On Friday, the European policing agency Europol announced the apprehension of five individuals believed to be the masterminds behind a web platform utilized to initiate global cyberattacks. The Polish police executed the arrests.
Moreover, Europol disclosed that LolekHosted.net, recognized as a bulletproof hosting service facilitating cyber criminals in conducting anonymous intrusions through an opaque infrastructure registration system, has suffered a significant blow. Consequently, all its servers have been confiscated, leading to the cessation of its operations.
Furthermore, Europol acknowledged that the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) took an active part in the case.
As per Europol’s findings, the comprehensive investigation unveiled how the service actively spread malware engineered to pilfer data and played a significant role in initiating distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks. Additionally, the investigation revealed the establishment of fictitious online stores, meticulous management of botnet servers, and the widespread distribution of spam messages on a global scale.
Notably, a botnet refers to a group of compromised internet-connected devices that cybercriminals can exploit to create digital disturbances. Hackers engage in constructing, buying, and leasing botnets for a range of cyber activities, which spans from deceptive advertising to substantial cyber offensives.
The organization further reported that the individuals responsible for the service had requested payment in cryptocurrencies. They also skillfully utilized catchphrases such as “You can host anything here!” and “no-log policy” to attract potential users.
In a separate statement, the Polish Central Cybercrime Bureau affirmed that they had effectively seized numerous servers, along with a substantial quantity of computer hardware, mobile phones, and cryptocurrencies.
Story credit
