BONN, Germany, Nov. 11 (UPI) -- If Europeans want to have the confidence necessary to succeed in the digital age they need a secure network with which to do so, a digital commissioner said.
Neelie Kroes, vice president of the European Commission responsible for the digital agenda, said Monday at a cyber conference in Bonn, Germany, the digital age comes with as many benefits as it does risks.
"Our world is entering the digital age," she said Monday. "And it is becoming ever more important to keep that digital world safe and secure."
European leaders have expressed concern over the reach of a U.S. surveillance system revealed by former U.S. National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden.
Last week, Internet security company Trend Microsystems said the activist group Anonymous targeted the website of the Singapore prime minister.
Kroes said a comprehensive network was needed because cyberattackers can exploit "the weakest link in the chain." The Internet, however, has many benefits.
"We cannot turn our backs on those benefits," she said. "But ... online threats have correspondingly growing consequences."
