Only 1% Of Cybercrimes Prosecuted

A recent report from Richard Breavington, a partner at RPC, found that 1% of cybercrimes are prosecuted, from the 17,900 reported cases of computer hacking last year.  

Analysis of figures for cybercrime & its reporting conducted by City law firm shows 75% rise in the occurrence of cybercrime between 2017 & 2018 yet less than 1% of cases are ever prosecuted.#cybercrime #cybercriminals #cyberattack #GDPRhttps://t.co/jbDCjZjwSh

— Francis West (@westtekIT) May 28, 2019

Expert Comments: 

Haroon Malik, Director of Cyber Security Consulting at Fujitsu:

“The low prosecution rate for cybercrimes is concerning. Hacking tools are more widely available than ever before, and cyber-criminals are finding ever-evolving ways to ‘feed their habit’. What’s more, if hacking into a business and walking away with stolen funds or sensitive information is unlikely to see you get caught, then the incentive is clear. 

 “But as easy as it is to point the finger and question why prosecution is so low, it’s important to understand that taking action against such crimes is difficult. Proving a correlation between credentials and identity theft is not always immediately obvious based on a single incident. There are incredibly complex digital footprints to follow, to track down the perpetrator. And, unfortunately, much cybercrime happens to faceless organisations, which means that prosecutors don’t often recognise that these crimes do in fact have an end victim. 

 “The difficulties in prosecuting cybercriminals shows the need for immediate action to better support police forces. The current situation does not give police the resources or guidance they need to make a dent in the levels of cybercrime that are going unpunished. One example of where this is happening, is the step taken by the government to create a specialist court to hear cases relating to cybercrime, however the court is not expected to be completed until 2025. Until then, business and the government need to unite forces more than ever to fight against cybercriminals or they risk losing customer trust.”