Police Reform

Conference “Combating Cyber Crime Threats” was conducted in Dushanbe

Based on the request of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Tajikistan and the OSCE mandate, the OSCE Office in Tajikistan, with the financial support of the OSCE Secretariat in Vienna, organized a conference on "Combating Cyber Crime Threats" for the law enforcement officers, the Internet providers and mobile operators from 2 to 3 July 2013.

Experts from the UNODC, Europol, Transnational Threats Department of the OSCE Secretariat, Turkish National Police, as well as representatives of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia and Kazakhstan also attended the conference.

During the conference, participants discussed various aspects of the fight against cyber crime, including hacking computer systems (attacks against individual computers, government and corporate websites by spreading the viruses (including Trojan horses), infected worms and hacker attacks, such as denial of service, advertising, locking up your computer for the removal of which is offered to send premium SMS, or any other kind of fees and other malicious software, traditional crimes that incorporate online elements (human being and drug trafficking), online fraud (identity theft and financial fraud), online child sexual abuse, etc.
In his opening speech, the Minister of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Tajikistan Ramazon Rahimov noted that "for the last time, various aspects of information security became more topical, and it is related to the fact that humanity has received one more field for crime by using internet. Secondly, a rapid development of information technology in Tajikistan affects the activity of "traditional" organized crime. Thus, the terrorist groups, arms dealers, drugs and human traffickers, money laundering, computer criminals do find vulnerabilities in the new communication technologies and use them for their personal purposes. "

"We have already experienced the actions of cyber terrorists who are online disseminating extremist ideology, conduct a large-scale recruitment and training for fighters of international terrorist organizations, having joined their ranks, in most cases, at the expense of the unconscious youth. They stop at nothing to achieve their goals, calling on their supporters to mass illegal actions, up to the violent overthrowing of the legitimate government," - said Rakhimov.

According to the Minister, it is not less dangerous to use computer technology for committing the economic crimes in Tajikistan, as all over the world, but first of all, unauthorized access and fraud.

"According to Kaspersky Lab's experts, Tajikistan was among the ten countries, most affected by cyber espionage network, dubbed – Net Traveler. Therefore, I can afford to paraphrase the words of the Secretary of US Department of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano, saying that cyber crime - is the greatest threat after Al-Qaeda's activities and groups related to it, "- emphasized the Minister.

As it was noted at the meeting, the cyber crime, particularly illegal entry into computers, interception of private communications, DoS-attacks, identity theft (embezzlement) and fraud, child sexual exploitation - all these crimes jeopardize human rights everywhere in the world, and Tajikistan is not an exception.

Bearing this in mind, the Minister of Internal Affairs informed that Tajikistan is considering an issue of accession to the Budapest Convention on Cyber Crime, which is currently the only recognized international agreement containing recommendations for the respect of freedom, security and human rights online. The MIA will also propose to develop a National Cyber Security Strategy, and will create a Center for Combating Cyber Crime within the Ministry. The Head of the Political-Military Department of the OSCE Office in Tajikistan Mr. Alistair Livingston and the Head of the Strategic Police Matters Unit of the OSCE Secretariat Mr. Marco Kubny, who made welcome speeches noted that the recent IT related crimes are widely spread in the world and include the spread of both malicious viruses, passwords hacking, stealing of credit card numbers and other bank details (fishing) and illegal information (slander, pornographic stuff, materials that incite ethnic and religious hatred, etc.) through Internet and public facilities. Moreover, according to them, one of the most dangerous and widespread crimes committed online, is a scam.

Mr Livingston stressed that the OSCE Office in accordance with the OSCE mandate always supported the police reform in Tajikistan, therefore, will also support the establishment of the Centre for Combating Cyber Crime in the MIA of Tajikistan.

International experts, who made speeches at the conference, expressed confidence that accession of Tajikistan to the Convention will strengthen international cooperation for investigation and prosecution of crimes, committed in the online space and enhance collaboration between public and private entities.

The recommendations to the government and private sector in Tajikistan to intensify the struggle in the field of information security were concluded on the results of the conference.