Vladimir Golubev
www.crime-research.org

New forms of the information exchange and arrangement of the interaction
in fighting against transnational computer crimes

Like many revolutionary technologies-computer ones possess a huge potential both to facilitate progress and to be abused. Network attacks, swindle, computer piracy, electronic espionage, distribution of child pornography, plunder of money from banking accounts are only some crimes committed by using computer systems. Special concern is caused by the transnational computer crimes committed through the global Internet.

Hundred thousand attempts of the unlawful interference with the banking, military and corporate computer systems are fixed every year. Such crimes can result in considerable disasters - ecological, transport, power and so on.

Computer crimes are of an international character and they are extended depending on the up-to date computer technologies, networks and telecommunication to be developed, introduced and accessed.

The thorough analysis of the national legislation, which regulate social information relations in Ukraine, allow to state that our country, side by side with the actions of promoting the development of infrastructure on the basis of the newest technologies, takes necessary measures as to counteracting computer crimes. Articles 361, 362, 363 of Section 16 “Crimes in the field of using computers, electronic systems and networks” from the new Criminal Code of Ukraine, which has been accepted recently, can prove it. At the same time there are some more problems, which has not been, settled by the current legislation. Imperfection of applying a conceptual mechanism in the current legislation does not give an opportunity to oppose effectively offences committed in the field of computer technologies.

The problem of carrying out research works to develop modern techniques of detecting and investigating both traditional and new crimes, which are committed by using global information network and, first of all, Internet, remains to be especially actual.

Hence Computer Crime Research Center will pursue a state policy of resisting computer crimes and introducing preventive actions to ensure the leadership of rights and normal work of the democratic institutes of our society.

“Center” is mainly aimed to arrange the information exchange and search of effective methods of fighting against computer technology crimes; increase the information security in Ukraine on the basis of perfecting the legal protection of the computer system information; improve the ways of warning and investigating computer crimes; draw the wide circle of scientists and public representatives in fighting against computer crimes committed by using computer technologies.

The specified purpose provides setting and fulfilling the following tasks: carrying out complex joint research of criminal-legal and criminology –criminalistics problems of computer technology crimes to render assistance to legislators, scientists, law enforcement bodies, state and commercial organization, public representatives;

· Holding http://www.crime-research.org/ practical seminars on problems of fighting against computer crimes.

· Arranging the international exchange of the experience in fighting against computer crimes with the similar centers set up in Europe and the USA.

· Publicity – holding forums with mass media, law enforcement body, criminology, business and public representatives.

· Following a policy of counteracting the underworld computer crimes, working out and implementing preventive measures (techniques and recommendations) to assure the command of rights, normal work of democratic institutes and respect of person’s rights and freedoms;

· Training students and practical workers to fight against the specified crimes under special conditions, submitting the information on closely related fields of knowledge and activity in warning and investigating computer crimes.

The problem of fighting against computer crimes remains to be actual ones both in Ukraine and beyond its borders. In spite of the fact that computer technology crimes are rather a new form of offenses, there is a steady trend towards their increase both in quality and quantity indexes. From the sociological and criminological point of view these crimes are very dangerous and so it is necessary to warn them, make alterations and supplements to the current legislation, which would create conditions to minimize crimes in this field.

While critically assessing the state of theory and practice of warning and investigating computer crimes, it is necessary to recognize that as a whole these phenomena have not been studied to a great extend yet.

Protection of the government and commercial information communication and telecommunication systems, computer networks does not correspond to the international norms.

In conclusion it is necessary to emphasize that computer crimes get more and more transnational, organized and group character. While applying the global information network of Internet, such crimes are borderless. They can be committed even indoors by using a computer system within a country against subjects form another one, and the information stored in the computer systems can be short-lived, that frequently enables a criminal to avoid punishment.

Taking it into consideration I can say that one of the priority tasks of fighting against cybercrimes is to use new forms of the information exchange, arrange the interaction in fighting against transnational computer crimes, consolidate forces of the law enforcement agencies and hold practical seminars and conferences in order to combine efforts of scientists and practical workers from all over the world.