The Role of Interagency Cooperation in Identifying Offenders Who Anonymize Their Identity

This article attempts to examine the possibilities of cooperation in establishing the identity of an offender on the Internet during the investigation of computer crimes. In view of the growing number of unsolved crimes in the field of computer information, caused by offenders’ use of anonymization tools, as well as by the insufficient level of specialized knowledge in information technology among law-enforcement officers, it is necessary to consider the possibility of detecting and solving such crimes through the coordination of actions with other structural units and organizations. The subject of this study is the patterns involved in obtaining and collecting identification data concerning an offender’s identity through cooperation with mobile network operators, Internet service providers, operational officers, specialists, and other relevant actors. The aim of the study is to identify and address the problems involved in establishing the identity of an offender who anonymizes his or her identity, and to examine particular forms of cooperation that may help resolve this problem. The study is based on an interdisciplinary approach and general scientific methods of cognition, including analysis, synthesis, the systemic-structural method, and description. The article concludes that, given the emerging negative practice in the investigation of this category of crimes, these forms of counteraction can be overcome through comprehensive cooperation with the structural units and bodies discussed in the article, with a view to effectively detecting the offender and establishing his or her identity. The division of functions — mobile network operators collecting basic subscriber and geolocation data; Internet service providers logging traffic; social networks providing access to metadata and content; operational officers continuously monitoring open sources and interacting with other units; and specialists analyzing traces, participating in investigative actions, and providing advice — minimizes time losses, reduces the likelihood of errors, and lowers tactical risks. Where the above-mentioned participants interact in a coordinated and lawful manner, the probability of correctly identifying an offender on the Internet increases significantly. This approach ensures not only the detention of the offender and the blocking of the information resources used by him or her, but also the collection of a reliable evidentiary basis, while minimizing the risk of violating citizens’ rights.

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