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"It's a matter for member states' criminal law..

"It's a matter for member states' criminal law. . .but the nature of these crimes is such that they require special training and co-ordination (by law enforcers) because they are committed very quickly and require swift reactions" - European Com- mission spokesman Per Haugaard speaking after a wave of hacking incidents brought down some of the world's major websites last week.

News monitor column compiled by Patrick Logue.

The full text of Computimes reports is available on The Irish Times website at www.ireland.com

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