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Europol Conference Warns: Cybercrime Fight Hinges on Access to Data
On 2–3 October, leading experts from law enforcement, cybersecurity, and industry will came together in The Hague for the Europol Cybercrime Conference 2025 to discuss pressing issues shaping today’s cybercrime landscape. This year’s theme "Dissecting Data Challenges on the Digital Frontlines", explored how data impacts the fight against cybercrime, with discussions on topics such as data privacy, cyber diplomacy, and cybercrime prevention
Criminals are exploiting encryption, anonymisation and emerging technologies faster than regulators and law enforcement can respond – making access to data the decisive challenge in the fight against cybercrime. This was the warning sounded at Europol’s 4th Annual Cybercrime Conference during the Cybersecurity week. Under the theme ‘Dissecting data challenges on the digital frontlines’, the two-day event focused on the fast-growing challenge of data in cybercrime investigations.
Delegates discussed five pressing issues:
- Balancing access and privacy: how data is used in everyday life, from personal decisions to geopolitical strategy.
- Data in operations: the need for cross-border data availability and stronger public-private partnerships to track and disrupt cybercriminals.
- Data-driven legislation: the urgency of updating regulatory frameworks as technology evolves.
- Cyber diplomacy: ensuring collaboration between governments and industry to create resilient systems.
- Prevention: showcasing innovative approaches that are changing how cybercrime is tackled.
The conference featured case studies such as Operation Ratatouille, which resulted in the arrest of the suspected administrator of one of the most significant Russian-speaking cybercrime platforms in the world, and Europol-backed Operation Eastwood, which stopped pro-Russian hacktivist activity targeting European infrastructure.
The Cybercrime Conference was preceded by an annual workshop with national Computer Security Incident Response Teams (CSIRTs), organised jointly between Europol and the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA), underlining the importance of technical expertise and operational collaboration in building digital resilience. Together with other events on prevention, forensics and global cooperation, the week marked the launch of Europol’s Cyber Week – bringing together communities from across Europe and beyond to strengthen collective defences.
Now in its fourth year, Europol’s Cybercrime Conference has become a key annual platform for operational, policy and industry experts to share insights and prepare the next steps in the fight against cybercrime.
Europol also publishes the Internet Organised Crime Threat Assessment, outlining the emerging threats and key developments in the field of cybercrime over the last year.
EMPACT
The European Multidisciplinary Platform Against Criminal Threats (EMPACT) tackles the most important threats posed by organised and serious international crime affecting the EU. EMPACT strengthens intelligence, strategic and operational cooperation between national authorities, EU institutions and bodies, and international partners. EMPACT runs in four-year cycles focusing on common EU crime priorities.
Source: Europol
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