[ISN] Tories want new 'cybercrime' police unit

From: InfoSec News (alerts@private)
Date: Thu Mar 06 2008 - 06:18:16 PST


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2008/03/06/ncyber106.xml

By Philip Johnston
Home Affairs Editor
Telegraph
06/03/2008

A new police unit to tackle ''cybercrime'' is to be proposed by the 
Conservatives.

David Davis, the shadow home secretary, says a National Cybercrime Unit 
would be backed up by specialist prosecutors in order to obtain more 
convictions for offences such as internet violence, hacking and online 
fraud.

The Tories would also appoint a minister in the Home Office to be 
directly responsible for co-ordinating policy against cybercrime.

A report published by the Tories warned that cybercrime is now growing 
at a faster rate than can be dealt with by the law enforcement agencies. 
"Cybercrime is a growing and very serious threat to individuals, 
business and government," Mr Davis said last night. ''It is a problem 
that will continue to escalate as technology changes."

The Tories' report called for a review of existing legislation ''to 
ensure that it provides effective sanctions and offences to deal with 
developing cybercrimes".

New laws could include an obligation on financial service companies to 
report all malicious security incidents that affect their computer 
systems.

In addition, companies that hold personal data on individuals would be 
required to report any suspected incidents of hacking into their 
systems.

The report continued: "We would create an offence of reckless handling 
of personal data by government, making it an offence for a Crown Servant 
or a government contractor to lose personal data from their control.

"The public also needs to be confident that appropriate measures are 
being taken regarding the posting of images which incite abuse, violence 
and race hate crime," it added.


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