Global boom in cybercrime revealed

19 Aug 2009

Researchers have warned of an increase in cybercrime sparked by the recession as computer-literate criminals in poorer countries explore electronic scams.

The growth of social networking websites is providing cybercriminals with new areas for recruitment as well as fresh areas to exploit, according to researchers from the University of Brighton.

Professor Howard Rush's team said that continuous data breaches, mainly due to human error, were exposing personal information on a large scale, despite detection and prevention being boosted.

Urgent action is needed to crack down on cybercrime to prevent what they said was the potential for "international embarrassment" ahead of the London 2012 Olympics, according to the team.

Prof Rush attributed the increase in credit card fraud and identity theft to communications technology reaching parts of the world where many unemployed people with IT skills lived.

He explained: "Criminals there can take advantage of cybercrime opportunities, and the current global recession will likely increase this trend still further."

The study stated: "Law enforcement agencies are struggling to respond, especially in places where legislative frameworks are weak or non-existent. The growth of cybercrime in Russia, India, China and Brazil is of particular concern."