The National Crime Agency has orchestrated the arrest of 57 people this week in relation to a range of cyber crimes.
As part of UK-wide action against cyber crime, 57 people were arrested in 25 separate operations, which relate to a range of cyber criminality including: network intrusion and data theft from multinational companies and Government agencies; Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks; cyber-enabled fraud; and malware and virus development.
The activity took place across England, Scotland and Wales and saw officers deployed from the NCA’s National Cyber Crime Unit (NCCU), Metropolitan Police and Regional Organised Crime Unit’s (ROCUs) associated with local forces around the UK.
Andy Archibald, deputy director of the NCA’s National Cyber Crime Unit, said: “The 57 arrests around the country this week are a result of the essential partnership activity with law enforcement, industry and government that is at the heart of fighting cyber crime.
“Criminals need to realise that committing crime online will not make them anonymous to law enforcement. We are continuously working to track down and apprehend those seeking to utilise computers for criminal ends, and to disrupt the technical networks and infrastructures supporting international cyber crime.”
Cifas chief executive Simon Dukes, said in a statement: “Fraudsters are sophisticated and will use every chance that they get to pilfer funds from individuals and organisations. This strike by the NCA sends a positive message that the UK is not a safe place for online criminals to operate.
“But these arrests are just the first step. The public must have faith that where these crimes have occurred they will be prosecuted, and that fraudsters and online criminals will be punished appropriately. Criminals need to know that whether they defraud a multi-national company of millions, or swindle a widower’s pension, that they will face a sentence which reflects the impact of their crimes.”
Charlie McMurdie, senior cyber crime adviser at PwC, said: “We are witnessing a huge increase in dedicated high-level cyber attacks that cause serious harm to business and other organisations.
“The cyber crime arrests today show how seriously the Government and police are taking attempts to stop hacking groups or individuals targeting the UK. To stay a step ahead of the cyber criminals, it is clear that we need a multi-agency response to cyber crime.”
