Cloud Computing and Its Implications for Cybercrime Investigations in Australia
Computer Law and Security Review 29(2): 152-163, 2013
21 Pages Posted: 17 Oct 2013
Date Written: October 15, 2013
Abstract
The advent of cloud computing has led to a dispersal of user data across international borders. More than ever before, law enforcement investigations into cybercrime and online criminal activity require cooperation between agencies from multiple countries. This paper examines recent changes to the law in Australia in relation to the power of law enforcement agencies to effectively investigate cybercrime insofar as individuals and organisations make use of cloud infrastructure in connection with criminal activity. It concludes that effective law enforcement operations in this area require harmonious laws across jurisdictions and streamlines procedures for granting assistance between law enforcement agencies. In conjunction with these mechanical developments, this paper posits that law enforcement officers require a systematised understanding of cloud infrastructure and its operation in order to effectively make use of their powers.
Keywords: Cloud computing, Cybercrime, Digital forensics, Law enforcement investigations, Mutual legal assistance, Australian Law, Council of Europe Convention on Cybercrime, Jurisdictional issues
JEL Classification: C88, C89, K42, K49
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation