The Europol Has Arrested Members of the “Infinity Black” Hacking Group
Last updated May 6, 2020
- An operation that happened simultaneously in Switzerland and Poland has resulted in the arresting of ten individuals.
- The persons who were detained are believed to be members of the Infinity Black hacking group.
- The group held databases containing stolen login credentials, and they made more than half a million euros from selling this data.
A co-joint effort from the Europol and Eurojust involving the Polish and the Swiss law enforcement authorities has resulted in the dismantling of the “Infinity Black” hacking group. The Polish National Police has conducted simultaneous raids in six different locations in the country, arrested five members of the Infinity Black group, and seized €100,000 worth of electronic equipment, such as computers, hardware, and cryptocurrency wallets. The Polish raids took place on April 29, 2020, while the Swiss Police took the baton the next day, making another five arrests in the canton of Vaud.
Source: Europol
The police have also located databases containing over 170 million records, so they confirmed that the hackers were selling this data to other malicious actors. Infinity Black had created tools that helped them test the quality of the information that was offered for sale, as they were handling large volumes of stolen and exfiltrated databases. Those that were deemed suitable for selling were distributed to the appropriate platforms by other members of the group that had this specific role. Europol estimated that Infinity Black made up to €610,000 by selling valid stolen login credentials in the past few years.
Considering ten individuals have been arrested during the raids, the Europol is confident that Infinity Black has been dismantled now. However, the subsequent investigation may reveal more on that part. The way through which the law enforcement managed to track down the fraudsters is apparently by connecting the dots from multiple platforms. The members of the hacking group were active in various forums, dark web marketplaces, Discord channels, etc. Moreover, Infinity Black often used the stolen credentials themselves, so the chances of leaving electronic traces online increased, and the investigators were able to get a starting point for their work.
Source: ZDNet
Selling user credentials is a highly profitable business, and the dismantling of Infinity Black isn’t likely to put an end on the problem. However, seeing simultaneous operations in two European countries is a sign that nothing can fly under the radar for long, no matter how skillful and experienced the hackers may be. The disruption of the shutdown of DataSense[.]pw and the news of the arrest of “Azatej” will send a message to other actors, reminding the scene that the law is here and is closely following the online steps of malicious groups.
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