Feds Near Downwardly 'Longest-Running' Andromeda Botnet

In a coordinated International cyber operation, Europol alongside the aid of international constabulary enforcement agencies has taken down what it called "one of the longest-running malware families inwards existence" known every bit Andromeda.

Andromeda, also known every bit Win32/Gamarue, is an infamous HTTP-based modular botnet that has been around for several years now, in addition to infecting computers alongside it's malicious intentions always since.

The primary destination of Andromeda bot is to distribute other malware families for volume global malware attacks.

The botnet has been associated alongside at to the lowest degree fourscore malware families, in addition to inwards the concluding 6 months, it was detected (or blocked) on an average of to a greater extent than than 1 1000000 machines per month.

Last year, constabulary enforcement agencies took downward the criminal infrastructure of the infamous Avalanche botnet inwards a like massive international cyber operation. Avalanche botnet was used every bit a delivery platform to spread other malware families, including Andromeda.

While investigating into the Avalanche botnet, information obtained past times the High German regime was shared alongside the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) via Europol, which eventually helped the international agencies to tear downward Andromeda simply concluding week.

In a articulation operation, the international partners took downward servers in addition to to a greater extent than than 1,500 spider web domains which were beingness used to distribute in addition to command Andromeda malware.

"This is some other lawsuit of international constabulary enforcement working together alongside manufacture partners to tackle the close pregnant cybercriminals in addition to the dedicated infrastructure they purpose to distribute malware on a global scale," Steven Wilson, the Head of Europol's European Cybercrime Centre (EC3), said.

"The clear message is that public-private partnerships tin comport on these criminals in addition to brand the network safer for all of us."

Using sinkholing the now-seized domains, tactic researchers purpose to redirect traffic from the infected machines to a self-controlled system; regime constitute over 2 1000000 unique IP addresses from at to the lowest degree 223 countries associated alongside Andromeda victims alongside simply 48 hours.

Further investigation also helped constabulary enforcement regime arrest a suspect inwards Belarus, who was allegedly involved inwards the Andromeda cybercrime gang.

Just concluding week, Europol seized to a greater extent than than 20,000 spider web domains for illegally selling counterfeit products, including luxury products, sportswear, electronics, pharmaceuticals in addition to online piracy on e-commerce platforms in addition to social networks inwards its struggle against the online merchandise of counterfeit goods.