Child Pornography Forensic Experts

How do Law Enforcement Investigate Cybercrime?

Law enforcement agencies all over the world have a whole host of confidential technology they utilize on a daily basis to track down and apprehend those committing online crimes. In many cases, investigations into cybercrimes like child pornography offences involve law enforcement agencies from multiple different cities or countries.

It is common in child pornography investigations for the original report of potential criminal activity to have originated outside of Canada. Since child pornography offences can be considered borderless crimes, when one law enforcement agency is investigating cybercrime, the often find offenders in other parts of the world. When this happens, the local agency will contact the country in which the suspect is located, pass along the information they have uncovered, the leave it to the country the suspect resides in to investigate further.

For example, police in New Zealand are investigating an online platform that hosts child pornography material. During their investigation, they uncover the identities of individuals engaging with the platform who reside in Canada. One such individual lives in Barrie Ontario. The New Zealand police will then report the matter to Canada’s National Child Exploitation Crime Centre (NCECC) which is a part of the RCMP. The NCECC will then pass along the information to the Barrie Police Service who will investigate. If their investigation uncovers sufficient evidence, the suspect will be arrested and charged.

Do Social Media Website Report their Users for Illegal Activity? 

Yes. It is common for those charged with child pornography to have been turned into police by a social media company. Social media companies have policies on the material that can be legally hosted on their platforms. When a social media company becomes aware that one of their users is engaging with illegal material on their platform, they will typically report it to law enforcement.

For example, an individual who is sharing child pornography material on Instagram may be reported to police by Instagram if Instagram discovered the activity. Once a report is made, the police will use the information from the social media company to obtain a production order to get the users identity.

What are Common Cyberattacks?

Cyberattacks from hackers are becoming more and more common in 2026. With technology becoming more advanced, so too are hackers. Some of the most common types of cyberattacks include brute force attacks, phishing attacks, and distributed denial-of service DDoS attacks. 

Brute Force Attacks

Brute force attacks use trial and error to attempt to guess the correct password for a network. Hackers may use software to try different passwords in a systematic way until the correct password is uncovered.

Phishing Attacks

Phishing attacks are commonly used and require the target to click on something, often an email or other link. The attacks utilize links that re-direct to dummy websites, requiring the user to enter their credentials. Once the user clicks and enters their credentials, the hacker has their information and can access their data. Some more sophisticated hackers use what is known as spear-phishing, which targets a specific individual. For example, a paralegal at a law firm will receive an email purporting to be from their boss, asking them to do something. The hacker will then leverage the paralegals trust to carry out their attack.

Distributed Denial-of Service (DDoS) Attacks

A DDoS attack involves flooding a network with an overwhelming amount of traffic, causing the network to crash and become inoperable. Hackers will deploy a zombie army of infected computers known as botnet who will then flood the targets network causing its infrastructure to fail.

What is Malware?

Malware is malicious code that can be planted into one’s computer or server with the intent of attacking the system. Malware is typically downloaded through software that is designed to take control of a computer, render a computer inoperable, or acquire some sort of confidential information.

Spyware

Spyware is malware used to track the user’s data. Spyware is used to copy data and details from a user’s device that can then be used. For example, hackers may download spyware in a person’s computer to get access to their banking details.

Rootkits

A rootkit is a form of malicious software that is designed to provide unauthorized access to a network or computer. Rootkits are installed in the operating system of a device, making them difficult to detect.

Viruses and Worms

A virus is a type of computer program which can replicate by modifying other software. When files compromised with a virus are transferred, the virus can spread to other computers. The primary function of a worm is to self-replicate and infect other computers on the network. Unlike viruses, worms are unable to spread without the original infected file.

Ransomware

Ransomware is used to extort money from people, often businesses or organizations. Hackers will install ransomware on critical infrastructure or data in an organization, rendering it inoperable. The hackers will then extort the organization to, demanding money in return for the data.

Trojans

A trojan is a form of malicious code that is designed to grant a hacker access to a targeted device. Trojans are typically designed to look like a legitimate program but once downloaded give the hackers access to the computer. Once installed, the hacker can monitor the user’s computer, silently watching everything they do on the device.