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, a computer forensics analyst (Global Cyber Forensics Advisor or GCFA), and federal law enforcement, who promote international cooperation and provide 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). The objective of the GLEN is to protect Americans from criminal threats emanating from abroad by delivering targeted technical assistance to encourage both immediate assistance as well as long-term institutional change. This technical assistance includes workshops, legislative review, skills development, and promoting institutional reform, such as the formation of specialized units to address these criminal threats. Key goals 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 13 Attorney Advisors; one GCFA; and two Agent Advisors, managed by the Department of Homeland Security National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center. Each member of the GLEN has access to funds to deliver regional technical assistance workshops. The GLEN consists of:

• Thirteen ICHIP Attorney Advisors located in São Paulo, Panama City, Bucharest, The Hague, Zagreb, Addis Ababa,Dar es Salaam, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok,* and the U.S. (for South Asia), as well as two global subjectmatter experts, one specializing in Dark Web and Cryptocurrency and the other in Internet Fraud and Public Health;
• One GCFA who specializes in digital forensics technical assistance; and
• Two ICHIP Agent Advisors located in Athens and Bangkok.
  
  * The Bangkok ICHIP position is funded by DOJ and dually-designated as a DOJ Attaché, who is managed out ofthe Office of International Affairs. The other positions are funded by DOS/INL.