Corporate IT Forum takes on cyber-crime
The Corporate IT Forum (formerly known as Tif) has set up a security group to work with the police on combating hacking and viruses.
The Corporate IT Forum (formerly known as Tif) has set up a security group to work with the police on combating hacking and viruses.
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The security plans to aid the police with high-tech criminal prosecutions without having to release proprietary secrets or suffering damage to their individual brands.
David Roberts, chief executive for the Corporate IT Forum, said: ‘Historically companies have been discouraged from sharing information. Now, when the chips are down we can all work together and solve problems a lot faster, be they viruses or actual malicious intrusion.’
The group is keen to work with the UK’s National High Tech Crime Unit, set up by the government in November 2000. Work is going on in the US to form a similar group to work with the new Office of Homeland Security.
A spokeswoman for the NHTCU said it was keen to form partnerships to crack down on high-tech crime. ‘We welcome any organisation that will work with us in targeting high-tech crime. This is a global problem requiring a global solution and building partnerships is a massive step in reaching that solution.’
The Information Security Task Force has members from 47 of the FTSE 100 companies and is aimed at improving response times to problems and addressing continuing vulnerabilities in IT infrastructure.
A 2002 DTI report found 78% of companies had suffered attack, with the average cost of a breach standing at £30,000.