International investigators have dismantled a global cybercrime gang in Ukraine, according to Europol. Europol in The Hague said it attacked servers of major companies or organizations in more than 70 countries, causing hundreds of millions of euros in damage. Despite the ongoing war in Ukraine, about thirty buildings were searched on Tuesday.
According to Europol, the suspected 32-year-old gang leader and his four main accomplices were arrested. They are said to be part of a network believed to be responsible for large-scale ransomware attacks. According to Europol, the gang placed malicious software in the servers, blocking data and systems. Data and systems were only released after large amounts of ransoms had been paid.
Attacks on more than 250 servers
Researchers discovered that more than 250 servers belonging to major companies or organizations had been attacked. According to the Stuttgart Public Prosecutor’s Office and the Reutlingen Police Station, these also included companies in the Friedrichshafen area and the Esslingen district. The operation involved Europol and the judicial authority Eurojust in The Hague, as well as investigators from seven countries, including Germany and Switzerland. Austria was not one of them.
According to the information, the investigations started in 2019 at the initiative of France. The first arrests and searches took place in 2021.
Source: Krone
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