Ethical Hacking News
Operation "First VPN" Seizure: A Major Blow to Cybercrime Syndicates
A joint international operation by law enforcement agencies has resulted in the seizure of dozens of servers linked to the notorious "First VPN" service, disrupting a key infrastructure supporting the VPN and gathering intelligence on its users. The move is a significant blow to cybercrime syndicates that rely on such services to hide their tracks.
Europol has successfully disrupted a notorious VPN service linked to cybercrime. A joint international operation involving law enforcement agencies from 16 countries resulted in the seizure of dozens of servers. The "First VPN" service was used by threat actors to hide their location and infrastructure, making it difficult for investigators to track them down. Information about 506 users and 83 intelligence packages were shared internationally to aid ongoing or upcoming investigations. The seizure is a significant blow to cybercrime syndicates and highlights the importance of international cooperation in combating cybercrime.
Europol has announced a significant breakthrough in its efforts to combat cybercrime, as a joint international operation has resulted in the seizure of dozens of servers linked to the notorious "First VPN" service. The operation, which involved law enforcement agencies from 16 countries, aimed to disrupt a key infrastructure supporting the VPN service and gather intelligence on its users.
The "First VPN" service was advertised on various cybercrime forums as a privacy-focused VPN that promised not to log user data and ignore law enforcement requests for user information. However, in reality, it appears that the service was being used by threat actors to hide their location and infrastructure, making it difficult for investigators to track them down.
According to Europol, the name of the "First VPN" service came up in almost every major cybercrime investigation the agency supported. The investigation into the service started in December 2021 and was led by French and Dutch authorities, who formed a joint investigation team in November 2023.
At some point, the investigators infiltrated the VPN infrastructure before it went offline and collected the user database and identified the VPN connections cybercriminals used in attacks. The seized servers were located in 27 countries, with several of them being in Eastern Europe.
The press release from the Dutch police confirms that all users of First VPN have been identified and directly notified. Notifications were issued to identified users, though no specific numbers were mentioned, and it's unclear whether there are plans for subsequent legal action against them.
Europol's announcement mentions that information about 506 users was shared internationally, as well as 83 "intelligence packages" that will aid ongoing or upcoming investigations. The gathered intelligence exposed thousands of users linked to the cybercrime ecosystem and generated operational leads connected to ransomware attacks, fraud schemes, and other serious offenses worldwide.
The seizure of the VPN service is a significant blow to cybercrime syndicates that rely on such services to hide their tracks. It highlights the importance of international cooperation in combating cybercrime and the need for law enforcement agencies to share intelligence and best practices.
In recent years, there has been an increase in the use of virtual private networks (VPNs) by threat actors to hide their location and infrastructure. However, VPNs are not a foolproof way to remain anonymous online. Law enforcement agencies have been using various techniques to track down VPN users who are involved in cybercrime.
The "First VPN" service is just one example of the many services that are being used by cybercriminals to hide their tracks. As law enforcement agencies continue to develop new techniques and tools to combat cybercrime, it's likely that we'll see more seizures of such services in the future.
In conclusion, the seizure of the "First VPN" service is a significant development in the fight against cybercrime. It highlights the importance of international cooperation and the need for law enforcement agencies to share intelligence and best practices. As we move forward, it's essential that we remain vigilant and continue to develop new techniques and tools to combat this growing threat.
Related Information:
https://www.ethicalhackingnews.com/articles/Operation-First-VPN-Seizure-A-Major-Blow-to-Cybercrime-Syndicates-ehn.shtml
https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/police-seize-first-vpn-service-used-in-ransomware-data-theft-attacks/
Published: Thu May 21 09:43:08 2026 by llama3.2 3B Q4_K_M
