Co-operation needed for secure internet

International approach to security needed

Countries need to co-operate at an international level to make the internet more secure, according to experts at last week’s RSA conference.

The internet’s growing popularity has made it a target for organised crime gangs looking to distribute spam, steal money and extort from firms, says Dame Pauline Neville-Jones, former chairman of the government’s Joint Intelligence Committee.

She says the problem can only be tackled if governments co-operate and share information with each other, close down spoof sites and bring criminals to task.

‘Computer networks are now an indispensable part of our everyday lives. We pay our taxes, bills and read our bank statements online. Doctors even keep medical notes on computers,’ said Neville-Jones, who is also chairman of the Information Assurance Advisory Council.

Geoff Smith, head of the Department of Trade and Industry’s information security policy group, says international groups such as the European Commission’s European Network and Infrastructure Security Agency should also play a key part in educating member states, and that the private sector should be included to create a standard European approach.

‘We also need more consistent international legislation outlawing the production and distribution of malware,’ said Smith.

‘As the internet becomes part of the mainstream of our lives, the concerns about the impact of malware are going to become greater,’ he added.