REPORTING PROCEDURES
Chart Flow
Reporting Procedure
Receiving a report: The person that wants make a report of an illegal content has to fill the relevant form depending on the source that contains the illegal content.
1. Website:
If the source is a website (URL) then in the relevant form must be reported:
| Information | Field |
|---|---|
| The URL of the website | Necessary Field |
| The type of the content i.e. Child pornography, Racism/Xenophobia | Necessary Field |
| The Date that the person came across with the illegal content | Optional Field |
| Some comments or description on the content that is reported | Optional Field |
| Personal details | Optional Field |
2. Newsgroup:
If the source is a newsgroup then in the relevant form must be reported:
| Information | Field |
|---|---|
| The name of the Newsgroup | Necessary Field |
| The Message ID | Necessary Field |
| The type of the message content i.e. Child pornography, Racism/Xenophobia | Necessary Field |
| The message sender | Optional Field |
| The message subject | Optional Field |
| Date of the message | Optional Field |
| Some comments or description on the content that is reported | Optional Field |
| Personal details | Optional Field |
3. Peer-to-peer:
If the source refers at a P2P then in the relevant form must be reported:
| Information | Field |
|---|---|
| file|… | Necessary Field |
| The type of the message content i.e. Child pornography, Racism/Xenophobia | Necessary Field |
| server|… | Optional Field |
| Date that the person came across with the illegal content | Optional Field |
| Some comments or description on the content that is reported | Optional Field |
| Personal details | Optional Field |
Indoor investigation and Procedures made by SafenetCY:
Every report is recorded at SafenetCY’s Database. From that point every procedure has to be processed no later than 24 hours from the time the report was made. The following steps are made by SafenetCY:
1. Verification: Due to changes in our rules and regulations, the hotline no longer accesses the content that is reported. Instead, it follows directly to tracing the content.
2. Tracing the source: An attempt is made, using technical means, to trace the country where the reported content originates.
3. Cyprus Police notification: SafenetCY forwards reports that are hosted in Cyprus to the Cyprus Police, irrespective of their legal or illegal status.
4. Reports forwarded to Helpline: If the reporting source originates in Cyprus and the form of the report could hurt an involved child then the helpline will take the appropriate actions to support the child.
5. Foreign hotline notification: If the reported content originates from abroad, the report is forwarded to a hotline in the country of origin (if one exists) through the IHRMS (URL database) system established by INHOPE.
6. Feedback: If the user that made the report wishes feedback for the outcome of his/her report, then SafenetCY informs him/her of the actions taken based on his/her report.
7. Database update: SafenetCY informs its database for the outcomes of the illegal report as received by the Local Authorities.
8. Inform Safer Internet Center: If the content does not have to do with anything illegal, but still needs national attention the Awareness Node is informed about the possible threats.
Note that no information is given about the report, but only about the existence of the specific “threat” on the Internet.
Actions taken by the Cyprus Police:
The Cyprus Police Department runs a specific unit (Cyber Crime Unit) in order to deal with the situation of illegal content on the Internet. After SafenetCY notifies the Police about the report hosted in Cyprus, the Police will make the following steps:
1. Determine whether the content is illegal or not illegal.
2. If the content is illegal then the Cyprus Police makes any necessary actions to deal with the situation and informs the hotline of the outcomes.
3. If the content is not illegal then the Cyprus Police notifies the hotline mentioning what the content was referring to in order for the hotline to register it on its database and/or notify where necessary the Safer Internet Center.