Interpol has announced a large-scale operation launched against an international cybercriminal network specializing in phishing attacks and distributing malware.
The campaign helped take down more than 1,300 command and control (C2) servers, accounting for about 70% of the number discovered.
Interpol’s campaign, codenamed ‘Synergia’, took place from September to November 2023, deployed to deal with the rapidly developing, complex and increasingly professional trend of the transnational cybercrime system. countries, as well as the need for coordinated action among countries around the world to combat emerging cyber security threats.
As a result, Interpol discovered more than 500 IP addresses hosting phishing websites and more than 1,900 IP addresses used by malware operators. Authorities arrested 31 individuals and identified 70 other suspects. The campaign also discovered that malware used by cyber criminals was distributed on the systems of more than 200 of the world’s leading web hosting service providers.
The campaign helped take down more than 1,300 command and control (C2) servers, accounting for about 70% of the number discovered. C2 is commonly used in most malware attack, phishing and malware distribution campaigns. They are used by cybercriminals to manipulate malware in attacks and collect information sent from infected devices, making them indispensable architecture in many attacks.
The scope of ‘Synergia’ extends to Asia-Pacific, Europe, the Middle East and Africa as well as other regions. Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Singapore, South Sudan and Zimbabwe are countries often chosen by cybercriminals as places to deploy malware cyberattacks.
In addition to authorities in more than 50 different countries, international cybersecurity companies have also actively participated in Interpol’s ‘Synergia’ campaign, notably Group-IB, Kaspersky, Trend Micro , Shadowserver and Team Cymru.
Operation ‘Synergia’ has proven effective with the combined efforts of international law enforcement agencies, national authorities and private partners in collaborating, sharing information and proactively fighting crime. network violation.
(theo Interpol)
