E-SECU~1.QXD

The document details a draft convention designed to harmonize laws against cybercrime. It establishes minimum standards for criminalizing illegal access, data and systems interference, computer-related forgery, and fraud. It also defines procedural powers for the collection of electronic evidence—such as expedited data preservation and real-time interception—and sets rules for international mutual assistance, extradition, and the creation of a 24/7 network for rapid technical cooperation.

• The convention seeks to establish a common minimum standard for criminal offences to prevent criminals from shifting their activities to states with weaker laws, while allowing domestic laws to exceed these minimums.
• The framework identifies several core offences against computer systems, including illegal access (hacking), illegal interception, data interference, systems interference (sabotage), and the misuse of devices such as 'hacker tools'.
• The convention addresses financial and content-related crimes, specifically requiring states to criminalize computer-related forgery (altering stored data to change its legal value) and computer-related fraud (manipulating data for economic benefit).
• To address the volatility of electronic evidence, the convention introduces procedural measures for the 'expedited preservation' of stored computer and traffic data to prevent deletion or modification before formal disclosure requests are processed.
• The convention distinguishes between the real-time collection of traffic data (origin, destination, and routing) and content data, noting that content data requires higher privacy protections and stricter limitations on collection.
• International cooperation is facilitated through mutual assistance and extradition, including a specific mechanism for the rapid preservation of data across borders that does not require dual criminality.
• The convention mandates the establishment of a 24/7 network consisting of points of contact to provide technical advice and facilitate the rapid preservation of computer data and traffic data.

APA

Institute for Security Studies (n.d.). E-SECU~1.QXD. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/MISSIONAPPEND.PDF

Chicago

Institute for Security Studies. E-SECU~1.QXD. n.d. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/MISSIONAPPEND.PDF.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Institute for Security Studies |title=E-SECU~1.QXD |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/MISSIONAPPEND.PDF |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{instituteforsecuritystudiesndesecu1qxd, author = {{Institute for Security Studies}}, title = {{E-SECU\textasciitilde{}1.QXD}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/MISSIONAPPEND.PDF}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }