Summary
In this Report,
'Personal
Internet Security’ (HL 165-I), the House of Lords Science and Technology
Committee calls for incentives, regulation and investment to tackle Internet
crime.
This Report focuses on the experiences of individuals on
the Internet and the risks, especially as the perception of the e-criminal has
changed from the idea of the lonely hacker to highly skilful, organised
criminal groups. The incidence and cost of Internet crime is known to be huge
but there is no accurate data on its exact size. The Government insists that
responsibility for Internet security rests with the individual but the
Committee disagrees.
The Committee thinks that many more organisations,
such as manufacturers of hardware and software, Internet service providers
(ISPs), retailers, and businesses such as banks, could do more to promote
personal security. Government leadership is required so that the stakeholders
can be galvanised through a mixture of initiatives, regulation, and direct
investment. There is a clear threat to the Internet but it can be managed both
domestically and internationally through the European Union (EU) and
international organisations.
Witnesses included: Duncan Campbell,
Margaret Hodge MP, AOL, eBay, Royal Bank of Scotland, VISA, Child Exploitation
and Online Protection Centre, Vernon Coaker MP, Microsoft and Ofcom.
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How does it
affect me?
If you are a regular user of the Internet or work in the
online arena, this affects you.
The Lords Committee recommends measures
to:
- Increase the resources and skills available to the police and criminal
justice system to catch and prosecute e-criminals
- Establish a
centralised and automated system, administered by law enforcement, for the
reporting of e-crime
- Provide incentives to banks and other companies
trading online to improve the data security by establishing a data security
breach notification law
- Improve standards of new software and hardware
by taking the first steps towards the establishment of legal liability for
damage resulting from security flaws
- Encourage Internet service
providers to improve the security offered to customers by establishing a “kite
mark” for Internet services.
Lord Broers, Chairman of the
Committee, said: “You can’t legislate for better Internet security. But the
Government can put in place incentives for the private sector to up their game.
And they can invest in better data protection and law enforcement. It’s time to
act now, before it’s too late.”
See more on the work of the
House of Lords Science and
Technology Committee.
Read more on Internet security at the
Government’s Get Safe Online
website.