Serbia Tightens Cyber-Security As Internet Crime Rises

Serbia's government plans to strengthen the country's cyber-security and the capacity of the police and military to prevent hacking attacks amid a marked rise last year in hi-tech crime.

According to the Cybercrime Strategy, Serbia will establish several units within the police, military and customs to fight online crimes.   

"The strategy is a continuation and expansion of activities aimed at strengthening the efficiency of all entities in the field of suppression of high-tech crime in ... Serbia," the Strategy, obtained by BIRN, reads.

The document, which covers the period between 2019 and 2023, says that by 2020, Serbia will form anti-cybercrime units within the intelligence agency, the BIA, Military Police and Customs Bureau, and also employ more people in existing units with the police.

It also added that Serbia will purchase new IT equipment but also specialised software for the police and prosecution, for which about 100,000 euros has been allocated.

It states that Serbia will also adopt operational procedures to collect and provide electronic evidence.

Civil servants will participate in training, which will be also held for parents, in schools, in the media, and for bank clients, focusing also on child pornography and internet security.

"The strategy … determines the institutional response to emerging forms of high-tech crime, defines the roles and responsibilities of state bodies, identifies goals and determines the basic directions for action to suppress all types of high-tech crime," it says.

The document notes that Serbia saw a 15-per-cent increase in cybercrime in 2017 compared to the year before.

From 2013 to 2017, the most common cybercrimes noted were computer fraud (43.9...

Continue reading on: