LYON, France – Authorities across 19 African countries have arrested 1,006 suspects and dismantled 134,089 malicious infrastructures and networks thanks to a joint operation by INTERPOL and AFRIPOL against cybercrime.
Operation Serengeti (2 September – 31 October) targeted criminals behind ransomware, business email compromise (BEC), digital extortion and online scams – all identified as prominent threats in the 2024 Africa Cyber Threat Assessment Report. More than 35,000 victims were identified during the operation, with cases linked to nearly USD 193 million in financial losses worldwide.
Read more…
Source: INTERPOL
Related:
- Canada: RCMP confirms ‘alarming’ cyber event targeting its networks
February 23, 2024
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police confirmed to CTV News on Friday that it was dealing with a cyber event that targeted its networks, forcing it to launch a criminal investigation into the breach. “At this time, there is no impact on RCMP operations and no known threat to the safety and security of Canadians,” RCMP media ...
- China’s top anti-espionage authority warns of secret leaks through smart wearable devices
February 23, 2024
China’s top anti-espionage authority warned on Friday that various smart wearable devices may become “cyber spies” used by foreign intelligence agencies to carry out espionage activities, posing a threat to national security. The Ministry of State Security (MSS) said on its official WeChat account on Friday that when smart wearable devices are connected to smartphones via ...
- Malawi: Cyber-attack hits immigration service
February 22, 2024
Malawi’s government has suspended the issuing of passports following a cyber-attack on the immigration service’s computer network. President Lazarus Chakwera told MPs that the targeting of the department amounted to a “serious national security breach”. He revealed that the hackers were asking for a ransom. But the president said the government would not give in to ...
- Australia: OAIC to investigate legal consultant’s data breach
February 21, 2024
The Australian Information Commissioner has launched an investigation into a law firm that provides legal and consulting services to the government, in relation to a data breach and the publication of some of that data on the dark web. At least 65 government entities were affected by the breach last year. The announcement on Wednesday follows ...
- Europol: Tips & advice to prevent ransomware from infecting your electronic devices
February 21, 2024
Ransomware is a type of malware that locks your computer and mobile devices or encrypts your electronic files, demanding a ransom payment through certain online payment methods (and by an established deadline) in order to regain control of your data. It can be downloaded through fake application updates or by visiting compromised websites. It can also ...
- Sharp rise in cyber attacks at UK law firms as hackers eye sensitive data
February 21, 2024
The number of reported cyber attacks on UK law firms has increased 36 per cent over the past year. According to data by speciality reinsurance group Chaucer, there were 166 reported cyber breaches in 2021/22, this number jumped to 226 for 2022/23 (as of 30 September). Chaucer says that the large number of attacks against law ...