A governing body of computer specialists needs to be set up to combat a rising tide of online crime, according to a major report by the UK National Criminal Intelligence Service (NCIS).
Project Trawler, a three-year study investigating internet crime, says there is currently a bitter war waging between criminals and those trying to prevent illegal activities over who can better master the technology and information available through the Net.
The Metropolitan Police in London has a computer crime unit, but there is no national body looking at wider offences. MPs of the Trade and Industry Select Committee said last month there was a strong case for such a body in order to combat criminals using encryption to organise their illegal activities over the Internet.
NCIS says a national unit would investigate the most serious offences, develop internet expertise and support local forces encountering sophisticated cybercrimes.
The director general of NCIS, John Abbott, said:
"I believe that serious consideration should be given to the establishment of a national investigative computer crime unit to combat the growing number of computer crimes being carried out in the UK and to identify and target emerging threats. "Furthermore, any such unit should be intelligence-led, separating out the minor offenders from those with both the motivation and capability to commit serious crimes."
NCIS suggests that filed complaints of cyber crimes have risen from 12,000 in 1997 to more than 40,000 in 1998. But it also says it does not believe the risks or scale of criminal activity on the Internet to be as extensive as sometime portrayed.
The report's author, David Hart, says there is a need for preventative steps now to avoid having to deal with a bigger problem later:
"If the rewards are great enough and the risks low enough then undoubtedly established criminals will migrate to the new territory of the Internet. "But, at the moment, even if they had the motivation, it's not evident that they have the capability to commit serious computer crimes. They could recruit or coerce people who do have the capabilities but there are associated risks with that."
In future, it says, offences inspired by political motives, hacking for information with financial value and disgruntled employee "work rage" assaults on systems will feature more.
