Only 2% of cops can fight e-crime

Online fraudsters are being allowed to wreak havoc with virtual impunity across the country, with only three out of the 43 police forces – and just 2% of officers – having the know-how to deal with cyber-crime.
That is the damning conclusion of a report by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC), which shows that, despite heavy investment and development strategies set by the Government, most police are completely baffled by digital crime.
The findings appear to support recent criticism from a leading lawyer that the police “don’t give a stuff” about online fraud, and would rather catch someone speeding as it is easier to prove.
Cyber-crime is estimated to cost the UK more than £27bn a year, although some believe that is a conservative figure. Internet security giant Norton puts the global cost at £231bn – more than the annual value of the trade in heroin, cocaine and cannabis combined.
HMIC said: “We expected to find police forces had sought to understand the threat and their role in tackling it. But HMIC found only three forces (Derbyshire, Lincolnshire and West Midlands) had developed comprehensive cybercrime strategies.”
The report also exposed a dearth of cyber skills within police forces, with only 2% of officers trained to investigate cybercrime.
“The fact that forces are not yet able to demonstrate that they understand their roles in tackling this threat of a large-scale cyber incident is fully understood as a problem by the police, the Home Office and the National Crime Agency.
“We found evidence that across these bodies, and wider partners, work is underway to help provide the clarity that is needed for police forces and PCCs [police and crime commissioners] about their roles and the capacity and capability they need to put in place to respond to the threat effectively.”
The NCA announced plans to help bolster the UK’s cyber expert pool in October 2013 when it pledged to train 400 new cyber intelligence officers within 12 months.

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