Cybercrime is top-of-mind across all levels of government and society right now. Society’s increasing dependence on connected systems has left everyone vulnerable and concerned. That reality, and the constant blitz of news stories and alerts that comes with it, has created an environment where every law enforcement executive is expected to have something to say on the topic. This article will offer a few considerations about planning to meet the cybercrime challenge.

Agencies on the larger end of the size spectrum have likely already considered a cybercrime investigations function, and have either established it in some way, or outsourced the function by assigning investigators to federal task forces. Some smaller and mid-sized law enforcement agencies might have deferred the question, choosing to focus on other priorities and leave cyber to the feds or the state. In either case, it might be worth taking a fresh look at the choices, the tradeoffs that they involve, and whether or not the investment that an agency has made makes sense given the needs and opportunities in its area of responsibility.