Authorities in Europe arrested 29 alleged cybercriminals and took down more than 27,000 illegal streaming URLs that pirated major sporting events, films and TV programming, Europol said Wednesday. The continent-wide collaboration, led by Bulgaria and the European Union’s police agency, allowed authorities to dismantle nine organized crime groups supporting the illicit streaming networks, officials said.…
Tag: authorities
Global Security News, Network Security
Dutch Authorities Dismantle Botnet Linked to 17 Million Infected Devices
Dutch authorities have announced the takedown of a botnet that enslaved millions of infected devices, including computers, tablets, smartphones, and IoT devices, to carry out malicious attacks. The bot network, per the Dutch Politie and the National Cyber Security Center (NCSC), consisted of at least 17 million infected devices. More than 200 servers located in…
AI, Cybersecurity, Exploits, Global Security News, malware, Network Security, Risk Management
Botnet of 17 Million Devices Dismantled in the Netherlands
Dutch authorities seized 200 servers running a 17-million-device botnet linked to proxy service Asocks. Dutch authorities have taken offline a massive botnet of at least 17 million devices and seized more than 200 servers at a local provider that supported the operation. Infected devices included computers, tablets, and smartphones. The action was carried out following…
AI, Cybersecurity, Exploits, Global Security News, malware, Network Security, Risk Management
Botnet of 17 Million Devices Dismantled in the Netherlands
Dutch authorities seized 200 servers running a 17-million-device botnet linked to proxy service Asocks. Dutch authorities have taken offline a massive botnet of at least 17 million devices and seized more than 200 servers at a local provider that supported the operation. Infected devices included computers, tablets, and smartphones. The action was carried out following…
Global Security News
Dutch govt disrupts malware botnet with 17 million infected devices
Dutch authorities have taken offline a massive botnet of 17 million devices and seized more than 200 servers at a local provider that supported the operation. […]
AI, Europe, Global Security News, Government & Policy, Network Security, Russia
Netherlands Seizes 800 Servers, Arrests 2 for Aiding Cyberattacks
Authorities in the Netherlands have arrested the co-owners of two related Internet hosting companies for operating IT infrastructure used by Russia to carry out cyberattacks, influence operations and disinformation campaigns inside the European Union. The two men were the focus of a 2025 KrebsOnSecurity story about how their hosting companies had assumed control over the…
AI, Global Security News, Russia
Authorities seize 800 servers used for cyberattacks and disinformation
Dutch authorities arrested two men and seized 800 servers linked to a hosting provider that investigators say supported Russian activities aimed at undermining democracy and security through cyberattacks, disinformation, and disruption of public and economic systems. Servers seized by Dutch authorities (Source: FIOD) The Dutch Fiscal Information and Investigation Service (FIOD) arrested a 57-year-old man…
Global Security News, Network Security, Russia
Netherlands Busts Bulletproof Hosting Network Linked to Disinformation and Cybercrime
Dutch authorities arrested two suspects after dismantling a bulletproof hosting network linked to cybercrime, disinfo, and Russian sanctions evasion.
AI, Europe, Global Security News, Government & Policy, Network Security, Russia
Dutch authorities dismantle hosting network allegedly used for cyberattacks and disinformation
Dutch authorities arrested two suspects and seized 800 servers tied to Stark Industries, a hosting firm linked to cyberattacks and disinformation. Dutch financial crime investigators arrested two men and seized 800 servers connected to Stark Industries, a hosting provider accused of enabling cyberattacks, interference operations, and disinformation campaigns. Authorities said the suspects supported Russian and…
Global Security News
Italy disrupts CINEMAGOAL piracy app that stole streaming auth codes
Italian authorities have dismantled a piracy ecosystem centered around the CINEMAGOAL app that provided access to various streaming platforms, including Netflix, Disney+, and Spotify. […]
Europe, Global Security News, Network Security
First VPN Dismantled in Global Takedown Over Use by 25 Ransomware Groups
Authorities in Europe and North America have announced the dismantling of a criminal virtual private network (VPN) service used by criminal actors to obscure the origins of ransomware attacks, data theft, scanning, and denial-of-service attacks. The disruption of First VPN Service was led by France and the Netherlands, with several other nations supporting the investigation…
AI, Europe, Global Security News, Government & Policy, privacy, Russia
Police take down VPN service (this time with a good reason)
European authorities have cracked down on a VPN that has been used for various criminal activities. The operation, led by investigators in France and the Netherlands with help from Europol and Eurojust, has dismantled First VPN, a service that has been heavily promoted within Russia as a way of evading law enforcement. Criminals used it…
AI, Europe, Global Security News, Government & Policy, privacy, Russia
Police take down VPN service (this time with a good reason)
European authorities have cracked down on a VPN that has been used for various criminal activities. The operation, led by investigators in France and the Netherlands with help from Europol and Eurojust, has dismantled First VPN, a service that has been heavily promoted within Russia as a way of evading law enforcement. Criminals used it…
AI, Apps, Global Security News, malware, Network Security
Authorities arrest 23-year-old accused of running the Kimwolf botnet
Canadian authorities arrested a 23-year-old Ottawa man accused of running the Kimwolf DDoS botnet. The US is now seeking extradition. US authorities have charged 23-year-old Jacob Butler (aka “Dort”), an Ottawa resident, for allegedly operating the recently disrupted Kimwolf botnet. Authorities arrested the suspect in Canada, he could face up to 10 years in prison…
Global Security News
Suspected KimWolf botnet admin arrested over DDoS-for-hire operation
U.S. and Canadian authorities arrested and charged a Canadian man accused of operating the KimWolf DDoS botnet, a service linked to attacks that infected more than one million devices worldwide. Jacob Butler, 23, of Ottawa, Canada, also known online as “Dort,” was arrested in Canada under an extradition warrant after U.S. prosecutors charged him with…
Global Security News
US and Canada arrest and charge suspected Kimwolf botnet admin
U.S. and Canadian authorities arrested and charged a Canadian man with operating the KimWolf distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) botnet, which infected nearly two million devices worldwide. […]
AI, Global Security News, Government & Policy, Network Security
Alleged leader of Kimwolf, a sweeping botnet for cybercriminals, arrested in Canada
Authorities arrested and unsealed charges against a Canadian man accused of running Kimwolf, one of the most far-reaching DDoS botnets on record, the Justice Department said Thursday. Jacob Butler was arrested Wednesday in Ottawa, Canada, and awaits extradition to the United States where he is charged with aiding and abetting computer intrusions and, if convicted,…
AI, Apps, Europe, Global Security News, Government & Policy, Network Security
Alleged Kimwolf Botmaster ‘Dort’ Arrested, Charged in U.S. and Canada
Canadian authorities on Wednesday arrested a 23-year-old Ottawa man on suspicion of building and operating Kimwolf, a fast spreading Internet-of-Things botnet that enslaved millions of devices for use in a series of massive distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks over the past six months. KrebsOnSecurity publicly named the suspect in February 2026 after the accused launched a…
AI, Europe, Global Security News, Network Security, Russia
European authorities take down prolific cybercrime VPN service
European authorities took down a prominent virtual private network service and arrested the alleged administrator behind an operation that cybercriminals used to steal data, commit fraud and ransomware attacks, Europol said Thursday. First VPN, which was promoted on Russian-speaking cybercrime forums, gained popularity for providing services that allowed users to hide their infrastructure and identities.…
Cybersecurity, Global Security News
Bank of England, FCA and Treasury Raise Alarm Over Frontier AI
The UK’s financial authorities have set expectations for the sector on cybersecurity and operational resilience
AI, Europe, Global Security News, Network Security
Police take down relaunched criminal marketplace with 22,000 users, €3.6 million in revenue
German authorities shut down a relaunched version of the criminal marketplace Crimenetwork and arrested its suspected operator. The domain seizure notice (Source: BKA) A special unit of the Spanish National Police arrested the suspected 35-year-old German operator at his residence in Mallorca under a European Arrest Warrant. The suspect is accused of operating criminal trading…
Global Security News, Network Security
Police shut down reboot of Crimenetwork marketplace, arrest admin
German authorities have shut down a relaunch version of the criminal marketplace ‘Crimenetwork’ that generated more than 3.6 million euros, and arrested its operator. […]
AI, Data Breaches, Global Security News, Government & Policy, Network Security
15-year-old detained over massive data breach at French government agency
French authorities have detained a 15-year-old suspected of involvement in a data breach at France Titres, the government agency responsible for issuing official documents. “Between 12 and 18 million data records were reportedly being offered for sale on cybercriminal forums by a hacker known as “breach3d,“ the Paris Prosecutor’s Office said in a press release.…
AI, Global Security News
Global Crackdown Arrests 276, Shuts 9 Crypto Scam Centers, Seizes $701M
A coordinated international operation involving U.S. and Chinese authorities has arrested at least 276 suspects and shut down nine scam centers used for cryptocurrency investment fraud schemes targeting Americans, resulting in millions of dollars in losses. The crackdown was led by the Dubai Police, under the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Ministry of Interior, in partnership…
AI, Global Security News
15-year-old detained over French govt agency data breach
French authorities have detained a 15-year-old suspected of selling data stolen in a cyberattack on France Titres (ANTS), the country’s agency for issuing and managing administrative documents. […]
AI, Apps, Compliance, Cybersecurity, Exploits, Global Security News, Government & Policy, malware, Network Security, Risk Management
How Criminals Created SMS Blasters to Fake Cellphone Towers and Hack Thousands of Phones in Canada
Canadian authorities have dismantled what appears to be one of the most technically sophisticated financially motivated telecom attacks publicly documented in North America after arresting three suspects accused of operating vehicle-mounted “SMS blaster” systems that impersonated legitimate cellular towers, induced nearby mobile devices into attaching to rogue infrastructure, delivered phishing messages to those devices—likely through…
Global Security News
Police dismantles 9 crypto scam centers, arrests 276 suspects
A joint international operation involving U.S. and Chinese authorities arrested at least 276 suspects and shut down nine cryptocurrency investment fraud centers. […]
Global Security News
Police bust scam call centres behind €50 million in fraud losses
Authorities have dismantled a cybercrime ring running call centres in Albania and defrauding victims of more than €50 million, arresting 10 suspects and seizing nearly €900,000. Seized cash from the fraud operation (Source: Eurojust) After a spike in victims in Vienna in June 2023, Austrian authorities traced cyber fraud activity to Albanian suspects, triggering a…
Global Security News
European police dismantles €50 million crypto investment fraud ring
Austrian and Albanian authorities dismantled a criminal ring accused of running a large-scale cryptocurrency investment fraud operation that caused estimated losses of over €50 million ($58.5 million) to victims worldwide. […]
Global Security News
Canada arrests three for operating “SMS blaster” device in Toronto
Canadian authorities have arrested three men for operating an “SMS blaster” device that pretends to be a cellular tower to send phishing texts to nearby phones. […]
AI, Global Security News
US Busts Myanmar Ring Targeting US Citizens in Financial Fraud
Some 29 people were charged, including a Cambodian senator, and authorities seized more than 500 Web domains tied to fake investment sites.
AI, Global Security News
Justice Department Rebuffs French on X Probe, Musk Interview
The U.S. Justice Department told French authorities it wouldn’t facilitate their efforts to investigate Elon Musk’s X, after a raid on the social-media platform’s Paris office earlier this year.
AI, Global Security News, Network Security
Officials seize 53 DDoS-for-hire domains in ongoing crackdown
Authorities from 21 countries took down 53 domains and arrested four people allegedly involved in distributed denial-of-service operations used by more than 75,000 cybercriminals, Europol said Thursday. The globally coordinated effort dubbed “Operation PowerOFF” disrupted booter services and seized and dismantled infrastructure, including servers and databases, that supported the DDoS-for-hire services, officials said. Law enforcement…
AI, Global Security News
US Nationals Jailed for Operating Fake Remote Worker Laptop Farms for North Korea
US authorities jail two Americans for aiding North Korean laptop farm scams that infiltrated over 100 firms
AI, Cybersecurity, Exploits, Funding, Global Security News, Government & Policy, Risk Management
NIST narrows scope of CVE analysis to keep up with rising tide of vulnerabilities
The federal agency tasked with analyzing security vulnerabilities is overwhelmed as it and other authorities struggle to keep pace with a flood of defects that grows every year. The National Institute of Standards and Technology announced Wednesday that it has capitulated to that deluge and narrowed the priorities for its National Vulnerability Database. NIST said…
Global Security News
FBI takedown of W3LL phishing service leads to developer arrest
The FBI Atlanta Field Office and Indonesian authorities have dismantled the “W3LL” global phishing platform, seizing infrastructure and arresting the alleged developer in what is described as the first coordinated enforcement action between the United States and Indonesia targeting a phishing kit developer. […]
Global Security News
Operation Atlantic Seizes $12m in Crypto Losses
UK, US and Canadian authorities have identified over 20,000 victims of approval phishing scams that trick users into handing over full crypto wallet access
AI, Global Security News
Authorities disrupt router DNS hijacks used to steal Microsoft 365 logins
An international operation from law enforcement authorities in partnership with private companies has disrupted FrostArmada, an APT28 campaign hijacking local traffic from MikroTik and TP-Link routers to steal Microsoft account credentials. […]
AI, Data Breaches, Global Security News, malware, Russia
Russian authorities arrest alleged LeakBase admin behind stolen data marketplace
Russian authorities arrested the alleged LeakBase admin for running a marketplace selling stolen data since 2021. Russian law enforcement has arrested the suspected administrator of LeakBase, a cybercrime forum used to trade stolen personal data. The suspect, from Taganrog, is accused of running the platform since 2021. During a search of his home, authorities seized…
AI, Global Security News, Russia
LeakBase Admin Arrested in Russia Over Massive Stolen Credential Marketplace
The alleged administrator of the LeakBase cybercrime forum has been arrested by Russian law enforcement authorities, state media reported Thursday. According to TASS and MVD Media, a news website linked to the Russian Interior Ministry, the suspect is a resident of the city of Taganrog. The suspect is said to have been detained for creating…
AI, Endpoint, Exploits, Global Security News, malware, Network Security
Justice Department disrupts botnet networks that hijacked 3 million devices
Authorities seized infrastructure powering four botnets that hijacked a combined three million devices and launched more than 300,000 DDoS attacks collectively, the Justice Department said Thursday. The botnets — Aisuru, Kimwolf, JackSkid and Mossad — enabled operators to sell access to the infected devices for various cybercrimes. The aftermath spanned thousands of attacks, including some…
AI, Global Security News
International joint action disrupts world’s largest DDoS botnets
Authorities from the United States, Germany, and Canada have taken down Command and Control (C2) infrastructure used by the Aisuru, KimWolf, JackSkid, and Mossad botnets to infect Internet of Things (IoT) devices. […]
AI, Global Security News, Government & Policy, Network Security
Feds Disrupt IoT Botnets Behind Huge DDoS Attacks
The U.S. Justice Department joined authorities in Canada and Germany in dismantling the online infrastructure behind four highly disruptive botnets that compromised more than three million Internet of Things (IoT) devices, such as routers and web cameras. The feds say the four botnets — named Aisuru, Kimwolf, JackSkid and Mossad — are responsible for a…
AI, Apps, Europe, Exploits, Global Security News, malware, Network Security, Risk Management
US and European authorities disrupt socksEscort proxy service tied to AVrecon botnet
Authorities in the US and Europe disrupted the SocksEscort proxy service, which used the AVrecon botnet and infected about 360,000 devices since 2020. Law enforcement agencies in the US and Europe have disrupted SocksEscort, a malicious proxy service powered by the AVrecon botnet. Active since 2020, the service hijacked roughly 360,000 devices and allowed cybercriminals…
AI, Exploits, Global Security News, malware, Network Security
Authorities takedown global proxy network SocksEscort
Authorities from multiple countries dismantled SocksEscort, a residential proxy network cybercriminals used to commit large-scale fraud, claiming access to about 369,000 IP addresses since 2020, the Justice Department said Thursday. Europol, which aided the investigation alongside various law enforcement agencies, Lumen’s Black Lotus Labs and the Shadowserver Foundation, said the malicious proxy service compromised routers…
AI, Global Security News
Law enforcement disrupted Tycoon 2FA phishing-as-a-service platform
Authorities disrupted the Tycoon 2FA phishing-as-a-service platform used to send millions of phishing emails to over 500,000 orgs worldwide. The joint effort, led by Microsoft, Europol, and industry partners, aimed to target the infrastructure of Tycoon 2FA phishing-as-a-service platform responsible for tens of millions of fraudulent emails reaching over 500,000 organizations each month worldwide. By…
AI, Exploits, Global Security News
Police dismantles online gambling ring exploiting Ukrainian women
Spanish and Ukrainian law enforcement authorities dismantled a criminal ring that exploited war-displaced Ukrainian women to run an online gambling scheme that laundered nearly €4.75 million in illicit proceeds. […]
AI, Global Security News
Authorities from 14 countries shut down major cybercrime forum LeakBase
Authorities from 14 countries shut down LeakBase, seized its domains and arrested multiple people allegedly involved in the cybercrime marketplace for stolen data and hacking tools, the Justice Department said Wednesday. LeakBase had more than 142,000 members, ranking it among the world’s largest forums for cybercriminals. The site, which was available on the open web,…
AI, Exploits, Global Security News, Government & Policy, Russia
US authorities punish sellers of malware and spyware
The US authorities have made it clear that they will have no truck with any individuals trying to by-pass regulations on trading cyberweapons with hostile powers. Selling sensitive cyber-exploit components to a Russian company landed Australian citizen Peter Williams with an 87-month prison sentence from the US District Court for the District of Columbia on…
Global Security News, Government & Policy
Spain arrests suspected hacktivists for DDoSing govt sites
Spanish authorities have arrested four alleged members of a hacktivist group believed to have carried out cyberattacks targeting government ministries, political parties, and various public institutions. […]
Apps, Global Security News
Police arrests 651 suspects in African cybercrime crackdown
African authorities arrested 651 suspects and recovered over $4.3 million in a joint operation targeting investment fraud, mobile money scams, and fake loan applications. […]
AI, Global Security News
Citizen Lab Finds Cellebrite Tool Used on Kenyan Activist’s Phone in Police Custody
New research from the Citizen Lab has found signs that Kenyan authorities used a commercial forensic extraction tool manufactured by Israeli company Cellebrite to break into a prominent dissident’s phone, making it the latest case of abuse of the technology targeting civil society. The interdisciplinary research unit at the University of Toronto’s Munk School of…
AI, Compliance, Global Security News, Government & Policy, Risk Management
Citizen Lab links Cellebrite to the hacking of a Kenyan presidential candidate’s phone
Researchers have found forensic evidence suggesting that Kenyan authorities used Cellebrite’s phone-cracking technology on the device of a prominent human rights activist after arresting him, according to a report published Tuesday. The University of Toronto’s Citizen Lab said the intrusion is a sign of growing abuse of Cellebrite’s technology. According to the report, after his…
Global Security News
Man arrested for demanding reward after accidental police data leak
Dutch authorities arrested a 40-year-old man after he downloaded confidential documents that had been mistakenly shared by the police and refused to delete them unless he received “something in return.” […]
Don't miss, Europe, Global Security News, Hot stuff, News
State-backed phishing attacks targeting military officials and journalists on Signal
German security authorities are warning that a likely state-backed hacking group is engaged in attempts at phishing senior political figures, military officials, diplomats, and investigative journalists across Germany and Europe via Signal. The authorities also noted that while these attacks are likely perpetrated by a state-controlled cyber actor, there’s nothing stopping non-state actors and financially…
AI, Eurojust, Europol, Global Security News, law enforcement, News
International sting shuts down illegal streaming empire serving millions
Actions by authorities from Italy, Romania, Spain, the United Kingdom, Canada, Kosovo and South Korea, supported by Eurojust and Europol, led to the seizure of multiple illegal streaming services. A total of 31 suspected members have been linked to the operation. The group engaged in unauthorised distribution of pay TV content, illegal access to information…