Five-Eyes alliance puts focus on "The Com" as its new chair organization is established
National Crime Agency Takes Over as Chair of Five Eyes Law Enforcement Group
The UK's National Crime Agency (NCA) has taken over as chair of the Five Eyes Law Enforcement Group (FELEG) for the first time since 2015. This move comes as the NCA focuses on disrupting cybercrime, money laundering, and online sexual abuse of children.
The NCA's director general, Graeme Biggar, has a strong record of working with international partners, such as in taking down the LockBit ransomware gang. Biggar emphasized that serious and organized crime groups do not respect borders and cause harm in communities worldwide.
FELEG includes key policing agencies from the UK, US, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada, such as the FBI, DEA, AFP, RCMP, and New Zealand Police. The UK's Counter Terrorism Policing (CTP) has joined FELEG as a full member.
The NCA aims to engage tactically with a range of sectors and use strategic power to collectively call for change to protect the people they serve. Assistant commissioner Laurence Taylor, head of CTP, argues that collaboration through FELEG has never been so critical due to the similar threats faced by policing units across the Five Eyes coalition.
The NCA has previously flagged the growing societal threat posed by online networks like 'The Com'. These networks typically organize across messaging apps, gaming platforms, and online forums, and are often populated by teenage boys and young men. 'The Com' is a network of loosely affiliated online groups known for their sadistic and violent crimes, often involving extremist, violent, and child abuse material.
The NCA has been particularly concerned about networks linked to cybercrime groups such as Scattered Spider, ShinyHunters, and Lapsus$, which have been involved in high-profile data theft extortion campaigns targeting various entities. The Salesloft Drift campaign, the M&S and Co-Op ransomware attacks, and data breaches at Gucci, Alexander McQueen, and Balenciaga have been mentioned.
Biggar highlighted that while traditional crimes like firearms and drug offenses occur on streets, other crimes take place in dark corners online, such as encrypted platforms. Technology's evolution will continue to be exploited by criminals, so international cooperation is necessary to direct operational cooperation against the most serious organized criminals.
In an effort to strengthen FELEG's response to 'hybrid threats' such as The Com networks, the NCA proposed promoting the CTP. The NCA's mission is to make the alliance more operationally focused to deliver results and protect the public from these online threats.
