Locks and Security News: your weekly locks and security industry newsletter
17th April 2024 Issue no. 701

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Cyber security conference held in London

A recent two-day conference in London saw politicians, businesses and NGOs come together to debate issues around Internet security. Among the array of issues, an international delegation sought to tackle cyber crime, Internet transparency, and the question of government regulation. The event concluded without a plan of action but an international consensus was thought to have provided a framework for further discussion.

As the first event of its kind, the London conference attracted high profile politicians and organisations all pressing to take issues of cyberspace more seriously. Of special concern was the threat of cyber crime infiltrating government and business IT systems alike, which for Britain, has already proven a key issue.

Prime Minister David Cameron said, "We have to come together to tackle cyber crime... This costs the United Kingdom an estimated 27 billion pounds a year."

Echoing calls by Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales to preserve Internet freedom, the UK's Foreign Secretary and host of the event William Hague also maintained that governments should keep out of the web.

Mr Hague said, "Nothing would be more fatal or self-defeating than the heavy hand of state control of the Internet, which only thrives because of the talent of individuals, and of industry within an open market of ideas and innovation."

But the finger was not pointed at countries like Russia and China for exercising censorship cyber-espionage. Dave Clemente, from Chatham House- Think tank, said: "If they're looking to begin the discussion on these very broad issues, and if they're looking also to include the Chinese and the Russians, it isn't helpful to begin by naming them in the opening sessions. So I think they're holding off on that, to form a bit of a framework for co-operation."

This will mean that progress in reaching a truly global consensus on issues of the world wide web will be slow. With more conferences scheduled for 2012 and 2013, the dialogue isn't over yet. Many participants felt the debates at the conference lacked a sense of urgency, and when it comes to cyber security, the concern is that governments need to shape policy soon, before fast-developing technology runs too far ahead.

9th November 2011