Police Shut Down First VPN, Arrest Admin in Ukraine, Aid Europol

An international operation led by France and the Netherlands dismantled First VPN, a cybercriminal service used by ransomware operators. Bitdefender supported the investigation, helping to expose numerous individuals associated with cybercrime. The operation involved the dismantling of 33 servers and the seizure of primary domains, with the administrator arrested in Ukraine.

Investigators gained access to user databases, leading to significant intelligence sharing among jurisdictions, impacting 21 ongoing Europol investigations.