Interpol opens digital crime centre

Interpol's first digital crime centre has been opened in a move to support international policing efforts against cybercrime.

Interpol's first digital crime centre has been officially opened in Singapore. (AAP)

Interpol's first digital crime centre has been officially opened in Singapore.

Complementing its headquarters in Lyon, the Interpol Global Complex for Innovation (ICGI) will support international policing efforts against cybercrime, as well as research and capacity building in online security, the Straits Times reported.

The ICGI would target among others the bug known as Simda, which it described as a botnet used to "gain remote access to computers enabling the theft of personal details, including banking passwords, as well as to install and spread other malicious malware."

According to Interpol, more than 770,000 computers worldwide have been affected by Simda. On 9 April, servers in the Netherlands, the United States, Russia, Luxembourg and Poland were hit by simultaneous attacks.

Wilbert Paulissen, head of the Central Criminal Investigation Division of the Netherlands Police, said the new centre in Singapore "will help strengthen the fight against cybercrime worldwide."

The ICGI first started operations in Singapore last November, and now has 110 officers from 50 countries.