Crime in a society is expected to remain at a tolerable level due to the deterrence factor; early detection of the crime, identification of the criminal who has committed the crime and awarding of an exemplary punishment to him/her will dissuade other individuals who would have indulged in such instances in future. An unreported crime emboldens the criminal to commit further such acts, apart from taking away the deterrence for others.

Proper reporting also helps policy makers to know of the trends and allocate resources to adequately tackle newer crimes. Critical infrastructure protection, which has an impact on a large number of people also benefits by having proper reporting practices.

You may be worried about the loss of reputation or negative publicity; however, most law enforcement organizations are aware of this and take steps to keep crime details confidential. They also are sensitive to the fact that the reporting company's business may depend on the availability of the computer resources involved and can take appropriate measures to use forensic tools to ensure that business disruption is minimized.