NBI launches project to tackle cybercrime by young people

The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has launched an early intervention project called Cybercrime Exit with a view to tackle serious cybercrimes committed by young people, said the NBI in a press release on Tuesday.

A significant number of young people, and even children, are suspected of cybercrime every year.

The Cybercrime Exit project targets young people aged 15 to 25 who have committed or are at risk of committing cybercrime. The project is financed by the EU Internal Security Fund.

Similar international programmes intended to break the cycle of crime for young people have discovered that when it comes to criminal activity, even children as young as 12 can test and exceed their limits.

In fact, a considerable number of those caught for serious cybercrime have been minors. In 2019, over 50 cybercrime suspects in Finland were under 25 years, of whom 17 were minors.

“With cybercrime becoming increasingly professional, it is ever more challenging to tackle it. Therefore, it is crucial that we improve our capacity to intervene as soon as young people cross the line into criminal activity so that we can prevent the situation from getting any worse,” said NBI Cybercrime Exit Project Manager Viivi Lehtinen.

The project seeks to tackle cyber-dependent crime committed by young people against information networks and information systems. It is run from the Cybercrime Centre at the NBI.

“Unfortunately, hackers are still usually perceived negatively as criminals. However, white hat hackers are professionals, and their work is extremely necessary. This should be recognised as a good and important career opportunity. The Cybercrime Exit project aims to highlight the boundaries within which white hat hackers operate, to help identify the point where actions become criminal, and to encourage young people in their excellent career path,” says Head of Cybercrime Centre Senior Detective Superintendent Mikko Rauhamaa.

“More and more professionals with advanced IT skills will be needed in the future. Therefore, it is important that there is information available for children and young people on ethical and legal hacking, or penetration testing,” said NBI Detective Chief Inspector Marko Leponen.