Cybercrime Network Dismantled, CBI Investigates Cyberfraud, CISA Stops Hacking

This week has been no less of a rollercoaster ride when it comes to the cybersecurity world. From busting the biggest-ever German cybercrime marketplace to conducting a thorough investigation to nab threat actors and sharing advisories and hacks to prevent hacks and cyberattacks, it has been the week when cyber authorities and experts are finally taking control.

No matter which corner of the world you are sitting in right now, know that cybersecurity should be one of your topmost priorities. Let’s find out together about the latest cyber happenings around the globe.

Here you go!

Cybercrimenetwork busted by German police!

The German law enforcement team has finally managed to nab the largest ever online cybercrime marketplace in Germany called Cybercrime Network. The administrator has been arrested and is being charged with multiple allegations, such as data stealing, narcotics business, and other illegal services. The 29-year-old admin goes by the name of Techmin. Techmin has been a part of Cybercrime Network for many years.

Established 12 years ago, Cyberrimenetwork was the favorite place among German threat actors to publish stolen data. The platform was also available for other illegitimate activities such as narcotics sale and purchase, document forging, etc. 

To everyone’s surprise, the site had a whopping 100,000 users and over 100 registered sellers at the time of the shutdown. Users/buyers used to make payments for products or services on Cybercrimenetwork through Cryptocurrency Monero and Bitcoin. In the past 6 years, transactions worth 1000 bitcoins and 20,000 Monero have taken place on Cybercrimenetwork. Apart from this, the platform charged 5% transaction fees and also earned through a monthly subscription fee from advertising revenue and sellers. 

Authorities dug deeper and took down the servers that were an integral part of Cybercrimenetwork’s core technical infrastructure. 

CBI launches a massive cyber fraud investigation across Delhi, India

CBI, or the Central Bureau of Investigation, has launched a massive investigation into transactional cyber fraud cases worth USD 14 million in Delhi, the capital of India. The investigation was sparked by a complaint by the Union Home Ministry’s Cyber Crime Coordination Centre, which focused on unknown organized cyber criminals and international threat actors who have been conducting financial fraud across India. 

A CBI spokesperson has revealed that the threat actors from overseas have been using Telegram, WhatsApp, and multiple websites to carry out malicious activities. These apps are frequently used to execute task-based frauds, job scams, lottery scams, high returns on minimal investments, easy loans, and so on.  

During the investigation, the CBI seized ‘incriminating’ evidence, such as financial records and electronic devices, from 10 locations across Delhi. 

CBI conducted a similar operation in September across India. They focused on cities like Vishakapatnam, Pune, Hyderabad, and Ahmedabad. They nabbed around 26 suspects and seized 951 items, including mobile phones, electronic devices, financial information, laptops, luxury vehicles, locker keys, and cash. 

CISA shares actionable tips to prevent hacking attempts!

The US government is doubling down on its efforts to slow down and eventually fizzle out malicious attempts by threat actors. Today, CISA (Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency) has shared tips and hacks with network defenders. This step was taken after the FBI and CISA acknowledged data breach attacks against major broadband providers such as Lumen Technologies, AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile.

During this attack, the threat actors managed to gain access to the ‘private communications’ of a few government officials and customer call records. They did not stop there; they further broke into the US government’s wiretapping platform. 

Authorities still have no clarity about the time when the hackers managed to lurk in the networks of these telecom giants. It is suspected that these hackers have been there for months or longer, and that’s exactly how they managed to wipe out massive amounts of data.

The fail-proof guide has been launched as a joint collaboration between the NSA, FBI, and international partners. The ultimate goal is to minimize the impact of the attack and help people gain better insights into data flow, user activities, and network traffic.

The perpetrators have not yet been completely eradicated. Investigation is going on to find out the scope and impact of the attack. Also, preventive measures have been rolled out so that no such hacking attacks take place in the future.

The key concept behind this advisory is vigilance. 

Some of the major tips that CISA shared are:

• Regular patching and upgradation of devices
• Strong cryptography
• Disabling unencrypted and unauthenticated protocols
• Secure and cautious password storage
• Configuration of systems 
• Monitor traffic, even if it is coming from trusted partners

As cybersecurity continues to advance, adopting essential email security measures such as SPF, DKIM, and DMARC is crucial to prevent fraud, phishing, and unauthorized access, safeguarding sensitive information from evolving threats.