Operation KillSwitch: Teenager suspected of leading KillSec ransomware group


On 30 September 2026, law enforcement took control of KillSec’s leak site, securing at least 110 terabytes of data against further unauthorised access. The cybercrime group used the site to threaten organisations with the publication of stolen files unless they paid a ransom.

The action was part of Operation KillSwitch, an international investigation led by German authorities into around 1 000 suspected attacks worldwide. Investigators identified a 16-year-old as the group’s suspected main operator. Three suspects were provisionally arrested and eight properties searched in Greece, Romania, Spain, and the United Kingdom. Authorities also targeted the group’s criminal proceeds.

KillSec stole sensitive data by exploiting vulnerabilities and poorly secured access points to organisations’ systems. Around 500 of the suspected attacks have so far been identified as successful. This figure may change as investigators examine the evidence seized during the operation.

Read more…
Source:  EUROPOL News


Sign up for the Cyber Security Review Newsletter
The latest cyber security news and insights delivered right to your inbox


Related:

  • Freedom for MegaCortex ransomware victims – the fix is out

    January 6, 2023

    An international law enforcement effort has released a decryptor for victims of MegaCortex ransomware, widely used by cybercriminals to infect large corporations across 71 countries to the tune of more than $100 million in damages. The decryptor, built by Europol, cybersecurity firm Bitdefender, the NoMoreRansom Project, the Zürich Public Prosecutor’s Office and the Zürich Cantonal Police, ...

  • Sting op takes down 50 DDoS-for-hire domains

    December 15, 2022

    Police around the globe have seized as many as 50 internet domains said to be involved in tens of millions of distributed-denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks worldwide. Seven people were collared during the swoop. The so-called “booter” websites sold “some of the world’s leading DDoS-for-hire services,” allowing paying customers to launch these networking-flooding cyberattacks against chosen victims, according ...

  • Four suspects cuffed, face extradition to US over tax refund scam plot

    December 6, 2022

    Four men suspected of plotting to commit wire fraud and identity theft have been arrested and now face extradition to America. It is alleged they conspired to break into US companies’ servers, steal people’s personally identifiable information (PII), use that info to file fraudulent tax returns to Uncle Sam, and collect victims’ tax refunds. In newly unsealed ...

  • Ransomware hits city of Antwerp

    December 6, 2022

    Cybercriminals infected the city’s IT systems with ransomware. Residents are unable to make appointments for public affairs. Antwerp’s police and museums are partially offline. The attack took place on the night of December 5-6. A city spokesperson told De Standaard that ransomware was found on several systems. The identity of the attacker(s) is unknown at the ...

  • Ransomware gang targets Belgian municipality, hits police instead

    November 26, 2022

    The Ragnar Locker ransomware gang has published stolen data from what they thought was the municipality of Zwijndrecht, but turned out to be stolen from Zwijndrecht police, a local police unit in Antwerp, Belgium. The leaked data reportedly exposed thousands of car number plates, fines, crime report files, personnel details, investigation reports, and more. This type of ...