New cybercrime lab to combat online child abuse and exploitation launched
ASTATE-OF-THE-ART cybercrime laboratory was launched on Friday by the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) that will focus initially on crimes related to Online Sexual Abuse and Exploitation of Children (OSAEC).
The Digital Forensics Platform and Laboratory (DFPAL) was launched with the purpose of allowing the CICC to monitor and coordinate with other law enforcement agencies in conducting thorough digital and forensic investigations and assist them in prosecuting cybercriminals nationwide, according to CICC Executive Director Cesar Mancao II.
He noted that cybercrime has grown exponentially over the years and the marching orders they received from President Duterte was to help eradicate OSAEC.
The DFPAL was established and operationalized to conduct coordinated efforts to prevent, disrupt and possibly stop, if not mitigate OSAEC issues through partnerships between local and international stakeholders towards providing a safer cyberspace environment for children.
The facility will also be manned by trained personnel and certified professionals from various fields such as information and communications technology, psychology, digital forensics, data analytics, research, and communications that would provide support to CICC’S operations.
He said they have acquired state-of-the- art technologies and methodologies that will help improve the success rate of investigators and policing operations in the pursuit to identify, apprehend and convict individuals and networks associated with OSAEC.
According to Marcelino Antonio, PMP and CICC technical consultant, DFPAL will use several technologies such as data fusion and Big Data Artificial Intelligence (AI). “Data fusion allows us to receive the huge volume of reports from organizations worldwide. Instead of sorting the data manually, Big Data AI will help us analyze the digital footprint, all the meta data, all the relationships with all the data.”
DFPAL will also have a digital forensics tool to help issue a warrant to search, seize and examine computer data. DFPAL will be able to extract vital information from tablets, computers, smartphones, even drones, Internet of Things (iot) devices such as smart watches, etc. “We also use E-discovery tools, OSINT [Open Source Intelligence] gathering tools to identify who the offenders are, plus OSAEC tools to be able to track and monitor the offenders and traffickers, then all the information goes to the Intelligent Case Management System that categorizes all information.”
The CICC started its operations in October 2020 by virtue of Republic Act 11075, also known as the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012 for policy coordination among concerned agencies. It is one of the attached agencies of the Department of Information and Communications Technology.