Tif to take hackers to task

Blue-chip user group The Corporate IT Forum (Tif) has set up a security taskforce to work with the police on combating hacking and viruses.

Tif's Information Security Task Force has members from 47 of the FTSE100 companies and aims to improve response times to problems and address continuing vulnerabilities in IT infrastructure.

The group plans to aid police with high-tech criminal prosecutions without companies having to release proprietary secrets or suffer damage to their brands.

'Historically companies have been discouraged from sharing information. Now we can all work together and solve problems a lot faster, be they viruses or actual malicious intrusion.' said Tif chief executive David Roberts.

The group is keen to work with the UK's National High-Tech Crime Unit (NHTCU).

'We welcome any organisation that will work with us in targeting high-tech crime. This is a global problem requiring a global solution and building partnerships is a massive step in reaching that solution,' said a NHTCU spokeswoman.