Fergie's Tech Blog

UK Report Questions Role of ISPs in Online Safety

Jeremy Kirk writes on InfoWorld:

A new report on Internet safety has concluded ISPs (Internet service providers) should take more responsibility for online security since end users are often lax.

But the 121-page Personal Internet Security report [.pdf], published on Friday by the U.K. House of Lords, stopped short of suggesting that the Office of Communications (Ofcom) -- the U.K. communications regulator -- should impose new rules on ISPs.

"We do not advocate immediate legislation or heavy-handed intervention by the regulator," the report said. "But the market will need to be pushed a little if it is to deliver better security."

ISPs generally argue that security is the responsibility of end users, which Ofcom has also supported. The report called it "disappointing" that the U.K. government has accepted those arguments since the reality often exceeds the capability of end users to recognize the threats.

posted by Fergie @ 8/10/2007 10:30:00 AM