Countries that want to be able to tackle cybercrime need to pass wide-ranging laws and be prepared to openly cooperate with other countries, delegates of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) group said yesterday.

The statement came last week at the end of a conference in Bangkok, Thailand, organized by the APEC e-Security Task Group, which sought ways to develop comprehensive legal frameworks to combat cybercrime and to build law enforcement units capable of investigating cybercrime.

Greater connectivity through the Internet has become a major opportunity for cybercriminals, according to John Malcolm, deputy assistant attorney general at the U.S. Department of Justice.

"Cybercrime is not confined by borders, and cybercriminals can exploit differences in laws that exist between different economies," he said. "International law enforcement cooperation is vital to protect people and businesses from the new dangers that are apparent in the modern interconnected world. It is essential for the economic development and security of the region for all economies to work together to implement measures to investigate, capture and prosecute cybercriminals."

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