Corporates Prefer Private Investigator To Cyber Cops: Is That True?

There was a time when the word private investigator would bring a visual of a “Sherlock Holmes” in a messy office room looking at pieces of paper and spying on every prospective individual. Now that visual has migrated to corporates and companies and these so-called “Sherlock Holmes” are mostly seen as well-educated young women and men with a smooth savvy manner and a geeky disposition.

The private investigators of today are the first choice for most companies who experienced a technological breach and wishes to investigate.

Why Not Go To Cops?

It makes sense right? When there is a crime, the first one you need to call would be the police, right? So, why most corporate hesitate and hire someone for a private investigation? Well, here’s the harsh reality: Dialing 911 may not get you far when it comes to cyber breaches. The existing law enforcement network of the country is so far away from being able to tackle cybercrime very effectively and quickly. Investigations done for cybercrime cases require that the cops be nimble at their feet and be technologically proficient. However, it is not always the case.

It is something that most corporate that has tried to involve the cops in a data breach investigations struggle with. Here’s a good example:

In 2016, a startup in Pune suffered a ransomware attack and went to the police. Instead of doing the investigation right away, the company was asked to explain what bitcoins were. The company that was asked to pay the ransom in bitcoin actually had to explain to the police how the cryptocurrency worked.

The main problem is that the addition of police officers with the skills and necessary “how-to” solve technology crimes is just not keeping pace with the exponential growth of tech-related crimes. The addition of Cybercrime stations is a good step by the government, however, with the rise of tech-related crimes and its increasing difficulties, even these stations can be stretched to their limits.

Cyber Crime Continues To Grow, Police Enforcement Do Not

Statistics from the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) revealed that there is an upward trajectory in cybersecurity incidents with 44,679 incidents during 2014, 49,455 incidents in 2015 and 50,632 incidents last 2016. The lack of police involvement only encourages more cybercrime of the same type.

Why Choose a Private Investigator?

A private investigator is technically a white hat hacker who has the necessary skill to fight those behind the breaches. Oh, and they do it very quietly, too. Incidents in cybersecurity tend to destroy the reputation of companies and corporations. Hiring somebody who can sign an airtight non-disclosure agreement are more reliable and agreeable for companies than police enforcements whose investigations can result to the leaking of information to the public or the press.

Another reason as to why most companies choose a private investigator has got to do with the source of crime. Some company breaches come from outside the country. A seamless international co-operation in cybercrime and joint investigation of cybercriminals are still dreams away.

Even though the company already knows the information of the criminals, there is so little thing they can do with the laws being interpreted differently in various countries. Moreover, if they should be prosecuted, extradition arrangements are needed in other countries.

All of this only points to a private investigator to show his or her skills. A private investigator is known to investigate cases for ransomware attacks, data theft, corporate espionage, financial fraud and even extortion attempts.

More Than an Investigator

Other than being investigators who catch criminals and solve breaches, private investigators are also given the chance to become entrepreneurs who offer hardware and software services. Some private investigation companies offer products that can prevent breaches and honeytraps those who try to pass through the defenses of a company.

They are both helpful in solving cybersecurity incidents and created products that encourage companies to manage their cybersecurity. It is really a profitable market, one where security is offered as a service and products for prevention than as interference and should massively grow in the years to come.