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Minister tells banks: 'Improve online security'

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Minister tells banks: 'Improve online security'
Photo: DPA

Computer makers and banks should be doing more to protect themselves and their customers online, German Consumer Protection Minister Ilse Aigner said at a Munich conference on cyber crime on Monday.

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“Every company that is active online and uses the internet for business must be aware of the risks and try to reduce them to a minimum,” she said, adding firms bore the responsibility for keeping their services as safe as possible.

Aigner also warned against trying to save money by cutting corners when it came to web security.

Referring to recent reports about the risks of banking online on a smart phone, the conservative politician told business representatives and IT experts that banks were often not doing enough to protect their customers' details.

“Above all, we need openness and honesty after a hacker attack resulted in the loss of private information,” said Aigner, adding it was not acceptable to delay telling customers if their data were to be stolen.

The talk came following concerns from security authorities about a new generation of cyber criminals who were developing more advanced ways of finding peoples' data. Instead of just phishing for bank details, stealing entire identities was becoming more common.

DAPD/The Local/jcw

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