Integrated Technological Crime Unit

"C" Division Integrated Technological Crime Unit (ITCU) includes police investigators and civilian members and is responsible for investigating computer crimes of national or international scope and providing technical assistance to other investigative units. The ITCU investigates offences such as unauthorized access to a computer or computer network (computer intrusion or hacking), mischief in relation to data (theft, manipulation, deletion, etc.), and possession of equipment or passwords facilitating this type of offences.

Mandate

The mandate of the ITCU is four-fold: investigation, computer support, intelligence and prevention.

Investigation

• Investigate computer crimes where the federal government is the victim.
• Conduct and coordinate investigations of criminal or terrorist activities targeting Canada’s national critical infrastructure from a technological perspective.
• Assist in joint national security investigations of technological significance.
• In cases where the computer crime is as significant as the substantive offence, investigate jointly with the RCMP unit having primary jurisdiction for the substantive offence.
• In cases where the RCMP does not have primary jurisdiction, conduct, with the consent of the police service having jurisdiction, national or international interest investigations of offences involving considerable financial loss or are extremely complex.
• Investigate local technological crimes at the request of the police service having primary jurisdiction, subject to resource availability and in accordance with applicable legislation.

Technological Support and Assistance

• Provide necessary technological investigative support in national security investigation, including terrorist threats and terrorist financing.
• Provide support to RCMP investigative units in relation to computer facilitated crimes.
• Provide operational support and assistance to other Canadian departments and agencies in relation to information technology and cyber vulnerabilities.
• Respond to requests for assistance from international law enforcement agencies in relation to technological crime.
• Upon request and in accordance with applicable legislation, provide assistance to other law enforcement agencies in relation to computer crime falling under their jurisdiction.

Intelligence

• Collect, analyse and share information and criminal intelligence.

Prevention

• Prevent criminal offences with a national security dimension specifically targeting Canada’s national critical infrastructure.
• Develop and maintain emerging technology partnerships and contacts with key government departments and partners from the private sector as well as national and provincial law enforcement agencies.
• Develop and maintain a capacity for rapid deployment of specialized computer crime investigative resources to meet the needs of major national security investigations or investigations involving Canada’s national critical infrastructure.

ITCU members are always striving to keep up with technological advances and new trends. This allows them to be proactive and remain at the forefront of the fight against computer crime.