The future of the police: Innovations against cybercrime in Austria!

The future of the police: Innovations against cybercrime in Austria!

In recent years, cybercrime in Austria has achieved a worrying extent - the number of cases has tripled within seven years. The Austrian police therefore face the challenge of adapting their structures and ways of working in the digital world. The press reports that the Vienna Neustadt University of Applied Sciences plays a central role here: The training of police officers has also been bundled and the Institute for Police and Security Research has also been operated. Georg Kodydek, who heads the institute, calls for a rethink in police work to counter the challenges of artificial intelligence (AI) and digital attacks.

In the course of a new project at the FH, it is examined what future managers need in the police. The inclusion of young people and their perspectives play an important role. The focus is not only on classic security tasks, but also on topics such as cybercrime and the security needs of society. Kodydek emphasizes that diversity in working groups is of crucial importance and leads experiments to research the interaction between people of different backgrounds.

pilot project cybercrime training center

Another step in combating cybercrime is the introduction of the first cyber training center in Upper Austria, which was launched on August 8, 2023. This innovative project is part of a comprehensive criminal ceremony presented by Interior Minister Gerhard Karner. In addition to Karner, important representatives such as deputy governor Christine Haberlander and state police director Andreas Pilsl were present at the opening. The BMI reports that the new training centers offer practical "Hands-on" training offers for police officers and interior departments, with small groups with is set to ten participants. The training should begin in spring 2024.

These cybercrime training centers should not only serve the further training, but also help to strengthen networking with science and external experts. Such a center will be set up in every state criminal office in order to further modernize police work and to make it more effective in the fight against internet crime.

job profile of the cyber criminal officer

In order to meet the increasing requirements in the field of cybercrime, the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) actively searches for qualified cyber criminalists. informs the career-website that the position of IT-specialist forces has already gained professional experience. Applicants must have a degree in the IT area or a related area, and prepare for a two-year qualification measure.

The tasks include the clarification of hacking attacks, fraudulent offenses on the Internet and the evaluation of digital traces. In order to be able to combat cybercrime efficiently, close cooperation with national and international authorities is essential. Last but not least, a good level of English skills and health suitability are required for applicants in order to be able to act in this demanding professional field.

The training in this area is comprehensive: half of it consists of theoretical content and the other half of practical activities in the BKA. After the qualification has been successfully completed, the entry into the civil servant relationship follows, which includes the employment in an indefinite employment relationship according to TVöD. With these measures, the police in Austria are made fit for the digital future in order to be able to cope with the increasingly complex challenges in the cyber space.