EC Cybercrime Agency To Combat Fraud

The European Commission is assessing the feasibility of setting up a centralised cybercrime agency to tackle online fraud and child pornography.

The EU Council of Ministers asked the Commission to investigate whether a new centralised agency would be more effective in preventing Internet crime than current up-and-running operations, such as the European Network and Information Security Agency (ENISA).

Cybercrime unit to cross borders

The agency would serve as a “permanent liaison body with user and victims’ organisations and the private sector,” according to a statement from the ministers’ meeting. It would aim to encourage information sharing between national police forces across the EU and raise the level of specialisation among investigators and prosecutors. In particular, the agency would co-ordinate with the International Child Sexual Exploitation Database at Interpol to combat child pornography.

“Cybercrime is borderless by nature,” said the proposal put forward by the Council this week, outlining why action was needed. “For measures to combat cybercrime to be effective, adequate cross-border provisions are needed and international cooperation and mutual assistance in law enforcement within Europe and between the EU and third countries needs to be substantially enhanced.”

“This feasibility study should consider, in particular, the aim, scope and possible financing of the centre and whether it should be located at Europol,” it added.

The Council divided the EU’s plans on cybercrime into short, medium and long term actions. Progress on these plans will be tracked and recorded in the Commission’s “Stockholm Programme”, which outlines strategy for crime and security government over the next four years. The Council also wants EU countries to adopt a common anti-cybercrime approach to IP addresses and Internet domain names and establish common action disconnecting criminals.

In February this year, the UK government announced plans to step up the fight against online fraud with new funding for the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) and the creation of a specialist team to take on cyber criminals. The OFT received £4.3 million investment for its new cyber enforcement team, to help the three million UK consumers hit by scams totalling £3.5 billion every year.

This week Australian security firm Dtex also launched the UK Cyber Security Challenge, which involves tasks such as treasure hunts or network break-ins for people who want to establish their information security skills. The challenge is intended to persuade more people in Britain to develop core IT security skills.

Fighting child pornography

The question of how to deal with child pornography on the Internet has been the cause of ongoing debate within the EU for many months, according to EurActiv.com. While the European Commission wants member states to filter out child porn from the Internet, the European Parliament – in particular Germany – argues that banning child pornography would be more sensible than filtering content.

“I expect a broad debate in the upcoming discussions in which I shall be representing the principle of ‘removing [child porn sites] instead of blocking’ and lobbying for as broad support as possible in the Council and in the European Parliament,” said German Justice Minister Sabine Schnarrenberger.

Earlier this month, European Commission vice-president for the Digital Agenda, Neelie Kroes, made a wide-ranging speech on a different type of cybercrime – Internet piracy. She said that the failure of governments and content producers across Europe to agree on common standards and platforms for downloading was directly contributing to illegal file-sharing.

“While the Internet is borderless, Europe’s online markets are not,” said Kroes. “It is often easier to buy something from a US website than from the next-door country in Europe. Often you cannot buy it at all within Europe.”