As law enforcement analysts and investigating officers do their jobs, they are finding a treasure trove of useful information on the Web. In fact, there’s been a significant increase in the amount of open source data that is being used by law enforcement over the past 5 years. Internet search tools, social networking sites, and other Web 2.0 technology tools have matured in that time span and now investigators can learn a lot about a suspect and build a picture based on public information.

No matter what you think about the phrase “Web 2.0”, there is no doubt that the ability to self publish and utilise 3rd party platforms has radically changed the way individuals and organisations communicate.

Knowledge Led Policing is the way forward

I previously wrote a short article on knowledge vs intelligence led policing not to argue semantics or accepted terminology, rather to make the points that effective policing is dependant on the ability to manipulate the totality of the corporate information. Decision-making needs to be conducted with the benefit of knowledge.

The new Scottish Centre of Excellence in Security and Cybercrime will play a critical role in supporting the evolution of public and private data sharing. Our decision to support this exciting proposal to establish the Centre in Scotland was not a difficult one.

The vision for creating a world-leading centre focused on security and cybercrime was bold, backed by a plan to promote excellence in research, knowledge transfer, and teaching.