Cybercrime prevention on the agenda of modern international relations

Xiaolun Li

Cybercrime prevention on the agenda of modern international relations

Xiaolun Li

Abstract

The aim of the study was to analyse international legal mechanisms for combating cybercrime and to identify effective formats of interstate cooperation. In the context of global digital transformation and the intensification of cross-border cyber threats, international legislation on crime prevention and the interconnections between various elements of preventive mechanisms were systematically examined. A statistical analysis of data from 53 countries, including the United States, Germany, France, Poland, and Ukraine, revealed growth in indicators of international cooperation: the number of legal assistance requests increased from 245 in 2019 to 689 in 2023, the number of joint investigations rose from 34 to 112, the number of successfully solved cases grew from 156 to 423, the amount of recovered damages from cybercrime rose from 23.5 to 89.4 million USD. The most effective instruments were found to be those introduced by European Union directives and NATO mechanisms, which demonstrated higher efficiency compared to bilateral formats. It was established that: 45 countries achieved full compliance in defining cybercrime offences, 38 countries in procedural investigation mechanisms, 35 countries in digital evidence collection procedures. Case analysis showed that: Polish-NATO cooperation reduced incident response time from 24 to 4 hours, Ukrainian- Israeli cooperation decreased successful intrusions into critical infrastructure by 39%, the NATO Trust Fund improved cyberattack detection effectiveness by 47%. To improve international legal mechanisms for combating cybercrime, it was recommended to: harmonise national legislation in the field of procedural investigation mechanisms and digital evidence collection, develop and implement international standards for cryptocurrency market regulation, strengthen cooperation on tracing illicit crypto-assets. The results of the study may be used to develop national standards and improve processes of international cooperation in combating cybercrime

Keywords

cyberattacks; cybersecurity; cross-border cyber incidents; law enforcement agencies; global threats

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Suggested citation

Li, X. (2025). Cybercrime prevention on the agenda of modern international relations. Foreign Affairs, 35(3), 115-127. https://doi.org/10.59214/2663-2675.35(3).2025.115