CT TECH+: Cybersecurity and new technologies

Context

Advances in information and communication technologies (ICT) have made them attractive for terrorists and extremist groups to exploit. These groups use the internet and social media for a wide range of activities, such as inciting violence, radicalising individuals, recruiting, planning attacks, spreading propaganda, and even financing their operations. They also manipulate gender roles and inequalities to further their aims. Terrorists often use encrypted communications and the dark web to share dangerous content, such as bomb designs and attack strategies, as well as to coordinate actions, procure weapons, and obtain fake documents. While these technologies pose serious risks, they also provide significant opportunities for law enforcement to combat terrorism.

New technologies like data analytics, artificial intelligence, and investigations of the dark web and cryptocurrency allow law enforcement agencies to detect, investigate, and prevent terrorist activities more effectively. As law enforcement adopts these new technologies, it must do so while respecting fundamental human rights. This includes upholding the right to privacy, freedom of expression, freedom of religion, and the right to a fair trial. To balance security with civil liberties, robust regulations, oversight, and ethical guidelines must be in place to prevent misuse. Collaboration between governments, international organisations, and the private sector is crucial to ensure that technological advancements are used responsibly and that resources are shared equitably. By doing so, law enforcement can leverage new technologies to better protect public safety while safeguarding individual right.

Overall objective

CT TECH+ aims to improve selected Partner States’ response to the increased misuse of new technologies for terrorist purposes, while protecting human rights and in a gender-responsive manner.

Specific objectives

• To strengthen national counter-terrorism (CT) policies or strategies of the selected Partner States to include comprehensive approaches to countering the use of new technologies for terrorist purposes, in full respect of human rights, the rule of law, and in a gender responsive manner.
• To strengthen national technological capabilities of selected Partner States’ law enforcement agencies to counter-terrorism, in full respect of human rights and the rule of law, and in a a gender-responsive manner.
• To improve selected Partner States’ international co-operation and public-private partnerships to use new and emerging technologies to counter terrorism, in full respect of human rights and the rule of law.
   

Concrete activities

• Project kick-offs in Ghana, Iraq, Kenya, Nigeria, Philippines, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, to provide information on the project, identify capacity building needs and stakeholders and agree on tailored capacity building assistance for 2025- 2026.
• Online basic and intermediate trainings on the Darknet and Virtual Assets for beneficiaries.
• National workshops in various countries, including Ghana, Ivory Coast, Malaysia, Nigeria and Tajikistan, among others to benchmark Law Enforcement Agencies readiness to adopt new technologies across policy, legal, and institutional pillars.