The symposium brings together members of the Child Protection Unit and its Internet Crimes Against Children Unit, CNP’s Anti Cyber Crime Department (ACCD), Anti Human Trafficking and Juvenile Protection Department (AHTJP), Technical and Scientific Police. The symposium will also be attended by the Ministry of Post and Telecommunications (MPTC), industry professionals, technology experts and academics to examine the state of digital crimes in Cambodia and participate in a knowledge exchange with the aim of fortifying cooperation towards investigation and prevention.

The advancement in network technologies and proliferation of connected devices, compounded with the Covid-19 situation, has hastened the adoption and demand for connectivity, not only for business continuity, but for most, if not all, social interactions. While this brings about certain conveniences and benefits, this also presents new challenges, especially for children.

The Digital Forensics Symposium will outline these challenges, focusing on child protection, and present the benefits, capabilities, and value of digital evidence in all investigations. The CPU has been working in cooperation with the CNP for almost a decade, as authorized under their Memorandum of Understanding.

Key inclusions in the two-day agenda include presentations from the CNP Department on forensic digital capabilities, the MPTC on its regulatory framework for ISP, ISP presentations on their support to investigations, and technology capabilities demonstrations from the ACCD, TSP and CPU.

Royal Group’s ICT companies, Cambodia’s telco operator, Cellcard, and internet service provider, Ezecom, have committed to working with civil society the Royal Government of Cambodia, and industry leaders to proactively support and combat online child sexual exploitation, and other internet enabled crimes.

Cellcard and Ezecom participates through a joint sponsorship of the symposium, with the attendance of members of its management team to explore ways forward in ensuring the safety of Cambodians as they navigate their growing digital ecosystem. Cellcard’s Chief Corporate Affairs

Officer, Laszlo Barta, and Ezecom’s Chief Executive Officer, Yuni Lee will also outline current practices that contribute to digital safety.

“Most people access the internet from their mobile phone, and in Cambodia, over 50% of the population is below 30 years old, 37% are children below 18 years old. As a telco operator we abide by the rules set out by the MPTC and the Ministry of Interior (MOI) to ensure, not only fair competition, but security for all users. SIM registration is a key requirement for mobile access and connectivity. This ensures that every number is identified, every activity traceable to individuals. This capability can serve as a deterrent for criminal activity and valuable information for any criminal investigation. To ensure this process, we have digitized the way our sales teams and dealers sell and register SIM cards with an app. And have ongoing campaigns to remind customers to keep their information updated. We are pleased to be attending the symposium and be part of the on-going discussion on how to improve and implement technology and legislation to coincide with growing digital use and dependency.” – Laszlo Barta, Cellcard CCAO

“Ezecom is on a mission to elevate digital lifestyle and standards for every Cambodian. The household internet penetration for The Kingdom has increased healthily to 53% compared to average developing countries of 57%*. On this note, it is also very alarming know up to 20% of internet-using children is exposed to OCSEA (online children sexual exploitation and abuse).

Ezecom is committed to work with relevant authorities to drive down this OCSEA exposure through data privacy and protection policy spanning from data identification, storage and retrieval and security aspects. So that we are able to provide to our esteemed customers, a trusted platform to carry on their daily digital lives with sound moral values from all walks of life.” In the words of Ezecom CEO, Ms. Yuni Lee Heathcote.

*quoted from statists global internet access rate 2005-21

Cambodia is a recipient of National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) referrals, which are reported by various technology companies such as Facebook and TikTok, among others. The substantial number of referrals that are made each year in every country necessitates a timely mechanism to triage these referrals. A key part of that process is the ability to match relevant information with users. This is one of the key roles of the ICT industry. This symposium will help promote awareness of ISP capabilities in Cambodia to support investigations.

The Digital Forensics symposium, hosted by the CPU in Cooperation with the CNP, sponsored by the Royal Group, Cellcard, Ezecom and Hotel Cambodiana, will be held on 14-15 December at Hotel Cambodiana Phnom Penh and attended by over 60 leaders across government and private institutions.

About Royal Group

Cambodia’s strategic investment holding company, the Royal Group is recognised as the country’s most dynamic and diversified business conglomerate. With interests in a wide range of industries including telecommunication, transport, energy, media & entertainment, banking & financing, insurance, hotels & resorts, education, property development, trading, and agriculture.