CAIRO: Measure taken by the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT) have succeeded in lowering the percentage of e-crimes in Egypt by 60 percent, said IT Minister Tarek Kamel. The ministry has taken considerable measures towards combating e-crimes and is setting a regulatory framework for the intellectual property rights of information and communications technology, he added. "We are not exporters of e-crimes; yet we are required to be alert and create task forces to face emergencies, Kamel said in his speech marking the inauguration of the International Conference on Information and Internet Security. The opening of the conference, held from June 2-4, was attended by Parliament Speaker Fathy Sorour, Minister of Social Solidarity Ali El-Moselhi and Minister of State for Administrative Development Ahmed Darwish. According to Kamel, Egypt has been taking practical steps towards the development of the ICT sector with exports reaching $500 million and the number of internet users in Egypt rising to about 8.5 million. Such growth, he added, is attributed to Egypt's belief in the role played by the ICT industry in exploring new investments, horizons and creating job opportunities. "Cyberspace attacks are conducted by groups with almost terrorist targets, Sorour said at the inauguration. These groups, he added, perpetrate their acts via hi-tech methods. The Parliament Speaker called on the United Nations to set international rules governing cyberspace conflicts and considering such acts as attacks against international peace and security. A number of senior officials and leaders from the Ministry of Interior and lawyers from Egypt and other countries contributed to the conference, which was headed by Ahmed Amin, deputy state council and chairman of the Egyptian Association for the Prevention of Information and Internet Crimes. "Tackling an issue as fundamental as cyber crime is very important in the global village we live in now, Amin told Daily News Egypt. The association is focusing on passing strict laws, in cooperation with the MCIT, to eradicate cyber crime in Egypt.
