Senate debates cybercrime treaty

A controversial treaty that is the first to focus on computer crime is inching toward ratification in the U.S. Senate. Sen. Richard Lugar, R-Ind., said at a hearing Thursday that the Council of Europe's cybercrime treaty should be ratified quickly because it "will help the United States continue to play a leadership role in international law enforcement and will advance the security of Americans at home and abroad." Lugar is the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

The treaty would require participating nations to update their laws to reflect computer crimes such as unauthorized intrusions into networks, the release of worms and viruses, and copyright infringement. The measure, which has been ratified by Albania, Croatia, Estonia, Hungary, Lithuania and Romania, also includes arrangements for mutual assistance and extradition among participating nations.

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