Cyber crime woes

Home Office action is required

THE FIGURES are startling; there have been an estimated two million incidents of online fraud in the last year alone, which has resulted in £10bn being stolen from individuals and around £144bn from businesses. Yet, despite this, the National Audit Office says police forces and the Home Office are still not taking effective action.

The NAO says the issue is not yet a priority for many police forces, while the Home Office needs to accept it has a greater responsibility to co-ordinate the national response.

Cyber fraud is a rapidlyevolving form of criminal activity, with the job of the police made all the more difficult by the fact that the perpetrators are often located in countries outside the jurisdiction of British officers. But it is clear that more can and should be done, with innovative solutions needed to tackle a hugely-complex problem.

As the NAO points out, it is heartening to hear of proposals being considered by the banking industry to make the security codes on the back of debit and credit cards change every hour.

Making the most of technological advances can only be welcomed in this IT arms race. However, the caveat about this proposal is such a plan would require all card providers to participate in such a scheme for it to work effectively. It highlights the need for Government, law enforcement and industry to work together to better protect consumers and businesses from criminals.