Govt needs security champion

This is according to Ian Melamed, principal consultant for Shaya InfoSec. He says that, since Andile Ngcaba, former director-general of the Department of Communications, left for the private sector in January 2004, no one has filled his shoes as far as advocating the fight against online fraud is concerned

Melamed spoke at ITWeb Security Summit 2008, in Midrand.

One of the major obstacles in the fight against computer crime in SA, noted Melamed, is the absence of a concerted government-led drive to oppose the growing phenomenon.

"The reason it doesn`t enjoy priority in this country is because there are so many more violent crimes occurring where there are lives at stake."

However, he added that computer fraud has been occurring in SA since the 1980s and is today costing major financial institutions, like banks, billions, more than cash in transit heists or "normal" robberies.

As examples of recent, prominent computer crimes, Melamed listed the controversial national intelligence hoax e-mail saga, as well as the recent theft of a number of hard drives at Johannesburg courts.

He also said one laptop is stolen at the OR Tambo International Airport every hour and, as with the court break-ins, criminals are not just looking to benefit from stolen hardware.

"People are targeted for information. For example, you prepare your [criminal] case on a computer. Even if the original court documents have not been taken, how do you go about building a case [if the computer is stolen]?"

Melamed said another cause for the lack of attention by government to computer crime is that these acts are generally seen to be "safe".

"Computers don`t fire bullets," he explained. "There is a general lack of enforcement of any laws [relating to computer crimes], both criminal and civil."

He suggested that computer users, therefore, protect themselves as much as possible by using basic technology, such as encryption.

"Only about 8% of the information on a laptop is confidential and people have the system to protect that, but they don`t use it. Losing data is not acceptable - same as being hacked."

In addition, Melamed urged online banking customers to heed warnings issued by their banks not to succumb to phishing attacks.