Cyberspace crimes have evolved and continue to evolve at an accelerated pace compared to traditional law enforcement. Due to the fact that criminals are able to be anonymous and commit crimes anywhere in the world and share information rapidly, it is extremely difficult for law enforcement agencies to identify suspects, determine jurisdiction over crimes committed globally, and gather reliable evidence in support of prosecution.
This academic gap is largely due to the reality that technological advancements occur at a much faster rate than the typical research institution and publication cycle. In addition, criminal justice historically has been based upon sociological theories, which were developed to explain relatively static crime trends, whereas cybersecurity relies heavily on technical areas such as data analytics and network security, which many academics do not possess. Therefore, there will always exist a lag time before these new forms of cybercrime become part of mainstream academic scholarship.
Courses such as “Cyber and Surveillance Law and Governance” bridge the two gaps (academic/technology) by providing students with a fundamental understanding of legal principles relevant to cybersecurity and technical knowledge of how various digital systems operate. Students also learn how to connect their social science background, including privacy issues and ethical concerns, with the ability to analyze large amounts of data using techniques from the STEM field. This type of education prepares students to respond appropriately to today’s cyber challenges.
In my opinion, the most effective way for the criminal justice system to begin adapting to evolving cybercrimes is to create specialized cyber units and require retraining for all law enforcement personnel. Cyber-specialized units would allow law enforcement agencies to efficiently process complex cases, while all officers would need to receive training on how to properly handle digital evidence in order to ensure that law enforcement agencies can effectively and efficiently respond to technology-based crimes.