⚡ Europol Shuts Down Global Malware Network
posted 31 May 2024
Europol has executed an international operation to expose and dismantle an ecosystem distributing malware droppers—specialized tools for secretly installing malicious software on victims' computers.
The operation was carried out between May 27 and 29, led by specialists from France, Germany, and the Netherlands. The targets included droppers like IcedID, SystemBC, Pikabot, Smokeloader, Bumblebee, and Trickbot.
So far, four suspects have been arrested: one Armenian national and three Ukrainians. Law enforcement also searched 16 locations, seized control of over 2000 domains, and shut down around 100 servers in Bulgaria, Canada, Germany, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Romania, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Ukraine.
Europol stated that one of the unnamed suspects earned at least $75 million in cryptocurrencies by renting out infrastructure for malware distribution. Authorities are now tracking the suspect's transactions and have permission to confiscate the assets involved.
The agency will continue this operation and provide updates on future phases. Currently, authorities are tracking down additional suspects and collecting evidence.
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