2Centre

2Centre – Cybercrime Centres of Excellence Network for Training, Research and Education

November 2010 to May 2013

The 2Centre project will create a network of Cybercrime Centres of Excellence for Training, Research and Education that will initially consist of two national centres; in Ireland and France, and a Co-ordination Centre.
Each National Centre will be a partnership between Law Enforcement, Industry and Academia working together to develop training programmes and qualifications as well as quality research products and tools to be used in the fight against cybercrime.
New members will be encouraged to join the network during the project and support will be provided to enable them to do so.
Tools and training materials developed will be made available for use by other National Centres of Excellence and international organisations.

Project Partner Organisations

University College Dublin

Irish National Centre of Excellence

University College Dublin
An Garda Siochana
Irish Banking Federation
INFACT
Microsoft (Ireland)
eBay

French National Centre of Excellence

Université de Technologie de Troyes
Université Montpellier 1
Thales Communications S.A.
Gendarmerie Nationale
Police Nationale
Microsoft France

2Centre Co-ordination Centre

Aconite Internet Solutions Ltd
Technology Risk Ltd.

The following research, tool development and training projects are projects being conducted by the Irish National Centre of Excellence;

Online Financial Crime Research

This research is focused primarily on activity within the banking sector. Broadly, the aims of the research are to:

• Identify and highlight the offences most commonly perpetrated against users of online financial services
• Identify the key factors in the prevention or investigation of online fraud

Cyber Safety of National Infrastructures

This project is investigating the threats to computer-controlled critical infrastructures posed by cyber-criminals and cyber-terrorists and aims to identify viable approaches to counteracting such threats.

In addition to studying the threats, this project will investigate possible solutions for early detection and prevention of such threats, for investigation of cyber-attacks on critical infrastructures, and for identification and prosecution of the attackers. These solutions may take many forms including recommendations for the law enforcement and policy makers, proposed standards, and prototype software tools.

Telecoms Research

Telecommunications fraud is an important area of high tech crime, considering the scale of potential losses, and the speed with which losses can accrue. Malware attacks against telecommunications systems are becoming more prevalent. Research will provide recommendations for action against these threats.

DeskTAT (Digital Forensics Desktop Text Analysis Tool)

The DeskTAT system will address the issue of differentiating between relevant and irrelevant keyword download content by offering the investigator a “next generation” text analysis functionality. This will significantly speed up the results analysis process by presenting the relationships that exist between data objects retrieved in response to the initial query.

DIVA (Digital Forensics Tool for Evidence Interpretation, Visualization & Analysis)

This project will develop the next-generation digital forensics tool, which will be freely available to Law Enforcement officers within the EU. The new digital forensic tool - codenamed DIVA - will automate some of the more advanced digital forensic analysis techniques. DIVA will be able to interpret and present the evidence in the form of timelines that display end-user actions. The timeline displays can be easily understood by technically low-skilled personnel, such as case officers, lawyers, jurors, and judges.

Covert Monitoring Tool for Law Enforcement

The primary focus of this project will be the development of a lawful surveillance device that can be used to track motor vehicle activity.
In order to collect evidence against terrorist suspects and members of drugs and organised crime gangs, European Law Enforcement agencies rely heavily on the use of lawful surveillance to track criminal activity. In turn, criminal gangs deploy a range of sophisticated anti surveillance techniques. To counteract this, law enforcement agencies are increasingly turning to research institutes to assist in the development of technical solutions.

UMAP (Universal Mobile Acquisitions Protocol)

Currently most mobile phone forensic systems lack the ability to retrieve deleted data and the number of protocol commands is huge. The development of Universal Mobile Acquisitions Protocol software will allow users to retrieve deleted data from mobile phones in an easy and flexible manner. The tool will be freely available for use by Law Enforcement agencies.

Awareness Training for Senior Law Enforcement

Development, pilot and delivery of an awareness training programme for senior officers, charged with management of LE investigation units. The aim of the course is to develop a greater level of awareness among senior managers of the issues surrounding high tech investigations. It is anticipated that this will be a 2-3 day programme, providing senior managers with an overview of investigative techniques for hi tech crime and high tech evidence management. Special attention will also be given to training for senior managers of hi tech crime investigation units covering staffing and other administrative issues relating to the operation of a high tech crime investigation unit.

After initial development the programme will be piloted at UCD.

Trainer Development Programme

This project involves the development, pilot, delivery and accreditation of a ‘Trainer Development’ programme for technical experts. 

The course was specifically designed for police officers from EU countries who, at various stages in their careers, may need to train colleagues in their area of special expertise. The aim of the course is to help officers who want to improve their training skills and effectively develop course content to address the various learning techniques of adult learners. Participants were instructed on how to design and deliver courses, and the course included topics such as engaging with students to create a more positive learning environment, effectively using training aids, and improving public speaking and presentation skills. As part of the course, participants were required to deliver a short training exercise, where they received constructive feedback on their performance. A video recording was presented to each participant so that they could review their presentation techniques for future improvement.

General & Hi-Tech Investigation Techniques for Non-LE Cybercrime Professionals

This project will address the requirements of Non-Law Enforcement cybercrime professionals for training in investigation techniques. The 5 day programme will cover the following topics:

• Interviewing witnesses
• Interviewing Suspects
• Preservation/Handling Evidence
• Report Writing
• Presentation of Evidence
• Case management
• Engaging with Law Enforcement
• General Legal Principles

After initial development the programme will be piloted at UCD

For further information please visit http://www.2centre.eu/