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Nato fights cyber-crime

Nato has set up an authority to fight cyber-attacks on its members' national infrastructure.

The international Cyber Defence Management Authority (CDMA) will co-ordinate cyber defence among member nations.

Its formation was backed by member states at a Nato summit in Bucharest last week.

The Bucharest final declaration against cyber defence states that NATO remains committed to strengthening key alliance information systems against cyber attacks.

A CDMA cyber-defence centre of excellence is based in the Estonian city of Tallinn where a wave of co-ordinated attacks in April and May 2007 put the wheels in motion for the new authority's formation.

Urmas Paet, Estonian foreign minister, said that the nation had experience in handling cyber attacks.

A spokesman for Nato said: "The keynote is defence, whether the attack comes from state, criminal or other sources."

He added that the CDMA will also develop and propose standards and procedures to prevent and deter attacks.