I am really pleased to be invited as guest blogger. I work for e-Crime, part of the Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) and we have supported Get Safe Online since day one. I have met some great friends throughout the project and seen that the organisation’s supporters genuinely want to do their bit to prevent crime and raise awareness.
Online crime is the same as any traditional crime in that everyone has a part to play. We all have a responsibility to help prevent crime. The online experience is new and different, so common sense and practical advice is needed for us all. That is why I like this site and project so much.
Initially, most of the offences on the internet were criminal damage and nuisance offences. Rather than smash a bus stop on Friday night, our bright techies would spread viruses and worms. The ‘I love you’ virus was pretty spectacular in terms of scale and reach and took between 5.5 and 10 billion dollars to clean up, depending on which report you read. However, the gain for the criminal, working alone, was no more than kudos.
Since the penny dropped that big money could be made, we have seen most traditional crimes go online: extortion in the guise of distributed denial of service attacks; fraud in all forms; child abuse; theft – the list is endless. Criminal teams are working together now and they depend each other for skills and experience across the globe.
However, I am very optimistic about the future. The partnerships formed to combat online crime have been formed quickly – through necessity. That’s both industry and law enforcement. We have effective relationships with our overseas law enforcement colleagues which have resulted in some good operational results. Get Safe Online is just one example of where we are working with industry and there are many, many others.
I’m going to finish in the manner of Nick Ross on Crimewatch now: ‘ Don’t lose sleep over this, its only a few baddies, the internet is a safe place.’ Actually, I really believe that. I am constantly online, a great user of e-commerce. I would be lost without the internet both personally and professionally. (Let’s face it, I wouldn’t have a job without it.) So, just be careful with who you share information with and apply the common sense you use everyday in real life in this new, exciting virtual experience.
