cyber threat

A senior US official said that cyber security is now a top diplomatic priority for the United States and Washington as the government looks to build better relationship while properly addressing information theft and, thus, reducing the risk of conflicts.

Christopher Painter, Stated Department coordinator for cyber issues, said that the United States suffered a number of potential threats in cyberspace from freelance hackers to militants and potentially rival states. Diplomacy and policy was only just beginning to catch up with technology, he said.

Norton announced its new cybercrime index which warns PC users of daily threats. The Norton Cybercrime Index tracks cyber threats and alerts people to online risks including the day's most dangerous websites, the most hijacked search terms by cybercriminals, as well as scams identity theft and spam.

Talking at the opening of the Information Security Summit 2010, Agnes Mak, executive director of the Hong Kong Productivity Council, said that organizations in Hong Kong need more consolidated efforts and collaboration to wrestle security threats. Last week the Hong Kong Computer Emergency Response Team Coordination Centre (HKCERT) reported that the number of hacking and phishing cases were up 34 percent year-on-year in the first 10 months of the year.