Microsoft Collaborates with Law Enforcement to Combat E-crime

Microsoft is increasing its collaboration with world law enforcement agencies to fight Internet crime.

Microsoft's latest Security Intelligence Report that comprehensively analyzes the threat landscape reveals how attackers' target the personal information to make substantial money is growing while the impact threatens people's privacy. According to the report, there were 31.6 Million phishing scams identified during the first six months of 2007 that represents a 150% increase over the last six months of 2006.

Microsoft has decided to start work with Europol officers in the coming weeks and so has started training Interpol officers on online tracking and forensic computing. The company has also had employees in Nigeria to deal with the 419 scammers. It has had a relationship with Nigeria for two years, said the company's Chief Security advisor, Roger Halbheer. Vnunet reported this on October 24, 2007.

In Nigeria, a crackdown that led to major police arrests became a point of concern for the government in that existence of criminals in the country might hamper inflow of foreign investments, Roger Halbheer added, as reported by Vnunet.

After the arrests in Nigeria, the power of the Nigeria Economic and Financial Crime Commission was widened in order to increase the prosecution cases relating to online financial fraud. Microsoft had arranged for software and training to track the offenders.

There is a growing attention by companies on Internet crime because of the fear of decline in consumers' faith on the Internet. On October 23 2007, the software giant and others established an industry group that would determine ways to develop more secure programs.

Elsewhere in Massachusetts, Attorney General Martha Coakley has launched a program to combat cyber crimes along with Microsoft.

About 250 officers from the law enforcement agencies in the state would be trained to investigate domain names, IP addresses, Websites, and scan chat rooms, e-mail and IMs to pick evidences under the forensic computer learning program in the fourth week of October 2007 at Microsoft's office in Waltham.

The company has already imparted similar training to other law enforcement agencies in Colorado, Alabama, Kansas, Georgia, South Carolina, Utah and New Hampshire.

Related article: Microsoft Patches Live OneCare to Tackle Quarantined E-Mails

» SPAMfighter News - 11/13/2007