Historically, cybercriminals have had an advantage over law enforcement due to challenges like collection of digital evidence, identifying attackers, and legal barriers, outlined by Europol in 2019 and still relevant in 2024. With cyber gangs specializing in advanced attacks and overwhelmed law enforcement dealing with various digital crimes simultaneously, the underfunded specialized law enforcement agencies struggle to compete. The lack of funding hinders the ability to attract top talent, and agencies are outmatched in resources and tools
International collaboration on cybercrime investigations faces obstacles, with some countries being safe harbors for cyber gangs. The situation creates an environment where cybercriminals operate with impunity and face lenient punishments if caught, while cybercrime merges with organized crime. To tackle this, governments need to invest in national cybercrime law enforcement agencies, create specialization, allocate more funds, form public-private partnerships, and revise legislation to enhance deterrence against cybercrimes, or risk the Internet spiraling into uncontrollable lawlessness managed by rival cyber gangs. https://www.darkreading.com/cyberattacks-data-breaches/cyber-gangs-aren-t-afraid-of-prosecution