Law enforcement agencies from over 50 Interpol member countries collaborated in a three-month operation called Synergia [5], conducted from September to November 2023 [3], to combat transnational cybercrime [3]. This operation [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6], a joint effort with INTERPOL and its Gateway project partners [2] [4] [6], focused on disrupting malicious infrastructure involved in phishing [4] [6], malware [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6], and ransomware attacks [1] [2] [4] [5] [6].
Description
Over the course of the operation, more than 60 Cyber Activity Reports were produced [4] [6]. Through the identification of 1,300 suspicious IP addresses or URLs associated with phishing, malware [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6], and ransomware attacks, 31 suspected cybercriminals were arrested. House searches were conducted [5], servers and electronic devices were seized [5], and the majority of command-and-control servers taken down were located in Europe [5]. As a result, 26 individuals were arrested. Additionally, Hong Kong [3] [4] [5], Singapore [3] [4] [5], South Sudan [3] [4] [5], and Zimbabwe reported server takedowns and arrests [5].
Bolivia and Kuwait played significant roles in identifying malware and assisting victims [3]. Kuwait worked closely with internet service providers to identify victims and mitigate impacts [5]. The operation resulted in the takedown of 70% of identified command-and-control servers [3], with the remaining under investigation [3]. Group-IB identified over 500 IP addresses hosting phishing resources and 1900 IP addresses associated with ransomware [5], Trojans [5], and banking malware [5].
Conclusion
The success of Operation Synergia highlights the importance of international cooperation in combating cybercrime and protecting digital ecosystems [3]. Kaspersky’s partnership with INTERPOL strengthens overall security efforts and enables timely reactions to cybercrime [4]. By sharing data on identified harmful infrastructures worldwide [2], including global threat data obtained through Kaspersky Threat Intelligence [2], Kaspersky contributed to Operation Synergia [6]. This collaborative effort led to the identification of approximately 1,300 suspicious servers related to various cybercrimes, interventions on 70% of these servers [2] [6], and the arrest of suspected perpetrators in different countries [2]. Moving forward, it is crucial to continue fostering international collaboration to effectively combat cybercrime and safeguard our digital world.
References
[1] https://thecyberwire.com/newsletters/daily-briefing/13/22
[2] https://www.01net.it/kaspersky-collabora-con-linterpol-nelloperazione-di-contrasto-al-cybercrime-internazionale/
[3] https://www.interpol.int/en/News-and-Events/News/2024/INTERPOL-led-operation-targets-growing-cyber-threats
[4] http://dubaiforum.me/kaspersky-shares-cyberthreat-data-with-interpol-in-operation-to-disrupt-transnational-cybercrime-prwire/
[5] https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/interpol-targets-1300-suspicious/
[6] https://africazine.com/featured/kaspersky-shares-cyberthreat-data-with-interpol-in-operation-to-disrupt-transnational-cybercrime/
