An exploratory study of the South African Police Services (SAPS) systems in combating cybercrimes.

Abstract

The rapid development of technology and computing has tremendously changed people’s lives and how crime is committed in modern societies. The digital revolution and increase in internet connectivity have created not only new opportunities for wealth creation but also the potential for transactional offending, posing a major threat to governments, business organizations, and individuals. Globally, cybercrime leads to financial losses, reputational damage, and personal information data breaches. South Africa is not an exception. In 2018, the country was ranked amongst the top ten countries on the cybercrime predator list, making the country appear to be a major attraction to cybercriminals. The country is estimated to lose about R2.2 billion a year to cyber-attacks. Although there is an increase in research output on cybercrimes, some areas of the phenomenon are least explored, particularly how law enforcement agencies in South Africa respond to the challenges associated with online crimes. The study, therefore, explores how the South African Police Services (SAPS) responds to cybercrimes and offer practical solutions. It seeks to identify the types of cybercrimes, challenges that SAPS has encountered, and measures taken to combat them. The study also aims to determine if any intervention strategies need to be reviewed and/or if new approaches must be developed to deal with cybercrime effectively. Conducted in Durban, KwaZulu Natal, the study adopted the phenomenological research design, according to which interpretive and constructivist qualitative research paradigms were deemed appropriate. They allow participants to describe their understanding, interpretations, and personal experiences of cybercrimes in South Africa. Data was collected through in-depth interviews using semi- structured interviews, with a sample of 17 participants purposively drawn from the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI) and the Commercial Crimes Unit (CCI) of the South African Police Service (SAPS). The theoretical orientations that guided the study are the Routine Activities Theory and the Structural Functionalism Theory. The study revealed that South Africa has been experiencing a variety of cybercrimes, including cyber fraud, identity theft, and phishing attacks, and most of them were perpetuated for financial gain. The study also found that South Africa has introduced laws and security strategies, such as the Cybercrime and Cybersecurity Bill of 2017, to respond to cybercrimes. The challenge, however, is that these laws and legislation are not adapting fast enough to deal with the constantly changing technological environment and the new emerging types and methods of cybercrimes. Police officers who are experts in the field and can respond to cybercrimes are limited. They also do not have enough resources and require constant training to keep up to date with technological advancements and criminal activities. Above all, it has become increasingly evident that there is a need for the collaboration of all stakeholders, including prosecutors and the judiciary, private security agencies and investigators, electronic communication service providers (CSPs), and/or Internet service providers (ISPs) if cybercrimes are to be tackled effectively.