crime
Thousands of cyber attacks – investigators break up gangs
A look inside a computer. Photo: Nicolas Armer / dpa
© dpa-infocom GmbH
In around 7,000 attacks on computer networks, the criminals are said to have stolen or extorted several million euros. Now European investigators have intervened.
European investigators have unearthed a cybercrime gang believed to be responsible for thousands of attacks on organizations and companies.
After house searches in Romania, two people were arrested, the European judicial authority Eurojust and the police authority Europol announced on Monday in The Hague. According to Europol, five suspects had previously been arrested in other countries. The gang is estimated to have stolen several million euros and is believed to be responsible for around 7,000 attacks.
According to Eurojust, the cyber attacks were directed against companies, municipalities, hospitals, the judiciary, schools and universities. The criminals had paralyzed the computer systems with malware and blocked data. These were only released after payment of the ransom.
In Europe, investigators in France, Romania, Germany and Switzerland were involved in the international operation. In Germany, according to Eurojust, the Stuttgart public prosecutor was in charge.