime, that is why it is good to see focus on it from the EU.
There is always a risk that some constituencies advocate for measures that do not respect civil rights. The “Internet passport” has been suggested as a potential tool, not only by Eugene Kaspersky, but by others in various countries in the past. Personally I don’t agree that it would help in any way and it has much more risks than benefits.
I do think however that the situation can be improved substantially and that it can be done without affecting civil rights. Governments just need to put the resources, focus and time to get it going … and they need to do so while listening to the various stakeholders involved (internet users and security industry among others). But we need to move fast: cybercrime does not stay still. Two examples of how slow things move in relation to cybersecurity: i) more than 6 months have gone by and President Obama hast not yet named the Cyber Czar he talked about in his famous Cybersecurity Plan that he presented back in May; and ii) back in June, the Spanish Senate instructed the Spanish Government to develop a similar plan for Spain… 6 months after, no action for the time being.
As I said, I think addressing Cybersecurity by the various Governments today is a must and they need to make an important priority … but it has to be done while respecting civil rights.