This month focuses on INTERPOL and AFRIPOLs cybercrime bust, Gmails New Shielded Email feature, and Microsofts AI, Cloud, and ERP security vulnerabilities.

INTERPOL and AFRIPOL Team Up to Bust Major African Cybercrime Ring 

An INTERPOL-led operation, named Operation Serengeti, from September 2 to October 31, 2024, resulted in the arrest of 1,006 suspects across 19 African countries and the dismantling of 134,089 malicious infrastructures.

Summary

• The operation disrupted ransomware campaigns, business email compromise (BEC), digital extortion, online scams, Ponzi schemes, and other forms of cyber fraud.
• Nations involved included Algeria, Angola, Benin, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Ghana, Kenya, Mauritius, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Tunisia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
• Over 35,000 victims worldwide suffered nearly $193 million in financial losses due to various cybercrimes.
• Eight suspects, including five Chinese nationals, were arrested in Senegal for a $6 million online Ponzi scheme. Authorities seized 900 SIM cards, $11,000 in cash, and evidence linked to 1,811 victims.
• A fraudulent online casino targeting Brazilian and Nigerian gamblers was dismantled in Angola, exploiting users through a multi-level marketing scheme.
• Threat researchers identified 10,000 DDoS attacks, over 3,000 phishing domains, and dark web actor data from Africa. Kaspersky provided information on ransomware, malware, and indicators of compromise (IoCs).
• INTERPOL emphasized the increasing scale and complexity of cybercrime attacks, stressing the need for continued global collaboration to combat them.
• INTERPOL highlighted the operation’s potential to save countless individuals from future financial and personal harm.
• Despite the arrests and takedown of malicious networks, INTERPOL acknowledged that this is “just the tip of the iceberg” and reiterated its commitment to targeting cybercriminal groups globally.
• Read more about the bust here.