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Improving knowledge and creating new partnerships to counter cybercrime
UNICRI initiatives against the phenomenon

August 2008. Since 2005, UNICRI has been involved in the development of innovative programmes to fight cybercrime, a new phenomenon which has the potential to undermine the security of our global system and that each year affects the lives of millions of people.

Although recent, cybercrime is aubiquitous phenomenon; a widespread threat which requires immediate and concrete measures. The results of the “2007 Internet Crime Report” released by the Internet Crime Complaint Center reflect this reality: reported losses of US$240 million of global cybercrime, a $40 million increase from 2006. According to the same report, the most affected countries are the United States, the United Kingdom, Nigeria, Canada, Romania, Italy, Spain, South Africa, Russia, and Ghana. This means that cybercrime has become a global threat which indiscriminately affects any country, both developed and developing.

UNICRI is now carrying out three innovative programmes which cover different crucial aspects related to cybercrime: hackers profiling; the protection of National Critical Infrastructures (NCIs); and the issuance of the first European Certificate on Cybercrime and Electronic Evidence.

UNICRI has recently developed cooperative activities with Cybex, a leading Spanish firm working on fraud in virtual environments, which provides electronic evidence services. This partnership envisages the development of the first European Certificate on Cybercrime and e-Evidence – Basic Level for Judges, Lawyers and Prosecutors. Within the framework of this cooperation, UNICRI is contributing, through inputs and articles, to the contents of the e-newsletter on electronic evidence and computer forensics, starting from the September issue that contains a presentation on UNICRI activities against cyber crimes (pages 25-28). UNICRI is also overseeing its distribution among partners and experts.

[ E-newsletter September issue - download pdf ]

Furthermore, UNICRI is contributing to the development of an e-Library containing a repository of legislation, case law, articles, papers and books on cybercrime and electronic evidence at a pan-European level. The e-Library has been designed to complete the circuit of existing information sources on Cybercrime and e-Evidence. It will disseminate knowledge on e-Evidence as a modern procedural tool and counteract the current dispersion of information by integrating existing documentation. The e-Library will provide legal and technical information related to the use of e-Evidence and will provide useful tools to support the work of lawyers, judges, prosecutors, law enforcement units specialized in cybercrime, the Academy and computer forensic experts.

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