Cybersecurity and Crime Prevention Movement

Cybercrime is currently one of the fastest-growing and most extensive forms of criminal activity in the United States. Since 2011, federal authorities have been releasing the FBI Internet Crime Report annually. In the 2022 report, the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center [IC3] received a total of 800,000 reports of cybercrimes, with a calculated loss of 10.3 billion USD, marking a staggering 49% increase compared with 2021.

In response, the international community is dedicating significant efforts to prevent and reduce cybercrimes.

The United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research [UNIDIR] is a UN-affiliated research institution focusing on disarmament and international security. Established in 1980 by the UN General Assembly, UNIDIR aims to raise awareness of international security issues among nations and the global community, support disarmament efforts, and promote progress toward better security and economic and social development for all.

UNIDIR addresses 12 aspects related to international security, including content related to cybersecurity.

Worldwide malicious cyber operations, conducted by both state and non-state actors (including corporations, non-governmental organizations, terrorist groups, international organizations, etc.) are increasingly pervasive and sophisticated. These operations are carried out for financial and political gains, to manipulate public opinion or critical infrastructure, to prepare virtual or physical battlefields, and to conduct hostilities. They undermine international peace, security, and trust, hamper prosperity and development, and blur the line between war and peace, posing serious risks to society.

UNIDIR promotes and supports responsible state behavior in cyberspace by providing knowledge, facilitating dialogues across different stakeholder communities, and building confidence among states through exchanges of information and good practices. It currently operates a policy portal for cybersecurity and publishes materials on cybersecurity, in addition to organizing various international events.

ASEZ’s Cybercrime Reduction Activities

Cybercrime is increasing annually across all sectors, and cyberbullying, which often goes unaccounted for in economic losses, is also a profoundly serious aspect of crime. Cyberbullying manifests in forms such as verbal abuse, defamation, stalking, and identity theft, inflicting mental and physical anguish on victims by complete strangers. Moreover, their suffering cannot be easily erased at their will. Perpetrators exploit anonymity as a weapon to brazenly perpetrate violence, leading to trauma and fear, thereby severely undermining human happiness. Cybercrime profoundly disrupts societal well-being.

In 2019, the United Nations acknowledged the potential for hate speech to incite violence and disrupt social cohesion, launching the United Nations Strategy and Plan on Hate Speech. Furthermore, the UN recognized through historical events that hate speech has served as a precursor to brutal crimes, including mass atrocities.

Recognizing cybercrime and its seriousness, ASEZ in North America has been raising awareness and conducting ongoing campaigns on campuses and streets to prevent online rumors. In line with this, at the UN, ASEZ members made a presentation on protecting personal information on the International Day for Tolerance in November 2018, aiming to inform the global community about the seriousness of cybercrime. ASEZ entered into a memorandum of understanding [MOU] with university police and initiated the “Reduction of Cyber Crime” together with city officials; by partnering with government agencies and officials, ASEZ urged them to engage in crime reduction activities.

At the ASEZ Summit 2019, attended by worldwide ASEZ members and representatives from each continent, various initiatives were discussed to reduce cybercrimes:

 1.[Education Video for Crime Reduction]

Produce video materials that outline the different types of cybercrimes and the seriousness and scale of the damage, and distribute them online. The goal is to ensure rapid and efficient education for people of all ages globally, fostering collective action for crime prevention.

2.[Zero Crime Web Zone]

It is often assumed that places like homes, schools, workplaces, and parks are the only places that matter. However, online space, which has now become akin to the world’s largest public square, should also be managed and protected from crime.

Similar to ASEZ’s Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design [CPTED] which aims to design a crime-free environment, efforts should be extended to cyberspace, making our personal online environments, such as social media, blogs, and websites, as zero crime zones, safe from crime.

In cyberspace, anonymity can separate your real self from your online self, often disregarding ethical considerations. Consequently, cybercrime is a crucial matter that cannot be solved unless we all change and start caring about the pain and suffering of others.

That is why ASEZ wants to start making a difference through action and education, creating an inclusive society where everyone can join in. ASEZ is active throughout the world, conducting campaigns, forums, and educational activities at universities, government agencies, schools, and even online wherever help is needed. ASEZ’s activities, which are poised to bring about warm and positive changes in society, are eagerly anticipated.