Europol's 'Operation Endgame' Strikes Major Blow to Cybercrime, Takedowns and Arrests Reported
Europol's 'Operation Endgame' has struck a significant blow to cybercrime, targeting and potentially dismantling several major malware operations. The operation, led by France, Germany, and the Netherlands, has seen the takedown of over 100 servers and 2000 domains, with four arrests, including three in Ukraine, a key operational center for droppers.
The operation focused on 'droppers', a type of malware that acts as an entry point for other malicious software. Notable droppers targeted include CoinVault, TorrentLocker, and Shade, which may have ceased their Monero-mining activities. The impact is substantial, with damages from infections amounting to hundreds of millions of euros across Europe.
Among the malware taken down are IcedID, SystemBC, Pikabot, Smokeloader, Bumblebee, and Trickbot. One prime suspect is believed to have earned at least €69 million in cryptocurrencies by renting out droppers to ransomware hackers. Despite these successes, eight cybercriminals remain at large and have been added to 'Europe's Most Wanted' list.
The ongoing 'Operation Endgame' has shown significant results in disrupting cybercrime infrastructure. However, with eight suspects still at large and more droppers and botnets to be targeted, the operation's full impact remains to be seen. Europol continues to collaborate with European police units to further dismantle these criminal networks.
Read also:
- Web3 gaming platform, Pixelverse, debuts on Base and Farcaster networks
- Amazon customer duped over Nvidia RTX 5070 Ti purchase: shipped item replaced with suspicious white powder; PC hardware fan deceived, discovers salt instead of GPU core days after receiving defective RTX 5090.
- Infiltration of Estonian airspace by Russian military aircraft
- Cyber aggression intensifies by China-backed TA415 group, targeting Taiwan's semiconductor production and supply networks
