news
#03 2014 Make a difference
Christian Berg, NetClean and Guillermo Galarza, ICMEC.
”Find the stars and make them align” International teamwork is essential when it comes to fighting child sexual abuse, usually through official collaborations. However, as it is often the same people meeting at conferences and training events around the world, personal contacts and unofficial networks also play an important part in the solution. Through informal teamwork, individuals
from law enforcement, NGOs and industry cooperate across borders and exchange knowledge, information and best practices, as an effective complement to official partnerships. In some cases the informal networks lead to formal collaborations, such as the cooperation between NetClean and ICMEC (The International Centre for Missing and Exploited Children). “When it comes to cross-border crime, we need to cooperate and figure out who has jurisdiction“ says Guillermo Galarza, Director of Law enforcement Training and Technology at ICMEC.
Criminals constantly find new ways to use new technology. Mobile Internet and social media, for example, present new challenges for those fighting child sexual abuse.
“Some countries don’t even have a child protection unit“ Guillermo Galarza says. But there has been progress. A survey conducted by ICMEC in 2006, covering 194 countries, showed that most of them had no or insufficient legislation regarding child sexual abuse at that time. “Now, eight years later, many countries have passed new laws“ Guillermo Galarza says. He was recently in Jordan, for round table discussions with industry (including Netclean), NGOs and law enforcement. As a direct result a cybercrime unit will be set up next year. There was another meeting in Madrid in April last year, attended by Queen Sofia of Spain, adding an extra spotlight on the matter of child sexual abuse. The Financial Coalition, an international network of financial companies, is very involved in the community and working on solutions for reporting transactions that involve child sexual abuse to law enforcement authorities. Guillermo Galarza is optimistic and looking forward to making the community even better next year. “You need to find the star in each country. When the stars align, great things will happen. That is when we gather momentum.”
Police forces coordinated in the same system
Content
➤ The United Kingdom is investing heavily to streamline police work involving Child sexual abuse images (CSAI) crime and child sexual abuse.
➤ CGI and NetClean start collaboration
➤ ”To install the software is to make the transition from words to action”
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CHRISTIAN BERG, Ceo:
It’s a global movement 2014 was a year of massive international investigations into child sexual abuse and recognition that to tackle this crime online, our approach needs to be borderless. Child sexual abuse can be committed anywhere online and the jurisdiction for this crime is often unclear. Furthermore, different countries display different attitudes to international investigations and arrests. Despite the complexities of national laws and law enforcement, we are seeing stronger efforts to collaborate on investigations and to share information. Over the last year we’ve seen use of our digital media forensic suite for law enforcement (Analyze DI) and our URL-blocking tool (WhiteBox) spread across the world. Mauritius, Colombia and New Zealand are just a few of the 30 countries where Analyze is in use and now 20 countries are blocking child sexual abuse content at an ISP level with WhiteBox. In 2015 this international approach will gather further pace but we will see new complexities including international relations, changing global laws and the emergence of new technologies. These will present new challenges to law enforcement investigating international crime rings. In this uncertain world, information sharing will be more important than ever. The internet is both our strongest tool and our biggest threat when it comes to tackling international crime.
The United Kingdom cracks down
– police forces coordinated in the same system The United Kingdom is investing heavily to streamline police work involving Child sexual abuse images (CSAI) crime and child sexual abuse. All the country’s police forces are being coordinated in a common IT solution, and central to this is a national database based on NetClean’s technology.
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HE Child Abuse Image Database, (CAID) stores all images, films and information from child abuse image investigations around the country which are then made available to the 46 police forces. ”Such a comprehensive collaboration at national level is quite unique”, says Anna Borgström, sales manager at NetClean. The Home Office is responsible for the project and the main supplier is L-3 ASA. NetClean and the company Hubstream are responsible for the technology and expertise surrounding the management of images, video and information in the solution, but also for the analysis of the material and the interface with the users. IMPLEMENTATION of the system starts in December and it will then be rolled out over
two years. Previously, local police forces mostly worked independently but now they can cooperate across borders and become more efficient. ”The police can avoid the time-consuming duplication of work. By collating the material centrally, investigators do not need to review already reviewed information. With better collaboration, more vulnerable children can be saved”, says Johann Hofmann, product manager at NetClean Analyze. New material with ongoing abuse can be identified much earlier and with the technical
CGI and NetClean In the Autumn, NetClean starts a new collaboration with IT consultancy firm CGI, who currently offer their customers services surrounding NetClean ProActive. The collaboration reinforces CGI’s offerings within the workplace and security sector, it is also a way of benefiting society. greater social responsibility, demonstrating that we want to help. It is a concrete way for us to do something”, says Joakim Carlsson, head of development within the area of Future workplace at CGI. Of course it also provides new business opportunities. CGI sees that the customers need help to protect themselves from CSAI being downloaded on employee computers. He believes that CGI can contribute to increasing awareness and highlight that there is a social problem that actually exists in organizations and companies.
”WE ARE taking
Christian Berg, CEO NetClean
”Child sexual abuse affects everyone but few know what they can do about it”, he says. WEB FILTERS AND POLICIES provide some protection, but it is possible to take a major leap forward and actually prevent this type of material from being spread”, he stresses. ”Being socially responsible in this manner is something to be proud of. It reinforces the company’s ethical stance and shows that they are actually doing something, that they are standing up for it and dare to speak out. NetClean’s product is technically simple to
”With better collaboration, more vulnerable children can be saved”
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The analysis of digital evidence is creating a paradigm shift in crime investigations Johann Hofmann Product Manager and Law Enforcement Liaison
Anna Borgström, sales manager NetClean.
collaboration platform, local investigators can ensure that the material ends up in the right hands quickly. Streamlining the work also makes it easier to collaborate internationally via Interpol. investment is being followed by many countries and interest is great. ”We know that the Home Office have their eyes open and once the solution is rolled out I believe we will see very positive effects”, says Anna Borgström. THE United Kingdom’s
Johann Hofmann, product manager NetClean.
This is a prestigious assignment for NetClean, which shows that the company is a player to be reckoned with in this context and gives the opportunity to be included when more countries want to follow suit”, states Johann Hofmann. ”This is a great opportunity to show what our technology can do. ”To have the responsibility of supplying a complete solution nationally and really getting to make a difference is what we have dreamt of ”.
start collaboration install, the worry often comes in integrating it into the organization. This is where CGI can support the company in creating a dialogue and gaining acceptance. ”This is something that not only affects IT but also many parts of the organization, and we take this into consideration when we package related services for NetClean ProActive.
of being in many countries and being able to help onsite.
is much left to do within the area, the attitude within Sweden and many other countries has changed”, states Joakim Carlsson. ”5–10 years ago, most companies wanted to put a lid on CSAI if they were discovered Joakim Carlsson, THE NEXT step is to get the on an employee’s computer. head of development at CGI processes in place. What hapToday, more and more realize pens in the event of an alarm? that they can actually prevent What does the law state? the IT equipment from being used for this purpose. And it is very important that more people ”It is important that it is clear what must be done. We can assist with gathering technical contribute and help the authorities and police evidence, but also ensure that legal processes to prevent and solve these crimes”. are followed correctly. We have the advantage EVEN IF THERE
➤ The newsletter moves to the blog DURING 2015, NetClean’s newsletter will move to the blog. This means that news and information that was previously sent out in the newsletter will now be presented on NetClean’s blog. ”We want a closer and deeper dialogue with our interested parties, which is why we are making this change”, says Fredrik Frejme, marketing manager at NetClean. Previously the newsletter was sent out to customers and partners four times a year. The future ambition is to post news and articles every other week. ”The blog will allow readers to read about trends and NetClean’s reflections as well as those of partners from our global network.” The blog can be found at: http://blog.netclean.com
Sender: NetClean Technologies Sweden AB Första Långgatan 30 413 27 Göteborg Sweden
”To install the software is to make the transition from words to action”
Hacer Özdemir, Global Sales NetClean.
The work involved in combating CSAI requires commitment. ”To sell NetClean’s products involves creating an understanding of the problem and the importance of company action”, says Hacer Özdemir.
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vast experience from the finance, travel and telecoms industries before coming to NetClean. ”NetClean ProActive can be likened to an insurance policy that one can take out to protect oneself. In this case, to protect against illegal material, which sexual abuse images of children actually are”, explains Hacer Özdemir. ”To install the software is to make the transition from words to action”, says Hacer Özdemir. A first meeting is usually relatively easy to get when CSAI is involved. But the sale is complex and the purchase must be embedded throughout the entire organization. ”The hard part is the customer’s perceived risk in relation to their investment in the purchase, implementation and use of NetClean ProActive. Decisions are often made at group level. As a seller you have ACER HAS
NetClean Technologies Sweden AB Första Långgatan 30 413 27 Göteborg Sweden
Tel: +46 31-719 08 00 Fax: +46 31-13 89 50 info@netclean.com
to be careful to not just sell the solution to the decision makers, but also to those who have influence on the decision makers. COUNTER ARGUMENTS from potential customers usually include ”we have all the protection we need” or ”we don’t have any CSAI”. The company can also make other priorities, but it’s usually a sign that the reporting surrounding this type of problem has not reached everyone”, explains Hacer Özdemir. ”The company is a mirror of society, and the larger the organization, the greater the risk. It is usually not enough to have firewalls and traditional security systems. With NetClean ProActive we look at the actual content regardless of source. We can see, for example, if someone has brought CSAI on a USB stick - that’s where most discoveries occur. That is the way it usually happens. Someone surfs the internet outside the company’s network and takes the material to work on an external drive,” she explains. After installation the customers are usually proud, and employees are positive to the fact that the organization has taken a stand”.