Cyber & IP Asia

Background

The U.S. Transnational and High-Tech Crime Global Law Enforcement Network (GLEN) program is the result of a partnership between the U.S. Department of State Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (DOS/INL) and the U.S. Department of Justice’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (DOJ/CCIPS) and Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training (DOJ/OPDAT).

The GLEN is a worldwide law enforcement network of International Computer Hacking and Intellectual Property (ICHIP) attorney advisors, computer forensic analysts (Global Cyber Forensics Advisors or GCFAs), and federal law enforcement agents who provide technical assistance to foreign law enforcement, prosecutorial, and judicial partners to combat intellectual property and cybercrime activity, as well as to assist in the collection and use of electronic evidence to combat all types of crime, including transnational organized crime (TOC).

Currently, ICHIPs are posted to regional positions in Africa (Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania), Asia (Hong Kong, S.A.R.; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; and IPR-focused part-time support from DOJ/OIA Attaché in Bangkok, Thailand), Europe (Bucharest, Romania; Zagreb, Croatia; and The Hague, Netherlands), and Western Hemisphere (São Paulo, Brazil and Panama City, Panama).  Two subject-matter expert ICHIPs—the ICHIP for Global Internet Fraud and Public Health (IFPH) and the ICHIP for Global Dark Web and Cryptocurrency (DWC)—as well as DOJ computer forensic analysts and law enforcement officials with intellectual property and cybercrime expertise, also form part of the GLEN.

The objective of the GLEN is to protect Americans from criminal threats emanating from abroad by providing technical assistance to encourage both immediate improvements as well as long-term institutional change.  This assistance includes skills development workshops, case-based mentoring, legislative review, and promoting institutional reform such as the formation of specialized units to address these criminal threats.  Finally, the ICHIPs encourage countries to join the Council of Europe’s Convention against Cybercrime (Budapest Convention) as well as the G7 24-7 High Tech Crimes Digital Evidence Sharing Network (HTCN), an informal network that provides high-tech expert contacts to assist in preserving and sharing digital evidence.

IPR-Focused ICHIPs

The Hong Kong-based IPR ICHIP supports partner nations throughout Asia by assessing the abilities of law enforcement authorities to enforce IPR; providing technical assistance to justice sector personnel in enforcing IPR; assisting in developing or strengthening institutions dedicated to IPR enforcement; monitoring regional trends in IPR protection; and providing expert assistance in support of U.S. intellectual property (IP) in the region.

The IPR ICHIPs also assist foreign partners with legislative drafting, review of proposed legislation, and preparing country submissions for the U.S. Trade Representative’s annual Special 301 Report.  They also act as liaisons between U.S. law enforcement partners in the region and rights-holders, whose support is critical for IPR investigations and prosecutions.  Since the program’s inception in June 2016, the ICHIPs have designed, organized, and implemented IPR crime technical assistance for over 1,000 judges, prosecutors, investigators, customs officers, and administrative enforcement officials.

Cyber-Focused ICHIP

The Kuala Lumpur-based, cyber-focused ICHIP program helps legal and law enforcement partners in Southeast Asia develop an understanding of cybercrime and its technical nature, how to utilize specialized investigative techniques to enhance evidence collection, the basics of digital forensic analysis, and successful prosecutorial strategies.  The ICHIP also facilitates regional cooperation, which includes sharing digital evidence.  The Kuala Lumpur-based ICHIP mentors foreign partners by highlighting best practices in investigating, prosecuting, and adjudicating cybercrime and cyber-enabled crime.  The ICHIP also reviews existing cybercrime legislation and helps draft new legislation that facilitates more effective cybercrime investigations and prosecutions. Of note, the ICHIP program recently initiated the creation of a Cryptocurrency Working Group for prosecutors, investigators, judges, and other justice sector officials in partner nations in Southeast Asia. 

Since the launch of this regional program in September 2015, the Kuala Lumpur-based ICHIP program has designed and implemented technical assistance for over 2,000 judges, prosecutors, investigators, digital forensic analysts, and other government officials. 

IPR-Focused ICHIP Recent Activities

• April 2025: Two individuals were convicted and sentenced in connection with their operation of “FMovies,” one of the largest criminal copyright syndicates in the world, with over 6.7 billion site visits from January 2023 to June 2024. This was the first Vietnam criminal case to proceed to trial under its criminal copyright law, which was enacted in 2018. The 2024 takedown of “FMovies” is the result of persistent ICHIP engagement with Vietnam through case-based mentoring, bilateral meetings, Embassy outreach, and skills workshops.          
• January 2025: The ICHIP presented virtually on the criminal prosecution of digital piracy at an Intellectual Property Rights Investigative Methods Workshop co-hosted by the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) IPR Center and ICHIP IFPH in Singapore. The ICHIP’s presentation focused on the criminal prosecution against U.S.-based piracy website “Jetflicks,” and best practices working with multiple agencies to combat digital piracy.
• June 2024: In Hanoi, Vietnam, the ICHIP presented at a copyright enforcement workshop organized by WIPO, the Republic of Korea’s Ministry of Sports, Culture, and Tourism and Copyright Protection Agency, and Vietnam’s Copyright Office for justice sector officials from Brazil, Brunei, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Jordan, Kenya, Laos, Malaysia, Mexico, Philippines, Thailand, and Zimbabwe.
• May 2024: In Danang, Vietnam, the ICHIP presented at a smuggling workshop organized by HSI-Vietnam for approximately 30 Vietnam Customs officers.

Cyber-Focused ICHIP Recent Activities

• February 2025: The Royal Malaysia Police (RMP) Criminal Investigation Department (CID) is moving to develop a full-time Cyber Unit within CID.  The new unit will expand an existing ICHIP-originated Malaysian cybercrime taskforce by increasing personnel, resources, and adding cross-cutting responsibilities to their mandate. The creation of a specialized cyber unit embodies the positive, long-term impacts and institutional reforms brought about by ICHIP assistance activities in the region.  
• February 2025: ICHIP-trained investigators and prosecutors from Singapore and Thailand participated in a joint operation resulting in the arrest of 39-year-old hacker suspected of conducting over 90 global data breaches. An investigation which linked the hacker to at least 65 breaches in the Asia-Pacific region culminated in the arrest, which included the seizure of assets worth approximately $300,000, including laptops, mobile phones, luxury goods, and vehicles. The participating law enforcement officers are members of the ICHIP-led Southeast Asia Cryptocurrency Working Group.
• January 2025: The ICHIP hosted the third module of a multi-phase cybercrime program for members of a newly established cybercrime taskforce within the Royal Malaysian Police in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in partnership with the Kuala Lumpur-based FBI Legal Attaché’s Office. The module covered a range of topics including investigative fundamentals, electronic evidence, cryptography, cryptocurrency, computer intrusions, ransomware, digital forensics, and international cooperation.
• January 2025: The ICHIP presented at the Cybercrime Prevention Summit hosted by the Royal Malaysia Police. The ICHIP’s presentation covered digital evidence, international cooperation, and Malaysia’s recent announcement of its intent to accede to the Budapest Convention on Cybercrime. The ICHIP has provided assistance to Malaysia in its efforts to conform to the standards of the Convention.
• October 2024: The ICHIP held the fourth phase of the multi-phase Global Cyber Forensics Advisor (GCFA) Certification program for 20 digital forensics investigators of the Royal Malaysia Police in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. This phase featured presentations from two GCFAs and provided introductions on several tools for conducting digital forensic investigations.