FBI agent Robert Mueller sees borders as obstacles. Speaking at the RSA conference in 2010, the cybercrime expert added that criminals see them as opportunities, because while they can be easily pierced by cyber-attacks, they are often impermeable to law enforcers. “Together, we must continue to work toward an international standard for cybercrime,” he said. “And we must continue to press forward, country by country, and company by company.” It may be relatively easy to legislate against cybercrime inside a nation's borders, but how can legislation be enforced when criminals can simply move their activities across the globe? Why can hackers hide in Russia, China, and even Switzerland, happily launching cyber assaults in other countries, safe in the knowledge that it will be difficult for law enforcement in the target countries to take action against them? Have we failed in the creation of international legal standards to solve the problem? Danny Bradbury investigates.