Net industry urged to co-operate following London bombings

Preserving data crucial to investigation say police

By Tim Richardson • Get more from this author

Posted in Telecoms, 11th July 2005 14:01 GMT

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ISPA - the UK's internet trade body - has called on ISPs to co-operate with police and other law enforcement agencies following last Thursday's terrorist bombings in London.

In a memo circulated to ISPs last Thursday the National High Tech Crime Unit (NHTCU) called on ISPs to "preserve" where "reasonably practicable" communications data and content from electronic communications so that it can be used if necessary as part of the investigation into last week's murderous events.

The data requested to be preserved includes content of email servers and email server logs; pager, SMS and MMS messages and call data records including content of voicemail platforms.

Investigators believe that those behind the bombing will have most likely used the net and mobile phones to help plan the bombings.

They want to ensure that any information currently stored by service providers will not be lost over the coming months and that it can be made available as part of their ongoing investigation.

The data preservation request issued last Thursday is similar to one made in 2001 following the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the US.

Even before the NHTCU wrote to service providers asking for their co-operation ISPA had already contacted the Home Office offering its help.

A spokesman for ISPA told us: "ISPA and its members are committed to undertaking practical measures to assist law enforcement agencies to prevent terrorism.

"We ask that all UK ISPs provide what practical assistance they can to UK law enforcement agencies at this time." ®