“Strike Week”: A total of 57 people were arrested this week in a coordinated operation by UK government agencies, in collaboration with security industry agencies, charged with serious cybercrime.
The suspects were arrested by the authorities on various charges, including conducting DDoS attacks, cyber fraud, and developing malware, with the aim of breaching computer networks belonging to multinational companies and government organizations, and intercepting sensitive data.
At the top of the list of arrested cybercriminals is a young man who allegedly helped breach Yahoo’s systems in 2012, stealing 400,000 email addresses and passwords. The man arrested was part of the hacking group “D33Ds Company,” which released the stolen data online.
Second on the list is a 23-year-old, who is believed to have breached the US Department of Defense's systems and stolen important data from the EMSS (Enhanced Mobile Satellite Services) global satellite communication system.
Among those arrested is a 20-year-old man who managed to steal €20,800 from phishing attacks, and was arrested on March 4 in London by the Metropolitan Police, in collaboration with the NCCU (National Cyber Crime Unit).
The youngest of those arrested is a 16-year-old from Leeds, who is accused of carrying out DDoS attacks against around 350 websites.
And while one might think that cybercrime is a “game” played by young people, UK authorities are proving that age doesn’t matter, as officers have also arrested a 58-year-old man on suspicion of network hacking and DDoS offences.
In addition, the oldest of those arrested is a 59-year-old woman, who is accused of internet fraud, aiming to defraud well-known retailers with businesses on major shopping streets.
