Police hack VPN used by criminals

European law enforcement agencies, in an international operation led by France and the Netherlands with Europol support, have dismantled a VPN service known as 'First VPN.' This service was heavily promoted on cybercrime forums and catered specifically to criminals seeking anonymity for activities like ransomware attacks and data theft. Investigators gained access to the VPN's user database, identifying thousands of individuals and generating leads for various global cybercrimes. The operation resulted in the seizure of the VPN's domain and the arrest of its administrator, highlighting the vulnerability of even specialized criminal infrastructure.