IT managers could be forgiven for presuming that there is nothing new in recent calls for an agency to replace the now-defunct National Hi-Tech Crime Unit. But what may come as a surprise is the person making the calls – the head of Scotland Yard’s computer crime division, Charlie McMurdie.

The success of the chip and PIN initiative on the high street, the increasing popularity of shopping online, and the stealth of new attack methods have all contributed to the rise in online fraud. But the police are woefully under-resourced to tackle the problem, as funding is channelled into fighting more “serious” crimes.

McMurdie argued that most regional forces do not know how to handle computer crime. A centralised unit would certainly help to co-ordinate intelligence, and could encourage businesses to report fraud by showing that their cases will be taken seriously. But until the government appreciates the serious consequences online fraud can have, organised criminals will continue to make hay while e-commerce suffers.