How has the ENM's International Department decided to tackle the issue of cybercrime?

Ingrid Derveaux, Subdirector in charge of the International Department at the ENM "The International Department has gradually become more and more involved in judicial training concerning cybercrime. We have already been offering one-off training sessions on this topic to certain partner countries for a long time. The aim, in fact, is to facilitate cooperation with foreign judges, prosecutors and investigators facing a type of crime that is transnational by nature and which most often justifies requests for mutual legal assistance, and we have been seeing an increase in demand for cooperation actions by our partners in this area.
To provide a relevant response to this demand, this year the international department created the first ENM training session on cybercrime specially for foreign judges, prosecutors and investigators, which was held from 25 to 28 May. Co-directed by Johanna Brousse, Deputy Public Prosecutor and Head of the J3 specialist section at the Paris Prosecutor's Office, and Nicolas Guidoux, Divisional Police Commissioner and Deputy Head of the Subdirectorate for Cybercrime (SDLC), the course was able to cover a wide range of issues, in particular cyber attacks, cryptocurrencies, the darknet and international cooperation in matters relating to cybercrime. We are delighted that this training offer has been so popular with such a wide audience from different geographical backgrounds. The substantial number of enrolments largely justifies the creation of this course."

What is at stake in international cooperation on cybercrime?

Valérie Culioli, Project Officer in the International Department: "The international dimension of the fight against cybercrime is crucial, given the international nature of most cyber attacks. In 2020, the specialist cybercrime prosecution service in Paris observed a high large increase in the number of outgoing requests for mutual criminal legal assistance, evidence of the decisive nature of international criminal cooperation when it comes to cybercrime.
The fight against cybercrime requires effective international cooperation in order to ensure data retention, the introduction of special investigative techniques such as data interception and capture, the cross-checking of compromising evidence and the sharing of practices. Reinforcing technical skills and supporting our foreign partners specialising in cybercrime allows us to contribute to greater effectiveness in the execution of requests for mutual criminal legal assistance, which are vital to the success of these investigations.
Operation exchanges play a central role in the fight against cybercrime, at national and international level, which explains why our course brings together foreign judges, prosecutors and investigators."

How does the ENM wish to position itself on these issues in the coming year at European level and internationally?

Élie Renard, Deputy Director of the ENM in charge of the International Department: "Faced with the exponential increase in significant cyber attacks being seen nationally and internationally, the ENM intends to maintain and expand its involvement in the fight against cybercrime.
The success of this new course has led us to envisage making it a permanent feature of our offering for foreign judges and prosecutors, in addition to the places already reserved for them on the courses in the ENM in-service training catalogue, which are designed for French judges and prosecutors.
To tie in with the French Presidency of the European Union, which begins in January 2022, we are also preparing training actions that could include this topic. We wish to focus, for example, on international judicial training concerning the seizure and confiscation of cryptocurrencies as well as the strengthening of victims' rights in criminal proceedings arising out of cyber attacks, insofar as these attacks involve very large numbers of victims and cause very substantial damage – economic in particular – to the private individuals, businesses and public institutions they target."

More training sessions on cybercrime

Cybercrime is a subject that is regularly raised in the ENM's in-service training sessions for French judges and prosecutors and other groups. Upcoming courses: "Cybercrime and Digital Evidence", from 14 to 18 June. "International Cooperation in Criminal Cases", which also begins on 14 June next.

Cybercrime: the ENM acts in favour of international cooperation