Cross-posted with permission from the Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate’s FirstResponder.gov program
Since 2004, the United States has observed National Cyber Security Awareness Month (NCSAM) during the month of October. Sponsored by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in partnership with the National Cyber Security Alliance and the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center, each week of the month-long observation is dedicated to a designated theme. This year’s theme for the week of Oct. 27-31 is Cybercrime and Law Enforcement in an effort to spread awareness of identity theft, fraud, phishing and other crimes.
There have been many advances in technology that give criminals the opportunity to perform well-targeted cyber-attacks that are difficult to detect. Skilled criminals steal valuable and sensitive information, such as credit card and bank account information, social security numbers and other personal information. Cybercrimes can be committed by groups of any size, sometimes working together, or by individuals working alone.
In 2013, the Federal Bureau of Investigation notified thousands of U.S. companies that they had been victims of some form of cyber-related criminal activity. Cybercrimes typically involve a computer or the Internet as the target or instrument of the crime. A victim can be either a person or a business, making it a challenge to identify and enforce cybercrime laws. Theft of information, spamming, cyberbullying, cyberstalking and accessing unauthorized information are all activities that are relatively recent.
State and federal governments are working relentlessly to create and pass legislation and laws that combat the problems of Internet crimes. Enforcing those laws can be tricky because of a number of issues that arise when dealing with online crime. For example, law enforcement officers encounter jurisdiction issues: is it a federal, state or local agency that has to cover the crime? Geographic jurisdiction is an issue as well. Since laws vary by state, law enforcement must decide how to prosecute a perpetrator if they are located in a state where the activity is not against the law, but the affected activity occurs in a state where it is illegal. Law enforcement agencies can only work within their jurisdictions. Revealing the identity of a cybercrime can also be a lengthy and arduous process. In some instances, hackers gain control of a computer in another location and use that computer to commit their crimes. With public Wi-Fi and shared computer spaces, tracking down the identity of an online user becomes increasingly complicated.
In addition to ensuring the public is aware of how to protect themselves from the dangers of cybercrimes, law enforcement agencies also play a significant role in deterring and combatting cybercrimes. The DHS Science and Technology Directorate Cyber Security Division (CSD) supports these agencies by developing new technology to aid in investigations of cybercrime.
For instance, CSD’s Cyber Security Forensics project is developing new cyber forensic analysis tools and investigative techniques for law enforcement officers and forensic examiners to recover evidence from electronic devices such as mobile phones and computer hard drives. For more information visit: https://www.dhs.gov/csd-forensics.
For additional NCSAM resources and information about law enforcement’s role in protecting communities, visit www.dhs.gov.
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