While Internet access is viewed as an indicator of development, marked increases in cyber offences nationally, regionally and globally have shown the need to counter cyber-dependent and cyber-enabled crimes. The increasing number of Internet users through broadband and mobile data, has resulted in a growing number of potential cybercrime victims.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, organized crime showed the ability to adapt their operations to “the new normal” despite lockdowns and border closures. The new criminal avenues developed by organized crime during this period (online drug and weapon trafficking, digital fraud, ransomware, malware as a service, to name a few) are a new criminal nexus that is already affecting the security and socio-economic development of Member States, especially the least advanced ones that have low capacities to counter cybercrime and conduct digital investigations. Cyber-dependent and cyber-enabled crimes are lucrative and might allow criminal organizations to expand their markets across borders and reach new victims with minimum logistics and reduced risks. At UNODC, we observe that organized crime is already using the full potential of digital tools for criminal purposes, making the most of social media to reach victims, hiding in the Darknet, using advanced anonymization techniques and concealing criminal proceeds with cryptocurrency transactions.
In this situation, Member States are usually characterized by the absence of:
This initial situation and the necessary changes vary from Member State to Member State. However, UNODC, through the Global Programme on Cybercrime, applies a unique model of technical assistance tailored to each country and region to facilitate positive change towards global objectives and outcomes.
In this context of increased connectivity and vulnerability, the ability to prevent, detect, prosecute, and counter cybercrime has never been more urgent. For that, it is of prime importance to ensure that Member States have updated capacities to investigate and prosecute organized crime operating on the Internet efficiently.
The Global Programme model of affecting counter cybercrime uses a gradual process and the length of each stage depends on the circumstances in the specific country. Considering the global picture of cyber threats and their possible impacts at the regional and national level:
UNODC assesses a Member State’s capabilities to counter and prevent cybercrime
1. Based on that assessment, considering national, bilateral and multilateral capacity-building efforts, UNODC and the Member States agree on a tailored national plan of activities considering external circumstances and additional input from third parties.
2. Initial training for selected criminal justice practitioners occurs in different intervention areas. When possible and available law enforcement academies are involved in the designing and delivering training to ensure sustainability at a country level.
3. After training, national institutions preventing and countering cybercrime, are provided with the necessary equipment (based on available donations).
4. Region or country-based UNODC cyber teams and mentors support trained national officials in their work against cybercrime (cyber-dependent and cyber-enabled).
5. Cyber teams and mentors scale back their support as trained criminal justice practitioners become trainers and can replicate their training at home and in other countries.
6. Materials, guidelines, awareness-raising campaigns and cooperation activities in the different intervention areas are developed in coordination with local authorities to ensure continuity and an integrated approach in countering and preventing cybercrime.
