UK Justice System Failing Cybercrime Victims, Cyber Helpline Finds

UK cybercrime victims are being failed by the justice system, with perpetrators hardly ever facing charges and convictions, according to a report by The Cyber Helpline, a charity supporting individuals impacted by cybercrime and other online harms.

The analysis The Funnel of Justice, found that victims of cybercrime in England and Wales are seven-times less likely to see the perpetrators charged or summonsed compared to victims of offline crimes.

Additionally, 98% of cyber enabled crimes result in no further action from the police or justice system.

This is despite cybercrime accounting for 40% of all crimes across England and Wales, according to Home Office figures.

The Cyber Helpline said the impact of this failure on victims goes far beyond financial or material aspects. Many experience isolation as they feel unheard or unprotected by the criminal justice system.

The research was based on data from the Cyber Helpline, official government statistics and various academic research conducted on this topic.

Over Five Million People Impacted by Cybercrime Per Year

The Cyber Helpline estimates that that over five million people are now impacted by cybercrime in England and Wales every year. Only around a third (1.7 million) report these crimes to police.

The charity broke down cybercrime across three categories:

Just one in 1000 CMA and fraud cases lead to a charge, with less than 1% of reported cases resulting in a charge or summons.

For stalking and harassment, six in every 1000 cases result in a conviction, while 12 out of every 1000 intimate abuse offences led to a charge or summons.

Insufficient Funding and Resources to Tackle Cybercrime

Insufficient police funding and resources is a major factor in so few cybercrime perpetrators facing justice.

The report cited findings from the UK government’s 2023 National Fraud Strategy, which revealed that less than 1% of police resources are dedicated to cybercrime across England and Wales.

Additionally, it highlighted studies demonstrating that there is a lack of clear guidance for officers in investigating and understanding cybercrime and online harm, with many feeling ill-equipped to deal with such offenses.

The charity also noted that there is currently no standardized approach to the support that a victim of cybercrime is offered after experiencing a cybercrime. Other research has shown that police officers often fail to provide adequate support and show a lack of understanding of the risks facing victims.

Other significant barriers to charging and convicting perpetrators of cybercrime include victims no knowing where to report, perceptions that the police will not do anything about online crimes, intimidation by the offender and shame or embarrassment in coming forward.

Justice System Recommendations

The Cyber Helpline set out a range of steps for the UK justice system to improve how it handles the reporting and investigation of cybercrime:

• Develop a fit-for-purpose reporting system. Create a centralized, user-centric platform that integrates reporting channels into a single system and can transfer reports easily to the relevant executive agency and/or police force
• Revise current crime codes, taxonomy and definitions. Implement a Human Attack Framework, similar to that of the MITRE ATT&CK framework, which classifies cybercrime against enterprises, thereby allowing consideration of overlaps of symptoms in providing a diagnosis and potential escalation pathways
• Revisit and standardize the ‘cyber flag.’ Clear guidelines should be issued on the usage of the cyber flag to police forces and crime recording bodies accompanied by mandatory training and incorporation into the National Crime Recording Standards to formalize usage. The cyber flag is a mark used by the police to indicate that a record contains an online offense.
• Enhance dedicated capacity for policing and investigating cybercrime and online harms. Increase funding and staffing within cybercrime units in UK police forces, ensuring they are equipped to deal with the unique challenges these cases present
• Improve training, education and resources within the criminal justice system. All frontline officers should be equipped with essential cybercrime awareness and digital evidence handling, while Prosecutors and judges need training to understand the technical aspects of cases that they will handle
• Enhance multi-agency collaboration and communication. Police officers and others in the criminal justice system should be able to redirect victims to support which will help them in regaining their sense of safety online and offline, recovering lost funds or data, or feeling empowered to take steps to recover from the mental health impact of the crime