Small Nations Vulnerable to Cyber Crime Too

M. Anwarul Iqbal, Adviser to Bangladesh Caretaker Government's LGRD and Cooperatives, and Labor and Employment, said on November 5, 2007 that it is most essential to combat cyber crime as the loss from such crime creates a burden for the developing nations. Bangladesh news agency Barnama.com reported this on November 6, 2007.

Presiding as chief guest at the regional seminar of cyber crime for three days in Dhaka, the Adviser said in his inauguration speech that cyber crime crossing national borders made it an international issue with a similar impact. Computer security experts from Nepal, Sri Lanka, Australia, Hong Kong and host Bangladesh were the participatory countries at the seminar.

According to Iqbal, cyber crime had spread in proportions greater than that of the illegal drug business around the world and analysis indicate that US$ 105 Billion were generated from online fraud in just 2007.

As cyber attacks grow in sophistication and information available on the Internet become vulnerable, it causes worry for enterprises, law enforcement agencies and other quarters at stake in Bangladesh and other countries.

In today's world, international borders don't bind this kind of crime, which exploits the technological situation of the global market, Iqbal said. Over the past few years, cyber crime has become a phenomenon in the technologically advanced nations where hackers crack computer passwords and expose critical information of individuals, organizations, and even governments. Hackers also break passwords of banks and other financial institutions to commit unauthorized withdrawal of funds.

Citing the series of cyber attacks in 2007 against the IT infrastructures of the Baltic country of Estonia, Iqbal said that over a period of three weeks, hackers attacked government Websites and computers at the office of the President of Estonia, parliament, many government ministries, several political parties, three news agencies and two major banks.

While cyber crime will become significant in South and South-East Asia, in Bangladesh, its range is not yet alarming although there is a threat with the growing number of Internet users and with reports coming in of the existence of pornographic sites, the country is at risk.

Related article: Small Organizations Too Can Be Hackers’ Target

» SPAMfighter News - 11/23/2007