A blow to international cybercriminals when malware was disabled

Judicial authorities from several countries have disrupted the activities of international data thieves in a coordinated operation.

The EU Agency for Judicial Cooperation in Criminal Matters (Eurojust) in The Hague said on Tuesday that so-called infostealer software has been used to target data from millions of internet users.

The malware, called RedLine and META, is said to be used to operate “one of the largest malware platforms in the world.”

The programs reportedly ran on more than 1,200 servers in several countries. According to Eurojust, Monday’s action to coordinate the elimination of the malware involved judicial authorities from the Netherlands and the United States, along with those from Belgium, Portugal, the United Kingdom and Australia.

Three of the main servers for acquiring the malware have reportedly been shut down in the Netherlands and two domains have been seized.

Charges were filed against several alleged perpetrators in the US, while two people were arrested in Belgium.

Authorities also secured a database of customers who purchased the RedLine and META programs. Investigations into criminals who may have used the programs to steal data will continue, Eurojust said.

Eurojust referred potential victims to an online tool specifically set up by a security company to help them check whether their data had been compromised.