UK policing watchdog finds National Crime Agency heavily reliant on weak legacy systems

An audit has revealed many systems aren’t fit for purpose

News By Ellen Jennings-Trace published 9 September 2025

(Image credit: Getty Images / Pugun SJ)

• An audit has revealed shortcomings in the National Crime Agency's IT
• Almost 80% of the NCA's IT budget is spent on legacy systems
• The NCA should address these weaknesses with comprehensive plans

An independent audit by police watchdog, HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS), has published a worrying report on the IT systems of the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA).

The report outlines that ‘many of the IT systems it relies on are outdated and unfit for purpose,’ stating that the NCA is burdened with technical debt thanks to a continued prioritisation of quick fix repairs over more comprehensive long-term solutions.

That’s not all, as the report also recommends the NCA improves its management of bulk datasets - as currently there are no datasets from any regional organised crime units, and no plans to allow the NCA to carry out bulk analysis of data from the Law Enforcement Data Service - despite plans for the service to replace the Police National Computer in 2026.

A ten year strategy

A significant limitation the NCA faces, especially given the sensitive nature of much of the organisation's data, is the lack of cloud adoption;

“The NCA has also been slow to fully embrace the benefits of cloud-based technology, which has adverse practical consequences. For example, personnel can’t automatically transfer data between computer systems operating on each of the three security tiers of the Government Security Classifications Policy.”

The legacy systems that are still operated by the NCA mean higher maintenance costs, limited functionality and compatibility with other internal systems, increased training needed for new personnel, and an inability to fully exploit datasets from other outdated systems.

There were 260 legacy systems identified, which have led to an astonishing 80% of the organization’s IT budget spent on servicing these outdated systems.

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