PARIS: A key administrator of XSS.is, a prominent Russian-language cybercrime forum, has been detained in Ukraine through a joint operation involving French law enforcement and Europol. The Paris prosecutor’s office confirmed the arrest on Wednesday, marking a significant breakthrough in a long-running investigation.
Industry analysts identify XSS.is as one of the most enduring dark web platforms. Laure Beccuau, Paris public prosecutor, stated, “On Tuesday July 22, a person suspected of being the administrator of the Russian-language cybercrime forum XSS.is was arrested as part of a criminal investigation opened by the Paris public prosecutor’s office.”
The forum, operational since 2013, served as a central marketplace for cybercriminal activities. Beccuau noted, “Active since 2013, this forum was one of the main hubs for global cybercrime,“ facilitating transactions involving malware, compromised system access, stolen data, and ransomware services.
Investigators uncovered that XSS.is also hosted an encrypted Jabber messaging server, enabling anonymous communication among cybercriminals. The probe began in July 2021 before being escalated to investigating magistrates by November that year.
Beccuau added, “A judicial investigation was opened on November 9, 2021 on charges of complicity in attacks on an automated data processing system, organised extortion, and criminal conspiracy.” Intercepted communications exposed extensive illegal operations, with profits estimated at over $7 million.
The arrest was executed by Ukrainian authorities with support from French investigators and Europol. This operation highlights growing cross-border collaboration against cybercrime as attacks on public and private entities surge. – AFP
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