Security news
Security news8 December 2003
European Union presses for anti-spam laws, Sophos comments
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| The European Union is trying to crack down on spam |
The European Union has asked nine member nations that have failed to adopt anti-spam legislation to describe what they intend to do to comply with the law.
France, Germany, Belgium, Finland, Greece, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, and Sweden will face possible court action unless they provide an explanation within two months.
The new law aims to protect businesses by banning companies from sending unsolicited email, and stealing personal data from websites.
The EU hopes to eradicate unwanted spam email, but leaves it up to member nations to decide how spam should be stopped and how spammers should be punished.
Austria, Denmark, Ireland, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom have taken steps to adopt the EU law. The British version becomes law on Thursday 11 December.
"Spammers can cloak their identity and work from anywhere in the world, and some might argue that because most spam originates from the USA that European laws against it are pointless," said Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant for Sophos. "However, all countries should look carefully at what measures they are taking to outlaw spam. By working in unison and developing strict anti-spam laws we can make life for the spammers that little bit harder."
Sophos recommends companies protect themselves with a consolidated solution which can defend businesses from the threats of both spam and viruses.
