Europol launched an innovative decryption platform to decrypt information lawfully obtained in criminal investigations.
This initiative will be available to national law enforcement authorities of all Member States to help keep societies and citizens safe and secure. A virtual inauguration ceremony brought together senior representatives from Europol, the European Parliament, the Council of the EU and the Commission.
The event highlighted strong organisational cooperation within the EU and the considerable potential in innovation, research and development of the EU innovation hub for internal security.
🔎NEW DECRYPTION PLATFORM LAUNCHED🚨👮
— Europol (@Europol) December 18, 2020
Developed in cooperation with @EU_ScienceHub and @EU_Commission and operated by @EC3Europol. It will significantly increase our capability to decrypt info lawfully obtained in criminal investigations.
➡️Read more: https://t.co/xHOg5N6kP1
Ylva Johansson, EU Commissioner for Home Affairs said:
This decryption platform will help police to investigate terrorism and serious and organised criminality. It will be important in the fight against online child sexual abuse. National police forces can now send lawfully obtained evidence to Europol for decryption.
Addressing the event, Europol’s Executive Director Catherine De Bolle said:
Today marks the end of a three-year-long journey. We have made a significant step forward in combating the criminal abuse of encryption with the aim of keeping our society and citizens safe while fully respecting fundamental rights. The new Europol Decryption Platform, funded by the European Commission, will allow us to further enhance our support for Member State investigations. This is the result of successful inter-organisational collaboration within the EU and shows the potential for further joint work and support for the EU innovation hub for internal security. I would like to express my gratitude to the Joint Research Centre for their strong partnership in this project.
Europol’s European Cybercrime Centre (EC3) will operate the platform and leverage its in-house expertise in providing the most effective support to national Member State investigations.
EC3 is dedicated to strengthening the law enforcement response to cybercrime in the EU and focuses on cybercrime committed by organised crime groups, which generate large profits (online fraud), seriously harm victims (online child sexual exploitation) or impact critical infrastructure and information systems in the EU, including through cyber-attacks.
