Electronic insecurity threatens the passage towards Electronic Government – The continuous education of citizens and the collaboration between institutions are the key answers for the increasing electronic threats

The prevention of electronic threats in Greece is incomplete, fact that is opposite to the European Union regulations and common objective for the EU countries.

The introduction of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in public administration (eGovernment) is essential along with the indispensable modernisation of the electronic safety infrastructure. The successes of the electronic crime services are not sufficient in their role of protecting the citizens from the crimes attempted on every day basis, on the internet. The key answer to the problem is establishing a culture of informed users that will be able to collaborate with the legal authorities, when an illegal activity falls in their perception. These are the crucial indications of the first day of the 4th Regional Electronic Security Forum: Telecommunications Networks and Systems Security organised by the South-eastern Europe Telecommunication & Informatics Research Institute (INA).
The coexistence of several involved Institutions, many times with the similar or the same, role is resulting in interoperability of the electronic safety infrastructure. Thus the lack of collaboration between the public and private sector is one of the most important reefs in protecting the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) infrastructures in the Public Administration, according to the professor of Athens University of Economics and Business Professor Dimitri Gkritzalis.
The foundation of central institution for the protection of ΠΕΥ ΔΔ, framed with inquiring institute that will produce knowledge, equipped with the required technological infrastructure, is the basic proposal deposited in the Information Society by the working team “on the study and growth of frame of national political protection” e-government forum, where Professor Grizalis is one of the main participants. Particularly according to Professor Gkritzalis a specific approach should be considered in the localisation of all critical infrastructures and function of additional safety metres for high risk nodes: ‘ΣΥΖΕΥΞΙΣ”of the ministry of Internal, the completed informative systems of the “Κέντρων Εξυπηρέτησης Πολιτών”, the taxation systems “TAXISnet” and data centres of the ΚτΠ ΑΕ. An indication for the importance of the“ high risk” safety nodes is that, today the ΣΥΖΕΥΞΙΣ network, a platform of telecommunications services (voice, data and picture) to the institutions of Public Administration entertains and interlinks 3.200 government owned services (ministries, regions, prefectures, municipalities, hospitals etc.). Accordingly to the technical director of ΣΥΖΕΥΞΙΣ, Mr. Christos Moschonas, until the beginning of New Year it is expected that the linked Institutions will reach 4.200, aiming at 10.000 for the next years.
Moreover, another issue indicated in the course of the electronic governing is, according to the representative of Institute of Telecommunications and Systems of Computers (ICCS), Mr. Yannis Charalampidis, is the process of certification of information that is introduced in the informative systems. An estimation by Mr. Charalampidis, signify that in the next 30 years each one of us will need to put approximately 10.000 signatures (real and digital), while it will have to be documented in at least 100 different teams, with result the creation of confusing and less practical situation with the users and the management of data. Finally Mr, Charalampidis, clearly point out the need of interoperable safety and simplified processes.
An answer to the electronic threat attempts was given by the Global Trust Center, an independent, international organism that deals with the growth of most optimal practices, via which the confidence in the digital world might reflect the law right of natural world, society. Sovereign role in the model of confidence that was studied, it has, according to the director of Global Trust Center Mr. Ray Nightingale, the “witness”. A role that was imported in the digital world, aiming at, the verification of elements that declare the users, the management of proofs of transactions and the revelation of processes in the permitted parts.
The modern Technologies of Information Technology and Communications (ICT) can constitute a important ally for the state, reported in his proposal the Director of Public Sector, Microsoft Greece Mr. Panos Theodosopoylos. The strategy of company in the sector of safety, he added, “it passes through the investments in the technology and the collaborations with other enterprises, while the basic programs that are materialised concern in the safety of governmental programs, in the systems of localisation of children's exploitation, in electronic frauds (raffles etc.), and the interoperability of systems.
At his greeting in the work of congress the chairman of Industries of North Greece, Mr. Giorgos Mylonas pointed out that, in Greece has not become still comprehensible the importance of electronic safety and it invoked elements, according to which, the indicator of violation of electronic safety of data in the country is found in the 41%, when corresponding in the OJ are 17%.
The conference is included in the programmed directions of Program of Developmental Help: “Centre of Electronic Governing of South-eastern Europe of” Service of International Developmental Collaboration (ΥΔΑΣ) of the Greek Ministry of External. In the frame of this program, as reported by his chairman Mr. Vasilis Takas, the INA Academy will materialise in the next half-year period educational meetings on issues electronic governing, in the region of Western Balkans.
In Greece the significance has begun to be a part of the conscience of users of internet that basic condition for confrontation of electronic threats, is the briefing virtuous and the collaboration with the responsible beginnings, while according to the head of Department of Prosecution of Electronic Crime Mr. Manolis Sfakianaki, “the youths has begun to approach the police, to give the information when results SOS for their some interlocutor, while has occupied that they are not ‘snitches” to resort to the police, when you see a crime be committed, one minor losing the life”.
The collaboration of citizens, reported Mr Sfakianakis, but also the better education of the public, that it is more introduced toward malicious attacks on the internet, it has led the service you will reveal you circuits, but also in important reduction of cases, in some forms of electronic crimes.
Characteristic example is the crime that concerns in the stilling of banking code, via misleading emails, the so called phishing. Many Greek users’ of electronic banking corresponded in illusorily emails, that they suffer from economic damage, because transfer of money from their banking accounts, in accounts of possible perpetrators.
From September 2006 until January 2007, 12 such affairs were resolved and 22 perpetrators were arrested. The publication of the subject has as result only one traces new case for the last 14 months.
Moreover, Mr Sfakianakis prompted, particularly the young users of internet, to be aware and do not input personal data, photographs and video, in social networking web sites such as “facebook”, while, as it said, “ we have seen families destroyed, children abandoning the school, when as an example photographs were degraded and circulated presenting the users participating in erotic action”. According to Mr Sfakianakis particular attention is required especially in the cases when somebody gives for routine service his mobile or computer. As he clarified, “we are not supposed to we leave personal data in the mobile or computers, since there are deceitful persons that can steel our personal data and trade them afterwards via the internet”.
Mr. Sfakianakis presented cases where solved in Greece via international collaborations. Among them: the capture of network of illegal distribution of software, that cost for the fabrication company 360 millions of Euros, cases of so called cracking, where Greek citizen unlocked data bank server of USA and American dignitaries were debited with enormous financial sums, Cracking case in British company listed in the stock market and in international banking group. Recently, it was dislocated an international network of promotion of prostitution and facilitation of immorality.
The Greek banks are equipped with the one of the most secured systems for the protection of consumers, from malicious attacks at the duration of electronic banking transactions, according to Mr Sfakianakis.
It is remarkable that no case has been reported of steeling codes in Greek banks, reported Mr. Sfakianakis, adding that the mechanism of production additives code (extra pin) are absolutely safe. As he clarified, in the last case of so called “phishing” in our country, the user of system lost code his, via the acquaintance of malicious program “Trojan Horse” that dispatched the perpetrator in the computer of victim.
On average, according to data presented by Mr. Sfakianakis, the legal electronic transactions worldwide are reaching the 3, 5 billions of dollars per minute.
The representative of Microsoft Greece Mr Kontantina Logotheti stressed out that while the Internet offers a unique environment of learning, education, entertainment and communication, it hides also dangers, which we owe to be aware in order to protect ourselves and especially the children. Microsoft is aiming to contribute so that the Internet will become a safe place as possible adults and children users. For this purposes it realises collaborations with responsible parties and organisms, offering the essential tools and technological support for the confrontation of electronic crime and mainly informing the wide public about the safe use of the internet.
The frauds on the internet via electronic identities, that were stolen, is the faster developing crime in the world, according to the director of Governmental Relations Europe, Africa, Asia, Pacific of company of manufacture of software of safety Symantec, Mr. Ilia Chantzos.
According to data from the last report of the company presented by Mr. Chantzos, one can observe a rapid increase of order the 68%, in the disposal of standardised software products for production of viruses and in the next years malicious software tools will exceed those preventing the software crime. The prices of malicious software, that ensure the perpetrators and access in confidential information and data, in a wide spectrum, from banking up to the branch of health, vary from 50 until 3.000 dollars. The conference was co-organised this year in collaboration with the Hellenic Telecommunications Organization (OTE) and was under the aegis of Ministry of Transports and Communications and Special Secretariat of Digital Plan of Ministry of Finance. Microsoft Greece supported the conference as big Sponsor for the second continuous year. Also sponsor of conference was the Swedish organism Global Trust Center and supporters the Chamber of Industries of North Greece, the Chamber of Companies of Information technology of North Greece, the Technical Chamber of Greece, and the Union of Computer specialists of Greece. The newspapers Express, Grant, Macedonia, SeeNews, Security Manager and IT Security television channels ERT3 and supported the Congress as sponsors of communication. More information in the web page of congress www.esecurityforum.org