Int'l cyber-crime treaty opposed

An international coalition of human rights groups is calling for the 41 country Council of Europe to reject the current Convention on Cyber-Crime. Groups from Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe and North America fear that the treaty, if adopted and signed by member nations, would grant excessive powers to police authorities and undermine Internet users' privacy and freedom of expressions. Particular concern has been expressed over provisions that would punish software writers if their programs are used for illegal purposes.

In related news, participants at the first Global InfoSec Summit studied issues of unauthorized computer access. Discussions were colored by varying opinions regarding how much blame individuals should bear for violating insecure systems, and the fact that many countries have no specific laws governing computer crimes.

For more on the Council of Europe story, go to wired.com. For information on the InfoSec Summit, click computerworld.com.