How can a cybercrime involve more than one country at the same time?

Cybercrime is inherently nonlocal, meaning that criminal actions can occur across jurisdictions separated by vast distances. Because the Internet is a planet-spanning network, it allows criminals to operate from one location while targeting victims, infrastructure, or data located in another country.12

This cross-border nature creates significant challenges for law enforcement, as a crime committed in one nation may involve evidence or perpetrators located in others where laws and definitions of illegal activity differ. For example, an individual might access illicit material hosted on a server in a country where that material is legal, while the perpetrator resides in a nation where it is strictly prohibited.12

To address these complexities, international cooperation is essential. Treaties such as the Council of Europe’s Convention on Cybercrime (the Budapest Convention) and the United Nations Convention against Cybercrime provide frameworks for sharing electronic evidence, coordinating investigations, and prosecuting offenses that transcend national boundaries.132