20,000 malware domains taken out by massive 26-country police strike

A massive international law enforcement operation coordinated by Interpol has seen one of the biggest ever takedowns of a malware network.

The simultaneous strike across 26 countries resulted in more than 20,000 domains being taken offline, and the arrest of 32 suspects …

Bleeping Computer reports that the investigation was coordinated by Interpol.

Infostealers is the name given to malware which aims to extract personal information from your devices – including logins, financial data, and crypto wallet details. This information is then offered for sale on the dark web, where it’s used to commit identity theft and other forms of fraud.

While Macs were not a major target for malware for many years due to the relatively low penetration of the devices and built-in security features, that has changed dramatically in the past few years as Mac users are seen as high-value targets. Even Craig Federighi has said that the level of Mac malware is “unacceptable.”

Malware has even been found in iPhone apps despite Apple’s insistence on the safety of the app store.

Participating countries were Brunei, Cambodia, Fiji, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kiribati, Korea, Laos, Macau, Malaysia, Maldives, Nauru, Nepal, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Samoa, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Vanuatu, Vietnam.

Interpol cited the results from Hong Kong as an example.

Photo by Michael Förtsch on Unsplash