ITU-D ICT Applications and Cybersecurity (CYB): Legislation and Enforcement

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Legislation and Enforcement

An integral component of any national cybersecurity strategy is the adoption of appropriate legislation against the misuse of ICTs for criminal or other purposes, including activities intended to affect the integrity of national critical information infrastructures. As threats can originate anywhere around the globe, the challenges are inherently international in scope and it is desirable to harmonize legislative norms as much as possible to facilitate regional and international cooperation. Links to some related activities and resources can be found below.

ITU Cybercrime Legislation Resources

ITU Toolkit for Cybercrime Legislation

DOWNLOAD the ITU Toolkit for Cybercrime Legislation

The ITU Toolkit for Cybercrime Legislation has been released in May 2009 as part of ITU's dedicated cybercrime legislation resources

ITU Publication on Understanding Cybercrime

DOWNLOAD the ITU Publication Understanding Cybercrime: A Guide for Developing Countries

The ITU publication titled Understanding Cybercrime: A Guide for Developing Countries has been released in May 2009 as part of ITU's dedicated cybercrime legislation resources
Background Information on the Project

ITU Cybercrime Legislation Resources

The purpose of ITU's dedicated Cybercrime Legislation Resources is to assist countries in understanding the legal aspects of cybersecurity and to help harmonize legal frameworks. It addresses the first of the seven strategic goals of the ITU Global Cybersecurity Agenda (GCA), which calls for the elaboration of strategies for the development of cybercrime legislation that is globally applicable and interoperable with existing national and regional legislative measures.

The adoption by all countries of appropriate legislation against the misuse of information and communication technologies for criminal or other purposes, including activities intended to affect the integrity of national critical information infrastructures, is central to achieving global cybersecurity. Since threats can originate anywhere around the globe, the challenges are inherently international in scope and require international cooperation, investigative assistance, and common substantive and procedural provisions. Thus, it is important that countries harmonize their legal frameworks to combat cybercrime and facilitate international cooperation. The ITU Cybercrime Legislation Resources include two separate components: a publication on Understanding Cybercrime: A Guide for Developing Countries and a Toolkit for Cybercrime Legislation. More information on the ITU Cybercrime Legislation Resources can be found here.

DOWNLOAD the ITU Toolkit for Cybercrime Legislation (Available for download now!)

DOWNLOAD the ITU Publication Understanding Cybercrime: A Guide for Developing Countries (Available for download now!)

Useful Background Resources for Developing Cybercrime Legislation

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UN Cybercrime Legislation and Enforcement Specific Resolutions

UN Resolutions 55/63 (2000) and 56/121 (2001): Combating the Criminal Misuse of Information Technologies
UN Resolutions 57/239 (2002) and 58/199 (2004): Creation of a global culture of cybersecurity and the protection of critical information infrastructures

Other Related Resources for Cybercrime Legislation and Enforcement

CoE Project on Cybercrime Study on Cooperation Between Law Enforcement and Internet Service Providers Against Cybercrime: Towards Common Guidelines, Cormac Callanan and Marco Gercke, June 2008
CoE Project on Cybercrime Discussion Paper on National Legislation Implementing the Convention on Cybercrime – Comparative Analysis and Good Practice, by Lorenzo Picotti and Ivan Salvadori, August 2008
OSCE/ODIHR Comments on Legislative Treatment of Cyberterror in the Domestic Law of Individual States, March 2005
The Legal Framework – Unauthorized Access to Computer System: Penal Legislation in 44 Countries, Stein Schjolberg, April 2003
United States DoJ CCIPS: Collected Resources Related to the International Aspects of Computer Crime
CoE Project on Cybercrime Discussion Paper on Cybercrime and Internet Jurisdiction, Henrik Kaspersen, Draft March 2009
Discussion Paper on the Jurisdictional Aspects on Cloud Computing, Cristos Velascos, February 2009

[!Send us an e-mail to propose new possible resources!]

Regional Workshops and Capacity Building Activities Related to Cybercrime Legislation and Enforcement
In order to increase awareness among ITU Member States on the importance of cybercrime legislation and law enforcement, a number of regional capacity building activities and workshops on cybercrime legislation and enforcement are currently being planned. Partnerships with the Council of Europe, UNODC, Interpol, National Departments of Justice, etc. have been established to aid in the implementation of these and related activities. [See more information...]
ITU Publication on Understanding Cybercrime: A Guide for Developing Countries
As cyber-threats can originate anywhere around the globe, the challenges are inherently international in scope and it is desirable to harmonize legislative norms as much as possible to facilitate regional and international cooperation. To assist countries in understanding the links between cybersecurity, the building of confidence and security in the use of ICTs, and cybercrime, ITU has developed, and is in the process of developing, a number of tools. One such tool, which ITU has developed together with an expert, is the ITU publication titled “Understanding Cybercrime: A Guide for Developing Countries”. The Guide can serve to help developing countries better understand the implications related to the growing cyber-threats and assist in the assessment of the current legal framework and in the establishment of a sound legal foundation, if this does not yet exist. The publication was released in May 2009. [See more information...]
ITU Toolkit for Cybercrime Legislation
ITU, together with partners, is developing a practical ITU Toolkit for Cybercrime Legislation. The Toolkit aims to provide countries with practical instruments to conceptualize and implement a legal foundation and establish a legislative framework to criminalize the misuse of ICTs. As such, the Toolkit can provide countries with assistance in the establishment of a legislative framework to deter cybercrime. The Toolkit was released in May 2009. Countries interested in learning more about these ongoing cybersecurity related initiatives and possible assistance in this regard can contact ITU at cybmail(at)itu.int. [See more information...]

The ICT Regulation Toolkit is a live resource for policy-makers, regulators, the telecom industry, and consumers. It provides a global overview of how telecom policy is best implemented with practical materials highlighting experience and results.

The Toolkit Modules are: