A global collaboration of cyber-crime investigators from Europe and North America has successfully dismantled a major Russian-led malware operation, arresting key figures involved. Law enforcement agencies from various countries issued arrest warrants for 20 suspects, mostly residing in Russia, and unsealed indictments against 16 individuals in the US. Investigators are targeting notorious malware operations, namely the Qakbot and Danabot families, with some suspects like Vitalii Kovalev linked to the infamous Conti ransomware group. Cyber-attacks are escalating, impacting governments and businesses globally, as seen by recent attacks on major retailers such as Marks & Spencer.
International arrest warrants have been issued against 20 suspects, most of them living in Russia, by European investigators while indictments were unsealed in the US against 16 individuals.
Cyber-attacks aimed at destabilising governments or simple theft and blackmail are becoming increasingly pernicious, with high-profile victims including Marks & Spencer in the UK.
The BKA and their international counterparts said the majority of the suspects were Russian citizens, with names like Rustam Rafailevich Gallyamov and Vitalii Nikolayevich Kovalev among the accused.
Kovalev, referred to as one of the most successful blackmailers in the history of cybercrime, is alleged to have attacked hundreds of companies worldwide.
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