Europol announces the dismantling of the VPNLab.net private network, used by hackers

The case affects many companies around the world.

A global virtual private network (VPN) used by criminals to carry out ransomware attacks that put more than 100 businesses at risk from cyberattacks has been taken down, the police agency Europol announced on Tuesday. EU.

On Monday, investigators in Europe and North America seized or disrupted at least 15 servers hosting users as well as the VPNLab.net site, which provided criminal groups with protected communications and Internet access, said Europol, based in La Hague.

“The VPN provider (…) was used to support serious criminal acts such as the deployment of ransomware and other cybercriminal activities,” she added.

“A popular choice for hackers”

The platform created in 2008 was "a popular choice for hackers" willing to pay a subscription of 60 dollars (52 euros) to use its services "in order to commit their crimes without fear of being detected by the authorities", continued the European police agency.

Read alsoDiscreet payments, remediation costs and lost data, the hidden cost of a ransomware attack

Multiple investigations have shown that cybercriminals are exploiting the platform to distribute malware, designed to infiltrate or disrupt computer systems.

"Other cases have shown the use of the service in setting up infrastructure and communications behind ransomware campaigns, as well as their actual deployment," Europol said.

As a result of the survey, more than 100 companies were identified as being exposed to cyberattacks.

Law enforcement is working with potential victims to mitigate their exposure, Europol said.

Led by the German police in Hannover (northern Germany), investigators from several EU countries took part in the operation, as well as their counterparts from Great Britain, Canada, Ukraine and the States -United.