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High-tech cyber-cops unleashed in UK
May 2001 ISSN 1361-3723
“Only around 1% of the US federal law budget for 2004 is earmarked for fighting cybercrime.” see page 3
Editor: Chloë Palmer American Editor: CHARLES CRESSON WOOD Baseline Software, Sausalito, California, USA Australasian Editor: BILL J. CAELLI Queensland University of Technology, Australia European Editor: KEN WONG Insight Consulting, London, UK Editorial Advisors: Chris Amery, UK; Jan Eloff, South Africa; Hans Gliss, Germany; David Herson, UK; P.Kraaibeek, Germany; Wayne Madsen, Virginia, USA; Belden Menkus, Tennessee, USA; Bill Murray, Connecticut, USA; Silvano Ongetta, Italy; Donn B. Parker, California, USA; Peter Sommer, UK; Mark Tantam, UK; Peter Thingsted, Denmark; Hank Wolfe, New Zealand. Correspondents: Frank Rees, Melbourne, Australia; John Sterlicchi, California, USA; Paul Gannon, Brussels, Belgium. Editoral Office: Elsevier Advanced Technology, PO Box 150 Kidlington, Oxford OX5 1AS, UK Tel: +44-(0)1865-843645 Fax: +44-(0)1865-843971 E-mail: [email protected] Subscription Price for one year: (12 issues) US$710/1397NLG including first class airmail delivery subject to our prevailing exchange rate Price valid to end of 2001 Subscription Enquiries: Orders and Payments: For customers residing in the Americas (North, South and Central America) Elsevier Science Customer Support Department PO Box 945, New York NY 10010 USA Tel: (+1) 212-633-3730 [Toll free number for North American customers: 1-888-4ES-INFO (437-4636)] Fax: (+1) 212-633-3680 E-mail: [email protected] For customers in the rest of the World: Elsevier Science Customer Support Department PO Box 211, 1000 AE Amsterdam, The Netherlands Tel: (+31) 20-3853757 Fax: (+31) 20-4853432 E-mail: [email protected] To order from our website: www.compseconline.com
Publishers of Network Security Computers & Security Computer Fraud & Security Computer Law & Security Report Information Security Technical Report
High-tech cyber-cops unleashed in UK The UK Government has launched a £25 million Hi-Tech Crime Unit (NHTCU) in a bid to crack down on cybercrime and strengthen its reputation for facilitating E-business. The aim of the unit is to “proactively investigate serious and organised crime using IT”. Home Secretary Jack Straw commented that police relationships with private enterprises were strong, “I'm not aware of any great concerns landing on my desk in recent months, and that is a testament to the developing relationship between law enforcement and business.” NHTCU is intended to represent a coordinated effort against major Internet crime including child pornography and cyber-terrorism. At first glance, the move appears to be an efficient idea, and good news for the honest global citizen. However, the effect of the move in conjunction with the RIP Act — which allows authorities to read digital information and demand encryption keys at will — has met with scepticism. Neil McIntosh, deputy editor of Guardian Online described HTCU in the light of RIPA as, “at the expense of civil liberties which are taken for granted in most of the western world.” He said, “I've never been a victim of online
crime, don't know anyone who has been, yet we are all victims of those new laws.” Even so, on balance the community has been crying out for such a centralized, technically adroit crime-fighting force. Encryption expert and security commentator Bruce Schneier said at the RSA Security Conference in San Francisco, “The future of Internet security is not very good. New methods are being invented, new tricks, and every year it gets worse. We are not breaking even. We are losing the battle.” NHTUC will comprise of 40 technically minded officers in London — the 'lynchpin' — and another 46, strategically placed around the country. The Unit was launched by Home Secretary Jack Straw on 18 April following its announcement in November 2000. It is rumoured that known opposers to the scheme were not invited and that some were banned from attending the launch. Straw told the launch: “We are determined that the UK will be the best and safest place in the world to conduct and engage in E-commerce.”
Contents Legal News High-tech cyber-cops unleashed in UK
1
Wireless News Digital signatures tested by UK Government RSA SecurID built into cell phone
2 2
Industry News Professional body launched to fight cybercrime Security training available online FAST takes up consultancy Gartner warns of mass victimization crime
2 3 3 3
Management News Acceptable Usage Policy guidelines free on Internet 4 Firewalls under fire from analyst 4
Reports Bush Administration's Push For Cybercrime Cooperation European Cybercrime Proposal Released UK Cyber-cop Highlights Key Computer Crimes Biometrics Marches Forward in US Government
5 5 6 7
Web Review Back to Basics
9
Tales From The Crypt The Changing Face of International Cryptography Policy Part 18 — News Round-Up 10
Features Keeping Top Management Focused on Security Warehouses, Woozles and Online Wickedness
12 14
Information Warfare Businesses Can Profit from Information Warfare Tactics
16
ShockwaveWriter InfoSec — In the Interest of National Security Part 2 18
Stop Press/ Events
20
“Only around 1% of the US federal law budget for 2004 is earmarked for fighting cybercrime.” see page 3
Editor: Chloë Palmer American Editor: CHARLES CRESSON WOOD Baseline Software, Sausalito, California, USA Australasian Editor: BILL J. CAELLI Queensland University of Technology, Australia European Editor: KEN WONG Insight Consulting, London, UK Editorial Advisors: Chris Amery, UK; Jan Eloff, South Africa; Hans Gliss, Germany; David Herson, UK; P.Kraaibeek, Germany; Wayne Madsen, Virginia, USA; Belden Menkus, Tennessee, USA; Bill Murray, Connecticut, USA; Silvano Ongetta, Italy; Donn B. Parker, California, USA; Peter Sommer, UK; Mark Tantam, UK; Peter Thingsted, Denmark; Hank Wolfe, New Zealand. Correspondents: Frank Rees, Melbourne, Australia; John Sterlicchi, California, USA; Paul Gannon, Brussels, Belgium. Editoral Office: Elsevier Advanced Technology, PO Box 150 Kidlington, Oxford OX5 1AS, UK Tel: +44-(0)1865-843645 Fax: +44-(0)1865-843971 E-mail: [email protected] Subscription Price for one year: (12 issues) US$710/1397NLG including first class airmail delivery subject to our prevailing exchange rate Price valid to end of 2001 Subscription Enquiries: Orders and Payments: For customers residing in the Americas (North, South and Central America) Elsevier Science Customer Support Department PO Box 945, New York NY 10010 USA Tel: (+1) 212-633-3730 [Toll free number for North American customers: 1-888-4ES-INFO (437-4636)] Fax: (+1) 212-633-3680 E-mail: [email protected] For customers in the rest of the World: Elsevier Science Customer Support Department PO Box 211, 1000 AE Amsterdam, The Netherlands Tel: (+31) 20-3853757 Fax: (+31) 20-4853432 E-mail: [email protected] To order from our website: www.compseconline.com
Publishers of Network Security Computers & Security Computer Fraud & Security Computer Law & Security Report Information Security Technical Report
High-tech cyber-cops unleashed in UK The UK Government has launched a £25 million Hi-Tech Crime Unit (NHTCU) in a bid to crack down on cybercrime and strengthen its reputation for facilitating E-business. The aim of the unit is to “proactively investigate serious and organised crime using IT”. Home Secretary Jack Straw commented that police relationships with private enterprises were strong, “I'm not aware of any great concerns landing on my desk in recent months, and that is a testament to the developing relationship between law enforcement and business.” NHTCU is intended to represent a coordinated effort against major Internet crime including child pornography and cyber-terrorism. At first glance, the move appears to be an efficient idea, and good news for the honest global citizen. However, the effect of the move in conjunction with the RIP Act — which allows authorities to read digital information and demand encryption keys at will — has met with scepticism. Neil McIntosh, deputy editor of Guardian Online described HTCU in the light of RIPA as, “at the expense of civil liberties which are taken for granted in most of the western world.” He said, “I've never been a victim of online
crime, don't know anyone who has been, yet we are all victims of those new laws.” Even so, on balance the community has been crying out for such a centralized, technically adroit crime-fighting force. Encryption expert and security commentator Bruce Schneier said at the RSA Security Conference in San Francisco, “The future of Internet security is not very good. New methods are being invented, new tricks, and every year it gets worse. We are not breaking even. We are losing the battle.” NHTUC will comprise of 40 technically minded officers in London — the 'lynchpin' — and another 46, strategically placed around the country. The Unit was launched by Home Secretary Jack Straw on 18 April following its announcement in November 2000. It is rumoured that known opposers to the scheme were not invited and that some were banned from attending the launch. Straw told the launch: “We are determined that the UK will be the best and safest place in the world to conduct and engage in E-commerce.”
Contents Legal News High-tech cyber-cops unleashed in UK
1
Wireless News Digital signatures tested by UK Government RSA SecurID built into cell phone
2 2
Industry News Professional body launched to fight cybercrime Security training available online FAST takes up consultancy Gartner warns of mass victimization crime
2 3 3 3
Management News Acceptable Usage Policy guidelines free on Internet 4 Firewalls under fire from analyst 4
Reports Bush Administration's Push For Cybercrime Cooperation European Cybercrime Proposal Released UK Cyber-cop Highlights Key Computer Crimes Biometrics Marches Forward in US Government
5 5 6 7
Web Review Back to Basics
9
Tales From The Crypt The Changing Face of International Cryptography Policy Part 18 — News Round-Up 10
Features Keeping Top Management Focused on Security Warehouses, Woozles and Online Wickedness
12 14
Information Warfare Businesses Can Profit from Information Warfare Tactics
16
ShockwaveWriter InfoSec — In the Interest of National Security Part 2 18
Stop Press/ Events
20