Australia Deliberates on Joining the Council of Europe Convention on Cybercrime; The treaty would allow Australia to exchange information on cybercrime with other countries.

M2 PRESSWIRE-February 21, 2011-: Australia Deliberates on Joining the Council of Europe Convention on Cybercrime; The treaty would allow Australia to exchange information on cybercrime with other countries(C)1994-2011 M2 COMMUNICATIONS

RDATE:18022011

Cybercrime is transnational in nature and could be perpetrated from any part of the world with Internet access. Australia is planning to join the Council of Europe Convention on Cybercrime. The convention on cybercrime was established in 2004 and is the first international treaty on cybercrime. The convention requires criminalization of unauthorized access to computers, data interference, unauthorized interference and system interference, which impact the confidentiality, integrity and availability of information. The treaty requires criminalization of content related offences; computer related fraud, forgery and other offences as well as copyright infringement.

The convention requires participating nations to provide adequate powers to domestic counter crime agencies to order service providers to preserve data stored in computers and traffic information (communication through computers) for 90 days, allow disclosure of the traffic information to trace details of service providers used for communication, seek specified computer data, examine and seize computers, intercept communications and real-time collection of data.

The treaty requires participating nations to preserve data for 60 days on request from other countries, allow partial disclosure of traffic data to identify service providers involved in communication and help the requesting party to access, seize and disclose the relevant stored data. The convention emphasizes on providing mutual assistance in collection of traffic data and communication interception.

Lack of homogenous laws across nations acts as a major constraint in the fight against cybercrime. Countries are now seeking cooperation with other countries to control the growing menace of cybercrime. International agreements would facilitate cooperation among counter crime agencies of different countries. Individuals, businesses and government bodies, all are affected by cybercrime. Online computer training programs may help in creating cyber security awareness among the public and help them in protecting their identities.

Cybercrime has considerable financial implications on businesses. Usually, IT security specialists such as ethical hacker certified personnel help organizations in identifying vulnerabilities.

Recently, the government sought comments from the public on cybercrime treaty. Electronic Frontiers Australia, a civil liberties organization has voiced its concerns on provisions related to search, seizure and real time communication interceptions. A Criminal Matters Amendment Bill has been proposed by the Australian government, which would allow counter crime agencies of other countries to seek access to information collected by Australian agencies through phone intercepts, surveillance and covert access to e-mails. Australian counter crime agencies could seek similar access to information collected by foreign agencies. Governments worldwide are also seeking professionals with IT security certification to strengthen the IT infrastructure and defend against sophisticated intrusion attempts by cybercriminals.

The Council of Europe has 47 member states and also invites non-member states to participate in a treaty. 11 countries including United States, Canada, Japan and Australia are non-member states of the Council of Europe. Last year, the council had invited Australia to accede to the convention.

Organized cybercrime poses threat to critical national infrastructure facilities. Terrorist organizations may also misuse the cyberspace to launch disastrous attacks on key installations. Therefore, international cooperation is necessary to combat cybercrime, bring offenders to justice and reduce cybercrime incidents.

EC-Council

Website: http://www.eccouncil.org

Email: iclass@ eccouncil.org

Tel: 505-341- 3228

EC-Council is a member-based organization that certifies individuals in cybersecurity and e-commerce skills. It is the owner and developer of 16 security certifications, including Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH), Computer Hacking Forensics Investigator (CHFI) and EC-Council Certified Security Analyst (ECSA)/License Penetration Tester (LPT). Its certificate programs are offered in over 60 countries around the world.

EC-Council has trained over 80,000 individuals and certified more than 30,000 members, through more than 450 training partners globally. These certifications are recognized worldwide and have received endorsements from various government agencies including the U.S. federal government via the Montgomery GI Bill, Department of Defense via DoD 8570.01-M, National Security Agency (NSA) and the Committee on National Security Systems (CNSS). EC-Council also operates EC-Council University and the global series of Hacker Halted security conferences.

iClass is EC- Council's online training delivery platform. Students can attend live, or recorded training sessions for courses such as Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH), Certified Security Analyst (ECSA) or Computer Hacking Forensic Investigator (CHFI).

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