Dutch police help take down two big info stealing software
The Dutch police helped take down the major info-stealing software RedLine and META in an internationally coordinated action on Monday, October 28. The software was specifically designed to steal sensitive data from the computers of unsuspecting victims, the police said on Tuesday.
Infostealers are a form of malware developed to steal sensitive data like login details, financial information, emails, and system data from victims’ computers and forward this data to the criminal. Usually, the data is sold for use in other crimes like identity theft and financial fraud, among other things.
RedLine and META are among the most well-known infostealers in the world. They have been active for years and made millions of victims worldwide. Operation Magnus started with a Dutch investigation following a tip from security company ESET Nederland about potential malware servers in the Netherlands. The investigation provided insight into the technical infrastructure of infostealers, the communication channels used, and the user base, the police said.
“Using the hacking authority, the police were able to take the infrastructure of both infostealers offline,” the police said. “As a result, the malware no longer functions and it is no longer possible to steal new data from victims.”
Operation Magnus was an international operation involving the authorities of the Netherlands, the United States, the United Kingdom, Belgium, Portugal, and Australia, with support from Europol and Eurojust.
According to the police, investigators have identified thousands of people who used these infostealers to obtain data, which they then use to make their own victims. So far, one suspect has been charged as an administrator by the U.S. authorities and the Belgian police arrested two other suspects. The authorities are investigating the secured customer base and more arrests will follow.
