The annual assessment by the NCA Strategic Cyber Industry Group, ‘Cyber Crime Assessment 2016’, was a chilling assessment of how the UK is losing war against cyber crime which is mainly driven by international groups which are really organised using call centres with translators to cover many countries. The report listed four resources that businesses can use to protect themselves in cyberspace:

• 10 Steps to Cyber Security

  • https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cyber-risk-management-a-board-level-responsibility/10-steps-summary

• Cyber Essentials Scheme

  • https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cyber-essentials-scheme-overview

• Cyber Security Skills, a guide for business

  • https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cyber-security-skills-a-guide-for-business

• Get Safe Online
  • https://www.getsafeonline.org

Cyber crime prevention - businesses cannot do it alone

The report continued: “However, cyber crime is a threat of such magnitude, complexity and fluidity that neither businesses, nor law enforcement, will be able alone to meet the challenges now being presented. What is needed is a partnership approach to mitigating threats and identifying and disrupting criminals. Closer working between law enforcement and business to identify and arrest serious ‘upstream’ cyber criminals will protect businesses, stop future attacks and reduce the threat.”

The report pleaded, “Cyber crime response should therefore be treated as a strategic priority and include a stronger public-private partnership to investigate, report and combat cyber crime.”