Letter: Curbing the cyber-crime

Mon, 11/30/2009 2:19 PM  |  Reader's Forum

Since the invention of Internet in 1960s by National Science Foundation of the US , Internet usage as a global system of interconnected computers that becomes well known worldwide. Billions of users use the system via standard Internet Protocol Suite (IP). This advance technology creates five big groups of the peoples involved in these Internet related businesses:

Firstly, the groups of those who provide the hardware, webs, lines, connections of the computers. Secondly, the groups of those who provide software of the computers among others are Microsoft, Sony, Apple, Google, Yahoo etc.

Third, the groups of those who use computers for wellbeing of mankind by using Internet as a tools of human interactions. The fourth, the groups of those who use computers for self benefit by manipulating programs, creating programs, stealing and leaking important information or infiltrating unlawfully of systems that cause interruptions, obstacles, destruction and loss and changes of data of the intended targets. The fifth, the groups of the peoples who try to protect all the bad impact of unlawfully activities by creating measures, software and systems and cooperation in combating such activities.

The Association of the Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has created interconnected measures and formed cooperation among Law Enforcement agencies on combating this new trends of Internet related crimes.

Bandung, again hosted an important meeting called "The ASEAN Workshop on Enhancing Cyber Crime Investigation Capacity of ASEAN Law Enforcement Agencies" on Nov. 5 - 6 at Hotel Grand Preanger.

The meeting was attended by nine ASEAN member countries, Internet experts, Interpol representativews and observers from several countries. That meeting intended to enhance co-operation, share information, exchange of experiences and overview of current situation of cyber crime threats in Southeast Asia also map out of problems faced by law enforcement agencies.

Brigadier General Halba Rubis Nugroho, Chief of Interpol Indonesia , who opened the meeting on behalf of Chief of CID of Polri as Indonesian SOMTC Leader , stated that cyber related crimes are trans border crimes that include a very wide range of related fields such as terrorism, e-commerce or e-banking crimes, drugs and dangerous substances crimes, trafficking in persons, etc and influence us excessively as modern human beings.

Toshihiko Kamon, criminal Intelligence officer from Interpol Lyon, stated that exercising international cooperation on combating cyber crimes needs several approaches by law enforcement agencies from the member countries among others; providing secure global police communication services, enhancing operational data services and data bases for police, improving operational police services and improving the capacity and skills of the police by training and guided exercises.

The meeting also revealed international cyber crime strategy focus on five areas. Those areas are; first in computer forensics, analysis of evidence and online investigations; second in computer training, capacity building and in-house supports; third in cyber domain situational awareness; fourth, build to public private partnership reviews and fifth evaluate technology impact on law enforcement.

Since the criminals always put themselves one step ahead of law enforcer officers , the question arises, reflecting our hopes as Indonesians, "Do we prepare enough for these crimes ? "Prevention is always much better than cure .

Sulistyo Pudjo H.
Bandung

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