GLOBAL technology giant Microsoft has described the North East’s drive to stamp out cyber crime as an example to the rest of Europe.

In an exclusive interview with The Journal, the firm’s chief security advisor Edward Gibson has praised the work being undertaken by the region’s public and private sector in the fight against online fraud.

Mr Gibson, a former FBI special agent, came to the North East for a conference which brought together close to 200 delegates to discuss data fraud and security.

The North East Fraud Forum’s (NEFF) annual conference saw representatives from law firms, universities, the technology sector and the police unite to debate the future battle against fraud.

And the senior Microsoft representative said he had been impressed with what he had witnessed in the region and would be reporting on the region’s work to those in the corridors of power at the Bill Gates-founded company.

He also described the work of the NEFF, and its ability to bring together such a wide cross-section of society to discuss cyber crime, as tremendous.

He added: “If I could replicate what’s happening here throughout the UK and Europe, then wow.

“You have got best practice going on here and your constabulary is one of the few police forces that has e-crime capabilities and takes an active role in preventing cyber crime.

“It’s this kind of event that allows all of us to have a safer businesses.”