Commissioner Negus said international criminals were exploiting ''relatively static'' cyber laws by operating in countries that made it difficult for them to be tracked.

''Now, more than ever, it is becoming increasingly common that when police arrest someone for a traditional crime, technology has been used in some form during the commission of the offence,'' he said.

''The ability to use technology to commit crime, attack critical infrastructures, engage in terrorist activity and undermine national security is a very real threat that law enforcement is responding to.

''The individuals and criminal groups using technology to their advantage operate from a high level of technical ability and operate from countries with less-developed legal frameworks.

''They are increasingly sophisticated in their enterprise, and with this as our current operating environment, a number of questions arise.''

Commissioner Negus was speaking at the opening of the Australian High Tech Crime Conference in Sydney yesterday.

He said legislation had to be created that allowed for constant evolution and encompassed future changes in technology.

For more on this story, including Commissioner Negus's comments on the difficulty of acquiring electronic evidence, see the print edition of today's Canberra Times.