Neil Walsh, Head of Cybercrime, Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Financing of Terrorism Department of the United Nations, spoke about the new cyber threats that emerged due to spreading of the blockchain technology. He also shared his views on cybersecurity in an interview with Tech Republic.
Walsh stressed that he did not want to engage in a battle with the theology. As an example, he brought up drunk drivers: "I hate seeing kids being run over by drunk drivers. But, the solution isn’t banning cars. So, we have to accept that the technology exists and attacking the technology aspect isn’t necessarily the solution to that."
The official also paid special attention to the anonymity of crypto-currencies. According to him, if digital assets completely replace fiat, the society will face additional questions and tasks. "Let's say you install it in a very small rural community, and everyone starts using it instead of traditional banking. Where do your tax revenues come from? How do you reinvest in your society?" he added.
Walsh also talked about how his agency conducts educational work and educates politicians about the Darknet. He is sure that this work is necessary for people who seek to improve their improve decision making processes due to being aware of potential threats and risks.
Walsh also used the interview to convey a strong message to cybercriminals: "Criminals think that they are anonymous. No … they’re not anonymous. We will track you down, and we will bring you to justice. At least, law enforcement will bring you to justice."
The first nationwide undercover operation to detain arms and drugs traffickers operating in the darknet was held in the United States recently. The operation involved the he U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the U.S. Secret Service (USSS), and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). Special agents seized about 2,000 bitcoins and other cryptocurrencies worth $22 million from darknet vendors, according to the website of the U.S. Department of Justice.
By Ekaterina Ulyanova