Member Article

Government gains speedy support for cyber plan

THE Government’s proposal to set up a central hub for UK firms to report cyber fraud has received heavyweight backing from the Federation Against Software Theft (FAST).

The news follows a government-supported study, which reported that cyber crime costs the British economy approximately £27 bn per year.

The report from the Office of Cyber Security (OCS) and Detica stated that the average UK business is losing £10,000 a year thanks to cyber espionage, extortion and other forms of online fraud.

In a bid to tackle these numbers head on, the OCS has recommended the creation of a website to publicise the issue and act as a central, anonymous, reporting hub for UK firms to report fraud.

It suggests approaching selected companies to ask if they are victims of cyber crime in order to build awareness of the issues and to get some solid data on the problem.

FAST’s chief executive, John Lovelock, said: “If the true extent of cyber crime in the UK public sector is anywhere near this number then as a country, we have a lot of work to do.

“With severe cuts being made across the public sector and our services, tackling cyber crime must remain a crucial strategy for the UK government.”

Mr Lovelock suggested that building awareness on the issues surrounding cyber crimes is vital in reducing the damaging effects it is having on the UK’s economy.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .