WIREDGOV

ONS figures show the extent of cyber crime last year. Police access to digital skills & capabilities have never been more important.

There were 2 million offences of computer misuse and 3.8 million fraud offences in England and Wales last year. Those are the estimates from theOffice for National Statistics’ Crime Survey. This is the first time the ONS has published fraud and computer misuse figures from the victims’ survey.

The fact that there were almost 6 million of these offences is a stark reminder of how crime is changing as criminals become ever more technically capable. As people live more of their lives online, the potential for the internet to be used by criminals to target people increases.

Reacting to the ONS figures, techUK’s Programme Manager for Justice & Emergency Services, Henry Rex, said yesterday:

“Today’s figures released by the ONS confirm what techUK has been saying for some time: crime is not falling, it is merely changing. While traditional crimes are down, cyber-crime and fraud are increasing rapidly. Proliferation of technology and digital skills among criminals enable them to significantly amplify the speed and reach of their crimes. This presents a unique challenge to law enforcement agencies, and it is incumbent upon the Government to ensure that those agencies have access to the right capabilities and digital skills to keep the public safe from these crimes. Only by working closely with industry to access technological advances and digital investigation skills can law enforcement hope to prevent such crimes and bring these numbers down.

“To make it harder for criminals to success in their efforts, it’s vital that businesses and the public have the skills to protect themselves. Schemes such as Cyber Essentials and campaigns like Cyber Streetwise go a long way to promoting safety and security online, reducing risk and making cyber-crime a less attractive endeavour.”