Interpol lays out response blueprint for global cybercrime war

Interpol lays out response blueprint for global cybercrime war: Page 2 of 2

By Gabey Goh June 11, 2013

Securing the digital border

To help address these gaps and continue its mandate to better enable international police cooperation, Interpol aims to emulate its success in securing physical borders to help police forces better secure cyber space.

“We seek to rationalise and overcome challenges in cyberspace as we have done for border security management – placing technology in the hands of police so they can better fight cybercriminals,” said Pang.

Key to the agency’s approach is the establishment of the IGCI and in particular, the Interpol Digital Crime Centre (IDCC), which will build capacity and support police in its endeavours to confront 21st century crime.

“In consultation with our member countries, we have architected what we believe to be a model for international law enforcement cooperation on digital security around three key processes: Leveraging, Harmonising and Networking,” he said.

Firstly, the IDCC will build networks between national cybercrime investigators and other stakeholders from the public and private sectors around the world, so that information and best practices in investigation techniques can be shared.

Pang added that IDCC is also positioned to play the role of coordinating with various stakeholders to channel the information required by law enforcement.

Secondly the IDCC will leverage on strategic partnerships to fill skills gaps and indirectly counter the brain drain; this includes creating testbeds for new technologies and forensic tools, and transferring technical expertise from developed to less developed countries.

Other facilities that will be based in IGCI Singapore include the Digital Crime Investigative Support unit that will seek to assist national law enforcement to identify regional and international trends, to coordinate transnational investigations in cybercrime, and to ultimately support in identifying criminals.

As well as the Digital Forensic Laboratory that conducts various capacity building efforts so that national law enforcement agencies know as much about how to collect digital evidence for a cybercrime case as they do with traditional forensic evidence in a typical case.

In addition, Interpol has introduced Resource Assignment Agreements to bring in short-term external talents and expertise. Internships and short-term attachments from academia and law enforcement agencies of member countries help to bring in the expertise to contribute in various ways.

Another key mandate of the IGCI is in the development of public and private partnerships with various technology and cyber security sectors such as the International Multilateral Partnership Against Cyber Threats (IMPACT), National Cyber-Forensics and Training Alliance (NCFTA), NEC and Kaspersky amongst others, on potential projects and programmes that will benefit member countries in levelling up their capabilities to combat cybercrime.

“We seek to complement rather than duplicate other national approaches from both law enforcement and other stakeholders, minimising opportunities for cyber criminals to circumvent our efforts to secure cyber space,” said Pang.

With the IGCI slated for an official opening next year, in September of last year Interpol opened the IGCI Transition Support Office (TSO) in Singapore.

The TSO currently has five staff including Pang, and newly seconded officials will begin working in the Singapore facility as the TSO can accommodate up to 30 staff.

New officials seconded from foreign countries will be given relocation support by the TSO for their smooth transfer. The TSO will cease operations upon the IGCI’s opening in 2014.

Pang said that the agency has already started to work closely with the European Cybercrime Centre (EC3) in Europol to avoid unnecessary duplication of efforts and ensuring synergy.

“In fact, several world-renown companies will be sending their staff to the IDCC on a rotational basis to work with police to fight cybercrime,” he said.