The Web: Dealing with cyber-crime

CHICAGO -- Leading technology executives are pressing the White House to create a commission on cyber-crime, hoping the panel can develop solutions to vexing computer problems, such as spam and identity theft, but skeptics told UPI's The Web if developers would build better and more secure products, the problems of cyber-security would become less severe.

Executives from Adobe Systems, Dell, Hewlett-Packard, IBM and Microsoft, among others, last week met with White House science adviser John Marburger, as well as with officials from the Office of Management and Budget and the U.S. Department of Commerce to discuss the subject.

"We believe that a new commission is the proper venue to address these threats," Robert Holleyman, president and chief executive officer of the Business Software Alliance, an industry group, said in a statement. "Consumers who rely on the conveniences and benefits of online technologies are increasingly faced with a number of problems, including spam and identity theft. These crimes are no longer the province of mischievous, attention-seeking amateurs, but increasingly of organized professional criminals, motivated by profit." By Gene Koprowski