FBI Deploys in Brazil to Combat Cybercrime: International Collaboration Leads Complex Investigations and Reveals Cybersecurity Challenges

Brazil has a team of FBI agents called CAT (Cyber Action Team), formed and instructed by Agent Marco Gonzalez, who works globally on cyber incidents, conducting investigations, inquiries, and implementing strategies to ensure the security and protection of sensitive data for organizations and citizens. In an age of digitalization and artificial intelligence, scams and attacks on cybercrime networks are increasingly common, making it crucial to investigate the tactics used by cybercriminals to overcome the challenges of this increasingly interconnected and threatened landscape.

During his participation in the Cyber Security Summit 2024, held on October 28th and 29th in São Paulo, Marco shared his perspectives as an FBI agent and revealed insights into the investigations conducted by his team in Brazil – a country ranked as the second most cyberattacked in the world. The growing sophistication of crimes that jeopardize the cybersecurity of Brazilians in general has led to global-scale attacks that, in addition to compromising information, threaten the security and reputation of governments and companies. "Among the main types of threats identified, we find data providers participating in criminal groups and multinational institutions specializing in information theft for financial gain. Furthermore, hacktivism is a concern, as individuals motivated by political or social motives seek to expose information rather than obtain financial gain. Terrorism is also becoming a relevant issue, with organizations using the internet for recruitment and propagation of extremist ideologies," explains the agent.

According to the agent, investigations revealed that the criminals' main operating methods often involve exploiting human vulnerabilities, exploiting flaws and finding opportunities in errors made by employees who may be unmotivated or dissatisfied, or even using social engineering to gain access to systems. In this regard, Marco also warns that sensitive data collection can also occur through social media to understand behavior and plan attacks.

To combat the threat of scams or even prevent new attacks from occurring, the FBI has adopted well-designed and strategic measures. The first is vulnerability reduction, promoting collaboration between the government and the private sector to share information and strengthen cybersecurity. The second practice is threat reduction, which involves initiatives to change behaviors and raise awareness of security practices. Finally, damage reduction is a priority, with the creation of clear processes to respond to attacks and quickly restore operations. "Our team works with local and state authorities to improve cybercrime response, providing training and technical support. Collaboration with the private sector is encouraged by the FBI, and we seek out companies that report cyber intrusions, promoting a joint approach in the fight against cybercrime networks," concludes Marco Gonzalez.

Cybersecurity requires a collaborative effort between the government and the private sector, according to the perspectives expressed by the FBI agent who has worked in Brazil for years. "Information exchange and cooperation are essential to address the constantly evolving cyber threats and the frequent emergence of new scams," Gonzalez emphasizes. The agent's approach brought up the term "one team" during his appearance at the Cyber Security Summit Brazil as a way to educate guests on the concept of a collaborative workforce and integrated efforts to reduce human vulnerabilities, quickly and effectively mitigating the damage caused by incidents.