Cybercrime
Cybercrimes such as online child exploitation, identity theft, fraud and hate speech are on the rise. ICCLR’s anti-cybercrime initiatives are centred around existing and future cybercrime treaties including the current negotiations by Member States of the United Nations towards a global treaty to combat the use of information and communications technologies for criminal purposes.
The growing dependency on digital systems, intensified by the global pandemic, has accelerated the rate of cybercrime, posing a major threat to national security, creating distrust in online services and content, and outpacing law enforcement’s ability to counter crimes enabled by cyberspace. As cyberattacks become more common and severe, existing tensions between governments that fall victim to cybercrime and governments complicit in their commission will intensify as cyberthreats widen the division among states. According to the World Economic Forum’s Global Risks Report 2022, merely 2% of international risk mitigation efforts are effective in preventing and responding to cross-border misinformation and cyberattacks, suggesting that considerable global cyber development and assistance is urgently needed.[1]
In response, countries have mobilized to forge a global approach to fight cybercrime. Since 2021, Member States of the United Nations have been negotiating towards the elaboration of a global treaty to combat the use of information and communications technologies for criminal purposes. If a treaty is drafted and accepted, it will help guide national capacity building priorities and facilitate international cooperation against cybercrime. It will also build on the existing international treaty, the Council of Europe’s Convention on Cybercrime (otherwise known as the Budapest Convention), which Canada and other non-European states have ratified.
To translate the existing and future cybercrime treaties into practice, ICCLR delivers technical assistance and policy advice, and remains interested in expanding its provision of anti-cybercrime support in Canada and abroad. ICCLR Associates are subject matter experts in areas like international cooperation, hacking and online terrorism, and gender mainstreaming, among others. Associates have also developed practical tools, conducted research, and facilitated public consultations to inform government decision-making and country-specific implementation reviews. By analyzing cyberthreats and building the capacity of governments to prevent and respond to cybercrimes, we can help protect communities for a safer world.
[1] World Economic Forum. (2022). The Global Risks Report: 17th Edition. Geneva: World Economic Forum. Retrieved from https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_The_Global_Risks_Report_2022.pdf
