Criminal elements from around the world are converging and increasingly tapping into cyberspace to steal, traffic and sell goods, according to Steven Wilson, head of the European Cyber Crime unit at Europol.

While it comes as no surprise to many that criminals are capitalising on lax cybersecurity practices, both at companies and among the general public, the scale of it is quite staggering.

Wilson explained that the risk of state-sponsored cyber attacks is a growing menace for governments and national infrastructure across Europe. However, the convergence of criminal elements from traditional organised crime operations and cybercrime means that consumers are at risk from ‘moonlighters’.

Speaking at DIGIT’s fifth annual cybersecurity conference, Scot Secure 2019, Wilson underlined the need for greater cooperation and communication between law enforcement, industry and governments across Europe and around the world.

Similarly, Wilson highlighted the need to support universities and organisations in Scotland, such as the Scottish Business Resilience Centre (SBRC), which aim to improve cybersecurity standards and raise awareness of threat trends in business.

“With the Scottish Business Resilience Centre, you’ve got a small group of people there focusing on the small and medium-sized enterprises, whereas many other countries have completely forgotten about these,” Wilson said. “This is a huge resource that can actually put out information really quickly to the people that need it.

“The universities as well, such as Napier University; you’ve got some of the most forward-thinking universities that I’ve seen anywhere in Europe.”

Wilson insisted that government support of organisations, such as SBRC, should be a key priority for both Westminster and Holyrood.

“I think it (SBRC) needs more investment from Government. It’s underfunded and it could do so much more if there was a bigger investment in what it’s trying to do – that could be the future,” he explained.

“Police Scotland cyber hubs are also bringing together policing with industry; that way you can combine the best from both sides to tackle those top-level cyber problems.”

Scotland’s relatively small size compared to European counterparts also bears some advantages, Wilson explained. In regards to population size and the strength of Scotland’s industry, police forces and government, agility and flexibility is a clear advantage.

Compare this to European law enforcement counterparts, for example, and the level of symbiosis and communication often acts as a barrier to agility when confronting cybercrime.

“Looking at Scotland, we have the ability to act quickly, the ability to deliver something special. The single police force – and I know all the argument over whether it’s good or bad – but, at this top-level international criminality, for me, it’s fundamentally important,” Wilson said.

“You look across England and Wales and you have 43 police forces; in Germany, a multitude of local policing areas and a top level; in Italy seven different forces. It’s completely inefficient when you’re trying to tackle this at a top level – for me, this is a real asset.”

In the midst of an age mired in data privacy scandals, consumers globally are waking up to the reality of the connected world they live in. However, as recent events have shown, minor slip-ups in cyber hygiene or even organisational practices can have devastating consequences.

Wilson insisted that the risk of state-sponsored cyber attacks is a growing menace for governments and national infrastructure across Europe and, as such, cooperation is an absolute necessity to ensure consumer and industry safety.

Ultimately, education and awareness of cybersecurity is critical moving forward, Wilson asserted. In the midst of an age mired in data privacy scandals and high-profile cyber breaches, consumers globally are waking up to the reality of the connected world they live in.

However, minor slip-ups in cyber hygiene, awareness of current trends or ever organisational practices, can have devastating consequences. Starting from a grassroots level will be critical to future safety, and success.

“Education is absolutely the most important part of what we’re all trying to do here. Kids are the future, so if we look at where we’re going, we need the raw materials to come through to support our companies. I still don’t see that being done enough,” he said.

“A few years ago the Scottish Government made a commitment to give every child over the age of 14 a third language. My argument is that cyber is the language of the 21st century and we need to make our children fluent in this if we’re going to succeed.”