TORONTO (CP) - The anonymity and versatility of the Internet has made it an ideal breeding ground for fringe groups to thrive, and police say monitoring the criminal activity that such groups can engage in is harder now than ever before.
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As an undercover officer in charge of tracking child pornography online, Det. Const. Scott Purches finds his job has become much more challenging as a result of wireless technology and sophisticated criminals.

"Wireless is posing the next big challenge on the horizon," said the Toronto police detective. "If you think about all the different ways that we have to connect to the Internet, it's opening up a whole new realm for us."

The shift toward wireless networks means police are losing one of their key methods of tracking online criminals, since Internet service providers are no longer a reliable indicator of a person's location.

Purches expressed concern over a proposal that would see Toronto, for example, adopt a city-wide wireless network.

"If I take off my policeman hat, I think it's great... but, as an officer, I'm very aware of the pitfalls," he said.

He and Internet experts share the belief that as technology evolves, so do the criminals who exploit it.

Recent events demonstrated that police are still able to make significant inroads on Internet crime.

The arrests of 12 men and five youths charged with terrorism-related offences was triggered in part by the ability of authorities to monitor the suspects' online activities.

But a new wave of cybercrime is making Internet activity harder to trace.

Robert Ing, a forensic intelligence specialist, said identity theft has become a simple matter for those who know how to find the appropriate information online.

He said it has now become the most prevalent crime perpetrated on the Internet, surpassing the still common practice of credit card fraud.

The computer savvy criminal could obtain all the information necessary to impersonate someone simply by surfing web pages containing personal details or setting up dummy web pages designed to collect sensitive data.

Ing said successful identity theft is often part of larger and more sinister plans.

"They (criminals) may use that information to fill out a resume and get hired by a firm simply to gain access to information they wouldn't ordinarily be privy to," he said.

He added that acquiring such knowledge could be highly beneficial to organized crime groups, citing terrorist operations among those who benefit most from the vast resources of the Internet.

David Harris, former chief of strategic planning with CSIS, agrees, saying it is now possible for terrorists to plan and execute complex plots without ever meeting in person.

He said potential terrorists can find all the tools they need online, adding that he has seen some radical Islamic sites containing information on recruitment, training, target selection, weapon construction and secret communication techniques.

Sharing such information anonymously is also a simple matter, with certain pieces of software such as Freenet and Invisible IRC (Internet Relay Chat) developing programs to protect the identity of their users.

"There is no denying that it's a race against time and technology that governments cannot always win," Harris said.

Purches believes that the presence of online child pornography is also expanding.

In Toronto alone, the city police force's child exploitation team has quadrupled in the past five years and currently boasts 16 full-time officers.

Purches said plans are underway to add more staff in the near future, which he said is a reflection of the severity and scope of the problem.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/cpress/20060610/ca.../internet_crime