Introduction. The article substantiates the need to use public and secret forces, means and methods of operational investigative activities as part of the internal affairs bodies' counteraction to crimes committed using information and telecommunication technologies or in the field of computer information. The most significant elements of the operational investigative characteristics of such crimes are considered: the current state of crime in the field of information and telecommunication technologies; the context of the crime; operationally relevant data on the identity of the cybercriminal and victims; methods of committing a crime; operational investigative prevention. Methods. When conducting the research, the general scientific dialectical method of cognition of the surrounding reality was used, which involves a complete and comprehensive study of phenomena, consideration of connections and contradictions between them. In addition, the description method and the logical comprehension method were used. An analysis of statistical data characterizing the current state of combating IT crimes, as well as the identity of cybercriminals, was carried out. Results. The article describes currently existing methods of not only committing crimes of this type, but also countering the activities of employees of operational units to identify, document and disclose them. Foreign experience in combating IT crimes is presented. Proposals have been formulated to improve the legislation regulating operational investigative activities.