A website selling hacking tools that let attackers take over victims’ computers has been closed down after an international investigation.<\/p>\n
The UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) said 14,500 people had bought spying tools from the Imminent Methods site.<\/p>\n
Police searched more than 80 properties across the world to find those selling the tools.<\/p>\n
They were also able to trace people who had bought the software and charge them with computer misuse offences.<\/p>\n
Imminent Methods sold a tool known as the Imminent Monitor Remote Access Trojan (Imrat) for about $25 (\u00a319).<\/p>\n
It gave the attacker full access to an infected device, letting them steal data, monitor what the victim was doing and even access their webcam.<\/p>\n
The NCA said properties in Hull, Leeds, London, Manchester, Merseyside, Milton Keynes, Nottingham, Somerset and Surrey were among those searched.<\/p>\n
The international operation was led by the Australian Federal Police.<\/p>\n
The authorities were able to take down the website selling the software, which subsequently stopped the cyber-stalking tools from working.<\/p>\n
The NCA’s Phil Larratt said the tools had been used “to commit serious criminality” including “fraud, theft and voyeurism”.<\/p>\n
Police said 14 people had been arrested worldwide in connection with the sale and use of the software.<\/p>\n
By seizing control of the website, police will have been able to “take a good look at what the site has been up to, including who has bought the illegal items”, said Prof Alan Woodward, a cyber-security expert from the University of Surrey.<\/p>\n
“The authorities now know how many users bought the malware on offer. They will now be working to unmask the 14,500 who were daft enough to buy this malware.”<\/p>\n
“Organised crime gangs, as well as more petty criminals, are switching their attention to cyber-crime rather than, say, drugs, because it is perceived there will be a significant return on their investment and much lower risk,” said Prof Woodward.<\/p>\n
He said in addition to selling hacking tools, criminals also provide access to the infrastructure to power their malware, including so-called bulletproof hosting.<\/p>\n
“They set themselves up in jurisdictions and in such a technical manner that they think they are untouchable by law enforcement agencies in the countries where their clients conduct their crimes,” he told the BBC.<\/p>\n
“All of the above is called crime as a service, and has been a significant trend in recent years.”<\/p>\n
Source: bbc.co.uk<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"