The House of Lords will debate internet security on Friday (10
September 2008) to assess how far the government has come in
addressing online safety.
The Lords Science and Technology Committee has published two
reports on the issue and has
criticised the government for a lack of action in the past.
Since the
second report was published some steps have been taken, such as
the announcement of
funding for an e-crime unit, to address the problem.
But members of the committee still say not enough has been
done.
Lord Broers, who chaired the inquiry into internet security,
said, "Some of our recommendations, such as the establishment of a
specialist e-crime police unit, are now being acted on by
government.
"But others, such as software developers' liability for damage
caused by security flaws and enabling people to report online fraud
directly to the police rather than their bank, have either been
ignored or are awaiting action."
He said the debate would enable Lords to question what has been
achieved and allow members of the committee to reassert their
proposals for better online protection for internet users.
Other measures the committee called for were the establishment
of a security breach notification law, and the establishment of a
centralised, automated system for the reporting of e-crime.