DATE= 12/10/97

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT

NUMBER=2-223981

TITLE=G-8/CYBER CRIME (L)

BYLINE=JIM MALONE

DATELINE=WASHINGTON

CONTENT=

VOICED AT:



INTRO:   HERE IN WASHINGTON, THE GROUP OF SEVEN MAJOR

INDUSTRIALIZED COUNTRIES PLUS RUSSIA HAVE AGREED TO EXPAND

COOPERATION AIMED AT CRACKING DOWN ON INTERNATIONAL COMPUTER

CYBER-CRIME. TOP LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS REPRESENTING THE EIGHT

NATION GROUP ANNOUNCED THEIR PLAN AT A NEWS CONFERENCE WEDNESDAY,

AND V-O-A CORRESPONDENT JIM MALONE HAS OUR REPORT.



TEXT:   AFTER TWO DAYS OF TALKS, THE TOP LAW ENFORCEMENT

OFFICIALS FROM THE GROUP OF EIGHT MEETING HERE IN WASHINGTON

AGREED ON A JOINT STRATEGY DESIGNED TO COUNTER WHAT THEY SEE AS

THE GROWING MENACE OF COMPUTER CYBER-CRIME AROUND THE WORLD.



REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE EIGHT COUNTRIES HAVE AGREED TO PROVIDE

BETTER TRAINING AND EQUIPMENT TO THOSE RESPONSIBLE FOR FIGHTING

HIGH-TECH CRIME. THEY WILL ALSO ESTABLISH COMPUTER CRIME CONTACTS

IN EACH OF THE EIGHT COUNTRIES AVAILABLE ON A 24-HOUR BASIS TO

IMPROVE INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION.



U-S ATTORNEY GENERAL JANET RENO PREDICTS THE NEW COMMITMENT ON

FIGHTING CYBER-CRIME WILL PRODUCE SOME IMMEDIATE RESULTS.



                        /// RENO ACT. ///



         WE ARE GOING TO BE ABLE TO CATCH THE CRIMINAL THAT USES

         THE COMPUTER FASTER. WE ARE GOING TO BE ABLE TO DEVELOP

         EVIDENCE THAT WILL PRESENT AN OPPORTUNITY FOR

         PROSECUTION AND I THINK THE APPREHENSION, THE

         PROSECUTION, THE CONVICTION WILL SEND AN IMPORTANT

         MESSAGE.



                        /// END ACT. ///



THE JOINT COMMUNIQUE ISSUED BY THE GROUP OF EIGHT ALSO SAYS THE

COUNTRIES HAVE AGREED TO DEVELOP FASTER METHODS TO TRACE ATTACKS

COMING THROUGH COMPUTER NETWORKS. IN ADDITION, THE EIGHT NATIONS

INVOLVED WILL TRY TO MAKE IT EASIER TO EXTRADITE A SUSPECTED

COMPUTER CRIMINAL FROM ONE COUNTRY TO ANOTHER AND TO IMPROVE

COOPERATION IN THE INVESTIGATION AND PROSECUTION OF COMPUTER

CRIMES. JUSTICE MINISTERS FROM THE VARIOUS COUNTRIES ALSO HOPE TO

BEGIN THE PROCESS OF STANDARDIZING PUNISHMENTS FOR COMPUTER

CRIMES REGARDLESS OF WHICH NATION THEY OCCUR IN.



/// OPT /// KURT SCHELTER IS GERMANY'S STATE SECRETARY IN THE

MINISTRY OF THE INTERIOR. HE SAYS GERMAN AUTHORITIES ARE

PARTICULARLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE GROWING USE OF COMPUTERS BY

ORGANIZED CRIME, ESPECIALLY THOSE ELEMENTS INVOLVED IN ILLEGAL

MIGRATION AND DRUGS.



                      /// SCHELTER ACT. ///



         CYBER-CRIME IS A PART OF ORGANIZED CRIME. AND AS YOU

         PERHAPS KNOW, ALL THOSE MAN-SMUGGLERS AND ALL THOSE

         WHICH ARE ORGANIZING MAN-SMUGGLING AND DRUG TRAFFICKING

         AND CAR THEFT AND SO ON, ARE USING COMPUTERS FOR THEIR

         BUSINESS, SO TO SAY.



                      /// END ACT & OPT ///



RUSSIA'S REPRESENTATIVES AT THE MEETING SAY THEY HAVE NOTED AN

UPSURGE IN COMPUTER CRIME SINCE 1991. RUSSIA'S PROCURATOR

GENERAL, YURIY SKURATOV, SAYS ONE OF THE PRIME BENEFITS OF THIS

MEETING WAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO EXCHANGE INFORMATION AND COMPARE

CRIME-FIGHTING METHODS.



                      /// SKURATOV ACT. ///



         THAT IS WHY WE FEEL THAT THIS IS A VERY VALUABLE AND

         IMPORTANT PARTICIPATION IN THIS SUMMIT. AND WE HAVE

         TRIED TO EXCHANGE SOME OF OUR OWN EXPERIENCES IN

         FIGHTING THIS TYPE OF CRIME.



                        /// END ACT. ///



SURVEYS OF MAJOR COMPANIES BY PRIVATE SECURITY FIRMS SHOW THAT IN

1996 ALONE, 58-PERCENT OF THE COMPANIES SURVEYED REPORTED AT

LEAST ONE ATTEMPT TO GAIN UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS TO THEIR COMPUTER

SYSTEMS. THE EIGHT COUNTRIES INVOLVED IN THE COMPUTER CRIME

FIGHTING EFFORT ARE BRITAIN, CANADA, FRANCE, GERMANY, JAPAN,

ITALY, RUSSIA AND THE UNITED STATES. (SIGNED)



NEB/JBM/WFR



10-Dec-97 4:59 PM EST (2159 UTC)

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Source: Voice of America

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