Cybercrime/online crime

INNOVATION: Following confirmation in December of the UK’s associate status in relation to the Horizon Europe research programme, Policing Insight’s Andrew Staniforth looks at one of the latest rounds of funding opening up next month, which could see UK police forces working with their EU counterparts on projects to improve forensics and lawful evidence collection in the fight against online child sexual abuse.

INTERVIEW: In the latest in a series of interviews with leading figures involved in the research and investigation of organised crime (OC), Policing Insight’s Dr Chris Allen spoke to Chris Dalby, Director of OC publishing platform World of Crime, about why the age of the cartel may be coming to an end, how education could be the biggest weapon in the fight against organised crime, and the fact that many of those involved in organised crime would rather have a house, family and a middle-class lifestyle.

FEATURE: At a recent meeting of European police chiefs, both Europol Executive Director Catherine de Bolle and NCA Director General Graeme Biggar voiced concerns over the risks of end-to-end encryption undermining people’s safety online; Policing Insight’s Andrew Staniforth explores the public-private partnerships between tech and law enforcement, and how the success of online terrorism regulation could offer solutions.

INTERVIEW: In this second half of a two-part interview, City of London Police Temporary Commissioner Peter O’Doherty spoke to Policing Insight’s James Sweetland about the challenges posed by fraud and cybercrime, the opportunities offered by artificial intelligence and a national approach to new technology, and why the Police Service of Northern Ireland data breach has implications for all forces.

FEATURE: A recent report from the European Commission into the implementation of the Terrorist Content Online (TCO) Regulation has found that EU member states are making good use of the tool, with around 350 orders issued by authorities to service providers to remove online terrorist content, as Policing Insight’s Andrew Staniforth reports.

FEATURE: With elections taking place in the UK and a number of other countries in 2024, the volume and impact of digital disinformation looks likely to reach new levels – and policing is not immune from being targeted by those determined to drive division and hatred, as Policing Insight’s Andrew Staniforth reports.

OPINION: Social media platforms are flooded with millions of posts every minute, and artificial intelligence (AI) can play a crucial role in monitoring harmful content; Professor Stuart Macdonald, Postdoctoral Researcher Ashley Mattheis and Honorary Research Associate David Wells of Swansea University’s Cyber Threats Research Centre look at the potential and the pitfalls of using AI to identify terrorist content online.

INNOVATION: Cybercrime is a challenge for all businesses, but it’s an especially complex one for smaller companies to take on; in an exclusive interview with Policing Insight’s James Sweetland, Ian Hickling and Jonathan Green explain how free Home Office-funded tool Police CyberAlarm might form part of the answer – and help police to develop the “actionable intelligence” needed to deal with online threats.

INTERVIEW: In the second half of an exclusive two-part interview with Policing Insight’s James Sweetland, Temporary Assistant Commissioner Nik Adams – the City of London Police lead for fraud and cybercrime – explored the policing response to offences which now constitute nearly 50% of all crime in England and Wales, including the launch of the Government’s National Fraud Strategy and a £150million overhaul of Action Fraud.

INTERVIEW: In an exclusive two-part interview with Policing Insight’s James Sweetland, City of London Police Temporary Assistant Commissioner Nik Adams explains how artificial intelligence will transform fraud and cybercrime, what Action Fraud’s new replacement will do to improve the response to victims, and why calls for a single national force to tackle fraud are a major mistake.

INTERVIEW: Police personnel and their families continue to be at risk from online hate and harmful threats; Professor Petra Bayerl from the Centre of Excellence in Terrorism, Resilience, Intelligence & Organised Crime Research (CENTRIC), explained to Policing Insight how a ground-breaking project with six police forces is seeking to better understand the challenges, risks and harms police officers and their families face when online.

ANALYSIS: With terrorists increasingly using sophisticated tools and technologies to spread hate via online platforms, the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in countering such activities has become ever more important; Policing Insight’s Andrew Staniforth explores the latest report from researchers at Dublin City University and Swansea University, focusing on AI and machine learning to identify terrorist content online.

INTERVIEW: In the second part of his interview with Policing Insight, Det Supt Ian Kirby, the recently appointed CEO of the National Cyber Resilience Centre Group, spoke to James Sweetland about the benefits of the Cyber PATH programme, and the importance of all officers having enough understanding of cybercrime to be able to offer basic advice and support to victims.

INTERVIEW: After his first six months leading the National Cyber Resilience Centre Group – a not-for-profit partnership that enhances the cyber resilience of small businesses – Detective Superintendent Ian Kirby has ambitious plans for growth and a call to arms for police officers around cyber prevention, as Policing Insight’s James Sweetland reports.

INTERVIEW: With cyber threats on the rise, Policing Insight’s Andrew Staniforth spoke to Professor Stuart Macdonald, Director of the Cyber Threats Research Centre (CYTREC), about the current threat landscape, the cyber challenges for 2024, and how new regulations are combatting online terrorist propaganda.

FEATURE: This year’s Australia New Zealand Policing Advisory Agency (ANZPAA) Conference attracted almost 600 delegates and more than 70 speakers from 17 countries, with a focus on exploring partnerships and collaborative working; ANZPAA CEO Dr Tracey Green reflects on the learning and outcomes from the two-day event, and how these can help to shape and improve policing moving forwards.

FEATURE: The first five-year strategy to tackle fraud, economic and cyber crime was recently published by the City of London Police – the lead force on the issue for England and Wales – in an effort to redress a decade of ‘deprioritising’ fraud compared to other crimes; the strategy looks to improve the service to victims, prevent the continuing escalation of fraud, and secure more successful justice outcomes, as Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons reports.

INTERVIEW: As terrorist propaganda continues to promulgate the internet, new EU regulations have been introduced for tech companies to remove harmful content, with penalties for non-compliance; Policing Insight’s Andrew Staniforth spoke to Sophia Rothut, researcher at the Ludwig Maximilians University of Munich, about who will enforce these new provisions, and how a Tech Against Terrorism Europe initiative is providing guidance and training for companies on compliance.

FEATURE: UK National Crime Agency Director General Graeme Biggar has warned that policing and the wider criminal justice system is not moving fast enough or far enough in its efforts to combat the shift online in serious and organised crime, and that the roll out of end-to-end encryption on sites such as Facebook would be “tantamount to consciously turning a blind eye” to child abuse, as Policing Insight’s Keith Potter reports.

ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE: The 5th International Police Education Conference on 10th November 2023, hosted by the London Policing College and supported by Policing Insight, explores the critical themes of Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG), digitalization, and public protest. We delve into key insights from five workshops that gathered experts, academics, and professionals from around the world to address the challenges and opportunities in modern policing.

FEATURE: Terrorism researchers, policy makers and industry stakeholders will gather in Brussels later this month for the 2023 Security Research Event; ahead of the conference, Policing Insight’s Andrew Staniforth looks at some of the key projects that will feature at the event, focusing particularly on continuing efforts to tackle terrorist content online.

ANALYSIS: With the complex digital underground increasingly offering ‘crime as a service’ facilities to both traditional organised crime groups and cybercriminals, understanding how the approach works is essential for law enforcement; Policing Insight’s Andy Staniforth looks at the latest information from Europol’s European Cybercrime Centre (EC3), and new research funding that could help police organised crime investigators, analysts and experts tackle the problem.

ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE: A rising tide of online child sexual exploitation (CSE) cases has left UK police forces swamped. Technology provides a solution. How can forces harness technology to get through swathes of evidence and extract the insight they need to bring predators to justice faster?

OPINION: The UK’s Online Safety Bill recently passed the final stages of Parliamentary debate, and is now set to become law, but the legislation alone will not address all the challenges around online child sexual abuse; Simon Bailey, Chair of the Policing Institute for the Eastern Region and former National Police Chiefs’ Council Child Protection Lead, warns that big tech must take greater responsibility in keeping children safe online – and that we all have a part to play.