Image: © monticellllo/Stock.adobe.com
The operation has led to the arrest of 41 individuals, with 65 others still under investigation.
A recent operation conducted by Interpol has led to the removal of more than 22,000 servers and Internet Protocol (IP) addresses linked to cyberthreats.
Interpol said yesterday (5 November) that the operation, which was enacted as a response to the “escalating threat and professionalisation of transnational cybercrime”, resulted in the arrests of 41 individuals, while 65 others remain under investigation.
Of the approximately 30,000 suspicious IP addresses assessed by law enforcement officials, 76pc were taken down and 59 servers were seized. Additionally, 43 electronic devices, including laptops, mobile phones and hard disks were seized.
Operation Synergia II, which ran from 1 April to 31 August this year, was a joint effort by Interpol, private sector partners and law enforcement agencies from 95 Interpol member countries, including Madagascar, Estonia, Mongolia and China.
The organisation said that it prioritised tackling three types of cyberthreats as part of the operation: phishing, ranswomware and information stealers.
Infostealing is a type of malware that breaches computer systems to steal sensitive data, such as log-in credentials or financial information. There was a more than 40pc increase in the sale of data collected from infostealers, Interpol reported. And ransomware attacks increased by about 70pc globally last year.
Interpol said that phishing is the most widely reported initial technique used “to steal data, deploy malware and move within systems”.
“Increasingly, generative artificial intelligence is allowing cybercriminals to create more sophisticated phishing emails, in multiple languages, making them more difficult to detect.”
Neal Jetton, Interpol’s director of the Cybercrime Directorate, said about the operation: “Together, we’ve not only dismantled malicious infrastructure but also prevented hundreds of thousands of potential victims from falling prey to cybercrime.
“Interpol is proud to bring together a diverse team of member countries to fight this ever-evolving threat and make our world a safer place.”
Back in August, Interpol shut down the “phishing-as-a-service” platform 16shop. At the time, Interpol said the criminal platform sold hacking tools which compromised more than 70,000 users in 43 countries.
Last year, Interpol made headlines after one of its investigations discovered that increasing cyber fraud schemes involving fake crypto investments and online gambling scams were fueling human trafficking globally. These “cyber scam centres” were uncovered from Southeast Asia to Latin America as a result of the operation.
Don’t miss out on the knowledge you need to succeed. Sign up for the Daily Brief, Silicon Republic’s digest of need-to-know sci-tech news.
