LONDON, July 30 (UPI) -- A parliamentary panel in London says the United Kingdom needs to step up its efforts to stop online fraud and deter state-sponsored cyber-espionage.
The Home Affairs Select Committee said more officers should be trained in digital crime detection to "keep pace" with criminals, the BBC reported Tuesday.
Issuing its first report on the subject, the panel also called for establishment of a dedicated cyber-espionage team to respond to attacks, many of which are backed by foreign governments.
Committee Chairman Keith Vaz, a Labor member of Parliament, said Britain's response to e-crime is too fractured.
"Our country is the No. 1 target for gangs in 25 countries," Vaz said. "It's much easier and more lucrative to steal on the Internet than it is to go out and rob a bank."
The panel learned that Britain has been victimized by many of the 1,300 criminal gangs specializing in e-fraud.
"At the moment we are not winning the e-wars," Vaz said.
