BBC News | Americas (2000-01-07): Police seek key to cyber-crime

[Owen Blacker]

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hash: SHA1


For reference from the previous message.  Apologies for its typo in
date...  :o)


http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/americas/newsid_594000/594847.stm


Police seek key to cyber-crime
Friday, 7 January, 2000, 18:12 GMT
By science reporter Helen Briggs

President Bill Clinton's new measures to protect America's computer
systems from hackers and viruses comes amid increased global concerns
over the threat of cyber-terrorism.

Law enforcement agencies say the electronic age has made crime more
sinister and criminals harder to catch.

All computer networks that control critical systems, such as air
traffic control or nuclear power plants, are potentially at risk from
hackers and viruses.

But because electronic messages plotting crimes can be encrypted,
hackers can easily evade detection.


Key to solving cybercrime

Computer experts say one possible way to combat cyber-terrorism is to
give law agencies access to encryption keys that are used to scramble
information.

This would give police and other law enforcement bodies powers to
intercept e-mails, read confidential documents and tap into systems
when cyber-crime is suspected.

But there's been debate about whether such a system would be workable
in practice and whether it might infringe civil liberties.

Other measures include developing new tools to detect computer viruses
and training a new generation of computer security specialists to deal
with hackers

###
- -----
Owen Blacker
Senior Internet Developer and InfoSec Consultant, pres.co
DSS: 0x7e3c8eab | 2f45 c60d 6a0a 0007 193d  d994 cd36 e021 7e3c 8eab
RSA: 0x38fee6c3 |      7c41 e69c 5b8a 484d  22af 1859 f4c9 307b

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----
Version: PGP Personal Privacy 6.0.2

iQA/AwUBOWbyaM024CF+PI6rEQKPogCggdktTaw9J08uD5WmzadC87fTqLgAoIQ/
861f+Hwrg76ZvlvU9OWOfzv4
=+aFN
-----END PGP SIGNATURE-----