Cybercrime - EC Proposes Euro Cybercrime Center

CeriseClub's April 12 issue reported that the European Commission (EC) has proposed the creation of a dedicated European center to combat cybercrime. According to the article, which drew on a March 28 EC press release and an AFP report, The Center's objective would be to assist Member States in combating the activities of organized criminals online, with data theft and pedophilia as its two main priorities.  The Center would be located on the premises of Europol in The Hague and could be operational by January 2013 if Europol's budget authority adopted the proposal.

If the Center is established, it would focus on online frauds, organizations disseminating pedophilic images, and "phishers."  The Commissioner responsible for security, Cecilia Malmstrom, reportedly stated that "people are afraid of using their computers and we must restore their confidence."  The Center also would be responsible for warning States about leading computer threats, and exploring networks of computer criminals.  The article also cited the highly debatable statistic, included in the EC press release, that cybercrime costs US $388 billion a year.