The CyberSouth+ project, a joint initiative of the European Union and the Council of Europe, together with CEPOL, through the EUROMED Police project, organised a joint cybercrime simulation aimed at strengthening inter-agency and international co-operation in the MENA region.
The exercise, held at CEPOL’s headquarters, brought together representatives of law enforcement authorities, prosecutors, CERTs and financial intelligence units from partner countries in the Southern Mediterranean region. Over the course of three days, the participants have worked in cross-country teams to investigate a scenario that required following the electronic evidence, as well as the financial flows behind it.
International co-operation was a central challenge throughout the exercise, with the Convention on Cybercrime (Budapest Convention) serving as the reference framework for lawful and effective cross-border access to electronic evidence. Working in cross-country teams also gave the participants an opportunity to learn from one another, sharing approaches and operational experience from their respective jurisdictions.
The CyberSouth+ project will continue to support its partner countries in strengthening regional and international co-operation on cybercrime and electronic evidence.
Convention on Cybercrime (Budapest Convention)
CEPOL news: Cybercrime simulation strengthens cross-border co-operation in the MENA region