Case Explained: Cyber crime surges faster than police staffing in England – Legal Perspective

Cyber crime in England and Wales has risen far faster than the number of police staff assigned to tackle it. Analysis by Forbes Solicitors found that fraud and computer misuse offences increased by 88% over five years, while staffing in cyber and economic crime roles grew by 31%.

The figures suggest a widening gap between the volume of offences and the resources focused on them. Drawing on Home Office workforce data and Office for National Statistics crime data, the analysis found that each full-time staff member in cyber and economic crime teams handled an average of 448 fraud and computer misuse offences last year, up from about 311 in 2020.

That means the average workload per employee rose by roughly 137 offences over the period. Total fraud and computer misuse offences increased from 774,537 in 2020 to 1,458,704 last year.

Over the same period, the number of full-time staff assigned to economic and cyber crime work rose from 2,488.2 to 3,258.5. Economic crime staffing increased from 1,618.2 to 1,970, while cyber crime staffing rose from 870 to 1,288.5.

Tighter Rules

The staffing gap comes as the UK moves towards stricter cyber security regulation and considers new restrictions on ransomware payments. The proposed Cyber Security and Resilience Bill is intended to strengthen national defences against cyber attacks, while separate measures under consultation could limit or ban certain ransomware payments.

For businesses, that combination raises the stakes. Cyber attacks can already cause heavy financial losses and operational disruption, and new legal duties could increase exposure if companies fail to meet compliance requirements or make prohibited payments.

The analysis also suggests current enforcement limits may change. Under the proposed cyber security legislation, the existing £17 million cap on penalties could be replaced by fines linked to 4% of a company’s global turnover.

Craig MacKenzie, head of high profile and private crime at Forbes Solicitors, said the legal backdrop matters because police resources are not growing at the same rate as offences.

He said, “The Cyber Security and Resilience Bill is expected to become law this year, and Government is also looking at new legislation for banning and preventing ransomware payments. New laws are a positive move but would likely bring compliance requirements that will be tougher to meet without sufficient policing.

“Changing regulations, if made law, could mean organisations and directors face civil or criminal penalties for paying ransomware demands. Businesses are also likely to have new responsibilities for strengthening cyber security and resilience, and if they don’t meet these expectations, they could be hit with higher financial penalties.”

Growing Pressure

The figures reflect a broader challenge for police and victims alike. Fraud and computer misuse make up a growing share of the criminal landscape, but the specialist teams handling those offences have not expanded at the same pace.

That can leave businesses and individuals facing long waits, limited investigative capacity and difficult decisions after an attack. In ransomware cases, the consequences can be severe, particularly for retailers, manufacturers and other organisations that depend on uninterrupted operations.

The government’s proposed ransomware measures are intended to reduce the incentive for criminals by making payments harder or unlawful in some circumstances. But they could also place directors and organisations under greater scrutiny if an attack occurs and a payment is made.

MacKenzie said police staffing should rise in step with the tougher legal approach. “If the law keeps getting tougher to tackle rising cyber attacks, then police resourcing must keep up. Otherwise, more pressure is being piled onto the very organisations being targeted by cyber criminals. It’s hard to justify asking businesses and their staff to take on bigger responsibilities – and greater liability – when police staffing isn’t growing anywhere near as fast as the number of fraud and computer misuse offences.”