Theresa May will have to be tough on the police again in order to prepare them for an era of cyber crime

The latest ONS crime survey estimates that there were a remarkable 5.8 million fraud and other computer-based crimes in the relevant twelve month period – compared to 6.3 million crimes in other categories

Relations between the police and Home Secretary have been strained, but one of Theresa May's first appointments as Prime Minister was to host the reception for police bravery awards (Getty)

The latest figures from the Office for National Statistics’ Crime Survey for England and Wales paint a fascinating picture of the trends in criminal activity as they affect the general population.

While the results of the latest survey suggest an overall decrease of 6 per cent in the number of criminal incidents against adults in the year to March, for the first time the CSEW has sought to gather specific detail about fraud and computer misuse. And the findings there are worrying, if perhaps unsurprising. Indeed, the most startling discovery is that questions about cyber criminality have not been asked before.

As it is, the survey estimates that there were a remarkable 5.8 million fraud and other computer-based crimes in the relevant 12-month period – compared to 6.3 million crimes in other categories. The results might at this stage be described as “experimental”, due to the recent introduction of the subject to the survey, but they will still provoke considerable debate. After all, while many people have their own tales of online fraud or attempted hacking, these numbers lay the phenomena bare. What they show is that members of the general population today are more likely to be victims of fraud than any other crime. They show too that those responsible for such crimes are acting on an industrial scale – and frequently getting away with it.

Law enforcement agencies clearly have quite a task on their hands. Policing traditional criminality is hardly an easy task, and police forces are under unenviable pressure already to increase their visibility on the streets of Britain’s towns and cities. Now it turns out they need not only to be pounding the beat but surfing the net too.

The National Crime Agency’s Cyber Crime Unit already works closely with regional centres, as well as the Metropolitan Police Cyber Crime Unit in London. There is an understanding that online law-breaking is “one of the most significant criminal threats to the UK”, as the NCCU’s deputy director, Andy Archibald, puts it. Yet, as the authorities in Britain acknowledge, the very nature of cyber crime makes it a global problem that pays no regard to national borders. There is therefore an imperative to work closely with international law enforcement agencies – just at the moment that Britain has turned away from the European Union.

Given the resources available – and assuming that the Prime Minister, a longstanding critical friend of the police, isn’t likely to offer a significant funding boost any time soon – it may be that the police can only do so much. And in fairness, the volume of cyber crime reflects not only a law enforcement conundrum, but also a challenge for individuals and companies seeking to protect themselves against nefarious acts.

Demand from business for the services of IT security specialists is rising and threats are expected to worsen. On the plus side, for young people looking for a vocation, IT security looks a decent bet.

Beyond the concerns of individual companies, there is clearly a particular onus on banks and other corporations that collect data about their customers to do more to protect against both hacking and subsequent fraud. Earlier this year, Financial Fraud Action UK released figures showing that 1.5 million credit- and debit-card accounts were raided in Britain last year – at a cost of £750m. The banking sector may be right that individuals should be more alert to potential scams, conducted over the phone as well as online. But that underestimates the vulnerability of many who become victims. Banks and other data collectors must do more to keep clients safe, and their information – and their money – secure.