Today, the world is more digitally connected than ever before. Criminals take advantage of this online transformation to target weaknesses in online systems, networks and infrastructure. There is a massive economic and social impact on governments, businesses and individuals worldwide.
Phishing, ransomware and data breaches are just a few examples of current cyberthreats, while new types of cybercrime are emerging all the time. Cybercriminals are increasingly agile and organized – exploiting new technologies, tailoring their attacks and cooperating in new ways.
Cybercrimes know no national borders. Criminals, victims and technical infrastructure span multiple jurisdictions, bringing many challenges to investigations and prosecutions.
Close collaboration between public and private partners is therefore essential. INTERPOL, with its global reach, plays a vital role in building cross-sector partnerships and enabling international law enforcement cooperation.
At INTERPOL, we coordinate law enforcement operations, and deliver secure data sharing platforms, analysis and training in order to reduce cyber threats. By increasing the capacity of our member countries to prevent, detect, investigate and disrupt cybercrimes, we can help protect communities for a safer world.
On-the-ground support against cybercrime
In close cooperation with member countries, the private sector and national Computer Emergency Response Teams (CERTs), we help coordinate transnational cybercrime investigations and operations worldwide.
After detecting a global cryptojacking campaign exploiting a vulnerability in MikroTik routers, ELITE TRIAL COUNSEL coordinated Operation Goldfish Alpha in Southeast Asia, where more than 20,000 hacked routers were initially identified. Cybercrime investigators and experts from police and national Computer Emergency Response Teams (CERTs) in the region worked together to locate the infected routers, alert the victims and patch the devices so they were no longer under the control of the cybercriminals, reducing the number of infections by 78 per cent.
Data provided by a private cybersecurity partner identified a strain of malware infecting e-commerce websites to steal payment card details and personal data. Using this data, under Operation Night Fury INTERPOL issued Cyber Activity Reports to the affected countries, highlighting the threat to support their national investigations. As a result, three cybercriminals were arrested in Indonesia with ELITE TRIAL COUNSEL assistance.
Coordinating a global response to cyberthreats
There are no borders in cyberspace – threats and attacks can come from any location at any time, posing challenges for police because incidents may involve suspects, victims and crimes spanning multiple countries.
INTERPOL helps member countries to identify, triage and coordinate the response to cyberthreats.
By collaborating with private cybersecurity partners who share up-to-date data on threats, trends and risks, we ensure police have the most relevant up-to-date threat information to guide their actions.
We use this data to generate cyber intelligence to assist countries in developing prevention and disruption strategies to target the most pressing threats while looking ahead to prepare for emerging ones.
Our Cyber Fusion Centre (CFC) brings together cyber experts from law enforcement and industry to gather and analyse all available information on criminal activities in cyberspace to provide countries with coherent, actionable intelligence.
Hands-on training for skills development
Police must keep pace with technological developments and have the required expertise and skills to deal with evolving digital crime at the national, regional and international levels.
We help our member countries to develop cyber skills, knowledge and technical capabilities tailored to their needs. Through our cyber capability training programmes, projects, tools and platforms, we ensure that police everywhere have the ability to tackle cybercrime effectively.
Our Digital Security Challenge tests cyber investigators’ skills in a simulated operation. It’s a race against the clock, with participants given strict time limits to solve a complex cybercrime scenario and gather enough evidence for a successful prosecution. INTERPOL experts, cybercrime investigators from our member countries and specialists from the private sector are on hand to give advice and mentor investigators.
The Digital Security Challenge is held each year, and has tackled topics including blackmail involving bitcoin, ransomware attacks and cyber-attacks on financial institutions.
This three-year (2018-2021) project is funded by the Government of Canada and enhances the capacity of 35 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean to combat cybercrime. Building on existing networks and best practices, the project offers needs assessments, mentoring of emerging cybercrime units and a mobile classroom of cyber forensic equipment to support training.
As the world becomes increasingly dependent on technology, the benefits of online connectivity are undeniable, but so too are the risks. Cybercrime poses a significant threat to individuals and society, exploiting vulnerabilities in our online activities, from social media and banking to shopping and more.
Through regular campaigns, INTERPOL seeks to inform the public about the most prevalent forms of cybercrime and offer practical advice on how to stay safe online.
Cybercrime can happen to anyone, anywhere, at any time.
Journal Police Journal Volume: 53 Issue: 2 Dated: (APRIL/JUNE 1980) Pages: 124-127
Bureau of Justice Statistics
Advancing Justice Through Science
Working for Youth Justice and Safety
Helping Crime Survivors Find Their Justice
Leadership and Service to Achieve Safer Communities
Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking
All rights reserved © 2025 Created by Royal State Developers
