National Threat Assessment 2008. Organised Crime - Politie

Concealment
The Internet offers possibilities to conceal communication, such as Voice over IP
(VoIP) and chat programs. VoIP is a way of making phone calls via the Internet.
Tapping VoIP calls is difficult. Criminal organisations therefore deliberately
choose to make VoIP calls. Skype is used in the cannabis sector and human
traffickers use chatrooms to communicate with each other.
Wireless networks can sometimes be used for anonymity and therefore
concealment on the Internet. Using the Internet via a wireless network (WiFi)
has become more and more common in recent years. In addition, wireless
Internet connections can also be made in a growing number of public places
nowadays. The inadequate and limited security of wireless networks and
computers offers criminals the opportunity to hack into a computer remotely.
They can then access the Internet using a different identity (IP address).
Exchange of knowledge and expertise
The Internet is a source of information for everyone - including people with
criminal intentions. For example, recipes for explosives can be found relatively
easily. These recipes include nitroglycerine, a highly explosive component of
dynamite and other explosives. The Internet also provides instructions on how
to make land mines, Molotov cocktails, fire bombs and napalm, all of which
are easy to find. The fact that homemade explosives can be effective was
demonstrated by the attacks on the London Underground and the Madrid
Metro. The chemicals for these explosives are legally available because they
are also used for industrial and agricultural purposes.
Information about advanced security systems is also shared via the Internet
among car thieves who target new and expensive cars that are equipped with
innovative security systems. However, each new technical security masterpiece
loses its value fairly quickly because people always seem to find a ‘remedy’ for
security systems. Manuals on how to sabotage the security system in question
can be found on the Internet in no time.
Young hackers find the information required to perfect their skills on the
Internet. Ready-made hacking programs can be downloaded easily. Criminal
organisations contact hackers via chatrooms and online forums. The hackers
are then used to manage botnets, which may have been obtained via Internet
offers. They are also hired to retrieve identity data via the Internet. When
criminal organisations hire digital expertise it does not matter how far away
the person is located. Hackers can be hired who are based anywhere in the
world. Due to the fact that the contacts are entirely virtual, anonymity is
guaranteed much better than in the case of traditional criminal collaboration.
Information provision, knowledge exchange, marketing and communication
have flourished thanks to the Internet. Coffee shops and grow shops advertise
chapter 6 – alerts
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