Security firm McAfee announced on Tuesday a handful of initiatives intended to turn up the heat on cybercriminals.

The company plans to work with law enforcement officials on education and international collaboration in fighting cybercrime and establish a cybercrime response unit to help consumers and businesses that believe they are the victims of online fraud and digital attacks, McAfee said in a statement announcing the initiative. The response unit will help victims gather the necessary evidence to prosecute criminals or bring a civil lawsuit against fraudsters.

"Cybercrime is a growing problem that negatively impacts everybody," Dave DeWalt, McAfee president and chief executive officer, said in the statement. "While a lot has been done to combat cybercrime over the past decade, criminals still have the upper hand. The chances of getting caught for knocking off a convenience store are several times larger than robbing an online bank. This must change.”

Several companies -- most notably Microsoft -- have active cybercrime prevention programs. In 2003, Microsoft unveiled a bounty program aimed to reward those people who delivered information that resulted in the prosecution of virus and worm writers. In 2005, the company awarded two informants $250,000, after they revealed information that led to the arrest and conviction of the person who released the Sasser worm.


The FBI has increasingly focused on forming international relationships to help investigate crimes that extend beyond the United States' jurisdiction. In the law enforcement agency's most recent success, more than 20 people in Romania were charged with online fraud this year. In the past, the U.S. had "written off" Romania as a nation that would not cooperate to pursue cybercriminals.

McAfee intends to partner with other companies and law enforcement agencies to solve the problems posed by cybercrime, Pamela Warren, a cybercrime analyst for the company, told SecurityFocus.

"From my standpoint, competing is never a good thing when we are trying to fight cybercrime," she said. "Looking at what Microsoft is doing, even what the FBI is doing with local law enforcement, might lead to very specific initiatives or broader partnerships, where appropriate."

The month of October has been designated by the Department of Homeland Security as National Cyber Security Awareness Month.

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