FBI, EUROPOL TAKE DOWN VPN SERVICE USED BY CRIMINALS FOR CYBERATTACKS

Wed 19 January 2022:

The European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (Europol) said on Monday that ten countries’ law enforcement agencies had collaborated to shut down a VPN service named VPNLab.net that had been used by criminals to carry out cyber assaults.

“This week, law enforcement authorities took action against the criminal misuse of VPN services as they targeted the users and infrastructure of VPNLab.net,” the release said. “The VPN provider’s service, which aimed to offer shielded communications and internet access, were being used in support of serious criminal acts such as ransomware deployment and other cybercrime activities.”

A note from investigators greeted visitors to the website of VPNLab.net, the targeted VPN service: “THIS DOMAIN HAS BEEN SEIZED.”

Europol noted that coordinated “disruptive actions,” led by the Central Criminal Office of the Hannover Police Department in Germany, were undertaken on Sunday and have seized or disrupted 15 servers used by cybercriinals.

“VPNLab.net was established in 2008, offering services based on OpenVPN technology and 2048-bit encryption to provide online anonymity for as little as US $60 per year,” the release said. “The service also provided double VPN, with servers located in many different countries.”

Europol noted that this made VPNLab.net a popular choice for cybercriminals, who could use its services to carry on committing their crimes without fear of detection by the authorities. The agency also said the investigation identified more than 100 businesses as at risk of cyberattacks.

“Law enforcement is working directly with these potential victims to mitigate their exposure,” Europol added.

According to the press release, the operation included Germany, the Netherlands, Canada, the Czech Republic, France, Hungary, Latvia, Ukraine, the United States, and the United Kingdom.

The administrator of a popular Russian and English-language cybercrime forum with over 180,000 registered users has advertised the VPN service since 2009, according to Mark Arena, CEO of cybersecurity firm Intel 471.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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