Summary:
Operation Endgame, involving police forces from Germany, the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Denmark, and the Netherlands, resulted in the seizure of over 100 malware loader servers across Europe and North America. These servers hosted over 2,000 domains used for illicit activities, which are now under police control. The operation was supported by intelligence from various cybersecurity firms and organizations, including Bitdefender, Cryptolaemus, Sekoia, Shadowserver, Team Cymru, Prodaft, Proofpoint, and others. The seized domains now display a seizure banner from Europol.

Analyst Comment:
The malware droppers involved infected millions of computers. These tools initially served as banking trojans and later evolved to focus on establishing initial access to devices, using tactics like code obfuscation and legitimate process impersonation. Once access was gained, more dangerous payloads, such as information stealers and ransomware, were introduced.

Europol revealed that one main suspect earned over 69 million Euros ($74.5M) by renting out their infrastructure for ransomware deployment. The suspect's cryptocurrency transactions are being monitored, and legal permission to seize these assets has been obtained. More details about the operation and suspects will be published on a dedicated portal later today.

Suggested Corrections:
To mitigate the risk posed by malware droppers and similar threats, organizations should implement a multi-layered cybersecurity strategy. This includes deploying robust email filtering solutions to block malicious emails, ensuring that all software and systems are regularly updated and patched to fix known vulnerabilities, and using advanced endpoint protection with behavior-based detection capabilities. Information sharing within the cybersecurity community is vital. By collaborating and sharing threat intelligence, organizations can stay informed about the latest tactics, techniques, and procedures used by cybercriminals. This collective knowledge enables faster identification and response to emerging threats, enhancing overall security posture and resilience against sophisticated attacks.

Link(s):
https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/ne...arrest-four-cybercriminals-operation-endgame/