Cyber criminality undermines Algeria’s security: experts say

The head of criminal department at the national gendarmerie, yesterday announced the creation of special service to fight against cyber criminality and several officers followed training in Algeria and abroad for the purpose.

Talking to “Echourouk” this one said” Algeria is not secure from this kind of criminality arguing that his services dealt with two cases last year. “ …” There are serious threats looming over the country especially over the country’s companies connected to internet, insurance companies for instance” he added.

“Pedophilia” and terrorism top the list of cyber criminality

The expert, Dajmel Ben Redjam gave a presentation in which he revealed that the Algerian computers’ park comprises some 3 millions units, refereeing to estimates released in 2006, and the network’s distance is estimated at some 26 thousands kms. He added that 5900 cyber cafés operate in Algeria with a total number of 2.5 millions of internet users.

This huge information flux has become a real threat for the country’s security, since most of the internet users are connecting to either terrorist we sites or sexual ones and most of the cyber cafés are not controlled by the authorities.

The national gendarmerie central command yesterday organized an international seminar entitled “ Safe Information Technology at the service of public safety” and brought together experts from Switzerland , Belgium and Canada .

The experts acknowledged that it was very difficult to fight against the hackers and that internet has become a device used to spread terrorist propaganda.