The use and abuse of “cybercrime”

The use and abuse of “cybercrime” Dr. Ian Brown Foundation for Information Policy Research

Over-reacting to cybercrime
Fear of unknown  sweeping new legislation on “hacking” and Internet surveillance: RIP, ATCS, PATRIOT
EU and Council of Europe response
“ Law enforcers... are used to robbers and guns. There are now new criminals out there that don't have guns. They have computers and many have other weapons of mass destruction.” –Janet Reno

Cybercrime/terrorism/hooliganism?
“ A mouse can be just as dangerous as a bullet or a bomb.” –Rep. Lamar Smith
“ electronic Pearl Harbour” would need 5 years and $200m –US Naval War College
“ Imagine the disruption to the nation’s infrastructure caused by someone’s failure to auction off their great grandmother’s curios on e-Bay.” –Wayne Madsen

Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000
ISPs must install “black boxes” upon production of a SoS s.12 notice
“ Comms data” obtained by self-authorised demand from police, Customs etc.
Content requires warrant from SoS

“ Snooper’s charter”
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
The Department of Health.
The Home Office.
The Department of Trade and Industry.
The Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions.
The Department for Work and Pensions.
The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment for Northern Ireland.
Any local authority within the meaning of section 1 of the Local Government Act 1999.
Any fire authority as defined in the Local Government (Best Value) Performance Indicators Order 2000
The Scottish Drug Enforcement Agency.
The Scottish Environment Protection Agency.
The United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority Constabulary.
A Universal Service Provider within the meaning of the Postal Services Act 2000
A council constituted under section 2 of the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994.
A district council within the meaning of the Local Government Act (Northern Ireland) 1972.
The Common Services Agency of the Scottish Health Service.
The Northern Ireland Central Services Agency for the Health and Social Services.
The Environment Agency.
The Financial Services Authority.
The Food Standards Agency.
The Health and Safety Executive.
The Information Commissioner.
The Office of Fair Trading.
The Postal Services Commission.

Anti-Terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001
Contains provisions for data retention by Communications Service Providers
“ There is great merit for having information about subscribers kept for five years and call information for two years” –John Abbot, NCIS

EU actions
2002/58/EC: “Member States may… adopt legislative measures providing for the retention of data for a limited period.”
Danish presidency canvassing opinion on data retention
Draft Belgian directive would require retention for 12-24 months, with access for at last 32 crimes, and compulsory mutual assistance

Council of Europe
Cybercrime treaty:
Criminalise hacking, hacking tools, child pornography, intellectual property offences
Online monitoring and data preservation
Mutual assistance, reduced dual criminality
Being used as excuse by states in central Asia and Africa, who lack CoE human rights protections

Links
http://www.fipr.org/
http://www.privacyinternational.org/
http://www.statewatch.org/
http://www.treatywatch.org/
http://www.cs.ucl.ac.uk/staff/I.Brown/

The use and abuse of “cybercrime”

by Ian Brown on May 25, 2008

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The use and abuse of “cybercrime” — Presentation Transcript