Electronic Crime Expert Group (ECEG)

Confirmed by the Council - June 2003

Updated - June 2005

Updated - June 2007

Established : 2001

Duration : Unspecified

Membership : Interested experts from Member administrations

1. Mandate

The Electronic Crime Expert Group (ECEG) reports to, and operates under the direction of, the Enforcement Committee.

2. Purpose and Scope

The purpose of the ECEG is to provide a specialist resource to the WCO to advise on aspects of electronic crime as it affects WCO members, including :

  • Defending the electronic infrastructure of WCO Members by monitoring existing or emerging electronic technologies which may provide specific benefits or advantages to WCO Members in “hardening” their electronic systems against criminal abuse, misuse or attack, and assist with the development of intelligence and the detection of offenders (e.g. techniques and procedures for targeting and profiling, tracking and tracing procedures and other detection techniques, immediate action procedures, evidence collection, etc.);
  • Providing early warning of known or potential vulnerabilities to Members from the criminal exploitation of electronic systems (e.g. e-commerce fraud, cyber-smuggling, identity fraud, theft and manipulation of data, etc.);
  • Countering threats to the core competencies of WCO Members through the development of best preventative practice, including specific proactive and reactive countermeasures, which could be used by WCO administrations to minimize the risks and impacts identified above, including consideration of such issues as :
    - new or refined control and / or law enforcement tools and techniques,
    - new or refined methods to collect and present evidence more appropriately,
    - specific countermeasures which members’ clients and stakeholders could develop to minimize risks and impacts (e.g. encryption / PKI key protection);
  • Keeping pace with technological change, especiallythe potential impact of specific technological issues such as security, encryption, bandwidth, biometrics, etc., in the context of vulnerabilities and impacts on WCO Members; and
  • Recommendations and broad options for training and technological development by Member administrations, and the production of best practice.

3. Key Deliverables

The ECEG will report and make recommendations :

  • annually to the Enforcement Committee on matters within its scope;
  • on an ad hoc basis to other Working Group members, as required; and
  • through the production of insight reports on topics of specific interest to Members.

4. Means of Operation

The Chairperson of the ECEG will :

  • rotate annually;
  • be responsible for co-ordinating the activities of the members of the ECEG; and
  • maintain close contact with other WCO groups who are dealing with similar topics.

Unclassified reports and research product from the ECEG will be made available via the WCO’s restricted Web site.

The ECEG will provide a forum in which Members can :

  • discuss and formulate views on the implications of new developments in electronic crime;
  • explore possible policy options in respect of regulatory aspects of emerging IT issues;
  • formulate possible strategies and mechanisms (technical, policy and legal) by which Members will be able to develop and/or maintain a capability to detect, react, investigate and prosecute electronic crime; and
  • meet to explore ways in which Members, government and the private sector can together promote the responsible and successful development of electronic commerce.

While most of the ECEG’s research will be conducted in its members’ own jurisdictions, it will be supported by regular on-line contact between all ECEG members and an annual meeting to develop the ECEG’s yearly report to the Enforcement Committee.

5. Resource Required

Meetings of the ECEG shall normally be held no more than once a year. The location of the annual ECEG meeting will be at the discretion of the Chairperson.

WCO Secretariat support will be required for these meetings, when conducted in Brussels.

Members of the ECEG will fund their own activities, including travel and accommodation.

The Chairperson of the ECEG is responsible for the development of the Agenda for annual meetings, in consultation with the Secretariat.