Yesterday, Europol and the National Cyber-Forensics and Training Alliance (NCFTA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in San Francisco, United States, to cooperate and share best practices in fighting cybercrime. The scope of the MoU also includes the exchange of statistical data or trends relating to cybercrime. The agreement was signed by Steven Wilson, Head of the European Cybercrime Centre (EC3) at Europol and Matt LaVigna, President and CEO of the NCFTA. The MoU will allow for enhanced cooperation with regards to the Cyber Financial Program, dedicated to the identification, mitigation, and neutralisation of cyber threats to the financial services industry such as malware, phishing and social engineering for financial gain. As part of the common effort to fight cybercrime, the two organisations also envisage collaborating on the Malware & Cyber Threats Program, whose purpose is to research, identify and provide timely alerts through data feeds and proactive intelligence on cyber threats under analysis. In addition, the new agreement will strengthen cooperation with US federal law enforcement agencies, as the NCFTA works closely with them. Europol believes that achieving a coordinated approach between EU law enforcement and relevant partners is key to successfully combating cybercrime. As reported by the 2016 Internet Organised Crime Threat Assessment (IOCTA), new and innovative modi operandi have emerged in cybercrime, combining current approaches, exploiting new technology or identifying new targets. About NCFTA The NCFTA is devoted to identifying, mitigating, and neutralising cybercrime threats on a global scale. One of its main roles consists of conducting real-time information sharing and analysis with Subject Matter Experts in the public, private, and academic sectors. In this way, the organisation proactively identifies cyber threats to help partners take preventive measures to mitigate those threats.
