The NSW Police Force has welcomed a new online cybercrime reporting system which gives victims a new way to report this type of crime. The Australian Cybercrime Online Reporting Network (ACORN) was launched by the Australian Government this morning and is a national policing initiative which allows members of the public to instantly report cases of cybercrime as well as access information to help protect themselves online. Commander of the NSW Fraud and Cybercrime Squad, Detective Superintendent Arthur Katsogiannis, said cybercrime had emerged as one of law enforcement’s greatest modern challenges, but often went unreported by victims who were unsure where to report it, or reluctant to do so. “The ACORN will allow people to easily report it online, and that information will help us build a clearer picture of what the cybercrime threat looks like on a national scale,” Det Supt Katsogiannis said. “That’s going to allow police and other agencies to improve the way they develop long-term strategies to target cybercriminals.” Det Supt Katsogiannis said the ACORN would not replace other more traditional ways of reporting crime, such as face to face or over the phone, but was instead another option cybercrime victims could use to make a report. “Of course we still encourage people to report crime directly to police, but we understand that in some cases victims of cybercrime would prefer to make a report online,” he said. “That’s going to give those people that additional option, and that information, when it falls within NSW Police’s jurisdiction, will be referred through to our local area commands for assessment and/or investigation.” The NSW Police Force already has a dedicated Cybercrime Unit within the Fraud and Cybercrime Squad, and that unit continues to work closely with local police, other specialist units and law enforcement across Australia and the world. The information gathered by the ACORN will allow the Cybercrime Unit to enhance its policing strategies here in NSW, as well as allow the NSW Police Force together with other Australian jurisdictions to develop national strategies to impact on cybercrime. The ACORN can be accessed online at acorn.gov.au.
Posted on: Wed, 26 Nov 2014 03:48:48 +0000
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