On 11th May 2011 Attorney-General, Robert McClelland and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Kevin Rudd welcomed the finding by the Joint Standing Committee on Treaties supporting Australia’s accession to the Council of Europe’s Convention on Cybercrime.

Cybercrime constitutes a growing threat now that computer-based networks have become the most vital and innovative means of communicating and doing business.

The Convention provides systems to facilitate international co-operation between signatory countries and establishes procedures to make investigations more efficient, including:

• helping authorities from one country to collect data in another country;

• empowering authorities to request the disclosure of specific computer data;

• allowing authorities to collect or record traffic data in real-time;

• establishing a 24/7 network to provide immediate help to investigators; and

• facilitating the exchange of information across borders.

The Convention promotes a coordinated approach to cybercrime by requiring countries to criminalise four types of offences, including:

• offences against the confidentiality, integrity and availability of computer data and systems, including illegal access to computer systems, illegal interception, data interference, systems interference and the misuse of devices;

• computer-related offences, including forgery and fraud;

• content-related offences, including child pornography; and

• offences related to the infringement of copyright and other related rights.

A full version of The Convention is here: http://www.aph.gov.au/house/committee/jsct/1march2011/report/chapter11.pdf