Europol-Interpol hold joint conference to tackle cybercrime

Europol and Interpol have held their first joint Cybercrime Conference with the aim of enhancing international cooperation to tackle existing and future challenges in policing cyberspace. Over 250 professionals attended the two-day conference on September 24 and 25 at the Europol headquarters in The Hague, said Europol in a statement Wednesday night. Participants from 42 countries, representing over 80 different organisations, came mainly from law enforcement authorities but also included cyber professionals from NGOs, the private industry and academia. Over the two days 50 speakers from a variety of backgrounds examined opportunities for improving cooperation between police cyber departments around the world. "In a borderless cyberspace, criminals actively cooperate by sharing their tools and methods, including how best to hide from police," said Troels Oerting, Head of the European Cybercrime Centre. At the end of the conference, a set of conclusions were agreed upon which included the establishment of a global cyber community consisting of a single virtual environment for all experts and investment in advanced technology to handle large quantities of data. Rob Wainwright, Director of Europol, commented: "Cybercrime is the best example of the globalisation of crime, which is why it is so important that national cybercrime units make use of the services we offer." The annual Europol-Interpol Cybercrime Conference is an innovative joint initiative to be held alternately in The Hague and Singapore, where the new Interpol Global Complex for Innovation (IGCI) complex is currently being built. Executive Director of IGCI, Noboru Nakatani, said "cybercrime is a truly a transnational crime, it requires global solutions based on universal values. No nation, no international organisation, can solve this problem on its own; we need a global alliance to fight cybercrime."