Computing’s discovery that local police forces are ill-equipped to handle computer crime makes for worrying reading. Ecrime is growing rapidly, and efforts to curb further acceleration are critical. Online bank fraud losses rose by 55 per cent in the first six months of 2005, according to the UK payments association Apacs, while the number of keyloggers grew 250 per cent between January 2004 and May 2006, according to security specialist McAfee.

The decision to disband the National Hi-Tech Crime Unit (NHTCU) and establish the Serious Organised Crime Agency (Soca) in April placed the responsibility for ecrime investigations with local forces. In theory, each UK force now handles its own ecrime investigations, in liaison with Soca.

But with police forces stretched and budgets rising only in line with inflation, many forces simply do not have the resources to deal with such crimes.

Computing has found that the UK’s 53 police forces – with the exception of the Met – allocate an average of 5.5 officers to handle electronic crime. That sounds OK on the surface, but ecrime also includes high-profile offences such as online child pornography.

Police forces obviously have to look at their available resources and first tackle crimes where children may be at risk.

No sane person would argue that tracking down a gang of fraudsters stealing credit card details from web sites would take preference over a paedophilia gang.

But ecrime activity varies drastically force by force, with effective policing made all the harder by the international nature of the internet.

There is an argument that localised ecrime fighting is not working, and that a national unit should be re-established if we are to make a dent in fighting online criminals and fraudsters.

The NHTCU put the cost of ecrime to businesses at £2.5bn in 2005. Computer crime shows no signs of abating – something must be done to ensure the UK does not come to be seen as a soft touch.

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