Hi-Tech Crime is the “Real Thing”

Abstract

Len Hynds, is head of the UK-based National Hi-tech Crime Unit in the UK. The Unit has been around since 2001 and is endeavouring to bridge the gap in information sharing between law enforcement and the security commmunity to eradicate hi-tech crime. The expression “Hi-Tech Crime” is a classic oxymoron. We are talking about cutting edge technology when we talk of matters “hi-tech” — conjuring positive, forward thinking, images. And then we link this term with “crime.” Little wonder then that my colleagues in mainstream policing assign it specialist status. And hardly surprising I suppose that IT security is rarely seen as a board level portfolio for the business community. We must recognize hi-tech crime for what it really is — if we are to combat it. It is every type of crime but with a component placing it in the digital environment. It is able to operate instantaneously, remotely, and with disregard for sovereignty and geography. It also becomes easier for criminals to target multiple-victims, hide assets, and cover the evidential trail.