UK faces a barrage of cyber attacks

ATTACKS ON BRITISH computer systems are reaching "disturbing" levels, according to the head of the UK communications spy agency.

In an article in the Times, Iain Lobban, director of the Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ), said that our computers systems are facing increasing numbers of attacks, something that is becoming a pretty popular thing to say in Whitehall.

"The volume of e-crime and attacks on government and industry systems continue to be disturbing," wrote Lobban in an article for the Times as he revealed that he had witnessed, "Attempts to steal British ideas and designs - in the IT, technology, defense, engineering and energy sectors as well as other industries - to gain commercial advantage or to profit from secret knowledge of contractual arrangements."

Comments about attacks and the way they are increasing in ferocity are themselves increasing in ferocity and this is possibly because the UK is preparing to host an international conference on cyberspace security this week. We've had warnings from William Hague in recent, weeks and Lobban again raised the notion that the government is a prime target for hackers.

"We are also aware of similar techniques being employed to try to acquire sensitive information from British government computer systems, including one significant (but unsuccessful) attempt on the Foreign Office and other government departments this summer," he wrote.

The conference starts on Tuesday and runs for two days this week. In announcing it earlier this year William Hague, the Foreign Secretary called on governments, businesses and international organisations to attend.

"We have a shared responsibility to address the challenges presented by the networked world including cyber crime that threatens individuals, companies, and governments," he said.

"Together I hope that we can begin to build the broadest possible international consensus on how to realise the enormous economic and social benefits the Internet offers. It is crucial that we start a focused dialogue now." µ