Vasilis Papakostas, head of the Cybercrime Directorate, speaks to protothema and explains to parents what they should pay attention to – How to protect their children – Practical advice – When should parents take action – How to choose a username and password – Dark web: The dark internet that hides criminals, pedophiles and fraudsters
The Internet is proving to be a hotbed for pedophiles, Satanists, drug and arms dealers, and all manner of criminals. Through this electronic space , they "fish" for their victims, who fall prey to their intentions and actions.
The recent success of the police officers of the Cyber Crime Directorate, led by Police Director Vasilis Papakostas, with the arrest of a 19-year-old Bulgarian woman who was photographing her underage sister naked and uploading the images to the Dark Web , highlights the use of the Dark Web in which criminal organizations hide.
«Our Service actively participates in International Operations. In this context, its officers participated in the 6th Global Operation for the Identification of Sexually Abused Minor Victims (6th Victim Identification Task Force), which took place at Europol in The Hague, the Netherlands, to identify minor victims of sexual abuse and trafficking of audiovisual material via the internet.»
In the context of this specialized operation, representatives of the Service identified material concerning a minor girl who resided in Greece. After an investigation, electronic traces emerged in our country, which, with appropriate utilization, led to the identification of persons and subsequently to the investigation of the case.
It is important to mention that Steven Wilson, head of Europol's European Cybercrime Center, said regarding this particular Global Operation that: "The life and dignity of every child is of paramount importance to all of us," said the Director of the Cybercrime Prosecution Directorate, Mr. Vassilis Papakostas, on Proto Thema.
The Dark Web is the electronic field of action of criminals. It is there that thousands of pedophiles are given the opportunity to come into contact or to criminal organizations to sell weapons, drugs, people, while in some cases death contracts are signed through the dark web. Regarding what the dark web is and where the Internet is heading, Mr. Papakostas said: "TheSurface Web (also visible web, clearnet, cataloged web, or lightnet) represents that part of the world wide web that is available to the public, searchable with common search engines."
The Deep Web (also known as Deepnet, Undernet, the invisible Web or the hidden Web) refers to the content of the World Wide Web that does not belong to the Surface Web and is not detected by a regular search engine and does not require specific anonymity software to access it.
We should clarify that the dark web and the deep web are not the same! The size of the dark web is much smaller than the deep web. The Dark Web is a term that refers to specific websites that are publicly visible, but “hide” the IP addresses of their servers. Dark Web websites are not detected by regular search engines and can only be accessed with specific anonymity software.
Mr. Papakostas points out: "The presence and action of malicious users on the Internet is found in all forms of crimes that do not require the personal presence of the perpetrator and victim for their commission. Delinquency exists mainly in the form of attacks against computer systems, their infection with malicious software, the sharing of child pornography, online fraud, the interception and illegal use of personal data, intellectual property violations, money laundering, harassment attacks (Cyberbullying), the illegal trafficking of weapons, medicines, drugs, people, works of art, etc. In other words, the Internet, on the one hand, provides its users with services and amenities, on the other hand, it inevitably provides facilities for criminal activity and antisocial behavior.
Cybercrime is globalized and rapidly growing, as its spread is rapid and in line with the evolution and penetration of computer technology in societies. The architecture and design of information systems provide significant facilities to users, both criminal and non-criminal, which, combined with transnationality, the lack of experience and security measures by users, the use of encryption, the operation of applications through TOR networks, the Deep Web and the Dark Web, cryptocurrencies, the use of Cloud services, etc., complicate the work of law enforcement authorities in terms of collecting evidence and identifying cybercriminals.
Today, cybercrime is a daily phenomenon, as these crimes can be committed by any malicious user located anywhere on the planet and remotely affect citizens located in any other country.
One of the most important threats in Cyberspace is the reorganisation of crime and the provision of cybercrime services as a service, known as “Crime as a Service”. This service is provided for a fee and is used by organised crime rings for all cybercrimes and mainly for attacks on critical state and non-digital infrastructures, terrorism, the illicit trade in arms, people, drugs, etc. In other words, we see that cybercrime is being commercialised and is increasing in terms of maturity and supply. This development, combined with the transnational nature of this crime and the different legislative frameworks, systems and rules for the administration of justice from country to country, raise serious issues for criminal law and the administration of justice, as its methodological examples and categories are constantly being tested in terms of their regulatory capacity.
As indicated by the official statistics of the Cybercrime Investigation Directorate, the total number of cases handled by the Hellenic Police in 2018 amounted to 4,857 and was related to online financial fraud, illegal access to computer systems, and violations of personal data protection legislation.
However, as Mr. Papakostas points out, "our service also places particular emphasis on crimes that have minors as victims. In this context, the specialized Department of Online Protection of Minors and Digital Investigation also operates, while a specialized psychologist also serves."
Μόνο το 2018 η Διεύθυνση Ηλεκτρονικού Εγκλήματος απέτρεψε 368 αυτοκτονίες
The contribution of the Cybercrime Prosecution Directorate to the appropriate handling and prevention of 368 cases of suicidal intent via the Internet was noteworthy. "A day in the Service, all of its staff, develops targeted actions daily to inform citizens on a preventive level against crimes in Cyberspace and at the same time handles cases of investigation and prosecution of cybercrimes, as well as providing advice or instructions to citizens on online issues that concern them," said Mr. Papakostas, adding that many parents turn to the service for their children. "Primarily, our Service is addressed by parents whose children have fallen victim to online bullying or display some behavior that concerns them, such as chatting with strangers, posting personal information and photos, excessive use of the internet and especially abuse of social media, behaviors that lead to neglect of their obligations, and even addiction. In most cases, parents do not know how to use the internet safely and therefore how to guide their children, as technology is evolving rapidly and this makes them more insecure.
In this context, the Cybercrime Investigation Directorate, recognizing the need for continuous and reliable information, implements a platform of innovative targeted actions through which it informs children and parents on a daily basis».
What the head of the Cybercrime Directorate advises parents
However, what Mr. Papakostas emphasizes most is that the main advice he would give to parents is good parent-child communication. "Talk openly to your children about the dangers lurking on the internet and the consequences of malicious acts. If they show them that they are interested and talk to them openly, they give them a sense of security and confidence, while under no circumstances should they operate with prohibitions. Parents must admit and accept that children are usually one step ahead in information and knowledge about new technologies. Most parents tend to be cautious about their use because of the dangers they pose. This must be overcome. The times require that parents be trained in the use of new technologies, to understand their operation but also the dangers that exist, in order to inform and protect their children. Remember that even if they lack technical knowledge, they can help their children through their experience. Inform their children that the person they are chatting with online is not always who they seem and that many times it may be someone who wants to harm them. Advise children on how to choose their username and password, avoiding the use of their personal information. Teach their children to protect their privacy online, as well as in the real world. In any case, they should shield their children, the digital citizens of the future, so that they can face any difficulty and be by their side to advise and direct them, in case they feel fear or concern online .Remember that the Electronic Crime Prosecution Directorate of the Hellenic Police remains your 24-hour ally in Safe Internet Browsing.
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