[BreachExchange] HomeUK UK cybercrime prosecutions rise 34% in 1 year

[Audrey McNeil]

https://www.rt.com/uk/344125-cyber-crime-prosecutions-soar/

The number of cyber criminals prosecuted in Britain rose by almost 34
percent in 2015 while prosecutions for white collar criminals also
increased marginally, new figures reveal.

The data, published by law firm Pinsent Masons, shows recorded figures for
cybercrime prosecutions jumped from 45 in 2014 to 61 in 2015. The stats
relate to the number of defendants who were prosecuted as opposed to the
total tally of prosecutions carried out.

Head of Global Corporate Crime at Pinsent Masons, Barry Vitou, welcomed the
increase.

“The fact that prosecutions continue to rise in this area is promising, and
indicative of the efforts the authorities are making to get to grips with
tackling what is a highly complex issue,” he told the Financial Times on
Monday.

Pinsent Masons’ data also reveals an increase in prosecutions for
white-collar criminals. The law firm's figures show the number of
prosecutions in this area rose by 59 since 2014.

High profile white collar crime cases filed by Britain’s Serious Fraud
Office (SFO) include that of ex-UBS derivatives trader Tom Hayes, who was
convicted of Libor rigging and the case of Magnus Peterson, who used his
hedge fund Weavering Capital to commit financial fraud.

Cybercrime

A National Security Strategy, published by Downing Street in 2010, branded
cyber-security a top priority for Britain, alongside global terrorism,
international conflict and natural disasters.

In a climate saturated by e-commerce, online banking and digital devices,
criminal syndicates and rogue actors have been quick to seize upon tech
vulnerabilities.

While technology has dampened some criminal opportunities, it has
inevitably enhanced others. Common forms of cyber criminality include
digital fraud and the disruption of critical state infrastructure.

The National Cyber Crime Unit (NCCU), a division of Britain’s National
Crime Agency (NCA), is responsible for tackling cybercrime in Britain. It
works closely with a number of partners, including Regional Organized Crime
Units (ROCUs), the Metropolitan Police Cyber Crime Unit (MPCCU) and a range
of cross-border actors.

The NCCU also works directly with the NCA, Britain’s version of the FBI, to
track down online criminals.

Downing Street announced plans in early April to spend more than £40
million on a new cyber security center designed to protect Ministry of
Defense (MoD) networks and systems from so-called “malicious actors”.

The dedicated Cyber Security Operations Centre (CSOC) facility will use
advanced defense capabilities to shield the MoD’s cyberspace from threats,
enabling it to operate more safely.

Cyber security in Britain

Most cybercrimes relate to data theft for the purpose of financial gain.
However, hacking is also carried out by political protesters, and actors
who engage in espionage by stealing state secrets.

A survey conducted by SecureData recently found that a third of private
sector firms would consider hiring ex-hackers to assist them with their
cyber security challenges. Some 97 percent of those polled branded data
security critical to any modern cyber strategy.

The NCA recently faced criticism over its treatment of a 31-year-old
digital activist accused of hacking into the Federal Reserve and a number
of key US government systems.

The law enforcement body had tried to use a civil suit launched by
cyber-security expert, Lauri Love, to force him to hand over his encryption
keys. Love was seeking the return of a number of his encrypted devices,
currently held by the NCA.

The law enforcement body's maneuver was blocked by Judge Nina Tempia,
however, who ruled that Love was under no obligation to hand over his
passwords.

Love still faces possible extradition to the US over allegations he and
several hacktivists violated US online networks in protest against the US
criminal justice system’s draconian treatment of the late Aaron Swartz.

Love's extradition hearing is scheduled for the 28th and 29th June. His US
lawyer, Tor Ekeland, says the cyber security expert's skills should be
nurtured by the British government.

“Talented thinkers like him are an asset in identifying security flaws in
computer systems,” Ekeland told RT in April.

"If the U.S. had been prosecuting computer crimes in the 1970’s like they
are now, Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak and Bill Gates all would have gone to
jail and you would have no Apple or Microsoft because both those companies
were started by hackers."
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.riskbasedsecurity.com/pipermail/breachexchange/attachments/20160524/dbadc9b1/attachment.html>