Global Operation Takes Down 22,000 Malicious IPs

Tens of thousands of malicious IP addresses have been taken down by investigators and dozens arrested in a global operation targeting phishing, ransomware and information stealer campaigns, according to Interpol.

Operation Synergia II involved law enforcers from 95 Interpol member countries, working alongside private sector cybersecurity firms Group-IB, Trend Micro, Kaspersky and Team Cymru, between April and August 2024.

Of the 30,000 suspicious IP addresses identified, 76% were taken down and 59 servers were seized, according to Interpol. Some 43 electronic devices, including laptops, mobile phones and hard disks were seized, and 41 individuals were arrested, with 65 others still under investigation.

The private sector vendors apparently identified thousands malicious servers, sharing this intelligence with law enforcement agencies which then conducted house searches, seized servers, took down IPs and carried out other operations.

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Many of the servers in question were located in Hong Kong (1307) and Macau (291), while scores of individuals with links to cybercrime were identified in Mongolia (93) and Madagascar (11). In Estonia, police seized more than 80GB of server data and the authorities are working with Interpol to analyze data linked to phishing and banking malware.

“The global nature of cybercrime requires a global response which is evident by the support member countries provided to Operation Synergia II,” said Neal Jetton, Interpol director of the cybercrime directorate.

“Together, we’ve not only dismantled malicious infrastructure but also prevented hundreds of thousands of potential victims from falling prey to cybercrime. Interpol is proud to bring together a diverse team of member countries to fight this ever-evolving threat and make our world a safer place.”

The first iteration of Operation Synergia was announced in February 2024 when law enforcement agencies from over 50 Interpol member countries joined forces between September and November the previous year.

It led to the targeting of 1300 suspicious IPs and the arrest of 31 individuals.

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