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Major Interpol operation takes thousands of infostealer sites offline, dozens arrested

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Operation Secure looks to hit malware operators where it hurts

Malware attack virus alert , malicious software infection , cyber security awareness training to protect business
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  • Interpol and international partners conducted Operation Secure
  • In four months, the police arrested dozens of people and seized vital data
  • Thousands of IP addresses hosting infostealers were taken down, as well

Dozens of people have been arrested, and thousands of IP addresses seized, in an Interpol-led international law enforcement operation aimed at disrupting a network of infostealers and other malware.

The international law enforcement agency said Operation Secure took place between January and April 2025, and saw police agencies in 26 countries work together to locate servers, map physical networks, and move in to disrupt cybercriminal campaigns.

As a result, 32 people were arrested: 18 in Vietnam, 12 in Sri Lanka, and two in Nauru, including the individual suspected to have been running the entire operation, who was found with around $11,500 in cash, several SIM cards, and business registration documents which, according to the Interpol, point to a scheme “to open and sell corporate accounts”.

Servers, IP addresses, and gigs of data

In Hong Kong, the police analyzed more than 1,700 pieces of intelligence shared by Interpol, which helped them identify 117 command-and-control servers hosted on 89 internet service providers.

These servers were used as central hubs for different cybercriminal campaigns, including phishing, fraud, and social media scams.

Aside from the arrests, the police also seized 41 servers and obtained more than 100 GB of data.

Furthermore, it took down more than 20,000 malicious IP addresses linked to information stealers, and identified 216,000 victims and potential victims, some of whom have already been notified.

A few private cybersecurity companies also participated in the campaign, by providing valuable intelligence: Group-IB, Kaspersky, and Trend Micro.

“Interpol continues to support practical, collaborative action against global cyber threats,” commented Neal Jetton, the agency’s Director of Cybercrime.

“Operation Secure has once again shown the power of intelligence sharing in disrupting malicious infrastructure and preventing large-scale harm to both individuals and businesses.”

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Sead Fadilpašić

Sead is a seasoned freelance journalist based in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. He writes about IT (cloud, IoT, 5G, VPN) and cybersecurity (ransomware, data breaches, laws and regulations). In his career, spanning more than a decade, he’s written for numerous media outlets, including Al Jazeera Balkans. He’s also held several modules on content writing for Represent Communications.

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