THE escalating threat of e-crime facing Welsh business will be placed under the spotlight at a gathering of UK security experts in Newport.

Wales has established the e-Crime Wales Partnership Initiative which includes the Welsh Assembly Government, the four Welsh police forces - Gwent, South Wales, Dyfed Powys and North Wales - HSBC Bank and BT.

The Wales E-Crime Summit 2007 will feature an address from assembly minister Andrew Davies, as well as presentations by senior police officers and representatives of blue-chip businesses eBay, HSBC and BT to some 300 delegates.

Figures compiled by the DTI Information Security Breach team show that two thirds of all UK organisations are victims of malicious e-crime attacks - and that the average cost per e-crime incident ranges from £10,000 to £120,000.

E-crime includes offences such as online fraud.

Following the success of the previous two e-Crime Wales summits, the 2007 summit will take place at the Celtic Manor Resort, Newport on March 2.