For the first time, leading international businesses, government and law enforcement agencies are coming together in a bid to tackle the issue.

Launched in London on July 5, the International Cyber Security Protection Alliance (ICSPA) is focused on taking the fight to cyber criminals. It plans to disrupt their activities by providing more resources, tools and expertise to law enforcement agencies in countries that face the greatest challenges or potentially act as hosts; helping them be more successful in their fight against cybercrime.

The UK Prime Minister David Cameron said: “Our government has already injected an additional £650 million to help improve our national infrastructure and protect against cybercrime, but the very nature of this threat calls for more than a national response; it demands a truly global response and that is what the International Cyber Security Protection Alliance is all about.

“By forging new relationships between businesses, governments and law enforcement officers all over the world, by investing in new training, and by building an international exchange of expertise, the ICSPA is forming a network powerful enough and wide enough, to face down cybercrime.”

With support from its founding member companies, including McAfee Inc, Cassidian Systems (an EADS company), Trend Micro and Visa Europe, ICSPA’s goal is to improve international law enforcement capability and capacity to help protect businesses and their customers against this unprecedented threat.

In a significant development, it was also announced that Europol, the European law enforcement agency, will form a strategic partnership with the ICSPA.