Few cyber criminals prosecuted despite massive incident rate

According to recently released Home Office data, fewer than 200 people have been convicted under the Computer Misuse Act over a 23-year period.

This works out to around one hacker per month being punished, in spite of an estimated 100,000 crimes occurring  each year, reports The Sunday People.

Experts are warning that the police are struggling when it comes to combatting the significant increase in internet crime, including personal data theft and online stalking.

The latest figures showing the actual volume of crimes was only released by ministers in March once they had no choice but to do so. Campaigners representing the Digital Trust, a body that exists solely for internet-abuse victims, claimed that police have no idea when it comes to online crime.

Digital Trust director and expert in criminal justice, Harry Fletcher, said:

“The police still concentrate their resources on traditional offences offline, when most people are more likely to be mugged online than in the street. The law needs to change. It should, for example, be an offence to use any technological device to locate, listen to or watch a person without legitimate purpose.”

While it was claimed that the police may need to do more, both individuals and businesses can take more care online by utilising internet security measures. This is why many companies have chosen to go one step further than standard software and create cyber security jobs for trained professionals capable of combatting hackers. This way, the firms will not be forced to rely on the police to resolve their cyber-crime issues.