EU Says Cybercrime Is On The Rise

The European Union’s police agency, Europol, has seen a significant spike in the number of cybercriminals gaining from malicious activities.

The latest data from the group found that Europol’s European Cybercrime Centre launched 131 successful cyberoperations in 2015, which is an increase from just 72 operations in 2014, The Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday (Sept. 28).

According to a new report, authorities needs to prioritize cyberinvestigations and better identify the cybertools criminals are using.

“What we see at the heart of this is a dynamic, highly enterprising underworld … in which there is a free-flowing marketplace of cybercrime tools,” Rob Wainwright, executive director of Europol, explained.

“The providers of the latest malware are providing it to criminals and potentially state actors and potentially eventually terrorists.”

Though police forces have been able to strengthen their ability to collaborate in the fight against cyber-facilitated crimes, Wainwright said more sophisticated tools have presented a huge challenge.

In its annual cybercrime threat assessment, Europol also noted an increase in the number of cybercriminals offering their services for hire to militants.

“There is currently little evidence to suggest that their cyberattack capability extends beyond common website defacement,” the statement said.

The new “Crime-as-a-Service” offering is a growing trend among cybercriminals, Reuters reported.

“Europol is concerned about how an expanding cybercriminal community has been able to further exploit our increasing dependence on technology and the internet,” Wainwright said in a statement. “We have also seen a marked shift in cyber-facilitated activities relating to trafficking in human beings, terrorism and other threats.”

“The availability of cybercrime tools and services, and illicit commodities (including firearms) on the Darknet, provide ample opportunities for this situation to change,” Europol added.