GLASGOW, United Kingdom – In a landmark operation against cybercrime, INTERPOL has successfully taken down over 22,000 malicious IP addresses and servers linked to cyber threats. The operation, named Synergia II, ran from 1 April to 31 August 2024, targeting a range of cybercriminal activities, including phishing, information stealers, and ransomware.

Global Collaboration to Combat Cybercrime

Synergia II brought together INTERPOL, private sector cybersecurity leaders, and law enforcement agencies from 95 member countries. This joint effort underscores the necessity of a united front in addressing the growing sophistication of cybercriminals.

Key statistics from the operation include:

  • 30,000 suspicious IP addresses identified.
  • 22,000 malicious IP addresses and servers taken offline.
  • 59 servers seized.
  • 43 electronic devices, including laptops, mobile phones, and hard drives, confiscated.
  • 41 arrests, with 65 additional suspects under investigation.

International Highlights

Participating nations played pivotal roles in the operation:

  • Hong Kong (China): More than 1,037 servers linked to malicious activities were disabled.
  • Mongolia: Conducted 21 house searches, seized a server, and identified 93 individuals connected to illegal cyber activities.
  • Macau (China): Decommissioned 291 malicious servers.
  • Madagascar: Authorities seized 11 electronic devices and identified 11 individuals linked to cybercrime.
  • Estonia: Confiscated over 80GB of server data, which is currently under analysis for links to phishing and banking malware.

Key Cybercrime Targets

Operation Synergia II focused on three major cyber threats:

  1. Phishing: The most common initial access technique, phishing continues to evolve, with cybercriminals leveraging Generative AI to craft highly convincing, multilingual phishing emails. These advancements have made phishing campaigns more effective and harder to detect.
  2. Infostealers: This malware type infiltrates systems to extract sensitive information, such as login credentials and financial data. Infostealers are increasingly deployed as precursors to ransomware attacks. In 2023, the sale of stolen data from infostealers surged by over 40% on the dark web.
  3. Ransomware: With a 70% global increase in ransomware attacks across all industries in 2023, the threat continues to grow. Ransomware operators are expanding their reach, targeting new sectors and geographies.

Unified Response Against Cybercrime

Neal Jetton, Director of INTERPOL’s Cybercrime Directorate, emphasized the significance of international cooperation:

“The global nature of cybercrime requires a global response, as demonstrated by the success of Operation Synergia II. Together, we’ve dismantled malicious infrastructure and prevented hundreds of thousands of potential victims from falling prey to cybercrime. INTERPOL remains committed to uniting member countries to combat these evolving threats and make our world a safer place.”

Conclusion

Operation Synergia II highlights the importance of proactive, collaborative measures in the fight against cybercrime. By dismantling malicious infrastructures and arresting perpetrators, the operation has safeguarded countless individuals and organizations from potentially devastating cyberattacks.

As cyber threats continue to evolve, INTERPOL and its global partners stand resolute in their mission to protect the digital ecosystem and ensure a safer online environment for all.