Police need private-sector help on cybercrime, says McAfee

 

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By Barry Collins

Posted on 10 Mar 2009 at 16:55

Security firm McAfee claims the police need assistance from the private sector in tackling cybercrime.

The company was speaking to PC Pro as it announced grants of $110,000 to help educate police, lawyers and the judiciary about e-crime.

McAfee launched its global Initiative to Fight Cybercrime last October, and the company says police need help in tackling the growing problem from the industry.

"There needs to be much closer collaboration between those in the front line and the private sector, where the expertise is held," McAfee's senior security analyst, Greg Day, told PC Pro. "Giving money is just part of that help."

Half of the McAfee grant is going to the Council of Europe, which Day claims has been helping train police forces across the continent. "The Council of Europe has been helping to pool expertise on cybercrime," he said. "There's been a lot of emphasis on working with the front line of law enforcement."

McAfee isn't alone in calling for more private-sector help. Microsoft has called on the EU and the industry to help drive its Cybercrime Centres of Excellence Network for Training, Research and Education (2CENTRE), which will train around 30 cybercrime specialists a year.

However, Day says the blurred distinction between cyber- and real-life crime means all police officers need to have a basic grounding in e-crime. "As crime becomes more tech specific, there's certainly a need for greater expertise," he said.