Category Archives: europol

International effort takes down VPN service, VPNLab, used for criminal activity

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A virtual private network service used for malware distribution, ransomware operations and other cybercrime activities was taken offline Monday as law enforcement officials from nearly a dozen countries jointly seized its website and customer data. Multiple investigations into the distribution of malware and other illicit activities alerted authorities to VPNLab.net, according to the European law enforcement agency Europol, which announced the takedown Tuesday. Authorities “seized or disrupted 15 servers” that hosted the site’s infrastructure, the agency said. “This service provided a platform for the anonymous commission of high value cybercrime cases, and was involved in several major international cyberattacks,” a message posted to the site’s home page reads. “Law enforcement has now gained access to the vpnlab.net servers and seized the customer data stored within. The investigation regarding customer data of this network will continue.” Led by German police, the operation included the Netherlands, Canada, the Czech Republic, France, Hungary, […]

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Romanian ransomware suspect arrested in joint Europol, FBI operation

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A Romanian man accused of using ransomware to target “high-profile” organizations and companies was arrested Monday as part of a joint operation between the Romanian National Police, the FBI, and Europol. The man — identified only as a 41-year-old living in Craiova, Romania — is accused of compromising an unnamed Romanian IT services company with clients in the retail, energy and utilities sectors, according to a Europol statement posted to the agency’s website. He then used that access to deploy ransomware and steal sensitive data from the IT company’s clients in Romania and abroad, before encrypting the files. The stolen data included financial information, personal information regarding employees and customers and other important documents. The man then asked for a “sizeable ransom payment in cryptocurrency,” the Europol statement read, with the threat of posting the stolen data on cybercrime forums. Allan Liska, the director of threat intelligence at cybersecurity firm […]

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The COVID-19 crisis has fueled the increase of cybercrime in all its forms

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The accelerated digitalization related to the COVID-19 pandemic has significantly influenced the development of a number of cyber threats, according to the new edition of Europol’s Internet Organised Crime Threat Assessment. Criminals have been quick t… Continue reading The COVID-19 crisis has fueled the increase of cybercrime in all its forms→

Global ‘Operation Dark HunTor’ dark web sting leads to 150 arrests

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The U.S. Justice Department and Europol announced Tuesday the arrest of 150 individuals allegedly involved in the sale of illegal drugs and other illicit goods on the dark web. The sweeping campaign, named Operation Dark HunTor, spanned 10 months, three continents, and involved more than 12 international law enforcement agencies. The sting confiscated 200,000 pills in the United States, 90% of which were found to contain counterfeit opiods or other narcotics. U.S. law enforcement made 36 arrests across 13 states and the District of Columbia. Law enforcement seized over $31.6 million in cash and virtual currencies, 45 firearms and 234 kilograms of drugs, including enough fentanyl for more than 4 million lethal doses according to deputy attorney general Lisa Monaco. The number of deaths related to drug overdoses in the U.S. climbed by 29% in 2o20, up to 93,331 people, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Opiods […]

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Ransomware gang behind attacks on 100+ companies busted

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By Waqas
Law enforcement authorities managed to seize millions in cryptocurrency and luxury vehicles owned by the ransomware gang.
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ATM bombing suspect blew himself up while filming tutorial

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By Deeba Ahmed
Europol revealed that the gang was involved in at least fifteen ATM bombings in Germany, causing financial losses of around €2.15 million.
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Police raid in Ukraine results in arrests of 2 alleged ransomware hackers

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Europol coordinated with the FBI, French national police and Ukrainian National Police to arrest two members of an active ransomware group, the police agency Europol said Monday. The statement did not name the group the suspects allegedly worked for, said the scammers pulled off attacks against “very large industrial groups in Europe and North America from April 2020 onwards.” The group uses a double-extortion technique in which it locks up the victim’s servers and then threatens to leak sensitive data if the victim does not pay, according to authorities. The raid comes amid growing interest in strengthening global cooperation against the threat of ransomware. The White House will host a summit of 30 countries in October to discuss the growing threat of ransomware, as reported by CNN. The council of the European Union will meet Wednesday to discuss a potential Joint Cyber Unit Initiative and U.S. ransomware initiatives. Authorities from […]

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