The digital environment today is inseparable from almost every criminal offence. Therefore, access to modern IT solutions and the ability to apply them in compliance with procedural and data protection requirements are essential for ensuring high-quality and reliable investigations.
On 1 January 2024, the Special Investigation Service (STT) launched the project “Strengthening capacities of the STT to investigate digital evidence” (No. 101140383 – SCIDE – EUAF-2023-TA), which has now been successfully completed.
The project was funded by the European Commission’s Anti-Fraud Programme (EUAF), administered by the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF).
As part of the project, innovative software and hardware were acquired, enhancing STT officers’ ability to conduct complex investigations more efficiently, identify traces of criminal activity in the digital environment more quickly, ensure the integrity of digital evidence, and use it in legal proceedings. Training sessions were also organised.
“The project enabled us to significantly strengthen our digital forensics capacities. This is important because traces of criminal activity are increasingly left in electronic devices and systems, and modern solutions help to collect, process, and analyse this data efficiently and reliably,” said Dainius Januška, Head of the STT Central Investigation Department.
The SCIDE project contributes to the European Union’s broader efforts to strengthen the fight against fraud and corruption by ensuring that national authorities have the resources needed to effectively protect the European Union’s financial interests and to cooperate internationally in investigating cross-border criminal offences.
The total value of the project is EUR 210,703.
