EU hi-tech crime agency created

BBC NEWS | Technology | EU hi-tech crime agency created:

Computer viruses do not respect national borders

The European Union is setting up an agency to co-ordinate work to combat the rising tide of cybercrime.

The European Network and Information Security Agency will help educate the public about viruses, hacker attacks and other security problems.

It will also act as a co-ordinator for Europe-wide investigations into virus outbreaks or electronic attacks.

ENISA has a budget of 24.3m euros (£17m), will start work in 2004 and will initially be based in Brussels.

Global problem

'Trust and security are crucial components in the information society and by establishing ENISA we continue the work to create the culture of security,' said Erkki Liikanen, European Information Society Commissioner.

The agency is not expected to be Europe's cybercops but instead will help hi-tech crime units in member nations co-ordinate investigations.

"The internet is worldwide and much of this computer crime is taking place outside the EU", said Graham Cluley, Sophos.

It will also collect and distribute information about the best way that businesses can protect their networks and staff from all kinds of computer security threats."