University students and police will put their heads together to tackle cybercrime challenges in the inaugural Cybercrime Think Tank being rolled out by the NSW Police Force today.
Students from seven NSW universities – Charles Sturt University, Southern Cross University, University of New England, The University of Newcastle, Western Sydney University, Macquarie University, and University of Technology Sydney – will attend NSW Police Force Headquarters in Parramatta today (Thursday 6 May 2021) to present ideas to help keep the community safe online, particularly in relation to building resilience to cyber-attacks.
As computer-related technology has evolved and improved, becoming essential in our everyday lives, criminals are exploiting these technologies to commit new types of crime.
Cybercrime continues to increasingly victimise NSW residents and is a growing problem not just within NSW, but nationally for law enforcement. In particular, the COVID-19 pandemic has created new opportunities for scammers to approach the community and expose weaknesses in security – particularly for people working from home.
Minister for Police and Emergency Services, David Elliott, says the ever-changing and significant threat of cybercrime in society makes Government look to innovative solutions.
"As a Government, we have invested heavily in the tools and technology needed to detect and disrupt cybercrime," said Minister Elliott.
"We must also invest in our people and by engaging with the possible future generation of cybercrime investigators and security experts, our community can be assured that we will always be ready to face the challenges posed by modern day criminals."
Deputy Commissioner David Hudson, Investigations and Counter Terrorism, says police are adapting their tactics to address cybercrime.
"Cybercrime presents new challenges for law enforcement and we have to evolve in both our response and prevention tactics and increase public awareness," said Deputy Commissioner Hudson.
"This last year, we have heard of more and more online fraud and scam cases and our Cybercrime Squad are working diligently in this space to dismantle criminal networks who commit illicit activities online."
The Think Tank gives students the opportunity to be inspired to shape the future of policing and Detective Superintendent Matt Craft, Commander of the Cybercrime Squad is excited to see what they present.
"This is a great opportunity to be part of something the police force has never done before, giving students access to key executives and leaders in the online space," said Detective Superintendent Craft.
"This Think Tank allows us to tap into the minds of creative, disruptive thinkers and problem solvers, who may well be shaping the future of digital technology and policing, and even work for the NSW Police Force or other security agencies one day."
The students have been asked to submit innovative ideas on how real cybercrime challenges can be solved. They will be presenting their solutions to two challenges:
How can we identify the ultimate beneficiaries of proceeds of crime received as cryptocurrency?
How can individuals identify their vulnerabilities to cyber-attacks and make themselves more resilient?
Teams will be given 10 minutes to present their ideas to a panel of leaders in law enforcement and technology including Deputy Commissioner Hudson, Detective Superintendent Craft, Gordon Dunsford, Chief Information & Technology Officer (CITO) and Executive Director Digital Technology and Innovation, and Jenna Bradley, Acting Director, Strategic Delivery and Innovation, Office of the Commissioner.
Also present on the day will be Stephen Scheeler, former Facebook CEO for Australia and New Zealand, and Justin Cook, Technical Sales Manager for State Government at Microsoft who is the exclusive sponsor of the event.
A winning team for each challenge will be selected and awarded, and there is also the opportunity to be identified as talent by the Cybercrime Squad with possible internship offers within the NSW Police Force.
The Cybercrime Squad leads and drives the New South Wales Police Force response to cyber-enabled and cyber-dependent crime. State Crime Command's Cybercrime Squad has grown to nearly 70 specialist investigators.
The squad is responsible for investigating and prosecuting complex cyber offences requiring advanced technical skill and capability and processes all reports received through the Reportcyber portal, determining the appropriate course of action. The squad provides specialist assistance to Police Area Commands, Police Districts and other NSW Police Force Commands.
Risk Warning: Cryptocurrency is a unregulated virtual notoriously volatile instrument with a high level of risk. Any news, opinions, research, data, or other information contained within this website is provided for news reporting purposes as general market commentary and does not constitute investment or trading advice.
