About
As internet connectivity deepens across the Pacific region, collaborative action to combat cybercrime has been a priority for PILON since 2016. While faster and better internet access continues to open up greater social and economic possibilities for the Pacific, it also enables cybercriminals to reach across the globe to commit new crimes, or old crimes in new ways. The borderless nature of cybercrime means it can occur anywhere, making international cooperation, investigative assistance, and common substantive and procedural legislative provisions of paramount importance.
Pacific leaders have acknowledged that cybersecurity is a rapidly growing threat to the region and, in the Boe Declaration on Regional Security, have called for an increasing emphasis on regional cooperation to address it. Cybercrime and cyber-enabled crime are key areas of strategic focus in the Boe Declaration Action Plan and PILON is contributing to regional efforts to address this issue thorough the promotion of accession by PILON Member countries to the Council of Europe Convention on Cybercrime (‘Budapest Convention’). This Convention provides a framework for regional cooperation and collaboration on investigating and prosecuting cybercrime particularly those aspects that require a cooperative approach, such as information sharing and mutual legal assistance (providing evidence across international borders).
The PILON Cybercrime Working Group has focused its efforts on building the awareness of member countries of the urgent need to address cybercrime to protect Pacific communities and economies. PILON promotes the development and implementation of best practice legislation, evidence gathering powers and international cooperation mechanisms for police, prosecutors and law makers.
PILON works with regional and international partners, including the Council of Europe, the Pacific Islands Chiefs of Police’s Cyber Safety Pasifika Program and the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade Cyber Cooperation Program to deliver activities including regional workshops, training and development of practical resources.
Chair
- Linda Folaumoetu’i (Attorney General, Kingdom of Tonga)
Members
- American Samoa
- Australia
- Cook Islands
- Fiji
- Kiribati
- Nauru
- New Zealand
- Papua New Guinea
- Republic of Marshall Islands
- Solomon Islands
- Tonga
- Vanuatu
Cybercrime Legislation Implementation Handbook
In October 2023, PILON’s Cybercrime Working Group agreed to develop a Handbook to provide countries with a comprehensive understanding of how to effectively implement cybercrime laws, with the aim of increasing, strengthening and harmonising cybercrime laws in the Pacific and supporting greater ratification of the Council of Europe’s (COE) Convention on Cybercrime (Budapest Convention). The idea for the Cybercrime Legislation Implementation Handbook arose from collaboration between PILON, COE, and many other valued partners in the years since the establishment of the Cybercrime Working Group in 2016.
A drafting Subcommittee was formed in May 2024 to support the drafting process and conduct consultations in-country. Members of the Subcommittee are engaged in a long-term, co-designed drafting process with cybercrime experts. This includes the contribution of case studies, reviewing contributions from experts to ensure they are appropriate for a Pacific context and realistic to implement, and sharing reflections on their own experiences of implementing cybercrime legislation. The Handbook is intended to be a resource for PILON members to put cybercrime legislation into practice, no matter what stage their legislation is at.
This Handbook is being developed with the special objective of elevating Pacific voices on law reform and implementation of cybercrime legislation. The overarching objective of the Handbook project is to contribute to cybercrime prevention by increasing the capability of PILON members to identify common issues with implementation of cybercrime laws. The Handbook project aims to inform stronger cybercrime prevention, prosecution and cooperation and build cyber security capability for a strong and resilient cyber security posture.
PILON works with regional and international partners, including the Council of Europe, the Pacific Islands Chiefs of Police’s Cyber Safety Pasifika Program and the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade Cyber Cooperation Program to deliver activities including regional workshops, training and development of practical resources.
Upcoming activities
- March 2026 – Second Cybercrime Legislation Implementation Handbook Workshop
- June 2026 – Third Cybercrime Legislation Implementation Handbook Workshop
Completed activities
PILON Cybercrime Working Group Webinar – ``The Convention of Cybercrime (Budapest Convention)``
2 October 2025
On Thursday 2 October 2025, the PILON Cybercrime Working Group, in collaboration with the Council of Europe, hosted a webinar on the Convention on Cybercrime (the Budapest Convention).
The session featured Marco Jurić, Assistant Professor in the Information Technology Law Department at the University of Zagreb, Faculty of Law. Professor Jurić provided valuable insights into the scope and operation of the Budapest Convention, including an overview of its state parties.
He compared its framework and implementation to the United Nations Cybercrime Treaty (2024) and highlighted recent developments, including the accession of new parties and the introduction of the Second Additional Protocol to the Convention.
PILON Cybercrime Working Group Workshop - ``Legislation Implementation Handbook Workshop``
11-13 June 2025
On Wednesday 11 to Friday 13 June 2025, the PILON Cybercrime Working Group held the first in person Handbook drafting workshop in Tonga. The purpose of the first workshop was to finalise the first two Handbook chapters, review progress on the third chapter and initiate planning discussions for the remaining chapters.
The first in person drafting meeting was well received and a great success; chapters 1 and 2 were finalised, and substantial progress was made on drafting chapters 3 and 4. Additionally, engagement across the Working Group was strong, and the in-person format enabled deep, constructive dialogue on the challenges and opportunities for cybercrime legal reform in the region.
This first workshop reinforced key themes including the importance of fostering political will, addressing capacity and resource constraints, and adapting international standards to local legal contexts.
PILON Cybercrime Working Group Course - ``Digital Forensics Courses``
Congratulations to the 26 Pacific lawyers and law enforcement officers who took part in our parallel courses on the ‘Fundamentals of Digital Forensics’ (delivered by Zyber/Insig2). We hope you also enjoyed the three virtual case study sessions held over late September to late October.
These courses have now officially closed. A certificate ceremony was held on the final day of the 2022 Cybercrime Workshop for graduates and those still undertaking coursework. Officer in Charge, Gabriel Fakatonu, of the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force, and Mr Nixon Alten, Assistant Attorney-General, Federated States of Micronesia, presented on their learnings from the course.
PILON Cybercrime Working Group Workshop - ``Combatting Cybercrime: Trends and Tools in a Changing World``
Across four days PILON held the fourth and final workshop in the series of annual flagship events. This workshop was co-hosted together with the Government of the Republic of Fiji and funded primarily by the Australian Government’s Cyber and Critical Technology Cooperation Program (CCTCP) with support from the Council of Europe.
This year’s workshop focused on gendered impacts of online engagement and the most common types of cyber-enabled offences in Pacific communities, promoting knowledge sharing, capacity building and regional cooperation. The event featured presentations from senior officials from across the Pacific and other countries and organisations worldwide, including PILON member countries, PaCSON, PTCN, PIFS, Interpol, FBI, the Australian Federal Police, the Reserve Bank of Fiji and many others. The Budapest Convention on Cybercrime was broadly recognized by high level speakers in the event as the leading standard on cybercrime legislation. In the Pacific region, Tonga is a Party to the Budapest Convention, together with Australia, while New Zealand, Fiji and Vanuatu have been invited to accede to this treaty.
An official booklet summarising the activities and learnings will be published in the coming months. Official booklets from previous workshops can be viewed in our cybercrime digital library.
PILON Cybercrime Working Group Webinar - ``Cybercrime Legislation in the Pacific: Sharing Perspectives on Recent Progress``
5 August 2022
On Friday 5 August 2022, the PILON Cybercrime Working Group, in collaboration with the Council of Europe hosted a webinar on “Cybercrime Legislation in the Pacific: Sharing Perspectives on Recent Progress.”
The webinar discussed progress in harmonising and updating legal frameworks on cybercrime and electronic evidence, in line with international standards (i.e., Budapest Convention) as a crucial milestone in equipping relevant authorities in the region to address cybercrime issues. We heard from Kiribati and Tonga on the approach their country has taken, and also Council of Europe presented on the impacts and benefits of acceding to the Budapest Convention, the accession process and further types of assistance the Council of Europe can extend to interested countries.
Speakers
Mrs. Terianna Kourabi (Kiribati Ministry of Information, Communications and Transport) is an Information Security Analyst in the Cybersecurity Unit and Computer Emergency Response Team within the Kiribati Ministry of Information, Communications and Transport.”
Tupou K Vainikolo (Attorney General’s Office, Kingdom of Tonga) is a Crown Prosecutor in the Criminal Division. She is involved in the assessment and prosecution of indictable criminal offences, including criminal offences that are cyber-related. She assists the Attorney General in her involvement in national, regional and international matters related to cybercrime and cyber safety.
Catalina Stroe (Cybercrime Programme Office, Council of Europe) is programme manager of the Global Action on Cybercrime Extended (GLACY+), joint project of European Union and Council of Europe. The primary aim of the project is to strengthen the capacities of States worldwide to apply legislation on cybercrime and electronic evidence and enhance their abilities for effective international cooperation in this area, while ensuring compliance with international human rights standards and the rule of law.
Before joining Council of Europe, Catalina acted as a white-collar crime defence attorney and for more than 15 years. She covered AML/CTF compliance matters, fraud and corruption prevention area, with extensive experience in various forensic projects.
To view recording of this webinar please click here
PILON Cybercrime Working Group Scholarship Course - “The Zyber Digital Forensics for Lawyers and Judges: Intermediate level”
April – July 2022
The scholarship course ran from April to July 2022. Participants built a deeper understanding of the issues considered in the Fundamentals course, piloted by the PILON Cybercrime Working Group in 2021.
This course covers more advanced aspects of computer, mobile, network, and cloud forensics – different types of evidence and their forensic value, how to acquire digital evidence, what are the forensic solutions, challenges, and most importantly, time and effort needed.
As part of the course, participants engaged in three Zoom class discussion sessions with experts on digital forensics practice and procedure from Pacific countries. Recordings of each Zoom session from the Fundamentals and Intermediate courses are available in the Members’ Zone.”
PILON Cybercrime Working Group Webinar - ``Countering Disinformation``
26 November 2021
On Friday 26 November 2021, the PILON Cybercrime Working Group and the Council of Europe hosted a webinar on ‘Countering Disinformation’.
Panellists for the webinar included;
- Council of Europe
- Pacific Fusion Centre
- Kiribati Ministry of Information, Communication, Transport and Tourism Development
- Kingdom of Tonga Attorney-General’s Office
To view recording of this webinar please click here
PILON Cybercrime Working Group Webinar - ``Addressing Image-Based Abuse`` Part 2
23 September 2021
On Thursday 23 September 2021, the PILON Cybercrime Working Group and Sexual and Gender Based Violence Working Group hosted a webinar.
Ms Dana Esperanza, Assistant Director, Attorney-General’s Department, Australia, chaired the webinar.
Panellists for the webinar included;
- Rosalie O’Neale, Australian Office of the eSafety Commissioner
- Superintendent Kalisi Tohifolau, Tonga Police
- Fiona Cleary, Principal at the Luke Cunningham Clere, New Zealand
To view recording of this webinar please click here
PILON Cybercrime Working Group Webinar - ``Addressing Image-Based Abuse`` Part 1
26 August 2021
On Thursday 26 August 2021, the PILON Cybercrime Working Group and Sexual and Gender Based Violence Working Group delivered the first of two part webinar.
Moderator by Mr James Lutui, Director of Public Prosecutions, Kingdom of Tonga. Presenters for the webinar included;
- Karen Bentley, CEO, WESNET
- Stephanie Dunn, Legal Officer, Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre
To view recording of this webinar please click here
PILON Cybercrime Working Group Webinar - ``Cybercrime and Children in a Covid-19 World: Part 2 – Online Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM)``
4 June 2021
On Friday 4 June 2021, the PILON Cybercrime Working Group delivered a webinar on “Cybercrime and Children in a Covid-19 World: Part 2-Online Child Sexual Abuse Materials”.
The webinar was chaired by Attorney General Linda Folauetu’i , Kingdom of Tonga.
Panellists for the webinar included:
- Goimel Saolo, UNICEF Child Protection Consultant, Vanuatu
- Partick Burton, UNICEF Pacific Child Online Protection Consultant
- Katie Hodges, UNICEF Pacific Child Protection Specialist
- Cassandra Armstrong and Nathalie Espinoza, Cybercrime and Online Safety Policy Section, Australian Department of Home Affairs
- Julie Zezovska and Kit Arjura, Child Abuse and Family Violence Section, Department of Home Affairs
- Rachel Olutimayin, Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Solomon Islands
To view recording of this webinar please click here
PILON Cybercrime Working Group Webinar - ``Cybercrime and Children in a Covid-19 World: Part 1 - Cyberbullying``
18 March 2021
On Thursday 18 March 2021, the PILON Cybercrime Working Group delivered a webinar on “Cybercrime and Children in a Covid-19 World”.
Covid-19 has changed the world as we know it. While we have been forced to physically distance, we have become more connected through the internet, adapting to remote work, learning and video calls. Cybercriminals have adapted to our increased online engagement, rendering children more vulnerable than ever in this new criminal landscape. As the first of our two-part webinar on Cybercrime and Children in a Covid-19 world, the Cyberbullying webinar discussed the challenges of keeping our children safe when engaging with digital technology, as well as opportunities for adapting laws and policies to prevent harmful practices.
Panellists for the webinar included:
- Ms Anne Dunn-Baleilevuka, Commissioner of the Fiji Online Safety Commission
- Ms Kelly Tallon, Manager of Online Harm Policy at the Australian eSafety Commission
- Ms Ella Serry, Assistant Manager, International Strategy and Futures at the Australian eSafety Commission
- Professor Amanda Third (PhD), Professorial Research Fellow in the Institute for Culture and Society at Western Sydney University
The webinar was chaired by Mr James Lutui, Director of Public Prosecutions in the Kingdom of Tonga , and live scribed by graphic artist, Ms Jessamy Gee.
To view webinar poster: Download poster
To view recording of this webinar please click here.
We thank our speakers and participants for their engagement during the webinar and look forward to your interest in second part of this webinar series.
PILON Cybercrime Working Group Webinar – ``Mutual Legal Assistance: Electronic Evidence and Cybercrime``
2 December 2020
On Wednesday 2 December 2021, the PILON Cybercrime Working Group hosted a live webinar about mutual legal assistance, electronic evidence and cybercrime.
To view agenda: Download agenda
To view presentations: Download presentation by Kilby Baker
Recording of this webinar can be found here.
PILON Cybercrime Working Group Webinar - ``The effects of COVID-19 on cybercrime in the Pacific``
10 November 2020
On Tuesday 10 November 2020, the PILON Cybercrime Working Group hosted a live webinar on the effects of COVID-19 on cybercrime in the Pacific. This event was delivered in partnership with the Council of Europe.
To view agenda: Download agenda
To view presentations in a poster format: Presentation poster
To view recording of this webinar click here.
PILON Cybercrime Working Group Workshop - ``International cooperation to share electronic evidence and combat cybercrime``
27-31 May 2019
On Monday 27 May to Friday 31 May 2019, the PILON Cybercrime Working Group hosted a workshop on “International cooperation to share electronic evidence and combat cybercrime”
Agenda and presentations from the workshop can be found on the Council of Europe’s website.
To view agenda:
PILON Cybercrime Working Group Workshop - ``Combatting online child abuse and cyberbullying in the Pacific``
12-15 June 2018
On Tuesday 12 to Friday 15 June 2018, the PILON Cybercrime Working Group hosted a workshop on “Combatting online child abuse and cyberbullying in the Pacific”.
Download workshop agenda (PDF, 577.7 KB) Download workshop booklet (PDF, 18.7 MB)
PILON Cybercrime Working Group Workshop - ``The Pacific response to cybercrime: effective tools and good practices``
23-25 May 2017
On Tuesday 23 – Thursday 25 May 2017, the PILON Cybercrime Working Group delivered a workshop on “The Pacific response to cybercrime: effective tools and good practices”.
Download workshop agenda (PDF, 762.1 KB) Download workshop booklet (PDF, 9.8 MB)
Resources
Zyber Insig 2 Fundamentals of Digital Forensics Workbooks
The PILON Cybercrime Working Group is proud to release online versions of two workbooks on digital forensics, one for law enforcement and one for lawyers.
The workbooks are a practical resource intended to assist with understanding the basics of digital forensic investigations and related challenges. They are specifically designed to support participation in the PILON Zyber Insig 2 Fundamentals of Digital Forensic Courses.
Combating Cybercrime: ``Trends and Tools in a Changing World``
The PILON Cybercrime Working Group is proud to release the digital version of the 2022 Cybercrime Workshop Booklet.
This booklet provides a visual snapshot and short text summary of the presentations and discussions throughout last year’s Cybercrime Workshop, as well as extracts from the case studies we explored. The four-day event was a valuable platform to gain insights into cybercrime challenges and opportunities for more effective collaboration across the entire justice system.
PILON Mutual Legal Assistance Handbook: Cybercrime & Electronic Evidence
The PILON Cybercrime Working Group has developed this resource to assist criminal justice practitioners in the Pacific to obtain material through mutual legal assistance (MLA) relating to criminal proceedings in one country at the request of another. MLA is a key form of international cooperation and is important for cybercrime investigations and prosecutions as the world, and crime, becomes increasingly borderless and transnational in nature.
We encourage you to explore the handbook as an online resource.
Printed hardcopies will also be available to PILON members in due course. Meanwhile you can download the PILON Mutual Legal Assistance Handbook here: MLA Handbook (PDF, 8.2 MB)
Templates
A number of templates are available for download and use by PILON member law enforcement agencies and central authorities to assist in the preparation and processing of mutual assistance requests. The templates are a guide only and consideration should be given to adapting to the particular needs and legislative requirements of your country.
Download (DOCX, 38.9 KB) Mutual Legal Assistance Questionnaire for Law Enforcement
Download (DOCX, 25.0 KB) Mutual Legal Assistance Request
Download (DOCX, 18.7 KB) Affidavit of business employee
Download (DOCX, 13.7 KB) Affidavit of a law enforcement officer or government official
Download (DOCX, 18.0 KB) Direct request to service provider for voluntary disclosure of data
Download (DOCX, 18.0 KB) Emergency request to service provider for data
Overview of cybercrime legislation in the Pacific
In collaboration with the Pacific Islands Chiefs of Police and the Australian Attorney-General’s Department, PILON conducted a high level overview of cybercrime legislation in the Pacific in 2016.
This document is available through the PILON Members’ Zone. If you are not a member but you are interested in learning more about this, please contact the PILON Secretariat.
Further learning
PILON Mutual Legal Assistance Handbook: Cybercrime and Electronic Evidence
For further resources and useful tips in relation to cybercrime and cyber-enabled crime, please visit the Digital Library.
