[LINK] Crime expert backs calls for 'licence to compute'

[Stephen Wilson]

My apologies Bernard.

Cheers,

Stephen Wilson.



Bernard Robertson-Dunn wrote:
> Crime expert backs calls for 'licence to compute'
> By Ben Grubb
> Aug 27, 2009 4:03 PM
> http://www.itnews.com.au/News/154129,crime-expert-backs-calls-for-licence-to-compute.aspx
>
> But education should take back seat to product safety.
>
> Australia's leading criminologist thinks online scams have escalated to 
> such a point that first-time users of computers should have to earn a 
> licence to surf the web.
>
> Russel Smith, principal criminologist at the Australian Institute of 
> Criminology said the concept of a "computer drivers licence" should be 
> taken seriously as an option for combating internet-related crime.
>
> "There's been some discussion in Europe about the use of what's called a 
> computer drivers licence -  where you have a standard set of skills 
> people should learn before they start using computers," Dr Smith told 
> iTnews.
>
> "At the moment we have drivers licences for cars, and cars are very 
> dangerous machines. Computers are also quite dangerous in the way that 
> they can make people vulnerable to fraud.
>
> "In the future we might want to think about whether it's necessary there 
> be some sort of compulsory education of people before they start using 
> computers," he said.
>
> The Australian Computer Society launched computer driver's licences in 
> 1999. It aimed to give users a basic level of competency before they 
> started using PCs. But the growth in cybercrime has led to IT security 
> experts such as Eugene Kaspersky to call for more formalised recognition 
> of a user's identity so they can travel the net safely.
>
> Last week Dr Smith sat in front of a Federal Government Inquiry into 
> cyber crime and advised Australia's senior politicians on initiatives in 
> train to fight cybercrime.
>
> He said that education was secondary to better technology solutions.
>
> "I think at the starting point of it you need manufacturers of both 
> hardware and software to devise technology that makes it difficult or 
> impossible for people to be defrauded," Dr Smith said.
>
> "And the main development in that area, I suppose, is the use of 
> biometrics where you have fingerprint scanners or some biometric linked 
> in with the authentication processes on computers".
>
> Dr Smith said that the use of chip and pin credit cards had been a "very 
> effective development" in Europe. "I think when that happens in 
> Australia we will be much better off," he said.
>
> The banks are "being kind"
>
> Dr Smith also said that Australia's banks were "being kind" when they 
> bore the costs of cyber crime.
>
> "There's a code of conduct for electronic transactions and under that 
> code if people suffer a loss through an electronic transaction and 
> there's no evidence that they've been implicated in anyway, then the 
> banks undertake to compensate that individual," he said. "Some people 
> probably are partially responsible to what happens to them if they've 
> done something very silly or negligent.
>
> "What that really means is that the banks are suffering a loss and 
> eventually that money will be put on the cost of running the banking 
> system. Consumers probably end up paying at the end of the day."
>
> **** end of article****
>
> These are the current comments:
>
> HyRax
> Aug 27, 2009 4:36 PM
> Considering that the existance of DRIVERS licences doesn't stop people 
> committing crimes using vehicles, how exactly will a computer licence 
> stop people committing online crime?
>
> At least Mr. Smith recommends education, which is what is needed 
> everywhere in any situation. This education starts in schools, however 
> many victims of online fraud are the older generation of users who did 
> not have computer education back in their school days.
>
> At the end of the day, if you're going to teach anything, teach people 
> about COMMON SENSE. This applies to every facet of life, not just 
> computers. Teach people that if they are not sure about something, then 
> DON'T DO IT. How difficult is that?
>
>
> Sams
> Aug 27, 2009 5:31 PM
> A duo of breathtakingly stupid statements:
>
> (1) "devise technology that makes it difficult or impossible for people 
> to be defrauded"
>
> Oh right. So some sort of mind control/constraint device for people then?
>
> (2) "At the moment we have drivers licences for cars, and cars are very 
> dangerous machines. Computers are also quite dangerous"
>
> Haven't seen anyone run over by a computer recently. What exactly is the 
> death toll caused by poor "driving" of a computer these days?
>
> --
> Regards
> brd
>
> Bernard Robertson-Dunn
> Canberra Australia
> brd at iimetro.com.au
>
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