The European Union's executive on Thursday called for tougher EU laws on cyber-crime as it warned that hijacked computer networks had already caused major security problems in a number of member states.
EU law already covers computer offences such as hacking and spreading viruses. But remote-controlled attacks, which take over innocent computers and use them to launch raids on information systems, are not yet dealt with at an EU level.
The European Commission is therefore proposing that EU states update the rules by outlawing remote attacks - the so-called 'robot nets' or 'botnets' - and the creation of the software which runs them, and imposing a maximum jail term of two years on offenders.
'With the help of malicious software, it is possible to take control over a large number of computers and steal credit card numbers, find sensitive information or launch large-scale attacks. It is time for us to step up our efforts against cyber crime,' the EU's commissioner for home affairs, Cecilia Malmstrom, said.
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