NCA Chairs Five Eyes Group, Singles Out “The Com”
▼ Summary
– The UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) will chair the Five Eyes Law Enforcement Group (FELEG) for the first time since 2015, focusing on cybercrime, money laundering, and online child sexual abuse.
– “The Com” refers to a network of loosely affiliated online groups known for sadistic and violent crimes, including sharing extremist material and coercing victims.
– These networks, primarily composed of teenage boys and young men, are linked to cybercrime groups like Scattered Spider and have targeted major companies in high-profile data theft campaigns.
– The NCA emphasizes international collaboration to combat borderless organized crime, citing past successes like taking down the LockBit ransomware gang.
– FELEG has welcomed the UK’s Counter Terrorism Policing as a new full member to strengthen responses to hybrid threats that blur lines between crime, extremism, and state activity.
The UK’s National Crime Agency has assumed leadership of the Five Eyes Law Enforcement Group, marking a significant step in international collaboration against transnational criminal networks. For the next two years, the NCA will guide the alliance’s strategic direction, with a sharp focus on dismantling digital threats, particularly those associated with “The Com”, a sprawling network of online groups engaged in violent and exploitative activities.
This coalition unites premier law enforcement bodies from the United Kingdom, United States, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada, including the FBI, DEA, Australian Federal Police, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and New Zealand Police. The NCA intends to sharpen the group’s operational effectiveness, prioritizing the disruption of cybercrime, financial laundering, and the online sexual exploitation of children.
Many of these illicit operations have been traced back to “The Com,” an umbrella term describing loosely connected online communities known for their brutal and sadistic behavior. These predominantly English-speaking networks operate through encrypted messaging applications, gaming platforms, and specialized forums. There, members circulate extremist propaganda, violent imagery, and child abuse material, while also coercing vulnerable individuals into acts of self-harm or violence against others.
Earlier this year, the NCA raised alarms about the escalating danger posed by these groups, which often attract teenage boys and young men. Beyond their disturbing social dynamics, these networks are increasingly tied to conventional cybercrime syndicates like Scattered Spider, ShinyHunters, and Lapsus$. These affiliates have gained notoriety through a series of aggressive data theft and extortion campaigns aimed at major corporations, including high-street retailers, luxury fashion houses, and software providers.
Notable incidents include the Salesloft Drift intrusion, ransomware attacks targeting M&S and Co-Op, and recent data breaches affecting Gucci, Alexander McQueen, and Balenciaga.
Graeme Biggar, Director General of the NCA, emphasized the necessity of cross-border cooperation, citing previous successes such as the takedown of the LockBit ransomware operation. “Criminal organizations do not recognize national boundaries,” he stated. “The damage they inflict resonates in communities worldwide. While some crimes play out visibly on our streets, others thrive in hidden digital spaces, encrypted platforms and shadowy forums.”
He further noted that as technology evolves, so do the methods of those who seek to abuse it. “We must combine our efforts to target the most dangerous offenders, engage with various sectors, and leverage our collective influence to advocate for systemic safeguards that protect the public.”
In a parallel development, the Five Eyes Law Enforcement Group has expanded its membership to include the UK’s Counter Terrorism Policing unit. Although CTP has served as a counterterrorism advisor since 2020, its new status as a full member is expected to enhance the alliance’s capacity to confront hybrid threats, such as those posed by “The Com”, which straddle the domains of organized crime, ideological extremism, and state-sponsored hostility.
Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor, who leads Counter Terrorism Policing, underscored the importance of this deepened collaboration. “The challenges confronting UK law enforcement are mirrored among our Five Eyes allies,” he remarked. “Through FELEG, we can pool our knowledge and resources to confront emerging dangers that defy traditional categories and demand a unified response.”
(Source: InfoSecurity Magazine)
