Infosec: Safer internet depends on private sector

The development of a safer, more secure internet will require greater input from the private sector, the vice president of the European Commission has claimed.

In the opening keynote at this year's Infosecurity event in central London, Neelie Kroes, set out a multi-pronged, Europe-wide strategy for protecting people against cyber attacks.

"The threats come from a variety of places and are [driven] by a variety of motivations, [including] profit, protest and political gain," she said.

Internet attacks come from a wide variety of sources and there is no simple solution

"Because internet attacks come from such a wide variety of sources, there is no simple solution."

This strategy will be executed during the third quarter of 2012, she revealed, and will require input from governments, businesses and individuals.

"Internet security cannot be left to the traditional instruments of national security, as if cyber space is just another military theatre," said Kroes. "We need a comprehensive response that...will enable a step change in how we assure internet security."

The private sector will have a big role to play in this, stressed Kroes, because of the amount of ICT products it consumes and produces. "[Although]it should be in all companies' interests to improve security, regardless of where they sit in the ICT value chain."

"By building networks, a decent governance structure, providing the right incentives for the private sector [to play a greater role in IT security] and developing a vibrant internal [security product] market, we can have an internet that is safe and secure for everyone," she concluded.