Cybercrime Frontline Blog articles

Cybercrime: A Shocking Picture of the Problem

Adam_Palmer — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 13:00:00 GMT

Cybercrime costs $388 billion dollars in annual losses globally and it affected almost 7 in 10 adults last year.

Making cybercrime pay (for the police)

Adam_Palmer — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 17:03:05 GMT

Cybercriminals paying for police training and technology. A success story that truly highlights the power of smart local police work.

Is mobile based cybercrime still a crime?

Adam_Palmer — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 15:24:33 GMT

This might seem like a simple question, but it is actually a fairly common question. Some persons define cybercrime broadly to include any crime committed using a digital device. The more common question I receive is whether the broad range of new devices, like tablets and smart phones, are included within the current legal framework.

Help Wanted: Cybersecurity Professionals

Adam_Palmer — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 19:47:25 GMT

I recently had the chance to sit down with administrators at a large U.S. university and talk about the need for more cybersecurity professionals. Companies are increasingly frustrated when looking for security professionals to hire. There is a limited supply of qualified persons able to work on complex cybersecurity issues. As I learned this week, in some cases, there are also limited civilian programs to help train qualified security experts. Overcoming this challenge is critical to building a secure future in cyberspace.

A Win for the Prosecutors!

Adam_Palmer — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 14:12:57 GMT

This blog was originally created not only to raise awareness of cybersecurity issues, but also to highlight the great work that law enforcement is doing to fight cybercrime. Two weeks ago I highlighted an investigation success with the arrest of almost 100 suspected cybercriminals in Romania. This week I want to highlight the role of prosecutors in achieving a strong sentence in a recent cybercrime case.

Cybersecurity: A Local Solution

Adam_Palmer — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 08:52:21 GMT

Discussion of cybersecurity is often focused at the national or global level. However, there are some important initiatives occurring right here in the U.S. at the state and local level. This past week, I had the unique opportunity to learn more about a program in Texas to improve cybersecurity at the local city level.

Success in Romania shows power of global cooperation against cybercrime

Adam_Palmer — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 14:00:00 GMT

Last week brought good news in the fight against cybercrime with the report of more than 100 arrests of cybercriminal suspects in the U.S. and Romania. Often in this blog space, I discuss the importance of global cooperation. The arrests last week illustrate the power of effective cooperation. These arrests resulted from the close cooperation between Romanian law enforcement and U.S. law enforcement. This investigation is a great tribute to the dedication and professionalism of the law enforcement involved in this case. It is also a reminder that cybercriminals utilize global networks to target victims in every country.

A Cybercrime Prosecutors Top 5 Concerns

Adam_Palmer — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 08:00:00 GMT

Once a cybercriminal is caught, then how is the criminal brought to justice in the court system? The answer to this question depends a lot on the country in which a case is brought and the type of crime. There are, however, a few challenges that every cybercrime prosecutor faces in nearly every case.

The Police View of Cybercrime

Adam_Palmer — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 20:50:19 GMT

This past week I attended a cybercrime investigator conference in Madrid, Spain that brought together global law enforcement. The conference provided a good opportunity to listen to the views on cybercrime of different country’s law enforcement.

New Internet Domains: A Security Perspective

Adam_Palmer — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 22:55:03 GMT

Recent media headlines have focused on the dramatic expansion of new Internet “generic top level domain names” or “gTLD”. gTLD domain names are the names to the “right of the dot” in Internet addresses (for example: .com). These will now be joined by many other new name domain extensions. While most news stories have focused on the impact of this change on business and technology, the effect of these new domain names on security is also very important to understand.

Prosecutor View of Cybercrime

Adam_Palmer — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 15:56:22 GMT

This past week the Norton Cybersecurity Institute sponsored a state prosecutor’s conference in the United States. To effectively stop cybercrime we need more capable prosecutors and continued opportunities to train those who are still developing their skills.

The importance of Security for every Internet User

Adam_Palmer — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 03:20:50 GMT

The individual Internet user needs to follow good security practices not only for their own protection, but because of the critically important contribution that each individual makes to the security of the entire Internet eco-system.

The Emotional Impact of Cybercrime

Adam_Palmer — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 09:00:00 GMT

This week I participated in a panel focused on cybercrime. This panel of experts included investigators, prosecutors, and nonprofit groups. One of the panelists described the personal shame felt by a cybercrime victim who risked having her personal information disclosed by a hacker. The hacker threatened to disclose the victims personal photos in a way that caused her personal embarrassment. In this case, the victim suffered a significant emotional impact and not just a financial loss. This is a powerful example of how cybercrime can have a significant impact beyond even just financial losses.

Ending “Stovepipe” Cybersecurity

Adam_Palmer — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 20:57:53 GMT

This week I participated in a conference in Colorado that focused on improving cooperation to improve cybersecurity. The issue most frequently discussed during the meeting was how to end the so called “stovepipe” approach to cybersecurity. The “stovepipe” problem refers to the harmful tendency of different groups to create separate security solutions. Each group creates its own “stovepipe” of security solutions. This approach results in each group “re-inventing the wheel” and not sharing expertise. It is costly, unproductive, and not an effective solution to improving security.

Conficker: A model for improved collaboration?

Adam_Palmer — Thu, 26 May 2011 13:13:35 GMT

Better collaboration between law enforcement, industry, and the Internet community is critical to improving cybersecurity. This week I attended a conference that brought together leading investigators and industry staff to discuss strategy for fighting cybercrime. One of the major issues discussed was improving collaboration. This remains an ongoing challenge to understanding cyber threats and creating effective responses.

The Human Element in Cybercrime Cases

Adam_Palmer — Wed, 18 May 2011 20:26:31 GMT

The most difficult challenge for law enforcement in many cybercrime cases is “putting a suspect at the keyboard”. Recent news stories have highlighted law enforcement’s frustration with the lack of focus on the human elements of cybercrime. Too often cybercrime is framed as a purely technical challenge. The fact that real human criminals are behind these schemes can be forgotten. A specific individual must be identified to make an arrest and charge a crime.

Cybercrime: “Defining” the Solution

Adam_Palmer — Wed, 11 May 2011 09:00:00 GMT

To succeed in fighting cybercrime we must first properly define the problem. This requires identifying when there is a law enforcement capacity issue distinct from a military issue. The solution, in many cases, is continuing to support increased law enforcement capability to successfully find and prosecute cybercriminals.

The Norton Cybersecurity Institute

Adam_Palmer — Wed, 04 May 2011 12:00:00 GMT

Today marked the launch of the Norton Cybersecurity Institute, a collaboration between law enforcement, consumer safety groups and security leader Norton. The Norton Cybersecurity Institute is a global initiative to support and win the fight against cybercrime by providing law enforcement with training, technical expertise, and improved global cooperation.

The Cybercrime “Arms Race”

Adam_Palmer — Wed, 27 Apr 2011 09:23:00 GMT

The increasing sophistication and complexity of cybercriminal tools, like SpyEye, means that law enforcement needs to quickly adapt to the latest threats and tools created by cybercriminals.

A Battle is Won!

Adam_Palmer — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 15:25:32 GMT

Last week, the U.S. Department of Justice announced “the most complete and comprehensive enforcement action ever taken by U.S authorities to disable an international botnet.” Norton applauds the Department of Justice and the FBI for taking aggressive action against a known malicious cyber threat.