Requests for cyber crime information up threefold since 2013
The number of information requests concerning cyber crimes made to the UK government has increased threefold since 2013, according to data obtained by Thomson Reuters.
Foreign law enforcement agencies made a record 1,652 requests to the UK government for information relating to cyber crime investigations in 2015, up 44 per cent on the 1,141 requests in 2014.
The increase in requests has been attributed to the rise in cyber attacks cases in the last few years.
In 2015, the estimated cost of cyber attacks to businesses was $400bn (£304.3bn) and this is estimated to increase to $2.1 trillion by 2019.
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“It has become clear that in order to must work together,” said Morag Rea, head of the practical law, business crime and investigations practice at Thomson Reuters.
“The number of recent highly publicised cyber attacks has made businesses sit up and take notice of the issue and this increased vigilance has helped push the number of requests up.”
Rea added that collaboration will help stop cyber attacks in the future.
“Encouraging dialogue and transparency globally among businesses, organisations and individuals and stepping up international collaboration were recommended as an effective means to combat these crimes,” added Rea.