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Australia’s crackdown on cyber criminals has borne fruit, with 32 people having been prosecuted and sentenced for cyber crimes over the last six years.
The figures come as part of an inquiry by the joint committee on law enforcement, which will analyse Australian law enforcement’s capability when dealing with cyber crime.
From 1 July 2018, the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions (CDPP) has dealt with 72 cases relating to at least one computer offence, 54 of which were prosecuted in court, according to findings by iTnews.
Of those 54, thirty-two have been, or are being sentenced, while 16 are still being prosecuted. Additionally, six prosecutions were dropped or had no recorded conviction.
The inquiry intends to evaluate the capabilities of existing law enforcement in its detection and prosecution of cyber crime, as well as coordination efforts between agencies and the private sector, and internationally.
It will also look into “emerging cyber crime threats and challenges affecting Australian entities and individuals, including the scale and scope of cyber crimes conducted in Australia or against Australians” and “the opportunities and challenges of the existing legislative framework in supporting law enforcement to investigate and act upon instances of cyber crime”, according to the joint committee on law enforcement, as well as detection and prevention methods.
While they are now closed, the inquiry received submissions from a number of government agencies and industry leaders, including the Office of the eSafety Commissioner, the Department of Home Affairs, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and the Australian Institute of Criminology.
Many of the submissions highlighted the importance of international collaboration and explained how they were contributing.
“eSafety works with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) to advance Australia’s core priorities through the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, including to counter cyber crime, such as the online abuse and exploitation of children. eSafety is also contributing to whole-of-government consultations to support DFAT’s negotiations on the proposed UN Cybercrimes Convention,” said the Office of the eSafety Commissioner.
“We help lead global efforts to protect children online through the eSafety Commissioner’s position on the board of the WeProtect Global Alliance and our involvement in the Alliance’s Global Task Force.”
Home Affairs discussed its role in the International Counter Ransomware Taskforce (ICRTF), as the Counter Ransom Initiative. The taskforce is made up of over 27 members, including INTERPOL.
“The ICRTF builds cross-sectoral capabilities to reduce and prevent ransomware attacks, creates and shares resources to develop national capabilities, and supports transnational operations, including cyber security operations and responses in our nearest region,” said Home Affairs.
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