EU may use 'crowd sourcing' to boost fight against e-crime

The European Union (EU) is considering taking a "crowd sourcing" approach to online security.

Europol director Rob Wainwright has reportedly briefed a Lords EU sub-committee on plans for a new programme that would establish a centre for users to report online crimes and scams.

According to the BBC, the Europol plan would allow users to connect directly with police and report possible scams and security attacks.

"For the first time the EU will have a comprehensive overview of reported cyber crime from within its own borders and this could even include, in the future, a component of direct engagement with the public," Wainwright was quoted as saying.

The plan is being met with both enthusiasm and caution by security groups. AEP Networks director Mark Darvill likened the programme to citizen watch groups that observe and report potential crimes to the police.

"Sourcing information from the public to fight crime isn’t a new concept, but it is an interesting development in the fight against cyber crime," said Darvill.

"Just like citizens play a part in keeping the streets safe, internet users will sit at the heart of the effort to clean up the internet."

Such a programme would, however, face challenges. Both Darvill and Lumension senior vice president Alan Bentley noted the need for improved user education in order for the programme to succeed.

"Stuxnet and Wikileaks certainly helped bring cyber crime into the public consciousness. But the public's knowledge around the techniques and threats is still relatively limited," said Bentley.

"For ‘crowd sourcing’ to work, an ongoing education process is required."