EU Official Plays Down Cyber-Security Worries

Mar 02 2001

The European Commission tried to calm down suspicions about links between its cipher unit and the U.S. National Security Agency . Suspicions were raised after the testimony of an British EU official became known, suggesting that the NSA had access to the Commission's security systems.

"I have always had very good contacts with the NSA in Washington, and they usually check our systems to see that they are being well looked after and not being misused," said Desmond Perkins, a 65-year-old official in a hearing at the parliament. The hearing took place in early February but the proceedings were only publicized on Thursday by the French daily Libération.

When Euro MPs asked Perkins why he didn't ask experts in EU member states to review his systems, but instead went to the NSA, he said, "Because I have relatives working in there, that is why. It is as simple as that. You have got to remember ... that the Americans read everything, no matter what is going on inside here, they read everything with their satellites lined up.

"And after two weeks they could not break it [the cipher], so I'm quite happy with that," he said, adding that the information he dealt with was in any case "very short-term political stuff."

European politicians and businesses have long suspected the NSA spies on its allies for political and industrial information. The international eavesdropping system Echelon, allegedly operated by the USA, Canada, the U.K. and Australia, is the subject of an ongoing investigation by the European Parliament.

The Commission yesterday claimed that the entire incident has been a misunderstanding. A spokesman said the supplier of the security system, the German electronics company Siemens , had boasted that the NSA couldn't break into the system.