The Role of Police in Controlling Cyber Crime

A considerable amount of data required for the modern society is produced, stored, sent and developed by computers and related networks. Commercial industry daily transactions alone, worth millions of dollars, take place via the worldwide web. Therefore, an increasing need for using the internet has brought about propitious circumstances for the outbreak of crimes in cyber space causing various sorts of damage and harm for the societies. As being one of the major bodies in charge of the provision of safety and security, the police play an important role in fighting against such crimes. Due to the specific qualities of cyber crimes and the kind of proof necessary for substantiating the crime, the police may face numerous difficulties in preventing and fighting against such crimes. However, with the assistance of experts in this field it is possible to overcome these problems. Numerous actions have been taken by European and American countries to deal with cyber crimes, and currently in Iran the investigations division is charged with this task. According to the plans and high rank officials in NAJA there will be a special division named FATA organized for cyber crimes. In the current study, it is intended to make the reader familiar with various types of cyber crimes and the role that the police can play in controlling and fighting against these crimes, both in uncovering and prevention.