Developing a tag team to fight cyber criminals

Interpol’s Cybercrime Director, Neal Jetton, has an interesting tagline in his LinkedIn bio: Fighting cybercrime with global partnerships for a safer world. 

When asked about this by GovInsider, he says that partnerships are key to keeping cyber infrastructure safe, and that is why Interpol’s cybercrime department is dedicated to building alliances around the world. 

Jetton, who heads Interpol’s cybercrime directorate, is based in Singapore. He is a US Secret Service agent who was once on the protection detail of President Donald Trump, and he has been seconded to Interpol. 

While money and access to the right tools are important to help law enforcement agencies combat cybercrime more effectively, the other critical factor is having the “right tag team partners” to fight alongside against cybercriminals, Jetton writes in a recent LinkedIn post. 

When this writer asks him to elaborate, Jetton says: “When I talk about 'tag team partners’, I'm emphasising that modern cybercrime fighting can't be done in isolation - it requires a coordinated network of partners bringing different strengths to the table.” 

While law enforcement agencies have unique authorities and capabilities, they often lack the technical ability and real-time visibility that private security companies possess.  

At the same time, academic researchers develop cutting-edge detection techniques but need operational data to refine them.  

Critical infrastructure operators have valuable threat intelligence but may lack investigative expertise. 

“What I've observed is that the most successful cybercrime operations involve deliberate partnerships across these boundaries.  

“This isn't just about occasional information sharing - it's about creating sustainable operational relationships where each partner brings their unique capabilities while respecting legal and jurisdictional boundaries,” he says. 

Teamwork leads to success 

Jetton is confident that success is achievable when different stakeholders work together. 

In this context, he mentions Operation Serengeti, conducted last year in Africa, which was a major success in the global fight against cyber criminals. 

During the operation, authorities across 19 African countries arrested 1,006 suspects and dismantled 134,089 malicious infrastructures and networks thanks to a joint operation by INTERPOL and AFRIPOL (African Union Mechanism for Police Cooperation). 

Jetton says that Interpol’s Cyber Strategy and Capabilities Development team works to onboard new private sector partners to provide INTERPOL and its 196 member countries the ability to leverage specialised expertise that exists outside of typical law enforcement channels. 

These collaborations take many forms: information sharing agreements, expert secondments, intelligence analysis support, and specialised training.  

Each partnership strengthens our global response capability, he says. 

Jetton notes that a big challenge in building these partnerships is that they need a degree of trust that can't be established through agreements alone.  

“They require sustained engagement, clear communication channels, and sometimes uncomfortable conversations about respective limitations.  

“They also need frameworks that protect sensitive information while enabling actionable intelligence to flow where it's needed most,” Jetton adds. 

Things that keep him awake at night 

When this writer asks him what keeps him awake at night in the fight against cybercrime, Jetton says there are three primary challenges that his organisation needs to tackle. 

The first is the stark contrast between how cybercriminals collaborate and how the cyber defence community operates.  

“Criminal networks share resources, tools, and expertise with remarkable efficiency, while those of us combating these threats often face significant institutional barriers to cooperation,” Jetton notes.  

Jetton adds that many organisations remain hesitant to engage in the level of information sharing necessary to protect against cyber-attacks, despite the need for such collaboration being increasingly evident.  

“This asymmetry in operational agility represents a significant advantage for threat actors,” he says. 

Another area of concern is the evolution of ransomware campaigns that target critical infrastructure. 

“These [attacks] have developed from isolated incidents into sophisticated operations with specialised roles and methodologies.  

“Their potential impact extends well beyond financial considerations when essential services such as healthcare, energy, or transportation are affected, creating genuine public safety concerns,” Jetton says. 

The threat posed by AI 

Another key factor that worries Jetton is the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into the toolkit of cyber criminals.  

“AI technologies enable threat actors to significantly scale their operations, automating attacks that previously needed substantial human effort.  

“We're observing the [increasing] ability to create highly convincing simulations of individuals' faces and voices within seconds, making traditional verification methods increasingly unreliable,” says Jetton.  

The speed of innovation in this space “presents profound challenges for our existing investigative methodologies,” he adds. 

“What truly concerns me is the compounding effect of these challenges. Our ability to respond effectively requires not just addressing each issue individually but developing more integrated and adaptive approaches to cybersecurity.” 

Singapore's cyber strategy is a good case study 

Singapore presents an interesting case study in national cybersecurity strategy development, says Jetton.  

The country has adopted a whole-of-nation strategy that integrates government, industry, and public participation.  

“Their Cybersecurity Act established clear regulatory frameworks while their Cyber Security Agency serves as a central coordinating body with sufficient authority to implement cross-sector initiatives,” Jetton adds. 

Equally impressive is Singapore's approach to cybersecurity communication, Jetton notes.  

“They've developed multi-tiered awareness campaigns tailored to different segments of society - from basic cyber hygiene for the general public to specialised threat intelligence for critical sectors,” he adds.  

Jetton adds that the transparency in reporting cyber incidents and sharing lessons learned has fostered a culture where cybersecurity is viewed as a shared responsibility rather than merely a technical problem.  

He adds that the Singapore Police Force (SPF) is also forward-looking and understands that successfully investigating cybercrime and scams requires a team approach. 

This is evidenced by their Anti-Scam Centre, which is a collaboration of law enforcement, financial institutions and international partners. 

Jetton spoke at the recent STACKx Cybersecurity 2025, GovTech Singapore’s first cybersecurity-focused edition of its flagship tech conference series, where he also talked about the need to develop partnerships to fight cybercrime.