Our aim is to assist them in doing this and believe that key will be the ability to manage trust in the online environment. One of the key challenges facing the EU if it is to compete globally as a region is to build confidence in the Internet by setting a pan-European standard for Internet security. According to a recent DTI report 60 per cent of UK companies connected to the Internet have suffered a security breach within the past two years. This is likely to continue as more and more European businesses put their key functions online. Check Point believe that the EU should lead a consumer education programme on the importance of Internet security given that an Internet connection opens up corporate networks to the world.
Regulation flies in the face of the approach that industry has been championing.
It is not a matter that can be dismissed out of hand. Given that secure systems will stimulate growth whereas high profile failures will damage confidence in the new economy, Government needs to encourage businesses to have the appropriate systems in place and to make sure that industry abides by interoperability standards. For large corporates and SMEs to conduct their business on the Internet and have peace of mind it is essential that their security policies meet the following basic minimum requirements. Data protection Any e-commerce business or any other data communication across a public network such as the Internet needs to ensure adequate data protection to prevent the data being intercepted and read. Protection can be achieved by the use of encryption.