News of the Cyber World

[kyonides]

Dark HunTor: Police Arrest 150 Following Closure of Dark Web’s Largest Illegal Market

Following a 10-month investigation into the dark web’s largest illegal marketplace named “Dark HunTor,” 150 suspected drug vendors and buyers have been arrested.

The Verge reports that the closure of the dark web’s largest illegal marketplace, DarkMarket, has resulted in the arrest of 150 suspected drug vendors and buyers. The site boasted some 500,000 users and facilitated around 320,000 transactions, reports Europol, the EU’s law enforcement agency. Items sold on the marketplace included malware, stolen credit card information, weapons, and drugs.

The DOJ and Europol teamed up to take down DarkMarket in an Operation named “Dark HunTor.” US arrests totaled 65, German arrests totaled 47, UK arrests totaled 24, Italian arrests totaled 4, Dutch arrests totaled 4, French arrests totaled 3, Swiss arrests totaled 2, and Bulgarian arrests totaled 1. The operation saw $31.6 million in cash and cryptocurrencies seized as well as 45 firearms and around 234 kilograms of drugs such as cocaine, opioids, amphetamine, MDMA, and fentanyl.

Italian authorities successfully shut down two other dark web marketplaces, DeepSea and Berlusconi, as part of the operation. Four alleged administrators of the sites were arrested along with $4.17 million in cryptocurrency.

While the dark web was once considered to be relatively safe for drug dealers, international operations like Dark HunTor have seen arrests and closure of marketplaces. Just in recent years, markets like Dream, WallStreet, White House, DeepSea, and Dark Market have all been closed.

A Russian-speaking ransomware gang says it hacked the National Rifle Association

A ransomware group known as Grief claimed on Wednesday to have hacked the National Rifle Association, releasing 13 documents allegedly belonging to the organization and threatening to release more if the NRA doesn’t pay an extortion fee of an undisclosed sum.

The documents previewed on Grief’s leak site include grant applications and minutes from a meeting. The group claims to possess more documents. However, ransomware actors have been known to exaggerate the amount of data obtained in a hack.

CyberScoop has not independently verified the documents. An NRA spokesperson declined to comment when reached by phone. On its Twitter account, the NRA appeared to allude to the news.

“NRA does not discuss matters relating to its physical or electronic security,” reads a tweeted quote attributed to Andrew Arulanandam, managing director of NRA public affairs. “However, the NRA takes extraordinary measures to protect information regarding its members, donors, and operations – and is vigilant in doing so.”

Multiple researchers have said that Grief is affiliated with the Russian ransomware group Evil Corp.

Evil Corp.’s involvement could potentially put the NRA at risk of violating U.S. sanctions if it pays the attackers after the Treasury Department sanctioned that gang in 2019. The Justice Department also charged two Evil Corp. members with criminal violations, accusing the group’s leader, Maksim Yakubets, of providing direct assistance to Russian intelligence agencies.