Police in Vancouver, along with the help of international partners, cracked down on a Russia-based cybercrime network.
The RCMP Federal Policing Pacific Region cybercrime investigation team in Vancouver is the lead Canadian police agency in the international joint forces operation targeting initial access malware. It was dubbed Operation Endgame, according to a news release from RCMP Friday (Nov. 13). The Vancouver team contributed coders, analysts and investigators.
Police say the Russia-based “Gootloader” malware enables unauthorized access to computer systems around the world through compromised websites. It uses infected WordPress websites to spread malware “masquerading as legal documents.”
The team in Vancouver and the RCMP’s cyber and technical investigation service developed a tool that removes Gootloader malware from infected machines. That tool was then shared with Operation Endgame partners to “disrupt the malware on a global scale.”
The week of Nov. 9, the police team from Vancouver were at Europol headquarters in The Hague, Netherlands to participate in global action week when the “disinfection tool” was deployed by law enforcement in Canada, Denmark, The Netherlands and the U.S.
Police said during that time, approximately 672 infected websites were remediated globally. In Canada, the Vancouver team disinfected 24 compromised machines.
RCMP added that Operation Endgame is the largest ongoing joint forces operation that has brought together law enforcement agencies from countries including Canada, Bulgaria, Denmark, Germany, Netherlands, Poland, the United Kingdom and the U.S. It’s supported by Europol and Eurojust.
The Vancouver team has previously helped with Operation Endgame earlier this year, working to crack down on SocGholish, which is linked to the Russian cybercriminal group Evil Corp. It’s a malware framework that tricks users into downloading malicious files by masquerading as legitimate computer updates.
READ MORE: RCMP in B.C. help dismantle massive cybercrime network in global operation
READ MORE: Surrey resident arrested in international cybercrime investigation
Click Here For The Original Source.
——————————————————–
