EU nations give nod to tougher penalties for cybercrimes
The Council of Europe has approved rules which, if passed by the European Parliament, will make it a crime to create malware and botnets.
European countries have agreed to tougher penalties for cybercrimes, including new punishments for botnet creators, in an effort to clamp down on massive attacks.
The new rules are part of a European Commission proposal, adopted by the Council of Europe on Friday, which now goes to the European Parliament for approval. It aims to update existing EU rules on cybercrime, introduced in 2005, which cover interference with data and systems, and illegal access.
One new measure is the introduction of penalties for people who develop and supply malware or other tools for creating botnets or stealing passwords. Additionally, the illegal interception of computer data will become a criminal offense.
Read more of "EU nations give nod to tougher cybercrime jail terms" at ZDNet UK.