Question to the Home Office:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking (1) to protect the public against phishing emails requesting a transfer of funds and (2) to identify the perpetrators; and what assessment they have made of the success of those steps.

The need to tackle cyber crime was identified as a key objective of the Government’s Cyber Security Strategy, which is underpinned by £860 million of funding over five years through the National Cyber Security Programme (NCSP).

We have invested around 10% of this in improving the capabilities of law enforcement to respond to cyber crime. The National Cyber Crime Unit in the National Crime Agency has undertaken high profile operations in the last few months to tackle some of the most serious cases of malware, responsible for infecting computers and stealing banking and other information. This work was undertaken in conjunction with our international partners, to tackle those cyber criminals operating internationally.

We are also working to support the public and industry in better protecting themselves from this type of criminality. The NCSP funds the Cyber Streetwise awareness campaign, which encourages the public and Small and Medium Enterprises to adopt safer online behaviour.

The second phase of the campaign will launch shortly, including a refreshed website with further advice and support. In December last year, the Government also published a set of Guiding Principles with Internet Service Providers which agreed minimum standards for supporting their customers to stay safe online.

The Government also funds Action Fraud, the central reporting point for fraud and financially-motivated cyber crime. This service also provides information on the latest fraud threats, including phishing emails, and individuals can sign up to be alerted when new threats emerge.