Statistics reveal there were more than 55,000 offences logged under the Computer Misuse Act in the most recent fiscal year, but these led to equivalent charges in only 55 cases
While the number of recorded offences under the UK’s primary cybercrime legislation increased by over a third in 2024/25, the total number of charges made dropped by more than half – with barely more than 1% of reports leading to an attempted prosecution.
Annual Home Office statistics for crime across England and Wales reveal that, in the 12 months to 31 March 2025, some 55,576 offences were recorded under the Computer Misuse Act. This represents a 36% increase on the tally of 40,832 logged in the prior year – which, in itself, was a jump of 53% on the 26,604 offences recorded in FY23.
But, while instances of reported crimes have more than doubled, the volume of criminal charges or formal summons has actually declined.
Just 55 recorded offences in 2024/25 led to an equivalent charge or summons. Six others led to a charge on an alternative offence.
This is less than half of the 147 cases charged or summonsed in the prior year – and is even lower than the 69 charges logged in 2022/23.
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In addition to the charges and summons made last year, some 19 offences resulted in a caution, and another 28 were settled out of court informally. There were 15 instances in which authorities decided it was not in the public interest to pursue charges.
The statistics show that there were 1,261 investigations which encountered “evidential difficulties” – including 674 in which the victim of the offence did not support further action being taken.
Out of the total of 55,576 offences logged in FY25, only 4,667 resulted in any kind of conclusive outcome – and more than two thirds of these were logged as “investigation complete – no suspect identified”.
Despite being passed into law 35 years ago – a couple of years before internet connections were even commercially available in the UK – the Computer Misuse Act remains the primary legislation used to pursue and prosecute cybercrime offences in this country. The previous government consulted on various proposed changes update the law.
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