Brussels, 28/03/2012 (Agence Europe) - Prevention of cyber attacks on sensitive infrastructure and reinforcing the trust of consumers when online and that of internet users on social networks is the best option: this is what the European Home Affairs Commissioner Cecilia Malmström plans to do in her proposal on Wednesday 28 March for the creation of a European Cybercrime Centre within the European Police Office, Europol.
Estimates suggest that “worldwide, more than 1 million people become victims of cybercrime every day”, the Commission explained in a press release. The cost of cybercrime could reach an overall total of $388 billion worldwide. “Cybercriminals” are becoming increasingly skilful and devious, the Swedish commissioner stated on Wednesday. This centre (which will be established in The Hague) will become the “European focal point in fighting cybercrime and will focus on illegal online activities carried out by organised crime groups, particularly those generating large criminal profits, such as online fraud involving credit cards and bank credentials”.
The Europol experts will also work on preventing cybercrimes affecting online banking and online booking activities, and on protecting profiles on online social networks from piracy and identity theft (according to the Commission, some 600,000 Facebook accounts are blocked every day after various types of hacking attempts and over 6,700,000 different bot-infected computers were detected in 2009). The centre will also monitor all activities with an impact on children, such as child pornography.
Additionally, this European centre will facilitate the exchange of information between the member states and alert them to the threats identified. On the ground, it will set up joint cybercrime investigation teams and will also be able to respond to queries from cybercrime investigators, public prosecutors and judges dealing with cybercrime-related cases, the Commission goes on to explain. It hopes that the centre will be up and running as of January 2013, once the budgetary authority of Europol has adopted its proposal. The centre will be made up of around 50 experts and have an operating budget of €3.6 million a year. (SP/transl.fl)