Global Cyber and Intellectual Property Crimes

U.S. TRANSNATIONAL AND HIGH-TECH CRIME
GLOBAL LAW ENFORCEMENT NETWORK (GLEN)

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, 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 and a computer forensic analyst (Global Cyber Forensics Advisor or GCFA) who promote international cooperation and deliver case-based mentoring and technical assistance to foreign law enforcement, prosecutorial, and judicial partners in order 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). In support of America First priorities, the goal of the GLEN is to protect Americans from criminal threats emanating from abroad by delivering targeted guidance, resulting in both near-term engagement in investigations and prosecutions as well as long-term change in foreign partner countries’ capacity to initiate and cooperate on cases that affect American consumers and businesses. Priorities include promoting accession to the Budapest Convention on Cybercrime and encouraging effective use of existing tools such as the U.N. Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime and the G7 24/7 Network.

Current Status

The ICHIP program began in 2006 with a single IP-focused attorney. Since that time, funding has increased to include 12 Attorney Advisors and one GCFA. Each member of the GLEN has access to funds to deliver case-based mentoring and technical assistance workshops. The GLEN consists of:

• Eleven ICHIP Attorney Advisors located in São Paulo, Panama City, Bucharest, The Hague, Zagreb, Addis Ababa, Dar es Salaam, Hong Kong, and Kuala Lumpur, as well as two global subject matter experts, one specializing in Dark Web and Cryptocurrency and the other in Internet Fraud and Public Health; and
• One GCFA who specializes in digital forensics training. 

The United States-based Global ICHIP for Internet Fraud and Public Health coordinates the GLEN’s Western Hemisphere Digital Piracy Working Group and works with the foreign-based ICHIPs to provide case-based mentoring, conduct needs assessments, and deliver skills development workshops, particularly cross-regional programs.

The United States-based Global ICHIP for Dark Web and Cryptocurrency (DWC) coordinates the GLEN’s five regional Cryptocurrency Working Groups (two regional cohorts in the Western Hemisphere, and one each in Eastern Europe, Africa, and Southeast Asia), each of which meets biannually. The ICHIP also manages the cryptocurrency tracing tool licenses that the GLEN holds for use by foreign partners and provides individual mentoring to assist them in using such tracing tools effectively.

Additional information about the work of the foreign-based ICHIPs can be found on the Cyber &  IP Africa; Cyber & IP Asia; Cyber & IP Europe and Cyber & IP Western Hemisphere pages.