CCS launches
new Cybercrime Unit
London,
9 October 1998
- The International
Chamber of Commerce Commercial Crime Services (CCS) has launched a major private
sector initiative against cybercrime by setting up a new specialized unit to
combat it.
The
Cybercrime Unit, based at CCS Headquarters
in London, will be a prime source of information, research and intelligence.
It will provide training and will issue warnings about criminal methods and
scams.
In line with CCS philosophy, the unit's operation
will be based on the maxim that 'prevention is better than cure'. It will function
as an integral part of CCS' Commercial Crime Bureau and will work with other
CCS divisions, particularly with the International Maritime and the Counterfeiting
Intelligence Bureaus.
This most recent initiative by the special crime
detection and prevention arm of ICC, comes in direct response to widespread
demand from companies who are concerned about the new capabilities which advances
in communications technology place in the hands of criminals.
Speaking in Geneva at the launch of the new service,
Mr Eric Ellen, CCS Executive Director said, There is a lack of accurate information
concerning the extent of cybercrime and no consistency in the reporting of attacks.
What information we do have suggests that the
incidence of cybercrime will grow, at least in line with the increase in the
number of Internet sites and users. Losses can be significant and the big attraction
for the criminal is that their crimes can be committed anonymously and that
they are remote from their victims.
At the same time, the difficulty
of investigating cybercrime and bringing the perpetrators to justice is compounded
by a lack of sufficient specialist police resources, he added. Many features
of cybercrime are depressingly familiar to investigators used to dealing with
their paper-led forerunners. The criminals depend on a steady stream of gullible
victims and typical scams include the non-delivery of purchased items,
charges for services which are supposedly free, pyramid sales and get-rich-quick
investment schemes.
The trend towards cybercrime constitutes
a change of method rather than a change in purpose, with criminals keen to exploit
the new leverage offered by information technology. But there is a far more
sinister side to cybercrime than just 'old wine in new bottles'. The crimes
range from minor fraud to international terrorism and threaten to undermine
both business confidence and confidence in the use of modern technology which
has become such an integral part of present-day commerce.
Victims, many of whom are still
ignorant about the threat of cybercrime, face not only direct financial losses,
but may also incur costs for system checking mechanisms, an increase in insurance
costs, negative publicity, loss of data and exposure to criminal or civil liability.
The threat can come from many different sources, ranging from individuals to
organized syndicates and ad hoc groups. The situation is compounded by the ease
with which the tools of the trade can be obtained.
It has been estimated that more
than 75 million computers were already linked to the Internet in 1997. With
this figure set to rise to over 250 million by 2001, the situation looks certain
to deteriorate unless positive action is taken early. Commercial (business to
business) use of the Internet is also predicted to rise dramatically in the
near future, from US$12 billion in 1997 to over US$200 billion by 2001.
ICC's new Cybercrime Unit will
have three main goal
s:
* To closely monitor concerns, threats and responses;
* To be a prime source of information, research and intelligence;
* To become a global centre of operational excellence;
The unit will initially be staffed
by a small team of IT professionals. At the outset clients will be drawn from
those companies who have already experienced the benefits of the CCS approach
to crime via their existing involvement with its anti-crime and investigation
activities. In time, it is expected that additional support will come from members
of various national industry associations.
The threat of cybercrime is widely
discussed, but not much practical action to deal with it has so far been put
in place. A start has to be made and we have taken the initiative, said Mr
Ellen. Others are clearly unready or unwilling to supply this type of proactive
preventative service, whereas CCS, as part of a well-respected and highly-renowned
international trade organisation has the necessary resources within its competence
and capability to do so. Companies have said they need someone to turn to and
I hope they will feel confident to turn to the new Cybercrime Unit, he added.