A
House of Lords Select Committee has called on the government to
take urgent strong measures to protect internet users against
crime.
Describing the internet as "the playground for criminals", the
Lords Science
& Technology Committee recommended measures to:
● Increase the resources and skills available to the police and
criminal justice system to catch and prosecute criminals.
● Establish a central, automated system, administered by law
enforcement, for reporting e-crime.
● Introduce a data security breach notification law.
● Establish legal liability for damages resulting from security
flaws.
● Encourage a "kite mark" for secure internet services.
The call for more police resources came days after Computer
Weekly reported that the Association of Chief Police Officers'
e-crime unit wanted private sector help to find £4.5m to launch
a team to co-ordinate responses to e-crime.
The committee said that the government should review, "as a
matter of urgency", its decision that victims of online fraud
report first to their banks, rather than to the police.
Committee chairman Lord Broers said, "We are firm believers in
the internet. It is a huge force for good. But it relies on the
confidence of millions of users.
"You cannot legislate for better internet security. But the
government can put in place incentives for the private sector to up
their game. And it can invest in better data protection and law
enforcement."
Jeremy Beale, head of e-business at the
Confederation of British Industry, said, "We strongly support
the committee's call for a better-funded and more joined-up
government approach to boost public awareness of internet security
threats."
But he called for caution on introducing new rules such as a
data security breach notification law, or increased liabilities on
internet service providers and software providers.
"Such catch-all legislation is not guaranteed to work. It could
also impose a disproportionate burden on businesses already
struggling to develop effective security practices in the complex
world of internet commerce."
E-crime part of everyday police work >>