We work closely with UK police, regional organised crime units, and partners in international law enforcement such as Europol, the FBI and the US Secret Service to share intelligence and coordinate action. We focus on critical cyber incidents as well as longer-term activity against the criminals and the services on which they depend. Criminals and the technical infrastructure they use are often based overseas, making international collaboration essential. Currently the level of sentencing at court is not commensurate with the seriousness of attacks, and this is an area which is ripe for consideration.Ĭyber crime is a global threat. We know that there is significant under-reporting, although the new General Data Protection Regulation is likely to prompt a better picture of scale. The evolving technical capabilities of malware means evolving harm as well as facilitating new crimes, such as the cryptomining malware which attacks digital currencies like Bitcoin.Ĭyber attacks are financially devastating and disrupting and upsetting to people and businesses. 'Off the shelf' tools mean that less technically proficient criminals are now able to commit cyber crime, and do so as awareness of the potential profits becomes more widespread. The scale and complexity of cyber attacks is wide ranging. Distributed denial of service (DDOS) attacks against websites – often accompanied by extortion.
Malicious software – including ransomware through which criminals hijack files and hold them to ransom.Phishing - bogus emails asking for security information and personal details.Hacking - including of social media and email passwords.Although young criminals are often driven by peer kudos rather than financial reward, organised UK cyber crime groups are motivated by profit.Ĭyber criminals seek to exploit human or security vulnerabilities in order to steal passwords, data or money directly.
Many Russian-speaking cyber groups are threatening UK interests, but home-grown cyber criminals are becoming more sophisticated and therefore a rising threat. Tactics are currently shifting as businesses are targeted over individuals and although phishing attacks on individuals are increasing, fewer are falling victim as people have become more alert.īecause the distinction between nation states and criminal groups is increasingly blurred, cyber crime attribution is sometimes difficult. Breaches leaked personal data on a massive scale leaving victims vulnerable to fraud, while lives were put at risk and services damaged by the WannaCry ransomware campaign that affected the NHS and many other organisations worldwide. We have seen a significant growth in cyber criminality in the form of high-profile ransomware campaigns over the last year.