DEF CON 31 Policy - Blocking Pathways into Cybercrime Current Efforts, Future Opportunities - Panel

A movement is building among law enforcement around the world to connect with young people who are on the path to cybercrime and help them redirect their skills to more constructive, lawful ends. While conventional law enforcement is concerned with prosecutions, prevention strategies seek to engage with (future) offenders and divert them away from committing cybercrime in the first place (or to desist from doing so once they have started). A number of tactics have been explored for blocking pathways into cybercrime. These include TV advertisements to encourage parents to take note of what their children might doing online, warnings when youths are crossing into cybercriminal activities, workshops with mentor figures who can demonstrate more productive (and legal) uses of hacking skills, and connections to employers who can potentially offer pathways towards legitimate employment in cybersecurity or the technology sector more broadly. This panel offers a diverse range of perspectives on cybercrime prevention: a pioneer of prevention efforts in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands; an American attorney involved in high profile computer crime defense cases; a US law enforcement agent; and a well-known former hacker. The panel is moderated by an academic expert on cybercrime. Come learn about ongoing prevention efforts and how you might be able to help as a policymaker, potential mentor, or general supporter.