VPNLab.net: Europol shuts down cover

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Blocked website from VPNLab.net

Photo: - / dpa

Under the leadership of the Hanover Police Department, law enforcement agencies from ten countries have shut down a computer network used by criminals.

This was announced by the public prosecutor's office, the police and the Lower Saxony state government on Tuesday in Hanover and Verden.

The investigators confiscated or blocked 15 servers in the countries involved, which criminals used to communicate in encrypted form and organize cyber attacks.

According to the information, investigators from neighboring countries such as France and the Czech Republic, but also from countries such as Great Britain, Ukraine and the USA were involved.

The European police and judicial authorities Europol and Eurojust were also involved.

The blow was aimed at the servers of VPNLab.net.

Behind this name is a service provider who offered his customers so-called VPN connections.

A VPN for cybercriminals

A VPN, i.e. a virtual private network, establishes an encrypted connection between the user's computer and their destination address on the Internet.

For example, you can hide from an Internet provider which websites you are accessing.

In addition, the data traffic is ideally routed through the network safely from eavesdropping attempts and manipulations, almost like a car that drives through its own tunnel on the motorway and is therefore not seen by other drivers or the police.

Criminals are said to have used the VPN service to exchange and coordinate malware for extortion attempts.

According to the investigation, the network was used, among other things, to spread the "Ryuk" malware, which criminals used to blackmail clinics, companies, administrations and universities.

It is said that the servers were used by various criminal groups to exchange information and set up organized structures.

The investigations conducted by the Hanover police and the Verden public prosecutor's office got underway in 2019 after a cyber attack on the city administration of Neustadt am Rübenberge.

Pistorius calls for more funds for Europol

Lower Saxony's Interior Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) rated the shutdown of the server as a "great success".

The action shows “that we, as security authorities, are able to put a stop to serious criminal cyber networks”.

"The sharpest sword against international criminals is a joint and closely coordinated approach," said the minister on Tuesday, referring to the cross-border coordination of investigators.

Without the European police authority Europol, the strike would not have been possible.

Pistorius therefore considers a further expansion of the competencies and funds for Europol "essential".

mak/AFP