COVID-19-related cybercrime not only compounds the social and economic impact of the pandemic but may further weaken the ability of public authorities to respond to cyberattacks. This weakening of defences is likely to be further exploited for criminal purposes and possibly for terrorist use of information and communication technologies, such as denial of service attacks against hospitals or interference with systems and data of health research facilities.

In this context, the importance of an effective response to cybercrime and other crime involving electronic evidence is undeniable. Criminal justice authorities need to undertake domestic investigations and engage in international and other forms of cooperation to detect, investigate, attribute and prosecute the above offences and bring to justice those that exploit the COVID-19 pandemic for their own criminal purposes.

What have we learnt from the current pandemic and how well are we prepared for the similar crises in the future? This workshop aims at exploring these questions and seeking to provide possible solutions.