Sunday, March 04, 2007
Internet cafes found to be havens for dubious computing
Internet cafes found to be havens for dubious computing
The Yomiuri Shimbun
More than half of all illegal computer access in 2005 was made using computers at Internet cafes, and about 70 percent of such cases in which suspects have not been identified were from cafe computers, according to the National Police Agency.
The anonymity provided by Internet cafes helps impede the process of criminal investigations, and the NPA says it will ask for stricter identity confirmations on users.
Such self-imposed regulations, however, may not be easy to implement as some cafes are reluctant to follow such requests, fearing strict identity checks could drive away customers.
There were 946 documented violations of the Unauthorized Computer Access Law in 2006, up 60 percent from 2005. Phishing is one of the popular methods in such illegal accesses, in which bogus Web sites are used to trick computer users into giving up their passwords and other confidential information, such as personal identification numbers.
The NPA looked at the servers used in 483 illegal access cases from 2005 and the confessions, communication records and other information from suspects. In 271 cases, or 56 percent, computers at Internet cafes were used.
In the 212 cases in which suspects have not been identified, 139 cases, or 66 percent, were accessed from computers at Internet cafes.
In many cases, the NPA could not track down people because some cafes did not confirm user identities or because they did not keep communication records.
An man arrested by police on suspicion of fraud last year illegally obtained the passwords of 500 users by using computers at an Internet cafe that did not require identity checks. He allegedly bilked coupons or DVDs, equivalent to 5.5 million yen, via Internet auctions by using a false identity. Investigators found the man by tracking down the destination of items and other means.
Damage in such cases often snowballs because it takes time to find suspects.
The Japan Complex Cafe Association has been calling for the introduction of a membership system requiring the submission of identification, or setting up security cameras.
However, only 1,380 of the nation's 3,000 Internet cafes were members of the association as of February, and 70 percent of them have introduced a membership system.
A spokesman of a major Internet cafe operating company said: "Although we understand the point of the system, we also need to think about how to manage personal information on users. So, unless the preparation is well made, we can't introduce because there is a risk information could be leaked."
(Mar. 4, 2007)
The Yomiuri Shimbun
More than half of all illegal computer access in 2005 was made using computers at Internet cafes, and about 70 percent of such cases in which suspects have not been identified were from cafe computers, according to the National Police Agency.
The anonymity provided by Internet cafes helps impede the process of criminal investigations, and the NPA says it will ask for stricter identity confirmations on users.
Such self-imposed regulations, however, may not be easy to implement as some cafes are reluctant to follow such requests, fearing strict identity checks could drive away customers.
There were 946 documented violations of the Unauthorized Computer Access Law in 2006, up 60 percent from 2005. Phishing is one of the popular methods in such illegal accesses, in which bogus Web sites are used to trick computer users into giving up their passwords and other confidential information, such as personal identification numbers.
The NPA looked at the servers used in 483 illegal access cases from 2005 and the confessions, communication records and other information from suspects. In 271 cases, or 56 percent, computers at Internet cafes were used.
In the 212 cases in which suspects have not been identified, 139 cases, or 66 percent, were accessed from computers at Internet cafes.
In many cases, the NPA could not track down people because some cafes did not confirm user identities or because they did not keep communication records.
An man arrested by police on suspicion of fraud last year illegally obtained the passwords of 500 users by using computers at an Internet cafe that did not require identity checks. He allegedly bilked coupons or DVDs, equivalent to 5.5 million yen, via Internet auctions by using a false identity. Investigators found the man by tracking down the destination of items and other means.
Damage in such cases often snowballs because it takes time to find suspects.
The Japan Complex Cafe Association has been calling for the introduction of a membership system requiring the submission of identification, or setting up security cameras.
However, only 1,380 of the nation's 3,000 Internet cafes were members of the association as of February, and 70 percent of them have introduced a membership system.
A spokesman of a major Internet cafe operating company said: "Although we understand the point of the system, we also need to think about how to manage personal information on users. So, unless the preparation is well made, we can't introduce because there is a risk information could be leaked."
(Mar. 4, 2007)
# posted by raveneye @ 8:08 PM 
