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Tyneside facility tackles tech fraud

A new Tyneside facility could help hundreds of companies tackle the growing problem of digital fraud.

Gateshead College’s new Digital Forensics Lab at its Baltic Campus site will offer the courses to equip companies with the skills needed to track criminal activity and implement preventative measures.

The £75,000 lab is the first of its type in the region to use advanced PC-based software to teach IT staff the latest in high-tech digital investigation.

Fraudulent activities including those committed by dishonest employees using computers, mobile phones and the internet – known as cybercrime – could be costing regional business hundreds of thousands of pounds a year in lost revenue.

The Digital Forensics Lab was designed with support and guidance from Northumbria Police, who will have the opportunity to use this specialist resource for their own training purposes, and the North East Fraud Forum, which works with organisations to raise awareness of the latest techniques for fighting fraud.

Detective Sergeant Alan Batey, head of Northumbria Police’s computer crime unit, said: “We are seeing year-on-year growth in the number of people using computers, the internet and mobile phones to co-ordinate and undertake criminal activities.

“The new Digital Forensics Lab will be a great resource to help companies uncover fraudulent activity, helping them to better protect their business, market share and ultimately profits.”

Gateshead College’s assistant principal adult and higher education Mary Lindsay, said: “Our digital forensics courses will provide people with the skills and confidence to tackle a costly and highly damaging problem that could be affecting hundreds of local businesses.

“It is a significant development and will be a welcome addition to the facilities and services offered by the college to ensure that key employees are able to learn in a high quality and stimulating environment, with access to the very latest resources and equipment.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .