Almost 9,000 servers in the ASEAN region are found to be laden with malware, according to an anti-cybercrime operation led by Interpol and investigators from seven southeast Asian nations.
The servers were infected with various types of malware, including those specifically targeting financial institutions, spreading ransomware, launching Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks and distributing spam. Hundreds of websites are also found to be compromised.
The operation, run out of the INTERPOL Global Complex for Innovation (IGCI), brought together investigators from Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam to share information on specific cybercrime situations in each country. Additional cyber intelligence was also provided by China.
Experts from seven private sector companies – Trend Micro, Kaspersky Lab, Cyber Defense Institute, Booz Allen Hamilton, British Telecom, Fortinet and Palo Alto Networks – also took part in pre-operational meetings in order to develop actionable information packages.
Analysis identified nearly 270 websites infected with a malware code which exploited a vulnerability in the website design application. Among them were several government websites which may have contained personal data of their citizens.
A number of phishing website operators were also identified, including one with links to Nigeria, with further investigations into other suspects still ongoing. One criminal based in Indonesia selling phishing kits via the Darknet had posted YouTube videos showing customers how to use the illicit software.
“The Singapore Police Force will continue to work closely with our ASEAN counterparts and the INTERPOL community to eradicate criminal activities in the cyberspace. We will spare no effort to track down cybercriminals who think that they can operate under the impunity of cross jurisdictions,” said Assistant Commissioner Cheng Khee Boon, Commander of SPF’s Cybercrime Command.
Identifying the different legislative requirements and regulations around the region was also an important aspect of the operation, providing participants with a greater knowledge and understanding of the avenues and restrictions in conducting enquiries.
