The Cybercrime Programme Office of the Council of Europe in cooperation with the International Association of Prosecutors (IAP) and Anti-Corruption Directorate of the Prosecutor General of the Republic of Azerbaijan organised the Regional Cybercrime Conference on 9 - 11 October 2017 in Baku, Azerbaijan. The event gathered 93 participants from Albania, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Iran, Moldova, Montenegro, Serbia, “the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia”, Turkey and Ukraine.

Participants had the chance to discuss and share experience on cybercrime, electronic evidence, investigations on the Darknet, virtual/crypto currencies, online money laundering, the fight against corruption, digital forensics, international cooperation, capacity building on cybercrime of the Council of Europe and the International Association of Prosecutors projects. These led to the adoption of a number of key messages.

Key messages from the conference:

• Cybercrime attacks have grown and become a global threat. 2017 has seen, among others, rampant ransomware attacks, hacking and DDoS attacks with the use of Internet of Things aimed at critical infrastructure. Online fraud, hate speech and terrorist misuse of information technologies are now a daily occurrence. The Cybercrime Convention of the Council of Europe is therefore even more relevant not only as a guideline for domestic legislation and a basis for international cooperation, but also as a catalyst for global capacity building and a framework for multi-stakeholder cooperation.
• Capacity building in the form of training and conferences such as this one remain one of the most effective ways to help societies address the challenges of cybercrime and electronic evidence. Multi-stakeholder capacity building such as the holding of this event by the International Association of Prosecutors, Government of Azerbaijan and the Council of Europe is to be encouraged.
• Online money laundering is a major problem and prosecutors and police officers should work with Financial Investigation Units (FIU) and pursue the follow-the-money solution to online crime.
• Virtual currencies continue to gain traction with several currencies already being established on the Darknet markets. Knowledge and skills on how to investigate, trace and seize virtual currencies in the law enforcement community should be enhanced.
• Proper and efficient investigation of cybercrime and other offences involving electronic evidence is not possible without structured approach to digital forensics as a science. The guidance by the Council of Europe documents on electronic evidence and digital forensics should be used as a blueprint for management of investigative process and performing forensic examinations.
• In terms of international cooperation, the cybercrime remains the most transnational crime of all possible offences and thus requires coordinated international response. The Budapest Convention on Cybercrime remains so far the most relevant legal standard on international cooperation on cybercrime and electronic evidence, and further work by T-CY on improvement of current standards and practice is noted. The gaps between the police-to-police cooperation via 24/7 points of contact or other networks, on the hand, and the mutual legal assistance process, on the other, should be addressed. Best practices need to be examined and relied upon in cooperation with multinational service providers.
• The use of information technology for criminal purposes is nowadays prevalent in the offences of money laundering and corruption. Therefore, the context of cybercrime and electronic evidence is very important in successful investigation of such crimes.

• Agenda
• iPROCEEDS/EAP II projects website