An agreement between Intel’s McAfee security branch and European law enforcement will allow the two to work on joint operations to fight cybercrime.
Intel, which acquired McAfee in 2010, said on Wednesday the memorandum of understanding with Europol’s European Cybercrime Centre (EC3) will allow for an exchange of technical information and non-operational data related to cybercrime.
The EC3 was launched last year to tackle organized gangs specializing in online fraud, child sexual exploitation and attacks on critical infrastructure and IT systems in the European Union.
Intel Security has already been working with EC3, said the organization’s head, Troels Oerting, in a news release.
Computer security companies have long collaborated with law enforcement under informal arrangements, as the companies collect detailed technical information on cybercrime campaigns.
But it’s up to law enforcement to arrest and charge those accused of cybercrimes, a difficult task that is complicated by its cross-border nature.
That cooperation is getting better, however, as more than 30 countries have either ratified or acceded to the Council of Europe’s Convention on Cybercrime, the only international treaty that deals with that type of offense.
The treaty has been essential in helping write uniform laws for computer crime offenses across different countries as well as establishing 24-hour contacts for breaking cybercrime investigations.