11 February 1998
Date: Wed, 11 Feb 1998 20:22:00 +0200
From: Uldis Kinis <tiesa@ERGLIS.KULDIGA.LANET.LV>
Subject: Re: any laughers out there?
To: CYBERIA-L@LISTSERV.AOL.COM
Dear Mr. Andrew !
Thank you very much about your replay. I am very fond of this problem.
I would like give to you some dates from my report to Commitee of Experts
of Cybercrimes.
I would like also get some feedback from you, it mean situation about
computer-related crimes in Poland. As I wrote, I work with my Doctor
dissertation with theme "Computer related crimes practical and theorethical
aspects". Just I only start it and collect all necesary materials on this
theme. We have not special statistic about computer- related crimes in Latvia,
but just moment ice is breack in this field in Latvia too.
Report On Computer Related Crimes in Latvia.
Just moment we have not extensive computer network in Latvia, the purpose
of which is, to unite different institutional offices, for instance customs,
boderguards, Immigration Department, police, public prosecutor's offices and
court offices.
We have only small local computer networks in banks, Ministry of Interior
Affairs and some others in Latvia. Next year we are planing establish wild
Government Service computer network, what will unite all government, self
governments and some other offices. There specialists will plan access on
Internet too.
It seems, that we could find lot of problems about computer data security
and networks protection in future.
Just moment we have only one crime directly related with computers.
I would like just make some description about this crime.
On 5th of March 1997 offender send by message e-mail, from address Error!
Bookmark not defined.. to Norwegian and Latvian joint venture with warning
"Act of terrorism" In this letter offender warned company managers, that in
Norwegian supermarket RIMI in March poisoned products placed will be.
Demonstration action was on February 23. Offender asked 1.0 million US$. from
company front office.
He addressed such letters to 100 e- mail addresses, including all newspapers,
TV companies, and resident addresses in Latvia and Norway too. He warned
everybody, who would like to bye something in supermarket, about possibilities
to bye poisoned products.
On 29 th of July, he sent e-mail again and asked money.
In August he warned, that he placed the bomb in other shop "Dresman". Police
found this bomb. Situation was very dangerous, because, the offender, would
tray to make other dangerous actions against ordinary people too, tray explode
hotel "Latvia" and made other actions, if Warner company did not pay money to
him.
Police started investigation, but it was very hard process, because, the
offender used computernetworks and mobile telephone lines including 6 countries.
Latvia, Estonia, Finland, Norway and Russia, USA. There were very hard problems
with cooperation with Finnish Telecom and Norway Telecom. Only in last stage of
investigation, when Telecom companies authorities really understood, how
dangerous it is, Finnish Telecom worked together with Interpol and found
mobile phone used by the offender, for illegal connections.
Investigation is not finish in this case, therefore, I can not explain more
details about it.
During investigation process personal contacts between police offices,
established during Sowiet Union time, played very important role.
Latvian police investigators detected this crime. Cooperation with FIB,
Interpol was very usefull. Offender was citizen of Estonia. Detention was
planed together with Estonian police.
Computer offender named "Viktor" was detected by Latvian Police department
computer specialist.
During this investigation process, I would like emphasize some problems:
1. Cooperation between different countries, with purpose detect computer
crimes.
2. We should draft special legislation against computer related crimes in
Latvia, what we have not jet today. Today it is possible to charge this
computer offender only as racketeer, but not in other basement. Just moment
we have only Article Nr. 132 on Criminal code "Breach correspondences sending
by telephone lines or trespass security of other transfer information on it"
Just police has investigated two criminal cases.
One of them was initiated, because somebody sent to new paper tape record
with telephone conversation between State President and Prime minister. This
case is not finished.
Other was initiated with reason "Post office operator intercepted one
telephone call, and announce this information to concurrent firm. This case
is on investigation process.
3. Every year amount of people who using Internet increases. I would like
compare this situation two years before. We had 200 Internet users in Latvia,
but right know about 10 000. This situation changes very rapidly. Therefore,
it is very important think to draft legislation about possibilities protect
computers networks in Latvia.
4. I found such figures in official statistics of Police Department of Latvia
Tip of crime 1995 1996 1997
Computer crimes
a/ hackers
b/ others
Telephone
a/ illegal connection
b/ unlawful use of telephone lines
c/ illegal change mobile phones program's and Smart cards.
Credit cards
a/ thefts and lost 4 1 9
b/ change of magnetic tracks 1 4
c/ others 1
Specialists of Latvian Police Department told me that situation on computer
related crime is more serious, than official statistics show it. About 90%
percent of crimes are latent.
As we can saw in a official publication in newspaper " Business & Baltija "
Nr.3 , dated on 3.12.1996 ,there were such figures:
1. Latvian Sawing bank from 1993-1996, had more than half a million US$ loses,
cause-credit card fraudulence.
2. "Saules" banka lost at least two times more about one million dollars at
the same time, but banks secrete this information from police, because, they
worried about banks authority.
New watershed on computer related cyber crime area will be Internet service.
Lot of companies to make accounts with creditcards by Internet. allow This is
new possibilities for deceivers for getting new information about transactions.
New Draft legislation on computer related crimes:
Today Latvian Parliament pas second reading of New Latvian Criminal Code. In
this code will be three articles,will be able to regulate actions on computer
related crimes.
Article 231.Damage computer programs.
A person commits an offence, if the person purposely or knowingly irrelevantly,
changes, damages or liquidates computer programs or install false information
in system, or purposely breachs computer security system.
Article 232. Illegal computer virus distributing.
A person commits an offence, if the person purposely or knowingly puts computer
virus, program what purpose, destroying, changing, computer programs, data
basis, or destroys computer security systems, in local computer network or
programs.
Article 233. Breach of computer systems security rules.
A person commits on offence if the person: who is responsible about
information, processing rules, or security of local computer information
system, has done actions with aim to breach security, destroy or damage data
systems.
Report prepared by Uldis Kinis
Appointed expert from Latvia to PC-CY
Chief judge of Kuldiga Region court
Sincerely yours
Uldis Kinis
Chief judge of Kuldiga region court
master of law.
tiesa@erglis.kuldiga.lanet.lv