With cybercrime now a global phenomenon, perhaps it will take a global police organization to keep it in check.

Although Interpol is not the first law enforcement group most people associate with the fight against online crime, the 85-year-old data-sharing organization for police has been taking an increased interest in the phenomenon of late, helping train the next generation of cybercrime investigators on fighting botnets and forming regional working groups to focus on IT crime threats.

Interpol has first-hand experience with online attacks, too. The organization's Executive Director for Police Services Jean-Michel Louboutin says that its network was hit recently by a botnet attack and is hit by 100,000 attacking computers each day.

IDG News Service caught up with Louboutin at Microsoft's Law Enforcement 2008 conference this week to ask him about cybercrime, terrorism and the upcoming Beijing Olympic Games. Following is an edited transcript of the interview.

IDG: Do you see any areas of the world that are emerging sources of concern when it comes to cybercrime?

Jean-Michel Louboutin: Terrorism. I think the main concern for the world is terrorism, fraud. This is very important. They use the Internet a lot. We can have different networks of terrorism using Internet, because it is very easy to create a site. You can create propaganda. You can recruit. Now the main recruitment for Afghanistan is over the Internet.

Terrorists are chatting on Internet sites. They can provide tools for training. They can set up rendezvous. They can use encrypted language to give orders. It is a major trend.

IDG: Terrorists are not generally considered to be very good at hacking into systems, though.

Louboutin: I was not speaking about hacking. This is more difficult, more technical. But I do not share the view that terrorists are low-level. Because you know it is very easy to learn. Accessibility to education is easier than in the past and, in particular, on the computer you have access to everything you want. These people train themselves to use these tools.

IDG: Are the terrorists getting better with computers?

Louboutin: I am sure.

I have another comment. Hacking will be more and more difficult , because of the security of systems. A company like Microsoft is taking care of a lot of that. We can better encrypt and better protect with the firewall, for example.

The IDG News Service is a Network World affiliate.

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