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By editorial@silicon.com, 28 November 2001 18:15

COMMENT The National Hi-Tech Crime Unit (NHTU) and the British Web Design and Marketing Association (BWDMA) think our industry needs to buck up its ideas in tackling cybercrime. These organisations are on a mission. And that mission is to make ecommerce safe. And a laudable mission it is too. The NHTU was launched with quite a fanfare, but hasn't exactly been trumpeting its successes. Industry has, therefore, been sceptical about its effectiveness, building on the long-held view that government bodies and the police don't understand IT, don't move quickly enough when they do, and aren't the right people to help buff the tarnished image of ecommerce. True - to a degree. But as today's child porn swoop proves, there are occasions when the police have to be involved, and do get things right. Sometimes. The best way to make sure they get it right all the time is for industry to drop the usual scepticism and engage in constructive dialogue. That's why these two bodies working together is such a good thing. We would say that, because our Fighting Fraud campaign helped inspire the collaboration. But over and above that, it's good because the average man and woman shopping on e-street is more likely to trust an organisation with police involvement than any vehicle the industry itself sets up. Yes, we need light regulation to ensure ecommerce flourishes, and of course industry needs to be involved. But this isn't incompatible with the existence of such organisations. We need more openness about cybercrime, more data, more discussion, more dialogue. Only then will ecommerce reach its full potential. We fully support the moves the NHTU and the BWDMA, and will bring you more news from its meetings as they happen. Let's hope they stay on the right track.