The National Crime Agency is taking over as chair of the Five Eyes Law Enforcement group, with a mission to tackle serious cyber-crime.

The Five Eyes is made up of key international agencies from the UK, the US, Australia, New Zealand and Canada, and will be lead by the NCA for the first time since 2015.

The NCA has already announced its heightened focus toward the evolving threat from the international Com networks, which is described as a “collection of sadistic and violent online gangs who are dedicated to inflicting harm and committing a range of criminal acts across multiple channels.”

The NCA says it will also prioritise cyber-crime overall, as well as the online sexual abuse of children, as far as its technical operations go.

“Technology – and our everyday use of it – will continue to evolve,” Graeme Biggar, director general of the NCA said.

“But criminals will also seek to exploit technology in new ways, so we must work together to direct operational cooperation against the most serious organised criminals, engage tactically with a range of sectors and use our strategic power to collectively call for change to protect the people we serve.”

The Coms network consists of mainly native-English speaking young cyber-criminals that organise across messaging and gaming forums, where they share sadistic, violent material and try to coerce others into violent acts.

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However, the Coms is also linked to well-known cyber gangs like Scattered Spider, Lapsus$, and ShinyHunters, which are collectively responsible for some of the most infamous cyber-attack in the UK this year, including the M&S hack, the Jaguar Land Rover hit, and the ongoing data breach on luxury brands.

Before taking the helm as chair, the NCA issued a warning about the rise of young people, particularly men, joining these harmful groups.