The overall scale of losses is mind-boggling, with some authorities estimating that Internet crime takes up to $1,6 trillion a year out of the global economy. The FBI is investigating 1 200 cases of cybercrime, as against 450 three years ago. That tells its own story!
What`s been lacking, as I`ve said so many times I`m actually beginning to bore myself, let alone my readers, has been an acknowledgement that there`s a problem, a collective will, and the allocation of resources to tackle it.
The man who broke into Microsoft`s servers in November has been fired by his company ... and then took them to court on the basis that he hacked into Microsoft`s servers on his own time
Ian Melamed, chief technology officer, SatelliteSafe
Now the FBI has announced the completion of InfraGard, its joint initiative with big business in the US, aimed at combating cybercrime by encouraging companies to share information about Internet attacks. The FBI and companies participating in Infragard will use encrypted e-mail and a secure website to advise each other of new hacking attempts, viruses and other Internet-based criminal activity.
InfraGard has been in development since 1996 and 500 companies have signed on. Participation is free, but, of importance, companies must pass a criminal background check before admission. They may remain anonymous, and do not have to share confidential information.
One of InfraGard`s greatest successes was when it was used last autumn to alert companies to the presence of zombies on their servers. These zombies can be used, and were, to launch denial-of-service attacks such as those that plagued online companies last year.
This is a start, and as such it`s to be welcomed, but companies should share more rather than less information if the initiative is to yield its full potential. Let`s see if it helps reduce the overall level of
Cybercrime.
* Shades of King Canute ... China continues to try and control the uncontrollable. The country which has cracked down on the Internet over the last two years has deemed illegal a range of Web-based activities. Some of them most reasonable people would agree with; others are Draconian and dictatorial and consistent with China`s approach to human rights, freedom of expression and freedom of association. So in China on the one hand it`s now a crime to use the Internet to spread rumours to manipulate stock prices, to slander people and corporations, create and spread viruses, break into national defence networks or tamper with personal e-mail accounts. Good common-sense laws; but on the other hand it`s also against the law to promote Taiwan`s independence, organise cults or maintain contact with cult members, "incite subversion of state power", "overthrow the Socialist system", or "destroy national unification". Included as illegal activities are establishing pornographic websites and Web pages, or providing links to pornographic sites. With pornography making up more than 50% of all Web activity, let`s see them try and control its spread in China!
* You simply have to admire his cheek! The man who broke into Microsoft`s servers in November has been fired by his company ... and then took them to court on the basis that he hacked into Microsoft`s servers on his own time! Dimitri van de Glessen was on a one-year contract with Dutch giant Getronics, a major business partner of Microsoft, when he exploited a well known security hole in Microsoft`s systems and gained access to the source code for Windows. Dutch law does not permit a company to fire for hacking in their private time, so the parties have had to resolve the issue in court. Ironically, Getronics had hired Van de Glessen for his hacking skills. The court ruled he had to be given a three-month payoff totalling 10 000 guilders. Great quotes from Van de Glessen: "I told Microsoft, but they wouldn`t listen, so I told the press and then everyone was suddenly interested." And: "I don`t know if I want to stay in security - no one wants to listen."
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