The recession is fuelling a boom in cybercrime as computer-literate criminals in poorer countries turn their hand to electronic scams, Brighton researchers said today.

Their study also found that the growth of social networking websites was providing cybercriminals with fresh areas to exploit as well as new areas for recruitment.

The University of Brighton team, led by Professor Howard Rush, said that detection and prevention had been boosted, but continuous data breaches, mainly due to human error, were exposing personal information on a large scale.

The researchers said urgent action was needed by the UK to crack down on cybercrime to avert what they said was the potential for "international embarrassment" ahead of the London 2012 Olympics.

Prof Rush said the growth in credit card fraud and identity theft was due to communications technology reaching parts of the world where many unemployed people with IT skills lived.

"Criminals there can take advantage of cybercrime opportunities, and the current global recession will likely increase this trend still further," said Prof Rush.

The study, funded by the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts, warned that the capabilities of cybercriminals, especially without a global counter-strategy, will likely increase in the future.

It stated: "Law enforcement agencies are struggling to respond, especially in places where legislative frameworks are weak or non-existent.

"The growth of cybercrime in Russia, India, China and Brazil is of particular concern.

"As cyberspace develops further, so new opportunities will open up for organised crime groups.

"Crimes such as electronic theft and fraud will occur more rapidly, reducing the likelihood of offenders being caught in the act.

"Information about how to compromise a system will be available more quickly and to more people, which means that opportunistic criminals linked into networks of organised criminals will come to dominate and define the world of cybercrime.

"The ability of criminals to use new technology will also have a major impact on the sort of crime we see. In cyberspace, we can expect this to be further magnified."

Prof Rush's team urged a plan of action. They said: "In the UK, a national initiative is urgently required to tackle cybercrime.

"It needs to be applied across the UK regions and nations, and it needs to be part of a genuinely transnational effort. European Union member states need to make this a common cause."

"Given that so many cybercrime operations take place in developing countries, aid agencies need to be persuaded to build on their policy reform work to help address cybercrime."

The report added: "Our research indicates that there is no technical fix available, and no external agency can prevent all individual lapses in personal security.

"Instead, responses are required at all the levels identified above to minimise the risks.

"National priorities in relation to cybercrime are now becoming urgent, not least because of the 2012 London Olympics.

"Data from the Beijing, Athens and Sydney Olympics graphically indicate how the Olympic hosts have become more vulnerable to cybercrime attacks.

"The UK needs to act quickly to avert a massive international cybercrime embarrassment during the run-up to London 2012."