NEW DELHI: Efforts to combat cyber crime received heightened attention, with European and American experts participating in a two-day seminar organised by the Indo-US Cyber Security Forum recently.

In focus were a slew of hi-tech crimes like identity thefts, which have emerged as a major threat to the Indian business process outsourcing (BPO) industry.

With the BPO industry having earned over $3.6 billion last year, experts felt the need for comprehensive cyber crime prevention measures. Former US official and currently eBay chief Howard A Schmidt said: ‘‘We have developed tools like eBay and eBay2Bar to cloud mark and stop wrong e-mails.’’ He admitted that technology does not offer a 100% solution for the problem.

Cyber crime incidents are spreading like wildfire. In 2004, the UK lost about three billion pounds to unauthorised access, penetration into computer systems, data theft, virus attacks and financial frauds. FBI chief Chris Swecker reported to the US Senate Judiciary Committee that he ‘‘opened 1,081 investigations of identity thefts’’ and was carrying out over 1,600 ‘‘active investigations’’.

In India, the security agencies lodged over 800 cases under the IT Act 2000 and Indian Penal Code provisions, in 2002. In 2003, the number fell to about 500 cases. Speakers from India strongly believed most cases were not reported. The 2004 figures are yet to be made available.