Far more cyber crime is occurring in Australia than is being reported to police and part of the reason is that cyber-space is everywhere, crossing over global jurisdictions.
This is according to PricewaterhouseCoopers' fraud and investigations practise, one of a number of such operations springing up around the world.
According to Grahame Henley, an associate director in PwC's Sydney-based practise, cyber crime -- illegal use of a computer system -- has had a dramatic rise, almost impossible to measure but enough to spawn a professional services industry segment.
It has also spawned computer forensics, a field that is not just part of the various police services (and many in private practise have come from Federal and State police services) but a service that companies such as PricewaterhouseCoopers promotes.
Henley described computer forensics as the methods used in search, seizure and analysis of computer evidence that will be acceptable to a court.
PwC partner and head of Dispute Analysis and Investigations for Asia Pacific Paul Carter said that, despite the sophistication of the perpetrators and the capacity for detection most typical commercial computer crime is simple.
Carter's noteworthy successes in litigation support, forensic accounting and corruption investigation have included Bank Bali in Indonesia, software product piracy, fraud allegations relating to foreign aid, and the Bre-X gold mining fraud.
And Henley warned that IT managers can have a big impact on the investigation, both positively and negatively. He said that as soon as they become aware of a possible crime involving a computer they should turn it off, as evidence could otherwise be lost.
While the PwC high tech SWAT team charge out for professional services on a time and materials basis, a computer image and evidentiary report will cost somewhere between AU$1500 and AU$3000.
The practise sees itself as being in the middle ground, preparing a brief of evidence for the client or even the Police. It is then up to the client or Police to take action or make arrests.
