In a major win for internet safety, the good guys – law enforcement from 14 countries – have teamed up and shut down two big cybercriminal operations known as Phobos and 8Base. This international effort led to catching four suspects and taking control of 27 servers used by these cyber villains. These servers were essential to the bad guys, helping them chat with victims and leak stolen information.

This news comes right after the US Department of Justice proudly shared they’ve charged two Russian nationals thought to be the masterminds behind 8Base. These guys, Roman Berezhnoy and Egor Nikolaevich Glebov, were caught in Thailand, where they were chilling until police showed up and arrested them based on a tip-off from Swiss and US authorities.

The investigation deep dive began back in 2019, and since then, over 400 companies have been warned about possible cyber-attacks. Phobos was first seen in 2018 and has hit more than 1,000 places worldwide, causing lots of trouble and scooping up over $16 million for the bad actors. Their not-so-nice work didn’t stop there – Phobos grew and helped 8Base start up in 2022, becoming a big problem by 2023.

8Base pretended to be “pen testers” – experts who check computer systems for security holes – but really they were up to no good. They used tricky emails to sneak into computer systems and then used even sneakier tools to keep control before hitting the systems with a nasty virus that locked up files until a ransom was paid. Mainly US organizations suffered from their attacks, especially in manufacturing, tech, schools, and finance.

To sum it up, these cyber thieves caused a ton of trouble, from locking up important files to making victims shell out big bucks in ransom payments, and they didn’t even spare hospitals and schools.

So, what’s the takeaway? This major bust shows that even the trickiest cybercriminals can be stopped with teamwork and smart policing. But to stay safe, it’s important to have strong cybersecurity in place.

That’s where Diversified Outlook Group steps in. We’re specialists at helping you keep your digital doors locked tight against cybercriminals. If you’re looking to protect your company and need some advice, reach out to us at support@diversifiedoutlookgroup.com – we’re here to help make sure cyber bad guys don’t stand a chance against you.

If you’re curious to learn more, check out the full story at:
www.csoonline.com/article/3822338/authorities-seize-phobos-and-8base-ransomware-servers-arrest-4-suspects.html