The Telegraph

Hackers0_2568369bScotland Yard is to dramatically expand its specialist E-Crime unit which could see 500 dedicated officers drafted in to tackle the ever growing problem of cyber attacks and internet fraud, the Daily Telegraph can disclose.
With MPs warning that cybercrime is now a Tier One threat to the country – on a par with international terrorism – resources are to be directed away from more traditional crime fighting areas to the specialist unit.
Terrorists, rogue states and fraudsters are thought to be increasingly targeting computer systems in Britain and law enforcement agencies are desperate to ensure they have the resources available to meet the challenge head on.

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    Scotland Yard cyber crime unit to dramatically expand

    The Metropolitan Police is planning a major expansion of its E-crime unit as the threat of a cyber attack continues to grow

    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/10437237/Scotland-Yard-cyber-crime-unit-to-dramatically-expand.html

    Scotland Yard is to dramatically expand its specialist E-Crime unit which could see 500 dedicated officers drafted in to tackle the ever growing problem of cyber attacks and internet fraud, the Daily Telegraph can disclose.

    With MPs warning that cybercrime is now a Tier One threat to the country – on a par with international terrorism – resources are to be directed away from more traditional crime fighting areas to the specialist unit.

    Terrorists, rogue states and fraudsters are thought to be increasingly targeting computer systems in Britain and law enforcement agencies are desperate to ensure they have the resources available to meet the challenge head on.

    Until recently Scotland Yard held responsibility for the whole of England and Wales.

    But when the National Crime Agency (NCA) – dubbed Britain’s FBI – was launched last month, it picked up the overall lead, leaving the Met to concentrate on London alone.

    Around 70 per cent of the unit’s 80 officers transferred across to the new NCA team leaving a core of around 30 at Scotland Yard.

    However the Daily Telegraph has learned that there are plans to massively expand the unit in the coming years, eventually boosting the number to around 500.

    Cyber crime can range from low level phishing, where con men use the internet to target credit cards and back accounts, to large scale plots aimed at disabling the national infrastructure.

    In the summer the Home Affairs Select Committee heard evidence that organised gangs in at least 25 countries, mostly in Eastern Europe, were increasingly targeting their efforts on the UK.

    The official estimate puts on the cost of cybercrime to the British economy at around £27 billion.

    But experts claim that figure is conservative and the true cost could be more than double.

    Globally the cost is thought to exceed £300 billion, outstripping the annual value in the international drugs trade.

    While financial cybercrime is a growing problem, the main concern is the threat posed by attacks from hostile states or terrorist organisations.

    Plots against power stations, electricity suppliers or air traffic control systems could lead to a huge catastrophe and the loss of hundreds if not thousands of lives.

    Scotland Yard refused to discuss specific plans, but Commander Steve Rodhouse, who is the force’s lead on Organised Crime said: “There is a great track record of significant results but we of course recognise that cyber is a growing area of criminality.

    “Increasingly fraud and cyber crime are crossing over, and we are continually looking at how we can do more and use sophisticated techniques to beat these fraudsters.

    “We will continue to look at how this area of our crime fighting is resourced particularly since the recent reorganisation of the national remit going to the National Crime Agency.

    “It is a growing area of criminality and fraud and the threat of fraud through cyber crime impacts on people across London.”

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