Non-profit organisation African Wildlife Foundation (AWF) has partnered with digital security firm Irdeto to combat poaching and wildlife crimes online.
According to the organisations, the illegal selling of animal parts is the fourth biggest illicit industry worldwide, after drugs, counterfeit goods and human trafficking.
Wildlife crimes not only decimate animal populations, but also have a negative effect on the entire ecosystem, impacting local economies that rely on these ecosystems for tourism.
AWF and Irdeto will use Irdeto's suite of cyber security services and technologies to investigate, identify and disrupt the sale of animal parts on the Internet.
The partnership will also work with local law enforcement, providing forensic data and intelligence to help locate and arrest the criminals responsible for this illegal trading.
"The global illegal wildlife trade generates between $7 billion and $23 billion in illicit revenue every year," says Kaddu Sebunya, president of AWF.
"We have an opportunity to disrupt this illicit industry and make a positive impact on wildlife in Africa as well as across the globe," Sebunya says.
AWF is an international conservation organisation that focuses on critically important landscapes in Africa
"We are in a unique and lucky position to be able to use our cyber security expertise and technology for good," says Doug Lowther, CEO of Irdeto.
"When we announced to employees our intention to kick-start this philanthropic wildlife initiative, I was tremendously encouraged by the outpouring of support and the eagerness to get involved in this cause."
Irdeto's automated Web crawlers monitor e-commerce trading sites in order to detect and prevent cyber crime. It also collaborates with major global online marketplaces to tackle online criminal activity.
Lowther explains that by using advanced automated tools and expert interaction, the digital security firm gathers data from both the Web and Darknet.
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