Cyber security awareness month

The National Policing Digital Strategy 2020-2030 highlights that over 90% of reported crimes now have a digital component, creating both challenges and opportunities for police investigations.

In 2024, nearly half of UK landline users (48%) reported receiving a suspicious call in the past three months, according to Ofcom. Scammers often use call spoofing to trick victims into thinking the call is from a trusted source, such as a bank or government agency.

SIM hijacking is another common scam where criminals deceive phone companies into transferring a victim's phone number to their own device. This enables them access to sensitive information, like bank accounts or two-factor authentication codes.

Deepfake technology

Advancements in deepfake technology mean that criminals can manipulate appearances and voices. This makes it difficult to distinguish what is real from what is fake. It also poses a significant risk when trying to identify people accurately. Criminals can exploit the dark web to avoid surveillance and conduct illegal activities, such as:

• drug trafficking
• weapons sales
• trading stolen personal and financial data

They often use cryptocurrency in crimes involving financial transactions. Although cryptocurrency is not illegal, it is largely unregulated and hard to track, making it attractive to criminals.

Courses

The following courses are available on College Learn (you will need to log in): 

• call spoofing
• eSIM awareness
• deepfakes
• dark web
• cryptocurreny

National Digital Investigators Conference

You can stay updated on the latest trends in digital and cyber investigations by attending the National Digital Investigators Conference 2024.

• 13 and 14 November 2024
• Hilton Birmingham Metropole

Book a place