While law enforcement agencies in the United States and Europe began the search for the author of the 'love letter' e-mail virus overnight, local authorities were today unable to identify which, if any Australian organisations would join such an investigation.
This is despite warning the e-mail virus was likely to effect as much as 90 per cent of Australian businesses, according to estimates from anti-virus companies. The 'ILOVE YOU' bug has been detected in several Australian organisations, including the country's research institute CSIRO. In some cases it forced system administrators to shut down mail services until the bug fixes could be applied.>>Go to ZDNet Australia's FULL COVERAGE of the Love Bug worm
Calls placed to the Australian Federal Police, the New South Wales Police Service and the Victorian Police Service, all of which have computer-crime related divisions, confirmed there were no plans to conduct any investigation into the matter - at least not yet.
The Office for the federal Minister for Communications, Information technology and the Arts, Senator Richard Alston, was also unable to provide any comment, other than to say the office's own computer systems had been safe-guarded from the 'love bug'.
Law enforcement authorities may pick up the cause if there is increased public demand, according to Dr Russell Smith, Senior research analyst at the Australian Institute of Criminology.
-If there's enough pressure for them to investigate, then they might in the future," he said. Until then, -there are tens of thousands of viruses created each month and no real deterrents. It's a case of the computer users protecting themselves."
Australian state commissioners of police recently met in Canberra to discuss computer crime, according to Peter Edwards, Deputy director of the Australian Bureau of Criminal Intelligence.
-The theme of the conference was 'Crime at the speed of thought'. The conference identified that computer crime is one of the greatest challeneges facing law enforcement today," he said.
-They (the commissioners) established an electronic law enforcement steering committee, with the objective of providing an Australasian Law Enforcement Electronic Crime Strategy."
However, -realistically there is enormous difficulty in policing the Net", and Edwards said most law enforcement agencies were restricted to investigating crime in their jurisdiction.
International reports on the e-mail virus have pointed to the Philippines as the centre of origin in this case. Australian authorities may not become involved in worldwide tracking efforts unless there is indication of some involvement from our shores.
-People need to be aware of the potential (for electronic crime) and take preventative measures...(against) electronic vandalism, or terrorism," Edwards said.
