The European Commission has warned that Europe continues
to be ‘unaware’ of the security risks to computer
networks.
Unveiling a new awareness campaign called IT Security for
Europe, the Commission said
companies, individuals and public authorities still spend too
little on securing their computers and networks. The 5 per cent to
13 per cent of IT expenditure spent on security is “alarmingly
low," the Commission said.
Information Society and Media Commissioner Viviane Reding’s
warning gave a now familiar refrain: that the nature of the
security threat is changing and so should the security community’s
response, which echoes the conclusions of the recent DTI Security
Breaches report.
In the past, hackers were motivated by a desire to show off
whereas today, many threats come from criminal activities and are
motivated by profit. What we need is a renewed strategy based on
dialogue, partnership and empowerment, Reding said.
The Commission now wants to compare national policies on network
and information security to improve the dialogue among public
authorities across the E.U, identify best practices and so raise
the security awareness of end users.
Yes, but we’re heard all this before. Will this latest awareness
campaign actually work?