In Scotland, police are to set up a Cybercrime Centre of Excellence, staffed by specialist staff, who will work to help combat cybercrime and offences such as child sexual abuse, fraud and the sharing of indecent and objectionable images.
As reported by the BBC, the Cybercrime Centre of Excellence being prepared by Police Scotland will have at least 150 specialist people on its staff, bringing together 100 officers already working in the cybercrime sector and 50 additional staff. The strategy will be put before the board of the Scottish Police Authority this week.
Malcolm Graham, deputy chief constable, said the nature of crime was changing and so the strategy of Police Scotland had to change with it. The online world was becoming a bigger part of the frontline of policing. Graham added that as well as keeping safe on the streets, officers and staff were keeping children safe on computers and smartphones in every community in Scotland.
Additionally, Jake Moore, a cybersecurity at ESET and former member of Dorset Police's Digital Forensics Unit, pointed out that digital forensics has become part of everyday investigations, but the police face huge constraints, such as a lack of financial resources.
Moore also noted that there has been a slow recovery in the rise of cybercrime for some time, and therefore it is impressive that Scotland is leading the way in this area. Recognising this change is the first step, but the real proof is what the force can achieve with these resources. The COVID-19 and subsequent lockdowns have led to a sharp increase in cybercrime, so according to Moore, it is unlikely that there will be a drop in the level of online offences that the police are called upon to deal with on a daily basis.
