OSCE trains cybercrime investigators from Georgia and Azerbaijan

A five-day regional training course for 14 cybercrime and digital forensics investigators from Azerbaijan and Georgia focusing on investigating malware started on 27 March 2017 in Tbilisi. The course is organized by the OSCE Transnational Threats Department’s Strategic Police Matters Unit with the support of the Georgia Internal Affairs Ministry and its Academy.

This course places emphasis on obtaining information from the malware analysis process that can help law enforcement officers to locate criminals and their infrastructure.

The course was preceded by a short e-learning component hosted in the OSCE POLIS Online Information System where participants refreshed their knowledge of computer networking and the Microsoft Windows architecture and were introduced to the current malware landscape.

“Law enforcement agencies across the world are harmonizing their methods and approaches in fighting cybercrime, which is why such regional training courses provide an excellent opportunity to establish direct contacts and share experience in parallel to training, leading to enhanced co-operation between the interlocutors,” said Miranda Khabazi, Deputy Rector of the Academy of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia.

Using material from the European Cybercrime Training and Education Group (ECTEG), the course wis being delivered by an experienced digital investigator and malware analyst from the Belgian Federal Judicial Police, with the support of an expert from the OSCE.

This is the first of two training activities planned by the OSCE Transnational Threats Department this year to assist participating States in the South Caucasus to build their capacity in countering cybercrime. Later in 2017 the same group of law enforcement officers will be trained to use the Python programming language for cybercrime investigations.