EU Commission Wants Cybercrime Center

BRUSSELS — The European Commission wants to set up a special center to deal with cybercrime to protect citizens against illegal online activities.

The Commission proposed Wednesday to make the center part of Europol, the European police agency headquartered in The Hague, the Netherlands.

Large-scale cyber attacks have become increasingly sophisticated in the last few years, to the point that national financial systems have become vulnerable. The EU says the center would focus on credit card and bank credential fraud.

EU Home Affairs Commissioner Cecilia Malmstroem said "as the online part of our everyday lives grows, organized crime is following suit — and these crimes affect each and every one of us."