Europol took down VPNLab.net, a VPN service provider used by ransomware operators and malware actors.
The disruptive joint action was coordinated and took place on January 17, 2022. It involved simultaneous law enforcement actions in Germany, the Netherlands, Canada, the Czech Republic, France, Hungary, Latvia, Ukraine, the United States, and the United Kingdom.
The law operatives seized 15 servers used by the VPNLab.net service and took down its main site, so the platform is no longer available.
VPNLab.net was one of the longest-standing and trustworthy services of this kind, established in 2008 and offering OpenVPN-based technology and 2048-bit encryption for just $60/year.
“Law enforcement took an interest in the provider after multiple investigations uncovered criminals using the VPNLab.net service to facilitate illicit activities such as malware distribution,” Europol said.
“Other cases showed the service’s use in the setting up of infrastructure and communications behind ransomware campaigns, as well as the actual deployment of ransomware.”
As further detailed by the Ukrainian cybercrime police in a separate press release, this particular service has been used in at least 150 ransomware attacks.
As a direct result of these actions, VPNLab.net incurred financial damages of at least 60 million Euros ($68.3 million).
Bijay Pokharel
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