CyberLaw Blog

Archive for July 10th, 2008

Rapid – Press Releases – EUROPA: “The Commission evaluates the implementation of EU law on attacks against information systems in Member States

Reference: IP/08/1125 Date: 10/07/2008 “

Vice-President Barrot, Commissioner responsible for Justice, Freedom and Security, has welcomed the good level of implementation of Framework Decision 2005/222 in a large majority of the Member States, but at the same time expressed his concern that six Member States have still not presented any implementation measures.

The objective of the Framework Decision is to improve cooperation between judicial and other competent authorities through approximating rules on criminal law in the Member States, mainly regarding illegal access to information systems, illegal system interference and illegal data interference. The report provides a first insight into Member States’ implementation of the Framework Decision and confirms that it has been relatively well implemented in the 20 Member States that have notified national implementation provisions to the Commission.

Member States were under an obligation to provide the Commission with full information on the implementation by 15 March 2007. Malta, Slovakia and Spain have however neither transmitted any information on the implementation nor replied to a reminder sent out by the Commission in 2007. Ireland, Greece and the United Kingdom have notified the Commission that the implementation has yet to be finalised.

“Recent successive criminal attacks against information systems, in particular the massive attacks directed against Estonian information infrastructures in 2007, underline the need for a closer European coordination of responses to such attacks. I call on the Member States that have not given full effect to the Framework Decision to correct this situation as soon as possible”, said Vice-President Barrot.

UK rapped over hacking laws: “

Mark Ballard the Inquirer, Thursday 10 July 2008. 17:22:00

Ireland and Greece also nursing sore knuckles

THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION has blown a raspberry at the UK for not bringing its computer law up to date, even though it has been beset by large-scale security failures that have damaged the government’s reputation…

(Via The Inquirer.)

US tracking company runs into Phorm-like storm: “A US company offering traffic-tracking technology to ISPs who want to generate highly targeted advertising will face questions from the US Senate this week. Privacy advocates have said that use of the technology might break anti-spying laws.”

(Via OUT-LAW News.)

Senate Backs Wiretap Bill to Shield Phone Companies: “Barack Obama was among the 69 senators voting to broaden government spy powers and give immunity to phone companies that aided in secret wiretapping

(Via NYT > Technology.)

Senate endorses retroactive FISA immunity for warrantless wiretapping: “

The Democratic-controlled Senate handed President Bush a major political victory on Wednesday by voting to derail lawsuits against telecommunications companies that unlawfully opened their networks to the National Security Agency.

Senators voted 69 to 28 for the bill, which would rewrite federal wiretap laws by granting retroactive immunity to telecommunications …

“

(Via The Iconoclast.)