Europe to get cyber crime alert system

Europe is to get a cyber crime alert system as part of an EU drive to fight online criminals.

Europol, the European law enforcement body, is to get €300,000 to build the alert system to pool reports of cyber crime, such as online ID and financial theft, from across the 27 member states.

Police will launch more remote searches of suspects' hard drives over the internet and cyber patrols to spot and track illegal activity under the strategy adopted by the European Union's council of ministers yesterday.

The strategy, a blueprint for fighting cyber crime in the EU over the next five years, also introduces measures to encourage business and the police to work closer together in sharing information on investigations and cyber crime trends.

silicon.com's e-Crime Crackdown campaign is calling for a national UK cyber crime police unit.

The unit would provide leadership and expertise to co-ordinate investigations nationwide and collate reports from police forces across the country, as well as offering a central point of contact for reporting e-crime.

We want to hear your views about this campaign and your experiences of being a victim of cyber crime. Were you happy with the way your case was handled? Make your voice heard by leaving a Reader Comment below or emailing us in confidence at editorial@silicon.com.

Vice president of the European Commission Jacques Barrot highlighted the importance of the strategy, saying in a statement: "The strategy encourages the much needed operational co-operation and information exchange between the member states.

"If the strategy is to make the fight against cyber crime more efficient, all stakeholders have to be fully committed to its implementation. We are ready to support them, also financially, in their efforts."

It follows the recent establishment of the £7m Police Central E-crime Unit and National Fraud Strategic Authority, which will help fight cyber crime in the UK.