July 3, 2024 at 03:30PM
Europol coordinated a global crackdown targeting cybercriminals’ use of legitimate security tools, resulting in the takedown of nearly 600 Cobalt Strike servers linked to criminal activity. The agency worked with private sector companies to flag and disable unlicensed versions of the tool across 27 countries as part of Operation Morpheus, involving international law enforcement authorities and Fortra’s efforts to protect its software.
From the meeting notes provided, the key takeaway is the announcement of a global crackdown by the European law enforcement agency Europol against the use of legitimate security tool Cobalt Strike by cybercriminals. The operation involved the takedown of nearly 600 Cobalt Strike servers linked to criminal activity, and it was a cross-border investigation led by the UK National Crime Agency and involving law enforcement authorities from several countries. Europol coordinated the international activity and liaised with private partners in a complex investigation initiated since 2021. The unauthorized use of Cobalt Strike by cybercriminals has been connected to multiple malware and ransomware investigations.