The think tank Reform has argued that police chiefs should be allowed to fire officers whose IT skills are not up to scratch. Emm, principal Security Researcher at Kaspersky Lab commented below.
David Emm, Principal Security Researcher at Kaspersky Lab:
“With the rise of crime in the cyber world, it is crucial that the skill set of police officers matches the importance of this new battleground. As with markets generally, investment tends to flow into areas where it will be most productive, and crime is no different. With so much financial activity moving online, criminals have capitalised on this by moving their activity into the cyber world –therefore it’s important that we have police officers who understand the ways in which technology can be abused by cybercriminals. However the police, like any organisation, need a diverse range of skills; and it may be that not all roles require technical knowledge and IT acumen.
The focus for police forces, like any other organisation, should be on ongoing education and upskilling existing staff. Many industries are suffering from a lack of technology skills, and this can only be remedied by increasing internal awareness and by encouraging young people with a passion for cybersecurity to use their skills for the greater good.”
