INTERPOL Plans to Curb Cybercrime in 49 African Countries
UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab commented on the situation at the CYBERUK conference in London saying, “We are working with like-minded partners, to make sure that the international order that governs cyber activity is fit for purpose.
“Our aim should be to create cyberspace that is free, open, peaceful, and secure, which benefits all countries and all people. We want to see international law respected in cyberspace, just like anywhere else. And we need to show how the rules apply to these changes in technology, the changes in threats, and the systemic attempts to render the internet a lawless space.”
UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab
A 2017 assessment coordinated by INTERPOL with partners and member countries in Africa found that each act of Internet fraud targeting businesses enabled cybercriminals to steal an average of USD 2.7 million from companies and USD 422,000 from individuals.
“With more than 4.5 billion people online, more than half of humanity is at risk of falling victim to cybercrime at any time, requiring a unified and strong response. The UK’s support for INTERPOL’s cyber initiative in Africa underlines its commitment to this fight and will be an important piece of the global security architecture to combat cybercrime.”
Jürgen Stock, INTERPOL Secretary General
The project will help take into account the level of cybercrimes as they plan to publish an annual threat landscape assessment that will help pinpoint criminal operations for the future.