Police launch drive to sign up young recruits to battle cyber crime
AN international police cybercrime recruitment drive is launched in Scotland today, with forces from around the world — including the FBI and Interpol — moving to enlist young people to help tackle the problem.
Police Scotland is hosting a symposium involving key players from the spheres of academia, business, government and lawenforcement agencies to promote cyber-crime awareness and prevention and encourage more people to take up career roles to detect and stop online crime.
The conference will involve agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation from the US and Interpol from Europe and all of Scotland’s universities.
Detective Inspector Eamonn Keane, one of Police Scotland’s cyber-crime officers, said the move is to help lecturers and students as well as law enforcers recognise and halt crimes online.
Agents from around the world will broach issues including fraud, theft, cyber-bullying and sex crimes on the internet.
Mr Keane said it is hoped those in education and business will pass on their knowledge of how to use the internet safely to students and workers.
He said young people could also tell their parents and grandparents how to avoid online crime.
He said: “It could be stalking or cyber bullying. Every crime has a digital footprint. It is international because people can be affected by digital crime from anywhere in the world.”
He said there will be a special focus on key areas such as the skills gap in cyber education, lawenforcement forensic training, and in the provision training to tackle cyber crime.
Mr Keane said: “We have an industry shortage in jobs in these areas.
“It is a good career move for graduates and has been a catalyst to higher rewards for appropriate graduates.”
Among those attending will be Professor Bill Buchanan, of Edinburgh Napier University. His Cyber Academy is an internationally renowned centre of excellence in the field.
Scotland is already at the forefront of tackling online crime and became the first country in Europe to offer qualifications in cyber security as part of the school curriculum this month.
The Scottish Qualifications Authority has developed the new awards to help pupils identify, understand and manage the host of online threats organisations and individuals face on a daily basis.
Qualifications director Dr Gill Stewart said earlier that those courses will cover data security, digital forensics and ethical hacking, and would pave the way for those seeking a career in cyber security.