Private sector expertise strengthens global fight against cybercrime

Interpol has recently set up formal agreements with online security specialists Trend Micro and Kaspersky Lab to help combat the global threat from cybercrime, while Europol has signed a similar agreement with Symantec.

“Protecting the public and businesses from cyberthreats requires law enforcement to work closely with, and to rely upon, the expertise of the private sector,” said Interpol Secretary General Ronald Noble.

“The complex and ever-changing nature of the cyber-threat landscape requires high-level technical expertise and it is essential that law enforcement collaborates across sectors to effectively combat cybercrime and enhance digital security.”

Troels Oerting, head of the Europol Cybercrime Centre (EC3), said that “cybercrime has changed the rules of the game and policing for cybercrime is increasingly difficult”.

The new Interpol Global Complex for Innovation (IGCI) in Singapore has been officially handed over and will equip the world’s police with the tools and knowledge to better tackle the crime threats of the 21st century. The state-of-the-art centre will provide a cutting-edge research and development facility for the identification of crimes and criminals, innovative training, operational support and partnership opportunities.

“Police are traditionally trained to protect innocent civilians from harm; harm which is visible, or simply physical in nature. The widening intersection of our real and virtual lives challenges that very tradition and with the IGCI, Interpol now has a dedicated centre to tackle cybercrime so we can better protect citizens both on and offline,” said Mr Noble.

A forensic laboratory will be established within the IGCI, which will also assist in the development of practical solutions in collaboration with police, research laboratories, academia and the public and private sectors.

A cyber fusion centre (CFC) will bring together experts from law enforcement, industry and academia to actively identify and develop intelligence about emerging threats and criminal cyber entities. Effectively Interpol’s nerve centre for cyber threat intelligence and coordination of operations, the CFC will facilitate police-to-police information sharing and securely deliver actionable intelligence on identified threats within cyberspace.

A command and coordination centre operations room will reinforce those already in place at Interpol’s General Secretariat headquarters in Lyon and its Regional Bureau in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

“Cybercrime remains one of the most pervasive threats to global security and if we are to be effective in our efforts to combat this threat we must build capacity at the national, regional and international levels,” said Noboru Nakatani, executive director of the IGCI.