[Operation Synergia II]

In this blog series we spotlight one of the stories from our cybersecurity newsletter, Beacon.

An international coalition of law enforcement agencies recently dealt a major blow to criminals involved in various online scams, including phishing, credential theft, and ransomware distribution, according to Interpol.

The operation, called Synergia II, spanned from April to August, leading to the arrest of 41 suspects and the dismantling of 1,037 servers and other infrastructure across 22,000 IP addresses. Conducted by numerous global law enforcement bodies and three cybersecurity organizations, Synergia II showcased a coordinated international response to cybercrime.

“Cybercrime is global and the support from member countries in Operation Synergia II demonstrates that a united response is essential,” said Neal Jetton, Director of Interpol’s Cybercrime Directorate. “Our collective efforts have not only dismantled harmful infrastructure but have also protected hundreds of thousands from falling victim to cybercrime. Interpol is committed to uniting diverse member nations to combat this ever-growing threat and ensure a safer world.”

Key accomplishments of Operation Synergia II included:

• Hong Kong: Police assisted by taking down over 1,037 servers connected to malicious activities.
• Mongolia: Authorities carried out 21 house searches, seized a server, and identified 93 individuals linked to cybercrime.
• Macau: Law enforcement shut down 291 servers.
• Madagascar: Officials identified 11 individuals associated with malicious servers and confiscated 11 electronic devices.
• Estonia: Police captured more than 80GB of server data, which Interpol is now helping analyze for connections to phishing and malware.

Interpol described Operation Synergia II as a proactive measure against the rising threat and increasing sophistication of transactional cybercrime, focusing specifically on phishing, infostealers, and ransomware.