Amsterdam, Oct. 29, (dpa/GNA) – International investigators have identified 12 people they suspect of being key members of a group of cybercriminals operating globally.
The suspects are believed to have been involved in “devastating attacks” targeting major companies and critical infrastructure, according to Europol and Eurojust, the European judicial authority, on Friday.
The attacks reportedly affected 1,800 people in 71 countries, according to the European authorities.
The announcement followed raids of residences in Ukraine and Switzerland on Tuesday, during which officials seized cash and luxury cars.
The authorities are still examining some of the computers that were seized.
The suspects have not yet been arrested, but are believed to have had different roles within the criminal gang, with some accessing information technology networks, while others installed malicious software.
The criminals were said to have spent months searching systems for further vulnerabilities before they blocked systems and demanded ransoms.
The raids, coordinated by Europol and Euojust, involved investigators from eight countries in Europe and the US.
GNA