NESTA Crime Online - University of Brighton Repository
NESTA Crime Online - University of Brighton Repository
NESTA Crime Online - University of Brighton Repository
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
cybercrime. The ability <strong>of</strong> criminals to use new technology will also have a major impact<br />
on the sort <strong>of</strong> crime we see. In cyberspace, we can expect this to be further magnified.<br />
The relationship between the <strong>of</strong>fender and victim, in particular, may change, as neither<br />
is aware <strong>of</strong> the other’s humanity which could see on-line <strong>of</strong>fenders committing more<br />
extreme crimes. Equally, if victims have no contact with the <strong>of</strong>fender, their attitudes to<br />
punishment may change, either through reduced demands for punishment, or an<br />
increase in those for harsher penalties.<br />
Conclusions and Reponses<br />
As the current recession deepens, cybercrime looks set to make an even greater impact.<br />
In the UK a national initiative is urgently required to tackle cybercrime. It needs<br />
to be applied across the UK regions and nations, and it needs to be part <strong>of</strong> a genuinely<br />
transnational effort. European Union member states need to make common cause.<br />
Given that so many cybercrime operations take place in developing countries, aid<br />
agencies need to be persuaded to build on their police reform work to help<br />
address cybercrime.<br />
We as individuals need to learn how to make our personal IT systems more<br />
secure. Banks should help to incentivise such greater personal security, recognising that<br />
they have a vested interest in doing so as well as compensating their customers who<br />
become victims.<br />
The private sector responses should be reviewed and analysed in search <strong>of</strong> best practice.<br />
New legislation could regulate the security firms to provide better information<br />
and encourage them to work together to find common solutions.<br />
The security forces should work together in areas currently defined by<br />
insularity so that they pool their knowledge and resources in the battle against<br />
cybercrime. A similar pooling needs to take place at an international level.<br />
Cybercriminals operating in weak states need to be tackled through a major effort from<br />
multilateral agencies and the more capable law enforcement bodies.<br />
In higher education, research initiatives should also be genuinely<br />
multidisciplinary, to include, for example, criminology, development studies,<br />
Page 6