The 16th Annual Gangs & Guns Training Symposium
An Interview with Cybercrimes Subject Matter Expert, Jed Roffers
About Jed Roffers
Safer Schools Together, Trainer, Cybercrimes Subject Matter Expert
Jed Roffers is a 15-year law enforcement professional and Trainer with Safer Schools Together. Jed was born and raised in Northeast Wisconsin. After graduating in 2008 with a BS in Criminal Justice from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, Jed began his career in law enforcement as a State Trooper. In 2013 he transitioned his career into the field of criminal investigations, where he was a member of the Wisconsin Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Taskforce for 9 years. Jed is currently assigned to investigate various Cybercrimes; he also serves as a Federal Task Force Officer.
What inspired you to get into your line of work? Can you share a short story where your team successfully provided intervention and enforcement strategies?
During my freshmen year of college, I took an Introduction to Criminal Justice course. The course professor was a retired Milwaukee Police Department Detective. He inspired me to pursue a career in Law Enforcement, particularly as an investigator. I believe that every person who works in public service has a strong desire to help people. I’ve worked Internet Crimes Against Children cases for 9 years; it was extremely rewarding to represent some of society’s most vulnerable victims, which are children.
I’ve had the honor to work alongside some of the most talented, honest, brave, and selfless women and men in the law enforcement profession. I have an abundance of success stories. However, the best intervention strategy in law enforcement, is having a strong emotional desire for what you do and your team’s mission.
What are the real-life impacts of cybercrimes on victims and communities, and why are these impacts significant?
The real-life impacts of cybercrimes for both victims and communities have no bounds.
I’ve had victims sit across the table from me in absolute emotional anguish, because they’ve been ruined financially. These victims were trusting, well-intentioned, honest, hard-working citizens who’ve worked their entire lives to become financially secure, only to lose everything in a romance scam or pig butchering scheme.
We’ve seen the operations of businesses and government entities completed disrupted and turned upside down after falling victim to Ransomware attacks and business email compromise attack. Reputations and careers have been ruined as a result.
The current cyber threat landscape is vast and complex. How can organizations improve their incident response and recovery processes to mitigate the impacts of cyberattacks?
The goal of Incident Response is to mitigate the damage caused by a cyber-attack. Creating a detailed and comprehensive Incident Response Plan is paramount. Having policy and procedures in place is vital so that when protocols are activated, the roles and responsibilities of the team members is clear.
What are some emerging trends or technologies in cybersecurity that are helping to combat cyber threats? How do you see the issue of cyber threats evolving in 2024?
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is not only being used by malicious actors to carry out various cyber-attacks, but many technologies to help combat against cyber-attacks are using advanced AI as well. This involves using AI generated software to analyze large amounts of data sets, learn specific patterns, and create predictive models that protect against potential threats.
Can you provide an overview of the most prevalent cybercrimes that law enforcement are currently dealing with, including trending digital platforms?
Pig Butchering Scams have become extremely common. Most law enforcement was unaware of what these were 12 months ago. If a law enforcement agency is still unaware, it’s only a matter of time until a citizen in their jurisdiction falls victim.
When a victim willingly provides a malicious actor with a substantial sum of money, only to discover later that they’ve been a victim of fraud, naturally they turn to law enforcement for help. We are seeing criminals become more sophisticated in how they target their victims and carry out their attacks. There have been some amazing advancements in Cryptocurrency Tracing Tools. Law enforcements are becoming more aware of these cases, and better trained in how to approach potential investigative leads to disrupt the criminal organizations engaging in this illegal activity.
What are the key takeaways from your session? How are participants going to be able to apply this information to their own intervention, prevention, and enforcement strategies?
Awareness is key. Recognizing that there is a problem, and knowing what the problem looks like is the first step in addressing a potential solution.
Participants will gain a better understanding of the specific cyber threats that businesses, communities, and individuals are falling victim to. More importantly, attendees will be provided insight on how to approach these types of incidents, particularly from an investigative standpoint.