Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
Source: United Nations – United Nations –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
Dina Neskorozhana
October 15, 2025 International law
Imagine visiting the website of a familiar hardware store. Everything looks familiar—same design, same brand name, same interface. You calmly place your order, pay—and only then notice a small change: just one letter in the website address has changed.
It's easy to fall into the trap of online scammers. It's fortunate if the amount was small and the bank acted quickly—returning the money and reissuing the card. But not everyone is so lucky: in some countries, recovering stolen funds is virtually impossible.
When you can lose everything with one click
A bankruptcy lawyer told UN News Service that more and more people are being forced to file for bankruptcy after losing money to cybercrime.
Any one of us can become a victim of a cyberattack, no matter where we live, and everyone deserves protection and support.
While some countries still don't clearly define cybercrime as a criminal offense, lack international legal assistance, and have varying approaches to investigating such cases, cybercrime itself is rapidly evolving. It has evolved from isolated attacks by lone hackers into large-scale operations by criminal networks. The internet and new technologies, including artificial intelligence, allow criminals to act faster, reach victims worldwide, and commit crimes with virtually no human intervention.
From autonomous cyberattacks and deepfake images to AI-optimized malware and phishing campaigns, the abuse of new technologies is challenging traditional cybercrime investigation and prevention systems.
Phishing is the leader in digital crime.
The most common cybercrime today is phishing, where victims are tricked into revealing passwords or financial information through fake websites or emails.
Even inexperienced attackers can now use ready-made "phishing kits" to instantly create realistic clones of major brand websites and send convincing fraudulent messages.
In recent years, billions of stolen login and password combinations have appeared on the dark web. This data is used for so-called brute-force attacks—automated attempts to log in to thousands of websites simultaneously.
New line of defense
This chapter of digital history may soon be turned. In December 2024, the UN General Assembly adopted the United Nations Convention on Cybercrime—the first international criminal justice treaty in over twenty years.
The adoption of the document was the result of five years of negotiations by UN member states with the participation of experts, representatives of civil society, academia, and the private sector. The UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called the adoption of the Convention a "decisive step" in global efforts to protect online privacy. Next week, the Convention will be opened for signature at an official ceremony in Hanoi, Vietnam. It will enter into force 90 days after ratification by forty states.
When the rules are the same
The new document creates a common international framework for combating cybercrime. It introduces uniform definitions, investigative standards, and victim assistance mechanisms, including compensation, reparations, and the removal of illegal content.
States will implement these measures in accordance with their own laws, but within the framework of agreed-upon international principles. And perhaps this Convention will usher in a new era, when one extra letter in a website's address will no longer cost you everything.
Read more about the significance of the Convention on Cybercrime in our article.
Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It represents an accurate account of the source's assertions and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.