EU frets over evolving cybercrime threat

BRUSSELS, Feb. 10 (UPI) -- The European Union said Monday it expects the threat from cybercriminals to evolve as Internet connectivity expands and changes globally.

A report from the EU said Monday it expected to see more cyberattacks from southeast Asia, Africa and South America. The threat itself, the report added, will change as more consumers start to access the Internet through mobile devices.

"Criminal behavior is changing fast, exploiting technological developments and legal loopholes," Commissioner for Home Affairs Cecilia Malmstrom said in a statement Monday. "Criminals will continue to be creative and deploy sophisticated attacks to make more money, and we must be able to keep up with them."

Cyberattacks are becoming a growing national security threat. The EU last year called on member states to collect data on cyberattacks and to coordinate more openly with relevant authorities to combat the issue.

Internet security provider Trend Micro has warned that political leaders are aware of the growing dangers of cybercrime but efforts are restricted in terms of expertise and a general lack of resources.

European leaders expressed concern about their own state computer networks last year when former U.S. National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden leaked details about a U.S. surveillance system to the media.