Aspen Tech Policy Hub Teams up with Cybercrime Support Network to Centralize Online Crime and Fraud Reporting

The Cybercrime Support Network (CSN) and the Aspen Tech Policy Hub are teaming up to work towards the goal of creating a single, easy-to-use system to report online fraud and cybercrime directly to appropriate law enforcement agencies.

The collaboration will leverage research and a prototype form developed by members of the inaugural class of Aspen Tech Policy Hub fellows

Contact:  Cybercrime Support Network
Rachel Dooley
press@cybercrimesupport.org

Aspen Tech Policy Hub
Betsy Cooper
betsy.cooper@aspeninstitute.org

San Francisco, CA, January 8, 2020

– The Cybercrime Support Network (CSN) and the Aspen Tech Policy Hub are teaming up to work towards the goal of creating a single, easy-to-use system to report online fraud and cybercrime directly to appropriate law enforcement agencies.

Every year, it is estimated that one-third of American adults are victims of cybercrime or online fraud. Older Americans are disproportionately affected — over the last five years, cybercrime against U.S. seniors has risen 400 percent and resulted in $650 million in annual losses.

While scam tactics have evolved, federal databases, reporting forms and scam prevention efforts have not kept pace. When consumers report scams to the government, law enforcement officials are better able to perform investigations into past crimes, see patterns of fraud and take preventive measures.

This summer, Aspen Tech Policy Hub fellows Ginny Fahs, Steven Buccini, Anil Dewan and Ora Tanner researched this critical issue. They found that existing government reporting systems are too complex for older adults, their families and even professionals focused on elder services and elder fraud prevention.

The fellows published recommendations that federal agencies centralize and redesign reporting systems. They also built and tested a working prototype of a new reporting form, and shared these materials with relevant nonprofits and government agencies.

The Aspen Fellows’ source code and form prototype will be a starting point for CSN’s ongoing efforts to synthesize government cybercrime reporting systems, and their usability testing and design recommendations will be utilized as CSN works across government agencies to streamline cybercrime reporting systems.

The Aspen Tech Policy Hub joins a number of collaborators on the initiative including the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Cybersecurity Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), the Center for Internet Security and Mississippi State’s National Strategic Planning and Analysis Research Center.

The Cybercrime Support Network and the Aspen Tech Policy Hub are both generously supported by Craig Newmark Philanthropies, which backs grassroots efforts that are “getting stuff done” in areas that include trustworthy journalism & the information ecosystem, and election security & voter protection.

“Tech makes life more convenient for a lot of people, and it has the potential to serve the common good, but it also can pose major threats to our personal security and privacy,” said Craig Newmark, founder of craigslist and Craig Newmark Philanthropies. “We need all hands on deck to tackle this matter, so I’m especially grateful that two impactful groups are joining forces to help those who have been harmed by cybercrime.”

###

The Aspen Tech Policy Hub is a West Coast policy incubator, training a new generation of tech policy entrepreneurs. The Hub takes tech experts, teaches them the policy process through an in-residence fellowship program in the Bay Area, and encourages them to develop outside-the-box solutions to society’s problems. It models itself after tech incubators like Y Combinator, but trains new policy thinkers and focuses the impact of their ideas. For more information, please visit https://www.aspentechpolicyhub.org.

The Cybercrime Support Network is a public-private, nonprofit collaboration created to be the voice of cybercrime victims, backed by sponsors including Craig Newmark Philanthropies, AT&T, Comcast, Google, KnowBe4, Trend Micro, Verizon and more.

In addition to supporting cybercrime victims through FraudSupport.org, CSN recently received a $1 million cooperative agreement from DHS CISA, to develop a State, Local, Tribal and Territorial (SLTT) Reporting and Threat Information Sharing Pilot. With these funds, CSN will create a standardized reporting structure to capture more cybercrime victim complaints and get that crime data to State, local, tribal and territorial government entities as well as federal agencies with the authority to act.

Maritime Leaders Urge SBTi to Support Indirect Mitigation Strategies in Net-Zero Guidelines

ZEMBA and Katalist urge SBTi on indirect mitigation to unlock emissions abatement and investment in maritime sector’s clean energy transition.

New NeuroArts Blueprint Analysis Finds Strong Return on Investment from Music Engagement

Groundbreaking report quantifies the economic benefit of improved quality of life for Alzheimer’s patients and their caregivers—showing a $2.40 return for every $1 invested annually.

Aspen Ideas: Climate Partners With University of Chicago Institute for Climate and Sustainable Growth as Academic Thought Partner, Announces New Speakers

The collaboration will involve key elements of Aspen Ideas: Climate Chicago’s programming, integrating the University of Chicago’s global expertise and cutting-edge research into the agenda. Together, they will co-curate sessions on critical topics such as climate finance, carbon removal, and carbon markets, among others.

Bipartisan Problem-solving: Former Governors Sununu and Cooper to Talk Health Policy at Aspen Ideas: Health

Aspen Ideas: Health announced its latest set of experts and practitioners who will come to Aspen this June 22-25 to speak on health opportunities.

The Center for Rising Generations at the Aspen Institute to Host Inaugural National Youth Leadership Summit in D.C.

The Center for Rising Generations at the Aspen Institute (CRG) will host the first-ever Rising Generations Summit (RGS), a powerful youth-led gathering bringing together more than 100 youth delegates (ages 14-18) from across the United States to Washington, D.C. on Saturday, June 7.

The Aspen Institute Business & Society Program Announces the 2025 Economic Mobility Fellows

The group of leaders from major corporations including Google, Zillow, and United Airlines will develop projects that drive economic opportunity and mobility in the US.

Announcing Aspen Ideas: Economy – A New Signature Forum from the Aspen Institute

Held during the Aspen Institute’s 75th anniversary year, hundreds of speakers and attendees will converge at the newest iteration of “Aspen Ideas,” the organization’s signature events brand that brings leading voices together to address the most pressing challenges in our society.