FBI and European partners seize major malware network in blow to global cybercrime

By FRANK BAJAK and STEFANIE DAZIO
Associated Press

LOS ANGELES (AP) — U.S. officials say the FBI and its partners in Europe infiltrated and seized control of a major malware network that was used for more than 15 years to commit a gamut of online crimes including crippling ransomware attacks. They then remotely removed its malicious software agent — known as Qakbot — from thousands of infected computers. The operation was announced Tuesday in Los Angeles, where U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada said the criminal network had facilitated about 40 ransomware attacks alone over 18 months that officials said Qakbot administrators about $58 million. “Nearly ever sector of the economy has been victimized by Qakbot,” he said.