Europol's Operation Endgame: Major Blow to Cybercrime
Europol, in collaboration with European police units, has launched Operation Endgame, a major blow to cybercrime. Between May 27 and 29, 2023, they shut down over 100 servers, seized more than 2,000 domains, and arrested four individuals. The operation targeted 'droppers', a type of malware that acts as a Trojan horse for other malware.
Operation Endgame has significantly disrupted the ransomware infrastructure. It took down several droppers, including IcedID, SystemBC, Pikabot, Smokeloader, Bumblebee, and Trickbot. The operation also led to the confiscation of 16 houses and the addition of eight cybercriminals to 'Europe's Most Wanted' list.
The damage caused by these droppers is estimated to be several hundred million euros in Europe. Europol believes that the drop in Monero's hash rate at the end of May 2023 could be related to Operation Endgame, potentially indicating a disruption in Monero malware protection activities. One of the main suspects is believed to have earned at least 69 million euros in cryptocurrencies by renting out the drop to ransomware hackers.
Operation Endgame has dealt a significant blow to cybercrime, but the fight is far from over. Europol has confirmed that the operation will continue with more arrests and the shutdown of more droppers and botnets. The administrator of the LockerGoga and MegaCortex ransomware groups, who was added to 'Europe's Most Wanted' list, remains at large. Targeting droppers could significantly hinder the spread of malware and damage ransomware infrastructure.
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