January 31, 2012

These 7 Countries Are The Gaping Holes In Europe’s Cyber Security

swordfish hacking

Think of a hacker, and chances are, you’re thinking of an Eastern European. It’s sad but true.

However, it terms of cyber-security, its a little more complicated than that.

“There is a cyber-security paradox: the less sophisticated and widespread a country’s connection to the internet, the lesser the cyber-threat,” says the McAfee and Security & Defence Agenda’s new report on global cyber security.

The report looks at individual countries, making assessments using a five-step roadmap developed by Robert Lentz, President of Cyber Security Strategies.

The parameters range from the basic rules of internet hygiene and tools like anti-virus, ?rewalls, such as electronic signatures; to “standards and data exchanges to create a robust and interoperable cyber ecosystem” and advanced sensors and intrusion prevention systems. The countries were rating from 5 to 1, with five being the highest.

While Europe on the whole did pretty well, the fiscal crisis has stretched countries thin, and the report exposed plenty of holes in its internet defense measures.

Spain

Score: 4 stars

Pros: Spain has a number of Computer Emergency Readiness Teams (CERTs) and a National Intelligence Service (CNI).

Cons: There is no single authority and no national cyber strategy to deal with internet crime and attacks.

(Source)

Denmark

Score: 4 stars

Pros: It has a national CERT and a contingency plan for cyber incidents.

Cons: The contingency plan has not developed into a cyber strategy, and the integrated national ID system has been frequently hacked into, leading to increasing identity thefts.

(Source)

Austria

Score: 3.5 stars

Pros: The country has a national CERT and a sophisticated e-government.

Cons: A cyber strategy is lacking and defense measures are outdated and understaffed, thanks to political apathy. Companies also have no legal obligation to report security breaches.

(Source)

See the rest of the story at Business Insider

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