Met Police e-crime unit to forge new business links

The e-crime unit will run by the Met Police

The Metropolitan Police's soon-to-be-launched £7m high-tech crime unit is beginning the long task of forging links with the business community this month, inviting 150 blue-chip IT users to a consultation on its role.

Many businesses feel they were left in the cold after a previous agency, the National Hi-Tech Crime Unit, was rolled into the Serious Organised Crime Agency in April 2006, severing links with industry.

After much industry, media and political pressure, including advice from the House of Lords science and technology committee, the Home Office finally gave the go-ahead last year for the Police Central e-Crime Unit (PCeU) within the Met.

The consultation with business hopes to improve and increase engagement between business users of IT security and the e-crime police authorities.

David Roberts, chief executive of user group The Corporate IT Forum, whose 150 members have been invited to meet the police, said IT leaders were positive about this new level of engagement with authorities.

"For all businesses – and especially large companies – high-tech crime is growing in severity, complexity and proportion and there is a clear perception among many IT security chiefs that such crime is now being increasingly perpetrated by 'professionalised' criminal gangs," he said.

"The formation of the PCeU is an excellent indication that the government is now treating this issue with the seriousness it deserves. The Forum's members welcome the PCeU and are delighted to have been given the first opportunity to feedback collectively to it – we look forward to forging a constructive relationship with the new unit."

The session will also feature presentations from two FTSE 50 security leaders who will be explaining the practical measures they are taking to fight the growing cyber crime threat.

The Met unit will be looking to co-opt as much information and expertise from the private sector as possible to help gain a better view of the level of e-crime affecting the country.