Security News > 2021 > November > Computer misuse crimes in UK surge to high not seen since 2017 even as prosecutions slump 20%
Public reports of computer-linked crimes are soaring thanks to a huge rise in data breaches, even as prosecutions against Computer Misuse Act offenders slump.
The Crime Survey for England and Wales said it recorded 1.8 million computer misuse offences in the 12 months ending June 2021, matching the number it recorded in 2017.
"The 1.8 million estimated computer misuse offences are likely to be a fraction of the real number, when you consider how many details are lost, stolen and sold during big data breaches in a typical year," said a rather gloomy Kafetz.
Despite the large jump in computer misuse crimes experienced by the population, prosecutions brought under the Computer Misuse Act over a similar time period dropped by 20 per cent.
Reporting computer misuse crimes to the police can have varying outcomes.
A little-known fact is that the Computer Misuse Act can be applied to crimes committed overseas, similar to how the US Department of Justice regularly announces charges against overseas criminals.